Property 21-01-2012 by Evening Echo

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Property 21.01.2012

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& Interiors

Photo by Denis Scannell

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Time to grow A landscape designer uprooted an old cottage for a brave new build PLUS â&#x20AC;˘ TRADING UP â&#x20AC;˘ STYLISH HOMES â&#x20AC;˘ GET THE LOOK â&#x20AC;˘ ANTIQUES â&#x20AC;˘ STEP BY STEP DIY

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TERAPROOF:User:noelcampionDate:19/01/2012Time:13:01:49Edition:21/01/2012PropertyXP2101Page:2

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PROPERTY

HOUSE WEEK OF THE

Tommy Barker reports

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Pictures: Denis Scannell

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OUSES in the Paddocks in Douglas, Cork are It comes to market for the first time since being coming up on 25 years of age — and in that built, via Brian Olden, of Cohalan Downing, who period, they’ve never lost their hold in the prices the house at €525,000, and who says it is very popularity stakes. well-finished and “instantly appealing”. The design, day one, was modestly up-market, at Rooms include a main living room that is 19’ by 11’, least seen through the prism of what followed during long yet relatively slender, with bay window, pine the Celtic Tiger era, when detached homes soared to floor and fireplace. sizes of between 3,000 and 4,000 sq ft and even larger, There’s also a dining room, 13’ by 8’ with wood floor, with more en-suites and plumbing than you could and off the kitchen is a 16’ by 11’ family room, with shake a simple fireplace with bath gas insert, and patio Location: Douglas, Cork brush or doors to the rear Price: €525,000 backgarden. scrub at. Double doors link Size: 178 sq m (1,950 sq ft) A the family space to the 5 handful of Bedrooms: tiled-floor kitchen, the bigger with lots of pale-hued BER rating: Pending Paddocks timber units and two Broadband: Yes homes windows overlooking did, back garden. Best asset: Quality home in popular development theThe indeed, gas boiler is in top 3,000 the utility off the sq ft in size, and boom-time sale prices went between kitchen, with side access to the gardens, where there’s €1m and €1.5m. a shed sited at the end of the private back garden, with At the relatively more affordable end of the scale is nicely greened in boundaries. No 15, a tall detached house with five bedrooms, No 15 has a short front garden, mostly given over to comprised of an attic level with two bedrooms, with a gravel drive with enough space for a car or two to three at the middle level, one an en-suite master park off-street, and again boundaries in front are bedroom, plus a family bathroom with bath fitted with nicely verdant, with a couple of tall plants standing a shower — making for a standard three bathrooms. sentinel either side of the front door. The floor space is put at 1,950 sq ft, and at this size Also standing tall is the roof: these Paddocks house No 15 is marginally larger than others of this type in types have deep eaves and a high hat-pitch for a rather this scheme, which was designed by Roderick Hogan jaunty look, with small roof tiles and clay ridge Associates, as the owner pushed the room sizes ‘bonnet’ tiles used over the side roof. proportionally a bit more than standard when Like the rest of the Paddocks houses, No 15 has a agreeing to buy it. low-maintenance exterior, with a mix of dash and

CONTENTS 4

TRADING UP A wrap-around conservatory opens up a west Cork house to its views.

NEW BUILD A contemporary Farran home was built ‘upside down’ for Lee valley vista.

12 FEATURE A lofty Patrick’s Hill house is tip-top in every way.

10 COVER STORY Rebuilding a semi-detached cottage was done in no half measure.

14 16 19 20 21

brick with small tiles dressing the front window bay between the ground floor and first floor pvc glazing.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

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VERDICT: a lot of bedrooms on offer here, in a wellregarded scheme within a few minutes walk of Douglas Fingerpost and the suburban village.

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NEW HOMES SHOW HOMES OPEN BY APPOINTMENT

INTERIORS DIY HOME ECONOMICS WISH LIST IN THE GARDEN

Thinking of buying?

INTERIORS EDITORIAL Sue O’Connor, 021 4802386 interiors@examiner.ie

Call Sherry FitzGerald New Homes ��

INTERIORS ADVERTISING Ger Duggan, 021 4802192 interiorads@examiner.ie

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PROPERTY EDITOR Tommy Barker, 021 4802221 property@examiner.ie

PROPERTY ADVERTISING Marguerite Stafford, 021 4802100 marguerite.stafford@examiner.ie

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IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

TERAPROOF:User:noelcampionDate:19/01/2012Time:13:01:49Edition:21/01/2012PropertyXP2101Page:2

Zone:XP1

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PROPERTY

HOUSE WEEK OF THE

Tommy Barker reports

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Pictures: Denis Scannell

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CONTENTS 4

TRADING UP A wrap-around conservatory opens up a west Cork house to its views.

NEW BUILD A contemporary Farran home was built ‘upside down’ for Lee valley vista.

12 FEATURE A lofty Patrick’s Hill house is tip-top in every way.

10 COVER STORY Rebuilding a semi-detached cottage was done in no half measure.

14 16 19 20 21

brick with small tiles dressing the front window bay between the ground floor and first floor pvc glazing.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

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VERDICT: a lot of bedrooms on offer here, in a wellregarded scheme within a few minutes walk of Douglas Fingerpost and the suburban village.

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NEW HOMES SHOW HOMES OPEN BY APPOINTMENT

INTERIORS DIY HOME ECONOMICS WISH LIST IN THE GARDEN

Thinking of buying?

INTERIORS EDITORIAL Sue O’Connor, 021 4802386 interiors@examiner.ie

Call Sherry FitzGerald New Homes ��

INTERIORS ADVERTISING Ger Duggan, 021 4802192 interiorads@examiner.ie

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PROPERTY EDITOR Tommy Barker, 021 4802221 property@examiner.ie

PROPERTY ADVERTISING Marguerite Stafford, 021 4802100 marguerite.stafford@examiner.ie

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IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

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PROPERTY

TRADING UP

MEET OUR TEAM

We scan a selection of trading up homes around the country Port na hAbhann, Cappoquin, Co.Waterford FOR SALE BY PUBLIC AUCTION On Thursday 26th January 2012, at 12 Noon The Park Hotel, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford

00 0 , €50 V AM DUNMANWAY, WEST CORK €349,000 Sq m: 275 (3,000 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

WATERFORD €249,000 Sq m: 117 (1,275, sq ft) BER rating: Pending

Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

A SMALL development, in a handy accessible-to-everything setting off Waterford’s Dunmore Road, is a synopsis of the bit of ground that 32 The Sycamores stands on. The house is spoton too, priced at €249,000 for a spotless four-bed dormer with good back garden, with deck space off the rear 14’ by 10’ lounge which is one of two main reception rooms. There’s a playroom, along with a kitchen/dining room with oak units, utility and guest WC. Overhead, none of the four bedrooms is particularly large, but three are doubles, and the master bed is en suite, while the main family bathroom is newly re-done and well-finished with lots of blue mosaic-style wall tiles. No 32 The Sycamores is a new market arrival with Sherry FitzGerald John Rohan, who say the setting marks it out as well worth viewing, and that house won’t disappoint either, with a fresh, modern decor. On a slightly upwards sloping site, the property has parking in front for a couple of cars, and the back is fenced and lawned, with a large storage shed.

Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

THERE’S a lot of space, and a lot going on, at this gleaming west Cork home with great distant views over to Nowen Hill. You’d hardly know it from the roadside, but this house has about 2,800 sq ft at ground and first floor level, with a further 600 sq ft across two more rooms at attic level — so it’s adaptable in the extreme. Yet, despite its heights, it has lots of its space at ground level, mainly thanks to a wrap-around conservatory at the back, going over 20’ in each direction on two side, linking into the 28’ by 15’ main living room. The rest of the ground floor accommodation includes a dining room, kitchen/dining room, with utility, as well as a bedroom beside a guest WC. Estate agent is Henry O’Leary in Clonakilty, and the house he has here is on three and a half acres, a few miles north of Dunmanway. The master bedroom takes up nearly half the first floor, with a balcony off for views, while another feature of the quality home is the horseshoe shaped hearth for a solid fuel stove and log store. Externally, there’s a large detached garage and a separate workshop.

• Exceptional value, 11 two storey 3 bed properties with stunning views directly on to the River Blackwater. Being sold individually. • Located in the village of Cappoquin, West Waterford within easy reach of the Comeragh and Knockmealdown Mountains and only 15 minutes from Dungarvan. • PVC double glazed windows, on-site parking and gardens to both front and rear. • Accommodation approx. 1,330 sq ft (124 sq m) and comprises of entrance hall, sitting room, wc, pantry, kitchen/dining/sun lounge and first floor includes three bedrooms, main en-suite and bathroom.

Solicitor: Ciara Quinlan, Whelan Solicitors, Grattan Court, Washington Street West, Cork. T: 021 4271269 Viewing and full details from sole agent Sherry FitzGerald John Rohan Manor House, Cork Road, Waterford T: (051) 843880 W: www.sherryfitz.ie E: info@johnrohan.ie

VERDICT: Loads here to accommodate and amuse a busy family.

Budapest Property Market Seminar Tuesday, 31st of January

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The Clarion Hotel, Cork City

Seminars at 6pm and 8pm

� What do the latest economic and political developments in Hungary mean for landlords? landlor

VERDICT: A bit of character here, signalled from the outset by its chunky big front roof dormer.

If you are thinking of selling and want to know why you should choose Sherry FitzGerald, here are just some of the reasons:

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� We Sold over €65million worth of residential property in Cork City in 2011. � We are the largest Cork Agency, with �� We have over 800 purchasers registered with us, ready to buy in 2012. � �� have the largest database of potential purchasers for your property So if you are considering selling, consider us.

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� Get up to date information on the Budapest Budapes property market, how much is your property propert worth? � Info on mortgage and tax regulations

DONNYBROOK €225,000

Sq. m: 140 sq m (1,515 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

BUYERS of 26 Hollygarth in Cork’s suburban Donnybrook could come from either of two camps: traders-up, as it has four bedrooms and over 1,500 sq ft of space, or first time buyers, as its €225,000 AMV via Savills puts it within their price bracket. New to market with Catherine McAuliffe of Savills, No 26 is a decent sized semi-d in a cul de sac, with a south-facing back garden. It’s in good overall condition, and privately owned, it’s within a walk of the village of Douglas, and while it

Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

might need some upgrading, the kitchen is good, it has double glazing, gas heating and a printed concrete front drive for parking. This solid buy has three reception rooms with a good flow around two of them and the kitchen, with a long, dog-leg utility/store/playroom extension to the back going out a considerable 20’, but only 6’ wide. VERDICT: A good floor plan and balance of space, in a settled estate within a walk of Douglas.

� Find out how Tower can help you in rental,, sales, management and tax

Experts on site to answer your questions

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phone our Dublin office on 01

234 2517

Seminars also in Galway G Hotel on We 1st Feb, and Dublin Burlington Hotel on Thu 2nd Feb.

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IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

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TERAPROOF:User:noelcampionDate:19/01/2012Time:13:03:47Edition:21/01/2012PropertyXP2101Page:4

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PROPERTY

TRADING UP

MEET OUR TEAM

00 0 , €50 V AM DUNMANWAY, WEST CORK €349,000 Sq m: 275 (3,000 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

WATERFORD €249,000 Sq m: 117 (1,275, sq ft) BER rating: Pending

Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

VERDICT: Loads here to accommodate and amuse a busy family.

Budapest Property Market Seminar Tuesday, 31st of January

� ��

The Clarion Hotel, Cork City

Seminars at 6pm and 8pm

� What do the latest economic and political developments in Hungary mean for landlords? landlor

VERDICT: A bit of character here, signalled from the outset by its chunky big front roof dormer.

If you are thinking of selling and want to know why you should choose Sherry FitzGerald, here are just some of the reasons:

��

�

� Get up to date information on the Budapest Budapes property market, how much is your property propert worth? � Info on mortgage and tax regulations

DONNYBROOK €225,000

Sq. m: 140 sq m (1,515 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

� Find out how Tower can help you in rental,, sales, management and tax

Experts on site to answer your questions

��

phone our Dublin office on 01

234 2517

Seminars also in Galway G Hotel on We 1st Feb, and Dublin Burlington Hotel on Thu 2nd Feb.

��

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

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TERAPROOF:User:noelcampionDate:19/01/2012Time:13:02:31Edition:21/01/2012PropertyXP2101Page:6

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STARTER HOMES

Clean buy, 7’s heaven in Castlemartyr

Three-bed, three bathroom is ideal, Tommy Barker reports

Location: Price: Size: Bedrooms: BER rating: Broadband:

Castlemartyr, East Cork €125,000 92 sq m (1,000 sq ft) 3 Pending Yes

SKEHARD ROAD, CORK €180,000 Sq m: 83 (900 sq ft) BER rating: D2

Bedrooms: 3 Broadband: Yes

WITH hundreds of jobs flowing to the Skehard/Mahon area of Cork, the location is undergoing something of a counter-cyclical boom — it’s even got cranes on the skyline. A smart-sized detached bungalow home, handy to all the local services, shops and employers, is No 20 Delwood Grove, off the Skehard Road, arriving for sale with agents O’Donoghue Clarke. It has a walled-in back garden, off-street parking, and a good sized 17’ by 11’ living room with gas fireplace, plus a kitchen/dining room, along with main bathroom and three bedrooms. VERDICT: Ready to move into.

SMARTLY finished and looking good as it comes up to its 10th anniversary is 7 Bridgetown Drive, a three-bed semi-detached in the east Cork village of Castlemartyr. For sale with agent Savills, who guide it at €125,000, this is a three bathroom home that has been cared for by house-proud owners. Clare O’Sullivan of Savills says it is “picture perfect, both inside and out.” And, she says the location is strong too, within a walk of local amenities in Castlemartyr, and with some of East Cork’s nicest sandy beaches all close

to hand, as well as pleasant drives, all about a 25 minute commute from Cork city. Bridgetown Drive was built in 2003, and No 7 has front garden with off-street parking and ramp access, and an enclosed back garden with shed and patio. There’s a nicely finished living room with attractive open fireplace, a rear 17’ by 11’ kitchen/dining room across the full width of the property, and three overhead bedrooms, one en suite, and main bathroom. There’s also Stira access to a part-floored attic.

This three bed semi is well worth a look, says Rose Martin

Sq. m: 89 (980 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

Bedrooms: 3 Broadband: Yes

TUCKED in well at the back of a cul de sac scheme off the Rochestown Road is this three-bed semi-detached at 27 Belgard Downs. On the market with Ann O’Mahony of Sherry FitzGerald, she says it’s in good condition and is within a short walk of Douglas village. It will as readily suit first-time buyers as traders down, thanks to its quiet location, and given the area’s appeal, investors may also have a look, she suggests. VERDICT: Priced within a range of pockets.

ON the market at €155,000, this modern, three bed semi at 12 Gleann Aras Drive, Grenagh is a hop, skip and a jump to Blarney, but has a lovelysetting. On the market with Kate Kearney of DNG Kevin Condon, this immaculate house has two reception rooms, as well as a good kitchen/dining room, a utility room, and best of all, three bathrooms for three bedrooms. And there’s a lovely deck at the back with long private views of green fields alone. The interior is sure to get buyers going, it’s really smart, with cool colours, a really good kitchen and a very elegant main lounge.

Location: Price: Size: Bedrooms: BER rating: Broadband:

Grenagh, Co Cork €155,000 112 sq m (1200 sq ft) 3 Pending Yes

CLODAGH, CROOKSTOWN, CO. CORK.

A quality, one-off family home built with the best of materials. Tommy Barker reports

F you can stretch to the €495k asking price for this Lee Valley one-off, you’ll only have a little more to spend on finishing it off inside and out — it’s probably 95% complete. Built “upside down” to get views from its largely open plan upper level, this is a quality family home, filled with the best of materials, from wide plank mahogany flooring to Donegal quartz on the facade, and with lots of salvaged old timbers from Britain inside. On a half acre lawned site, it’s brand new to market with Norma Healy of Sherry FitzGerald, who says this Aglish, Farran, home (with Lee Valley views) is near schools and montessori, and is just a ten-minute spin to the main Cork-Macroom road and on to the Ballincollig bypass. Centrepiece is a lofty hall, done by Cloghroe Joinery, and the dormer upper level of this architect-designed home has huge character, thanks to things like hefty exposed beams, contrasting with a contemporary kitchen.

12 Alexandra Road, St. Lukes, Cork FINAL OFFE

• 2 Bed mid terrace 10 minute walk from city centre.

Glynn, Mourneabbey, Co. Cork FINAL OFFE

Price €75,000

Barry Auctioneers & Valuers

77 South Mall, Cork. Tel: 021 4279677/087 2488341 www.barryauctioneers.ie

• 2 810 sq ft Detached house on 2 Acres • 1080 sq ft Detached Double Garage with kids playroom at rear • Wonderful opportunity to put your own finishing touches to this spacious house. • Two large living rooms, kitchen/dining room and sun room . • Four double bedrooms two ensuite bathrooms • Built in wardrobes in all the bedrooms Price €250,000

Barry Auctioneers & Valuers

77 South Mall, Cork. Tel: 021 4279677/086 0212187 www.barryauctioneers.ie Contact Tony Barry

1 Amberly heights Grange Douglas Cork FINAL OFFERS

3 bed semi detached in quiet cul de sac. Guide €149,000

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

1 Bed detached cottage on circa 0.50 acres, close to N22 Guide €120,000

77 South Mall, Cork. Tel: 021 4279677/087 2488341 www.barryauctioneers.ie

Teach Na Feirme, Ballinvriskig, Upper Glanmire, Co Cork.

VENDORS

2 Bed derelict cottage on circa 1 acre. Guide €50,000

3/4 bed detached property within easy commute to Cork City. Guide €285,000

• 3 Bed detached in Excellent Condition • Fantastic garden with lovely Views • Accom: Entrance hallway, Kitchen, Living room • Upstairs 3 bedrooms and Bathroom AMV €200,000

Barry Auctioneers & Valuers

If you want to advertise your property on this page please, contact your selling agent or Property Advertising

· New to Market · 4 Bed detached 1,594 Sq.ft · Stone wall boundary · 10 year homebond guarantee · 9`high ceilings · All amenities nearby

Price €295,000

on 021-4802100 Main Street, Macroom, Co. Cork Tel: 026 41165 www.sherryfitz.ie

Farran, Cork €495,000 390 sq m (4,200 sq ft) 4 Pending Yes

Properties on the move

• Property requires some modernisation.

LA VERDA, GURRANEREDMOND, DONOUGHMORE, CO. CORK.

Location: Price: Size: Bedrooms: BER rating: Broadband:

VERDICT: With just a few finishing matters, a new owner can put a personal stamp on this great home.

• Upstairs 2 bedrooms & bathroom.

DESHURE, TERELETON, MACROOM, CO. CORK

PROPERTY

Outside, there’s a lofted four-car garage, suitable for upgrade upstairs to granny flat, au pair’s, home office, etc. One of the four ground floor bedrooms is en suite, and the main first floor is a mix of living/dining room, library/ study, and kitchen with utility and guest WC.

• Living room, Kitchen.

Verdict: This is a bigger than average home in a small, cosy village which will appeal to those who want peace and quiet within a 20-minute commute of the city.The property is a gem and well worth a look over.

77 THE HERMITAGE, MACROOM, CO. CORK.

‘Upside down’ views of Lee Valley

VERDICT: A clean buy, a cared-for home.

Rural setting in comfort

ROCHESTOWN, CORK €185,000

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Murray Browne Auctioneers 7 South Mall Cork. 021-4279955 www.murraybrowne.ie

TO ADVERTISE YOUR RESALE PROPERTIES 021 4802 100 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

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STARTER HOMES

Clean buy, 7’s heaven in Castlemartyr

Three-bed, three bathroom is ideal, Tommy Barker reports

Location: Price: Size: Bedrooms: BER rating: Broadband:

Castlemartyr, East Cork €125,000 92 sq m (1,000 sq ft) 3 Pending Yes

SKEHARD ROAD, CORK €180,000 Sq m: 83 (900 sq ft) BER rating: D2

Bedrooms: 3 Broadband: Yes

This three bed semi is well worth a look, says Rose Martin

Sq. m: 89 (980 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

Bedrooms: 3 Broadband: Yes

Location: Price: Size: Bedrooms: BER rating: Broadband:

Grenagh, Co Cork €155,000 112 sq m (1200 sq ft) 3 Pending Yes

CLODAGH, CROOKSTOWN, CO. CORK.

A quality, one-off family home built with the best of materials. Tommy Barker reports

12 Alexandra Road, St. Lukes, Cork FINAL OFFE

• 2 Bed mid terrace 10 minute walk from city centre.

Glynn, Mourneabbey, Co. Cork FINAL OFFE

Price €75,000

Barry Auctioneers & Valuers

77 South Mall, Cork. Tel: 021 4279677/087 2488341 www.barryauctioneers.ie

Barry Auctioneers & Valuers

77 South Mall, Cork. Tel: 021 4279677/086 0212187 www.barryauctioneers.ie Contact Tony Barry

1 Amberly heights Grange Douglas Cork FINAL OFFERS

3 bed semi detached in quiet cul de sac. Guide €149,000

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

1 Bed detached cottage on circa 0.50 acres, close to N22 Guide €120,000

77 South Mall, Cork. Tel: 021 4279677/087 2488341 www.barryauctioneers.ie

Teach Na Feirme, Ballinvriskig, Upper Glanmire, Co Cork.

VENDORS

2 Bed derelict cottage on circa 1 acre. Guide €50,000

3/4 bed detached property within easy commute to Cork City. Guide €285,000

• 3 Bed detached in Excellent Condition • Fantastic garden with lovely Views • Accom: Entrance hallway, Kitchen, Living room • Upstairs 3 bedrooms and Bathroom AMV €200,000

Barry Auctioneers & Valuers

If you want to advertise your property on this page please, contact your selling agent or Property Advertising

· New to Market · 4 Bed detached 1,594 Sq.ft · Stone wall boundary · 10 year homebond guarantee · 9`high ceilings · All amenities nearby

Price €295,000

on 021-4802100 Main Street, Macroom, Co. Cork Tel: 026 41165 www.sherryfitz.ie

Farran, Cork €495,000 390 sq m (4,200 sq ft) 4 Pending Yes

Properties on the move

• Property requires some modernisation.

LA VERDA, GURRANEREDMOND, DONOUGHMORE, CO. CORK.

Location: Price: Size: Bedrooms: BER rating: Broadband:

VERDICT: With just a few finishing matters, a new owner can put a personal stamp on this great home.

• Upstairs 2 bedrooms & bathroom.

DESHURE, TERELETON, MACROOM, CO. CORK

PROPERTY

• Living room, Kitchen.

77 THE HERMITAGE, MACROOM, CO. CORK.

‘Upside down’ views of Lee Valley

VERDICT: A clean buy, a cared-for home.

Rural setting in comfort

ROCHESTOWN, CORK €185,000

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Murray Browne Auctioneers 7 South Mall Cork. 021-4279955 www.murraybrowne.ie

TO ADVERTISE YOUR RESALE PROPERTIES 021 4802 100 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

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FEATURE

Swapping Cork for California dreamin’

Location: Price: Size: Bedrooms: BER rating: Broadband:

Patrick’s Hill, Cork city €650,000 211 sq m (2,300 sq ft) 4 Pending Yes, CAT 5 cabling

Handsomely made over, Tommy Barker finds a stunning home ready for the right urbanite or urbane buyer

HERE’S huge house sale reluctance for a young Irish family, with a job move beckoning to the west coast of the US, from the top of Cork city. It’s hardly a consolation that the vendors are swapping the essence of quality Cork city living for Cork’s twin sister city, San Franciso — it would be hard to summon up the energy to do a house up there to their own, clearly high standards. The pair, with two young daughters, poured ideas and energy into 1 Lansdowne Terrace, a tall mid-1800s home which featured in a raw, relatively untouched state in these pages back in 2007. It sold back then in the high €600,000s (a neighbouring house a few doors away had just previously sold in the mid €600,000s) and it subsequently had time, money and skill lavished on it. Now, with California dreamin’ looming, it is back up for sale, all handsomely made over, with a €640,000 asking price via Michael O’Donovan of Sherry FitzGerald. Simply put, for the right urbanite or urbane buyers, it is a stunner. It could as easily have gone the corporate rental let route, but a clean break is preferred. It’s a pleasure to view. It’s a sizeable, and solid, threestorey plus attic home, at the very top of Cork city, on the crown of St Patrick’s Hill — with Blackpool valley, church and cathedral views which get better, and better, and better again, on each succeeding level internally. There’s not a bad room in this house, or one without appeal and character, with a modern, almost minimalist, sheen over the patina of age and wear. Retained and refurbished features include sash windows, stripped and smoothaction shutters, some stripped architraves, painstakingly stripped pitch pine stair spindles and newels, with a pricey ‘landing strip’ of sisal carpet from the UK’s Crucial Trading linking all three floors, a job for life. It’s all too clear that this was a job done with a view to long-term living here: there’s no sign of corners cut. Instead, money and care was liberally applied — to the next owner’s benefit. The owners are high in their praises of their work crew: craftsman Brian Coffey who’s based in the Marina Commercial

Pictures: Denis Scannell Park did the exceptional joinery, making new sash windows, repairing old pine sashes, and he also made the rear glazed extension frames and sliding door in hardwood. Builder for the overall six-month renewal project was Tim O’Donoghue from The Priory Killarney, and he was able to get rear access to the house and high enclosed sandstone back yard for materials, extending and plastering etc thanks to the army — literally. The terrace of houses backs on to Collins Barracks’ Camp Field, and they were allowed to annex a portion for a period for access. Work done includes full rewiring (plus alarm, CAT 5 cabling, TV points in all rooms, quality brushed steel switches, etc) in all room, replumbing, insulation, plastering, new bathrooms, conserving windows and doors. No 1 especially gained from opening up the ground floor rooms front to back, by putting in a supporting RSJ. So, now, the kitchen’s to the back, leading through an opened-up window (framed in US-sourced salvage bricks) to the glazed new lean-to dining room at the very back, visually connecting the indoors

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

with sheltered back yard, which was all resurfaced/paved and power washed, with a very handy large new storage shed added on. Most of the ground floor internally has been finished in fossil-rich Jura limestone, with large flags in the main, 35’ front-to back run-through three linked rooms, and in the large rear pantry. In the wide, impressive hall, the same stone is cut into smaller diagonally-laid tiles for a more period look. The quality of workmanship is again abundantly clear. Heating at ground level is underfloor, and rads elsewhere are good-looking, energy efficient ones, with new condenser gas boiler, and zoned sections, plus pressurised hot and cold water system for rapid delivery. The kitchen and island was made by Home Grown Kitchens, in carefully hand-painted solid woods, with all appliances (even the kettle) kept out of sight, and the main sink’s splashback and the splashback behind the six-burner Smeg range cooker are in a bricklook tile. The units’ black granite tops were made by Michael Clifford of Southern Stone, who also redid the fireplaces (gas at ground level, open hearths at the upper levels, including, romantically the master bedrooms, where a Heatlog will do, you don’t need to be trucking buckets of coal up stairs! All bathrooms (four in all) are fully tiled, mostly in marble, with high-end white sanitary ware, power showers etc, and the main bathroom has in pride of place the immense original cast iron bath, complete with enamel soap dishes, fully re-enamelled and glistening white. Apart from the large, bright, open and airy kitchen/dining/ family space (and long hall) the first floor has as its main room a 22’ wide and 15’ deep formal drawing room to the front of the house for valley views, evening sunset glow and night-time church steeple spot-lit high points. It has three tall sash windows, open fireplace, and is big enough to take not just one, but several very large sofas, plus armchairs a-plenty. Behind is the ensuite master bedroom, the main bathrooms on the stairs return, and the top floor has three bedrooms, one for guests with a sort of linked ensuite, and the front two rooms have great, elevated views. Pure Cork, at your feet.

There’s not a bad room in this house, or one without appeal and character, with a modern, almost minimalist sheen

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FEATURE

Swapping Cork for California dreamin’

Location: Price: Size: Bedrooms: BER rating: Broadband:

Patrick’s Hill, Cork city €650,000 211 sq m (2,300 sq ft) 4 Pending Yes, CAT 5 cabling

Handsomely made over, Tommy Barker finds a stunning home ready for the right urbanite or urbane buyer

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

There’s not a bad room in this house, or one without appeal and character, with a modern, almost minimalist sheen

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COVER STORY

Sometimes, you just have to start from scratch Stephen Dempsey took a chance in demolishing a 1940s bungalow to create a modern, luxurious home in its place, writes Rose Martin

XITING from this house last week, the kind motorist who let me out mimed enthusiastically: “the house is amazing” with eye-widening, hand-waving emphasis. You see, this semi-detached house has been a sort of neighbourhood Grand Design/ Room to Improve. Each passing day, local motorists have had our own little episode — talk about owning your landscape? Poor Stephen Dempsey, not only has he had the Irish Examiner annoying him about his beautiful creation, but as we were shooting these pictures, another admirer called, wanting to know where he sourced the front door (Munster Joinery — and wasn’t she just angling for an up close look anyway?). The tormented owner moved into his new house for the Christmas deadline, and while it may look like the usual renovation/ extension, in fact it’s a total rebuild — of a semi. Get that. And the house is also extended at the side giving an extra six feet which extends all the way to the back garden. Stephen Dempsey is a landscape gardener/ designer and his design smarts made him aware of the importance of detail: he hasn’t stinted and it shows. While he’s finished the exterior, the rear garden isn’t complete yet — we bullied him into going ahead before the spring — mainly because the house is a standout. And there’s another story here, (if a bit self-congratulatory), the choice of architect was made on the back of a piece written for these pages. It had featured a house on the Douglas Road designed by architect Mark Collins of Collins Brennan Architects. He and Stephen Brennan work out of an office in that house and it was Stephen Brennan who took over the

Pictures: Denis Scannell project management here. Both architects took a long look at the original 800 sq ft semi after it was purchased and advised knocking the whole kit and kiboodle. This was after taking into account the condition, age and dry rot problem: “I always ask the question with a project like this — do

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the opportunities outweigh the cost?” says Brennan. “Everything is new, you start from scratch and you’ll know the structure you have.” Stephen Dempsey took the advice and went for demolition of the 1940s bungalow: “He really listened and was open to our ideas — he’d seen our work and met us and knew

we knew what he was looking for — a light, open house with a contemporary feel — we got off from a place of mutual understanding. “And it improved as we went on — it was one of the best relationships we’ve had with a client — I’d be delighted calling out every week on a site where everyone got on.” High praise indeed. As a selfemployed tradesman, Stephen was keen to use his local contacts and while he went with a main contractor, he specified his own subcontractors — a hybrid system that seemed to work really well. “All the tradesmen were concerned about the outcome,” says Steve Brennan, “and took pride in their work.” The demolition of the bungalow was also prompted by the fact that the existing layout included 10’ high ceilings which would allow a doubling of the space, without compromising the line of the terrace in which it’s set. The house as configured today has two en suite bedrooms upstairs and a main bedroom and bathroom downstairs — overall there’s more than 1,800 square feet available. Following his grant of planning, Stephen Dempsey and friends began to demolish the house, bit by bit. The tiles were removed, (and power washed for later) and bearing in mind it’s one half of a semi, conditions were not usual, or easy. Dempsey used local builder Donal O’Sullivan to oversee the work, which began in February 2011 with Stephen Brennan as project architect. CBA Architects were engaged on a full contract, including cost control: “We do everything from start to finish — and it’s all there as an option for clients. We do cost control, organise a Bill of

Quantities including bathrooms, kitchens, floors, painting and all finishes, including landscaping — only on this occasion, Stephen, because it’s his job, did his own. I took care of the costing from the start and it came in close to budget,” says Brennan. There were a number of flash points — the architect pushed underfloor heating using an anhydrite screed — something the builder wasn’t too keen on. Instead of laying the sub floor at the foundation stage, this method requires four walls to frame the floor before being used. It pours like water,

according to Brennan, is only 35mm deep and ensures a fast response with underfloor heating. He won, but only to an extent, as the plumber hedged his bets by creating a separate radiator zone for short, snappy use. But it also allowed Steve Dempsey a flash of flamboyance — the magenta radiators used in the main living space which add colour and personality to what is a very calm, but fairly neutral space. However, the most stand out feature has to be the staircase, a glimpse of which can be

caught through the doorframe. Stephen Dempsey was keen to create something striking as a focal point and the design required a light touch — the stairs is made of teak and tulip wood with glass balusters: “On the approach into the house it’s all open tread so the space looks bigger — there are long views through the glass. The key to this look is to keep the string, (the support for the treads) at the centre — to keep it out of sight so the risers appear to float.” And they do — with a bank of overhead Velux windows throwing down light and

glazing all round, the staircase is a resounding success. It also acts as a divider: while the right hand side of the house runs clear from back to front, the left hand side has one discrete living room, a back bedroom with access directly to the rear garden and an adjoining main bathroom. There was much consideration too as to the colour of the windows, (they are teak on the inside), but in the end, the ivory won out on the basis of the olive/ grey colour chosen for the exterior walls. The combination works — and even more so in

reference to the neighbouring row. The hefty grey door, however and the grey finish in the fascia and soffitt semaphore the contemporary. Then, there’s that expensive Irish limestone patio outside and the limestone capping, showing Dempsey’s appreciation of quality elements. Dan Buckley of Classic Driveways was responsible for both, plus the stove surround in the living room and the cills on the windows. The main door, (which is at least 6” thick), opens directly into the living >>>

There’s expensive Irish limestone patio outside and the limestone capping, showing Dempsey’s appreciation of quality elements.

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COVER STORY

Sometimes, you just have to start from scratch Stephen Dempsey took a chance in demolishing a 1940s bungalow to create a modern, luxurious home in its place, writes Rose Martin

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

There’s expensive Irish limestone patio outside and the limestone capping, showing Dempsey’s appreciation of quality elements.

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COVER STORY

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Some great ideas for you to use in your home and where to get them 1 Ah, those stairs. The glass doesn’t bisect the teak risers. Instead, the end pieces are bonded to the balusters in a trompe l’oeil effect. Cloghroe Joinery created the string in painted Tulip wood and the risers in teak.

2 Stovax Stove €1,040 approximately for woodburning stove. Cork Stove Centre, Unit 12A, St Patrick’s Woollen Mills, Douglas, Cork, 0214899508; Cork Stoves and Fires, South Cork Ind Est, Vicars rd, Pouladuff, Co Cork, www.corkstoves.ie

3 Cedar Shingles: A break from timber sheeting — cedar shingles make a design statement and offer great flexibility in a build. 4 Irish Limestone: Used on the ground, on the cills and on the walls, this is a long-lasting and elegant material. (Note the bull nose finish on the slabs: it’s all about the detail). 5 Vertical Radiator. Valves are in chrome and chrome wrapping is used on exposed piping. OB Heating and Plumbing Bathrooms & Tiles. Prices start from €299. 6 Stainless steel trap: It’s all about those little details. From Cork Builders’ Providers.

SOURCEBOOK

>>> space, where a large sofa from the New Furniture Centre wraps around the fireplace, with its sleek Stovax stove. An internal, box bay acts as a divider between kitchen and living room and beyond is the kitchen, made by Natural Wood of Mallow and finished in walnut. It includes a bank of integrated units behind which is the utility room, hidden away. One of the better features of this part of the house is what Steve Dempsey calls the winter garden. This square, westfacing space has two sets of bi-fold doors which open up to the garden for summertime. And, while the back garden awaits a spring planting, the rear of the house stands out in its own right — it’s dressed in cedar shingles with a zinc trim. A big box bay extends outwards from the first floor, providing that crucial landing space for the bedrooms overhead. Projecting below it is the kitchen/ sun room extension, which is finished in fibreglass and trimmed with zinc — all of the guttering is hidden neatly behind

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this elegant finish. As a lesson in how to be brave, this project is a revelation — Steve Dempsey could have played it safe and gone for a re-model — instead, he took a chance and went with his gut instinct. It’s created a cool, sustainable, high finish home. Top marks all round.

PRACTICE PROFILE CBA Architecture Ltd Mosman, Douglas Road, Cork. Collins Brennan and Associates’ aim is to maximise the potential of all projects. Their designs are based on ideas. Not trends or styles. There are constraints, such as budget and planning guidelines, but the practice believe that such constraints are not a hindrance to design. “A good design responds to the clients needs and to the opportunities of the site.” www.cbaarchitecture.ie

Main Contractor: Donal O’Sullivan, Don Construction, Berrings, Co Cork. 087-2601013 ...................................................................................................... Architects: Collins Brennan Architects www.cbaarchitecture.ie ...................................................................................................... Joinery: Cloghroe Joinery Powdermills Industrial Park, Link Rd, Ballincollig, Co Cork. 021-4873940. cloghroejoinery.ie ...................................................................................................... Carpentry: Brentwood Carpentry Services. 087-1543463 ...................................................................................................... Cedarwood: Abbey Woods Cork, Unit 16/17 Westlink Business Park, Old Mallow Road, Co Cork. 021-4211788. www.abbeywoods.ie ...................................................................................................... External windows and doors: Munster Joinery, Ballydesmond, Co Cork, 064-7751151, www.munsterjoinery.ie ...................................................................................................... Electrical fixtures and fitting: Michael O’Leary, Limeworth, Ballincollig, Co Cork. 086-2572680 ...................................................................................................... Kitchen/ Fitted units: Naturally Wood, Quartertown, Mallow. Co Cork. 022-43652 www.naturallywood.ie ...................................................................................................... Plumbing: Matthew Tiffany Plumbing Contractor. 087-6387672

Bathroom fixtures and fittings: OB Heating and Plumbing Bathrooms & Tiles, South City Link Road, Cork. 021 4310000. www.obcork.ie ...................................................................................................... Fireplace: Dan Buckley Classic Driveways and Paving Specialists Cloughduv, Co Cork. 021 7336618, 087 2475008 ...................................................................................................... Flooring/tiles: Supreme Tiles, Kinsale Road. Cork. 021-4311028 www.supremetiles.ie. Glasheen Carpets, 29 Sheares Park, Glasheen Road, Cork. 021 4544166, 086 8052888. www.glasheencarpets.ie ...................................................................................................... Furniture: New Furniture Centre, Watercourse Road, Cork. 021 4504366 www.newfurniturecentre.com ...................................................................................................... External stone work/ craft masonry: Dan Buckley, Classic Driveways and Paving Specialists Cloughduv, Co Cork. 021 7336618. ...................................................................................................... Build Products: Cork Builders’ Providers Cork West Link, Togher Industrial Estate, Cork, 021-4961700 www.corkbp.ie ...................................................................................................... Landscaping: Stephen Dempsey, Landscaping, Leemount, Carrigrohane, Co Cork. sdlandscaping@live.ie. 086-3269946

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COVER STORY

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SOURCEBOOK

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INTERIORS

We take a detailed look at one aspect of the home every week ...

Hot choice

Functionality is king when it comes to cookers, but style can also play a part, writes Carol O’Callaghan

T USUALLY takes a big social gathering to see the shortcomings of our kitchen cooking equipment, like the lastminute decision Christmas week to buy a bigger turkey just in case some extra guests show up, and not being able to fit it into the oven and having to spend half an hour hacking off the legs so you can wedge in the beast. Then you’re left with the dilemma of where to cook the roast potatoes. It’s at moments like these that hindsight is an unwelcome reminder of how all your careful planning was spoilt by a last-minute impulse decision, but it might also get you thinking how your equipment is, or is not, meeting your needs. If you’re in the market to replace your cooker it can be quite an investment, so if there’s a good time of year to do it, then it’s now while the sales are on and before we drift into longer salad-eating days. When you go shopping try really hard not to be seduced by the look of the product. When it comes to cooking, function must reign supreme over all other considerations. Now that isn’t to say you can’t have the colour or shape you want, but don’t opt for the red cooker if the oven size is too narrow for your roasting trays as over time you will regret it. Trust me, cookers are like men: being gorgeous and lovely might be enough right now, but in the long-term they need to be skilled at DIY. Measure up the cooker space you currently have — width, depth and height. If you’re splashing out on a bigger model with two ovens and extra hob burners, and the now very fashionable hotplate, what will you have to sacrifice in terms of cupboard space to slot it in? You may also lose overhead cupboards if you are

installing an extractor hood so stop and consider the impact this will have on storage. Opting for gas or electric will probably be decided by whatever services you have coming into your home, but it has become fashionable, especially with range-style cookers, to have a gas hob and electric ovens, an arrangement which comes into its own in the event of a power outage, or if you live in an area without mains gas supply and are dependent on bottled gas. If you run out of gas while waiting for a bottle delivery, at least you’ll have electric ovens to make a roast dinner. Having two ovens is a great idea, especially if you choose one conventional and one fanassisted. But if space and budget prevent you from having a large-scale cooker, try a regular size cooker with four burners, one regular oven and a smaller one that is a dual function oven and grill. Do check the temperature thoroughly in the latter before buying as some of them tend to be little more than warming ovens and may not rise to the occasion of cooking your delicate soufflé in the time you would expect. ■ Next week we visit the bedroom, sitting room and hall, to show how just three products can liven up a tired space

The latest Beko cooker, the OIM25503, claims to have the world’s lowest energy consumption oven of its type, complete with LED control panel and push-in, pop-out knobs (from approx. €299 at Flor Griffins and Phil O’Sullivan Electrical).

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

INTERIORS

DININGIN STYLE This week we love... ■ Designer maker Sasha Sykes’ latest offering is a step away from her work in Perspex and resins. In the Angh beanbag she takes this often maligned piece of furniture-cumaccessory and gives it a distinct shape and structure inspired by an old dining chair. Available from I Heart Design €190.

Pots and pans Choose good quality sturdy pots and pans which, if well cared for, will last a lifetime. Clear glass means you can check on the progress of cooking without lifting the lid with the Tefal Expert Cook set of five pots and pans (€104 at Littlewoods Ireland).

A handy stockpot will help to make beautiful winter-warming soups and stews (from Prestige at Brennans Cookshop €52).

For a little funky colour on the stove top, try some aubergine pots and pans from the Oakham range by Viners (set of five €62).

Dishy dining Stove-to-table dishes need to be attractive as well as functional.

A good sturdy cast iron pan will give that lovely criss-cross browning effect to grilled meats (Le Creuset griddle €80 from Delia’s Kitchen Shop).

For lovers of multi-function the Stanley Brandon Condensing range has rapid oven heating features and can heat water and radiators too (€7,111 from MD O’Sheas, and Co-Op). Above: A wall-mounted oven avoids bending down to lift heavy pots. The Neff B8762 is a steam oven which helps to ensure food stays moist as it cooks (€1,506 at Callan Kitchens, Bandon, Denis Holmes Kitchens, Limerick).

Left: Aga, the grand-daddy of all cooking appliances is now offering its Total Control model with a hot plate that will heat up in eight minutes and ovens in 22 minutes. It has remote control and may even be operated from a Smartphone (€10,995 from Aga Stores).

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MASSIVE DISCOUNTS

Make a creamy fish pie in the Delicate Vine oval dish from the Rachel Allen Collection (€25 at Kilkenny and Blarney Woollen Mills).

Pale, neutral and understated, the Jasper Conran cast iron lidded pot could offer up a luscious casserole (approx. €75 at Debenhams).

South Gate Bridge, Cork T: 021 4319880 www.philosullivanelectrical.com

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We take a detailed look at one aspect of the home every week ...

Hot choice

Functionality is king when it comes to cookers, but style can also play a part, writes Carol O’Callaghan

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

INTERIORS

A handy stockpot will help to make beautiful winter-warming soups and stews (from Prestige at Brennans Cookshop €52).

For a little funky colour on the stove top, try some aubergine pots and pans from the Oakham range by Viners (set of five €62).

Dishy dining Stove-to-table dishes need to be attractive as well as functional.

A good sturdy cast iron pan will give that lovely criss-cross browning effect to grilled meats (Le Creuset griddle €80 from Delia’s Kitchen Shop).

SALE • SALE • SALE SEE OUR IT DEPARTMENT LAPTOPS

MASSIVE DISCOUNTS

Make a creamy fish pie in the Delicate Vine oval dish from the Rachel Allen Collection (€25 at Kilkenny and Blarney Woollen Mills).

Pale, neutral and understated, the Jasper Conran cast iron lidded pot could offer up a luscious casserole (approx. €75 at Debenhams).

South Gate Bridge, Cork T: 021 4319880 www.philosullivanelectrical.com

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DIY

INVEST WISELY IN KEEPING UP APPEARANCES

DIYTIPS

Changing Kitchen Door Handles Changing out knobs and handles can give a kitchen a surprising lift. Woodie’s DIY, Homevalue Hardware, B&Q and other large DIY outlets have a wide selection.

WHAT YOU NEED: ■ Drill and 5mm drill bit. ■ Screwdriver. The powered, re-chargeable lithium-ion variety of screwdriver is handy for this and a hundred other jobs.

In the current tough property market, Kya deLongchamps says sellers neglect repairs and refurbishment at their peril

HE property market is a tough race and with prices already depressed, capable buyers are leading the field. The sight of a crooked electrical faceplate can inflate latent fears in a viewer’s feverish mind, like yanking the pull on a life-raft. You know it’s a barely loose screw letting the switch leer off the wall, but for the potential purchaser, it fuels a cascade of suspicion of structural problems and decades of neglect. You may think the paint job you did 10 years ago is fresh as an April morning, but all the beady-eyed strollers with the agent will notice is muddy tram lines on the cabinets caused by the prodigal dog, or that tea stain you casually dabbed into the wool pile with a damp rag. If the viewer is not distracted by a smarter, tidier prospect, and maintains enough interest to make an offer, you may well find yourself confronted with a lower number, backed up by a whining list of ‘problems’ that will have to be addressed. This gives any covertly keen purchaser a distinct advantage when negotiating. Good is not good enough: the place really needs to be beyond reproach. With so many properties jostling for position, it’s sheer idleness to let your home down by long-fingering simple DIY repairs and decorative refreshment.

LIST THE LET-DOWNS ● Go through each room and make a list of every single thing, big or small, that reduces its appeal and finish, for example a cracked tile, dirty paint-work, bare wiring or damaged door threshold. ● Consider if you are capable of tackling the work yourself. ● Ask your agent to tell you frankly where he or she feels money could be spent to sweeten up the surroundings. They may save you unnecessary work. ● When you’ve covered the whole house, it’s time to prioritise, based on your budget and the time constraints imposed by the house sale/work/family needs in the home. ● Plumbing work beyond a dripping tap and all electrical work past wiring a plug are best left to a qualified plumber or RECI-recognised electrician. If you have never mitred a corner in a timber second-fix, surrender all thoughts of carpentry too. ● If you’re carrying out jobs yourself, make a timetable and stick to it.

■ Spirit level

Add class and stir. Just changing out your curtain poles is a few screws work, and as attractive investments in fixtures and fittings will catch a buyer’s eye. These gorgeous Belgravia brass effect poles start at €31.99 for a 1.2m pole from Woodie’s DIY.

MAN IN THE VAN Bundling multiple jobs for a reputable tradesman to handle could well save you money, so know exactly what you need done before lifting the phone for professional help. Keep in mind that adding incidental tasks once your helper is on site will not only slow progress but will tickle up the costs on time and materials. There are a number of tradesman sites on the Internet offering both search and tender facilities by location, but check the credentials of the chosen one in the flesh before agreeing to take them on. www.findatradesman.ie, www.tradesmen.ie, www.clevermike.ie. WHAT ROOM WAS THAT? Every room, circulation area and approach must have a working identity and some sort of presence. Some rooms will have multiple functions, and these should be clearly flagged with suitable furniture and arrangements. Don’t expect your viewers to imagine potential. We’re not all dripping in this kind of creative genius. For example, you must have a front door. If the elevations and architecture of your house don’t make this abundantly obvious, signal it. A truly exhausted door can be replaced or renovated. Flank the door with ornamental trees or shrubs (leave them in pots and carry them off when you leave). A few well-chosen flagstones can be bedded down into gravel to dress up the doorstep and wall-mounted lighting used to enhance your main arrival point. Where tarmac’ or cement runs right to the door, a new large welcome mat (nothing quirky) will suffice. UNDERFOOT The square metres of your house are mapped out in flooring that come with the house, and its quality and condition will be noticed immediately. Ripped vinyl in the kitchen will draw a buyer’s eye away from your gorgeous oak cabinetry. Re-carpeting may seem a drastic investment for a house you’re leaving, but for smaller areas with ghastly pile that cannot be saved, it’s worth considering. Look into deals with a reputable supplier, as buying and installation can offer value. At this point, carpeting is not worth an experiment in first-time DIY, and stairs are a no-no. A good steam clean can lift a filthy carpet back to life, and steaming units are available to hire by the day.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

■ New handles. Try to find handles with an identical hole profile to save you drilling out new ones and disguising old ones. They run from 94-128mm in distances between holes. ■ Pencil for making marks to drill out any new holes. Fixings are from the inside of the doors or drawers in general.

1 2 3 4 5 6

Holding the handles in place mark hole positions. Check all holes from side to side are level to each other with a spirit level. Using your drill and a suitable bit (5mm is standard), make a small starting pilot hole on the front of the drawer or cabinet. Drill out all of the holes. Attach the screws from the inside of drawers or inside of cabinet and using your fingers, followed by a couple of careful turns from a screwdriver fasten on the handle. Knobs can simply be screwed into the position of the old ones.

Lindstal handles and knobs. €7/€4 for packs of two from IKEA.

Q&A

Do you have a DIY question you would like answered? Send it to interiors@examiner.ie

Q. Should I replace my kitchen to improve the chances of selling my house this year?

Define every area. A dramatic paint job lifts a pasty faced corner to a jewel for outdoor entertaining, and the accessories can be taken with you when you leave. Here realised with Crown paint’s new range of Surreal Botanicals for 2012. Walls: Barrier Reef. Sandtex Feature Wall. Plant Pots: Blue-Mid. Crown Ultimate. Table tops: Pea Green. Sadolin Superdec.

If you want to clean up a wall (and it’s not a washable matt or vinyl), paint the entire wall, rather than daubing on more of the same colour.

HALL The hall is a small space in most houses, making the replacement of the flooring relatively inexpensive and well worth consideration if foot traffic has beaten a shabby track. Tiles, hardwearing carpet (wool and high wool mixes can stand the pace) or durable laminates are perfect. Wood veneer and even some solid plank-style flooring is within reach of a competent weekend warrior as the latest floating floors click together systematically, often without a single nail being shot. If you’re

general screamingly obvious. If you want to clean up a wall (and it’s not a washable matt or vinyl), paint the entire wall, rather than daubing on more of the same colour. If a banister is worn, take the time to go through the entire process, breaking the job down into component steps in your timetable. Sand a banister down, undercoat the timber, and reapply a gloss or satin finish along its whole length. Don’t start mucking about with stencils or introducing dramatic tonal

replacing cracked floor tiles, ensure an exact match in size and depth profile. PATCHWORK AND PAINT As your emotional investment in the property fades, the temptation when doing up to sell, is to cut corners. The results can be disappointing. Paint is not inert once it goes on the walls or woodwork. UV light, heating and cooling, and chemical changes cause changes in the tints and binders, slightly altering the colour. For this reason, touch-ups of old finishes are in

struggles. When it comes to wall and floor colours, three adjectives should be written in letters of fire on your soul — light, warm and neutral. Buyers want value for money and that translates as spaciousness, even apparent space. Clearly you don’t want to present your house as a sterile temple of bland vanilla, but reserve any bold colour for clever accessorizing. Tired tiling can be perked up with a re-grout. Try www.lets-do-diy.com for step-by-step instructions on small sprucing projects.

A. Sadly, the first thing many buyers rip out when they buy is the kitchen, even a new one, so there are no guarantees. What about inexpensive updates? Paint, tile, change the handles, even update the doors with a paint job if you like but think twice before taking out carcasses and counters, as your investment may not be rewarded. Large DIY outlets offer accessories and doors to tickle up a kitchen. Clean the room from grout to ceiling. Only immaculate will do. Q. The storage in the bathroom of my house is woeful, and it always looks cluttered. I don’t have more than €100 to improve the look of the place. Ideas? A. Get a good chrome towel-rail, and freestanding slender cupboards with a vertical thrust to use wall-space rather than floor-space. Argos does a five-tier

chrome over door towel rack. €25. Add their tongue and groove white or pine two-door unit. €35. A white double door medicine cabinet for another €35, or pine at €39. (€95-99 total). Alternative wrap a pedestal basin in their handy doored storage units. €56 in pine or white. Q. It’s difficult to get excited about doing up our house to sell. In the current climate of falling prices, I feel like I’m throwing money away. A. You must accept that presentation is key to selling the house, but when it comes to investing money, yes, it’s a gamble. Where you are forced to spend, buy some things you can take with you rather than fittings and fixtures that will come screwed onto the house. Dressing up the door step with large planters for example you can use in your next garden or staging one signature piece of furniture. Freestanding kitchen pieces can be carried off too. ■ Words by Kya deLongchamps

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DIY

INVEST WISELY IN KEEPING UP APPEARANCES

DIYTIPS

Changing Kitchen Door Handles Changing out knobs and handles can give a kitchen a surprising lift. Woodie’s DIY, Homevalue Hardware, B&Q and other large DIY outlets have a wide selection.

WHAT YOU NEED: ■ Drill and 5mm drill bit. ■ Screwdriver. The powered, re-chargeable lithium-ion variety of screwdriver is handy for this and a hundred other jobs.

In the current tough property market, Kya deLongchamps says sellers neglect repairs and refurbishment at their peril

■ Spirit level

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

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Lindstal handles and knobs. €7/€4 for packs of two from IKEA.

Q&A

Do you have a DIY question you would like answered? Send it to interiors@examiner.ie

Q. Should I replace my kitchen to improve the chances of selling my house this year?

If you want to clean up a wall (and it’s not a washable matt or vinyl), paint the entire wall, rather than daubing on more of the same colour.

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INTERIORS

ASK THE

DESIGNER

The Chinese believe that red is a lucky colour — but how can I use the daring hue in my home?

A. Of all the colours, red is definitely the most powerful — anyone who dares to wear Louboutin heels will agree! However, as artist Henri Mattise once said, ‘A certain red has an effect on your blood pressure’ — so use it carefully and sparingly! It’s safest to add a splash of red to your home with furniture or accessories — such as patterned red upholstery, a rug or throw cushions. But if you’re feeling more adventurous, consider an accent wall in a secondary room such as a dining room — which would look amazing with some gilded picture frames. For drama, use red to punctuate black or white. Alternatively, team it with shades of brown, orange or green.

Q. My girlfriend is Chinese and I want to surprise her with a traditional dinner to celebrate the New Year — what tableware would you recommend? A. In Chinese culture, circles (representing heaven) and squares (representing earth) have deep symbolic meaning — so stick to tableware in these shapes such as round saki cups set on square bamboo table mats, set on a round table cloth or runner. Most cities here now have Asian markets where you can buy everything from chopsticks to chicken’s feet — try Oriental Treasures on Oliver Plunkett Street in Cork for authentic tableware. But you can also find Asian-inspired homeware in stores — such as John

Q. What is “Chinoiserie” style? A. Basically, Chinoiserie is just a French term for ‘Chinese-esque’. Down through the years, European artists and designers have looked to traditional Chinese craftsmanship for inspiration for everything from ceramics to fabrics and furniture. In interior design, Chinoiserie is when the two cultures meet either in shape or decoration. Elegant and laid-back, it’s definitely a style that’s worth considering for your living room — watch for Geisha girl prints, lacquered furniture in dark wood, paper lanterns and earthenware vases. Next has a fabulous new home range for Spring called ‘Oriental Red’ that won’t break the bank.

Above: Geisha Girl Canvas (Set of 2), €51 available from Next. Below left; two examples of Chinoiserie Chic. Below right; a Chinoiserie Bird Cushion, €18 available from Next. Bottom right: Chopsticks in Satin Sleeves, €12 from Oriental Treasures, Cork city. www.orientaltreasures.ie

Q. My bedroom is a cluttered mess that’s driving me mad — how can I master the Chinese art of feng shui? A. Historically, feng shui was a system of using astrological patterns to promote a more positive life. It’s used to add balance to the home or workplace. To create a feng shui bedroom, your bed should be approachable from both sides and balanced with a bedside table on each side, good mattress and solid headboard. For the best flow of energy, close all doors at night and regularly open the windows or use an air purifier to keep the room full of oxygen. Remember to avoid aggressive artwork.

E really only notice the charms of our white goods when they start doddering along or die abruptly. There will be economic as well as environmental considerations for the greener minded homeowner, but for many of us, replacement really is not an option until the unit actually breaks down. Some of the cannier repair specialists carry replacement machines, ready to rescue a damsel up to her ears in a mouldering load. It’s handy to have the old washer, dyer, fridge or dishwasher hauled off and instantly plumbed back into place, but replacing a machine does put at least some parts of the machine into landfill. Don’t automatically dump a ten year old machine if it’s economically viable to repair and performing to a reasonable standard. Before calling out a professional, dig out the manual and read over the troubleshooting section. For example if the outside outlet valve is blocked, it may simply be backing up water in your washing machine. Don’t be tempted to tinker with electrical issues beyond replacing a fuse in the plug. If you still have no joy, check your guarantee to see if you are covered for parts and labour. Ensure you have the model number of your machine to hand so that the repair person can have the parts you need on the day. Outline the problem over the phone and the technician may be able to advise you if it’s worth fixing, and if so, how much it will cost.

Using the appliance label to buy your white goods

1 2 3 4 The latest Zeolith Dishwasher from Siemens. The new hydro-dry function improves the efficiency of drying by using heat generated in the wash to pre-heat water used later in the rinse cycles. €899.99

WASHERS

Every week Sue O’Connor picks her top three interiors sites. If you have a favourite you’d like to see featured, email: interiors@examiner.ie

Objekt

I am of Ireland

This site makes you want to sit up straight and pay attention to what it has to offer. Mark and Rosie Shortt brought SieMatic, manufacturers of high-end fitted kitchens and kitchen features, to Ireland more than 25 years ago. Its site has all aspects of home furniture from kitchens through to dining, living room and bedroom. Appliances, audio-visual products and lighting also feature in its site. The store holds regular cookery demonstrations and the website complements this with an online recipe bank.

Carrying on from the Scandinavian theme last week, we would have to include Objekt. Its corner tables, coffee tables and relaxing chairs can be a one-off piece which would complement many-aroom. Clean lines, fresh designs and no-nonsense quality give these products a classy, if clinical look. Its colours can border on retro so can be a perfect ingredient to bring a little funk into your home. Certainly worth a look online to see if you can bring a little bit of the Northern Lights to your world.

Bringing it all back home is this site which captures the good and the great artisan products available throughout Ireland. This Jerpoint lamp is just one example of Irish crafts which can be sourced. It can be made to order so allow three to four weeks for delivery. Plates, teapots, blankets, oven dishes and wine glasses are just some of the treats featured. Great for gifts or just something for your own home so take peek and see what our nation’s best can produce.

■ www.houseworks.ie

■ www.objekt.ie

■ www.iamofireland.ie

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

Machine meltdown Don’t automatically dump your white goods when they fail, writes Kya deLongchamps

Rocha’s ‘Pico’ range for Debenhams. Giving red envelopes filled with coins is a custom for Chinese New Year, so why not add a handmade envelope filled with chocolate coins to each place setting.

WEB WATCH Houseworks

To mark the Chinese New Year on Monday, interior designer Denise Walsh of Donovan Walsh Designs, answers your Oriental design dilemmas. Email: interiors@examiner.ie

Drive belts, door-seals, and cycle faults are typical small faults, but the call out of a service agent together with the parts and labour may cost half the price of a modest machine. A washing machine should run 7-8 loads a week happily for up to 8 years without major trouble. A mysteriously leaking machine is generally not good news, and requires intricate, expensive investigation. Half the power used to run a washer is used to heat the water, so a new water frugal machine will save you money on two fronts if you decide to make a change. Washer/ dryers are less economical than a separate set of machines, so if you have room, stack a pair. DRYERS

This Jerpoint glass lamp is available on www.iamofireland.ie for €155.

If the drum isn’t turning or the machine is not heating, you need help. Running a dryer for longer than needed not only wastes money but stresses fabrics. The most important advance in dryer technology is moisture sensors, which detect when the load is dry or ‘cupboard dry’ if you prefer to finish them in the hot-press or by ironing. If your F rated vintage machine has a simple dial up timer and is taking a

long time to dry clothes, cash it in for even a simply specified A to B rated machine. Otherwise common problems of drum belts, thermostat failures, and debris falling into remote mechanical parts of the machine can be sorted out. DISHWASHERS Dishwashers are tough, relatively simple machines. Blocked hoses and drain pumps account for the vast majority of failures and are easily put right by a repair specialist. Digital machines may even deliver an ‘error code’, allowing you to either fix it yourself or get in the engineer. A service and repair can get most machines up and running. The newest dishwashers use a lot less water than their early inspirations and run quieter too, so if your machine is an ongoing repair trail, cranking out a din worthy of AC/DC and returning greasy dishes, it could be time for a change. Ensure the entire machine is clean by running it empty with a proprietary cleaning tablet before making up your mind. Sensors in new machines will lengthen or shorten up the wash cycle saving your money and water wash by wash.

FRIDGE/FREEZERS: Often slaves to fashion when changing a kitchen, the fridge is the one appliance in your home that’s always on. Cooling appliances made since 2001 are likely to be at least 75% more energy efficient, so if the fridge is a more than 12 years old, consider replacement with a new AA model to cut those running costs. Thermostats and defrost sensor failures are simple repairs that either let the fridge ice/ freezer ice up or stop cooling sufficiently. Keeps an eye on the fridge/ freezer following the manufacturer’s recommendations for best performance. Don’t forget to keep any fins at the rear of the machine clean with the occasion vacuum. If your fridge or upright freezer can hold a bank note in the closed door, the seal is tight enough.

A mysteriously leaking machine is generally not good news, and requires investigation

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Model/Manufacturer. This shows the manufacturers name/brand and the specific model name/number. Very often a parade of numbers and lower case letters. Energy Efficiency. The pretty line bands of colour running across the second section of the label from top to bottom. A is the most efficient, G the least. A+ and A++ are rare ratings that are only seen on the most highly efficient refrigeration products. These ratings are energy ratings NOT performance ratings. Energy Consumption. Expressed in kilowatt hours based on a ‘standard’ cycle or year of use. For refrigeration the consumption is given over a year (kWh/year) as these are always-ON appliance. Performance. In respect of some appliances that have more than one working cycle, like a washing machine, washer/dryer or dishwasher, their may be more than one performance rating to cover each phase of the appliance’s working cycle. Noise: This is a measure of the noise typically emitted during the machines standard cycle, indicated in db or decibels. 48dB for example would be considered very quiet in a dishwasher that occasionally roars to life, but 10dB would be acceptable in a freezer running 24 hours at a bearable hum. Fridges & Freezers: Check the ‘volume’ of the cavity in the bulky exterior carcass which can make the appliance look a good deal larger. The Star Rating indicates the rating for the frozen food compartments. One star indicates a storage temperature of -6°C, four stars -18°C with deep freezing capacity. Siemens have reached an A+++ rating for their latest models in fridge/freezers. (RRP €839.99) Dishwashers. Cleaning performance (A-G) and drying performance (A-G) measured over a standard cycle of 60ºC. The cleaning performance is a comment on the cleanliness of the dishes coming out of the machine. Washing machines. A is a great rating for energy efficiency, and AA the best rating in terms of wash performance and drying performance. Energy consumption is judged on a 60ºC cotton cycle, so hopefully you will be dialling down to 30ºC or even cold wash of 15ºC.

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INTERIORS

ASK THE

DESIGNER

The Chinese believe that red is a lucky colour — but how can I use the daring hue in my home?

Using the appliance label to buy your white goods

WASHERS

Every week Sue O’Connor picks her top three interiors sites. If you have a favourite you’d like to see featured, email: interiors@examiner.ie

Objekt

I am of Ireland

■ www.houseworks.ie

■ www.objekt.ie

■ www.iamofireland.ie

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

Machine meltdown Don’t automatically dump your white goods when they fail, writes Kya deLongchamps

WEB WATCH Houseworks

To mark the Chinese New Year on Monday, interior designer Denise Walsh of Donovan Walsh Designs, answers your Oriental design dilemmas. Email: interiors@examiner.ie

This Jerpoint glass lamp is available on www.iamofireland.ie for €155.

A mysteriously leaking machine is generally not good news, and requires investigation

7 8

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

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WISH LIST

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IN THE GARDEN

WISH LIST

GARDENNOTES ■ Lough Flower and Garden Club holds its AGM on Tuesday at 8pm in the SMA Hall, Wilton, followed by a talk entitled Welcome Spring by Sheila Crean. All welcome.

Cheer up a dreary January and indulge in a new home interior goodie or two. Carol O’Callaghan’s done the shopping

■ The winter Garden of Hester Forde, Coosheen, Glounthaune, Co Cork will open for the viewing of snowdrops and early spring bulbs next Saturday, and Saturday February, 11 from 11am to 4 pm. Park on main road. Entry fee will aid Marymount Hospice. ■ Mitchelstown Flower and Garden Club hold their AGM on Thursday at 8pm in the Town Hall. Followed with a talk by a special guest. ■ Alpine/Hardy Plant Society will meet on Thursday at 7.45pm in the Lavanagh Centre, Ballintemple to hear exotic garden enthusiast Bruno Nicolai give a lecture. All welcome.

Set up a rustic jug in the bathroom for rinsing a soapy back (from Next Interiors €13).

■ The horticultural experts at Griffins Garden Centre, Dripsey will be giving a Spring Into Action Talk followed by a gourmet lunch on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday next at 12 noon for €10. For more call: 021 7334286. ■ Owenabue Flower and Garden Club hold their AGM on Monday at 8pm in St Mary’s C of I school, Waterpark, Carrigaline. This will be followed by a talk on Growing your own Medicine by Margie Lynch.

Organised clutter, mixed with a hint of disorder, the long glasshouse may be but it is still a charmed place in the depths of winter.

Winter retreat in glasshouse haven

Bring a touch of retro style to your cooker hob with the Aga enamel whistling kettle (€88.95 from Aga shops nationwide).

Invest in a beautiful hand-crafted piece to be passed on to future generations like the Cradle by John Lee (POA www.johnleefurniture.com).

HERE is something immensely enjoyable about pottering about in a glasshouse when the days are cold, wet and miserable! Indeed the character of my charmed place on any winter’s day is quite explosive, for the light falls in clusters and the silence is sympathetic. The modest back-garden structure is truly a magical place, but what makes it so special? Is it the smell of earth beneath the stone floor that creates that welcoming ambience or could it be the gentle heat thrown back from

by Charlie Wilkins

the long back wall, grizzled now with lichen, green algae and peeling whitewash? It could just as easily be the plants themselves, overwintering in a kind of stupor as they await an increase in day length and stirring heat. How I love their smell, their subtle, musky, resting, aromatic exhalation. The long structure has stood the test of time and weather, but it leaks and drips here and there, it’s draughty when the wind really blows, and when biting frosts arrive it creeps in through the cracked panes like a fox to a hen-house, blackening all

WORK FOR THE WEEK

Mix a little contemporary colour with retro style with the Argos Retro clock (€14).

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

Pop some fruit in a lovely carved bowl to help kick start your New Year’s health campaign (approx. €65 at M&S).

LILIES: Stocks of Oriental and Asiatic lilies will go on sale from month’s end and I urge readers to pot and plant these as soon as soon as possible after purchase. They detest being left on display shelves where they dry out and shrivel in the muggy and warm conditions found in many garden outlets. When selecting your

requirements, choose only firm bulbs avoiding those whose scales are falling apart. In pots, use a minimum of three and preferably five but do not mix varieties. It would be worthwhile if you could make up a special mix for these, because peat-based composts on their own are not great for lilies. I suggest sourcing a bucket of

uncovered tender foliage. Any yet for all its impediments and limitations I wouldn’t part with it for the grandest model in timber or aluminium! A sad-looking bunch of Allium christophii, hanging since autumn from one of the timber beams still hold a generous number of shiny black seeds, but the increasing greyness now creeping over the wonderfully structured seed-heads gives them a permanently frosted look. Time to bin these along with furry-tipped geraniums long denuded of leaves and blossom. I decide to check the

root-ball of fuchsias for vineweevil grubs. The adults, as always, were selective in their choice of plants for egg-laying; succulents, auriculas, primulas, fuchsias and heucheras are infested. Plants that cannot safely be undressed down to naked roots before being re-potted into fresh compost will be drenched with Provado Vine Weevil Killer. As always, I have lingered too long and it is time I finished, closed the glasshouse door and went in home. That glasshouse will surely survive another January night without me.

■ Vegetable talk and practical demonstrations by vegetable expert Kevin Waters at Hosfords Enniskeane at 11am next Saturday and also on Saturday, February 4 and February 11. Kevin will give non-stop demos on Saturday, February 18 from 9am to 6pm and again on Sunday, February 19 from noon to 5.30pm. ■ Places still available for the one-day seminar on spring bulbs and snowdrops at Sandbrook House, one mile from Altamont Gardens, Co Carlow on Saturday, February 4 at 9.30am with registration and refreshments. A series of lectures follow before and after lunch, then a visit the nearby Altamont Gardens to view the spring bulbs with Paul Cutler (head gardener). Early booking advisable and entry is by ticket only. Cost is €60 which includes the lectures, lunch, admission to bulb sale, and tour of the gardens. Contact Hester at 0868654972 or Robert at 087-9822135.

by Charlie Wilkins well-rotted leaf-mould (from the floor of a nearby wood) and mixing this with a similar quantity of seed and potting compost and half a bucket of horticultural grit. Fill the pot to one third, then place the lilies allowing two inches or so between each. Complete the filling to within an inch of the rim. My favourites

are not exotic. Choose ‘Regale’ bulbs for best scent (and huge trumpet blooms) or the fantastic “golden-rayed, hill of Japan” sold at selected outlets only as “Auratum”. SAVING WATER: In view of changing weather patterns and the prospect of water shortages (and monetary charges) in summer, it

would be wise to consider saving rainwater from roofs and garden buildings. Water-butts and tanks can easily be connected to downpipes draining water from the roof of houses, carports, greenhouses and other structures. Adverts in gardening magazines will tell you where these can be bought or you can

send an email to info@thegardengift.com to see what is on offer. Those with existing butts may need to have them cleaned and this can be done by rinsing with an eco-friendly product such as Biotal Garden Algae and Mould Cleaner available from Chase Organics, Skibbereen, Co Cork.

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WISH LIST

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IN THE GARDEN

WISH LIST

GARDENNOTES ■ Lough Flower and Garden Club holds its AGM on Tuesday at 8pm in the SMA Hall, Wilton, followed by a talk entitled Welcome Spring by Sheila Crean. All welcome.

Cheer up a dreary January and indulge in a new home interior goodie or two. Carol O’Callaghan’s done the shopping

Set up a rustic jug in the bathroom for rinsing a soapy back (from Next Interiors €13).

Organised clutter, mixed with a hint of disorder, the long glasshouse may be but it is still a charmed place in the depths of winter.

Winter retreat in glasshouse haven

Bring a touch of retro style to your cooker hob with the Aga enamel whistling kettle (€88.95 from Aga shops nationwide).

Invest in a beautiful hand-crafted piece to be passed on to future generations like the Cradle by John Lee (POA www.johnleefurniture.com).

by Charlie Wilkins

WORK FOR THE WEEK

Mix a little contemporary colour with retro style with the Argos Retro clock (€14).

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

Pop some fruit in a lovely carved bowl to help kick start your New Year’s health campaign (approx. €65 at M&S).

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

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ANTIQUES & FINE ART

Affordability to the fore in first Irish art sale of 2012 Dolan’s catalogue lists 228 works from wide range of artists, writes Des O’Sullivan

HE emphasis is on affordability at the first Irish art sale of 2012 which gets underway in Cork city tomorrow. Viewing is already underway for Dolan’s art auction at Rochestown Park Hotel at 3pm tomorrow. The catalogue lists 228 works from a diverse range of artists including Arthur Maderson,

Edith Somerville, Robert Ballagh, Norman Garstin, Maurice Wilks, Markey Robinson, Kenneth Webb, Graham Knuttel, Evie Hone and John Kingerlee. Many will be sold without reserve. Lot 124, Market Day by Arthur George Bell (18491916) in an original ornate gilt frame, features the Nurnberg house of Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528). The

house has since been restored as a museum and the watercolour is estimated at €1,000-€1,500. The Galway-based Irish art auction house’s annual January sale in Cork has proved to be very popular. Viewing at Rochestown Park is from 10am to 9pm today and from 10am to the start of the sale at 3pm tomorrow.

Christie’s Liz Taylor art sale

Galway drawing by Augustus John is among the 38 artworks works belonging to Elizabeth Taylor to be sold at Christie’s in London next month. Galway Fisherfolk 1915 is estimated at £2,500-£3,500 sterling or €2,900-€3,900. It will feature at the Impressionist and Modern Works on Paper sale on February 8.

The late actress amassed a significant collection of 19th and 20th century works. These are led by van Gogh’s autumn landscape “Vue de l’Asile et de la Chapelle de SaintRemy” (£5-7 million). The collection includes an Edgar Degas self-portrait and works by Camille Pissarro and Auguste Renoir. Elizabeth Taylor’s father, Francis, was a successful art dealer

who once ran a gallery at Old Bond Street, London. He transferred the family business to California at the start of the Second World War. Christie’s New York sales of the jewellery, fashion, accessories and memorabilia of Elizabeth Taylor in December drew unprecedented interest from bidders around the world. The sales realised an amazing total of $156,756,576.

IN BRIEF Market Day by Arthur George Bell featuring Durer’s house is at the Dolan’s art auction at Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork tomorrow. It is estimated at €1,000€1,500.

AUCTION

MONDAY 30th JANUARY

The Cork Auction Rooms, 12 Southlink Business Park, Ballycureen Road, Cork

T: 021 4847689, 086 8165329

FURNITURE AUCTION & TAG SALE

Items now Invited for inclusion. TAG SALE CONTINUES DAILY THIS WEEK

This 1915 depiction of Galway Fisherfolk by Augustus John (1878-1961) is from the Elizabeth Taylor art collection to be sold at Christie’s in February. It is estimated at €2,900-€3,900.

WOODWARDS AUCTION ROOMS 26 COOK ST CORK ∙ 021-4273327 ∙ www.woodward.ie

AUCTION DETAILS Rare panoramic engravings of Cork, Youghal and Kinsale from 1750 are included in the Lynes and Lynes auction at Eastlink Business Park, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, next Saturday at noon. The sale, which features a Youghal house’s contents, features collectible antique furniture, engravings in good condition dating from 1750 and a rare 1750 map of Cork City. Viewing is from 10am to 7.30pm next Thursday and Friday and from 10am on this day week. .................................................................. . CALL TO ARMS AN 18” diameter silver salver bearing the arms of the Wyndham-Quin family, features at the Hibernian Antiques Fair at Dromoland Castle in Co Clare from 11am to 6pm tomorrow. Weighing 104 ounces it was made by Robert Calderwood of Dublin in 1754. The maker, who occupied pew number 75 in St Werburgh’s Church, served as both Warden and Master of the Company of Goldsmiths of Dublin. .................................................................. . ONLINE ART Morgan O’Driscoll’s third online art auction is

underway. It features 124 lots and includes works by Kenneth Webb and Barrie Cooke. The sale, which runs until January 30 at www.morganodriscoll.com, is also on view at Morgan O’Driscoll’s premises at Ilen St., Skibbereen. .................................................................. . AUCTION DETAILS Aidan Foley has a sale at The Old Schoolhouse, Doneraile at 1pm and PJ O’Gorman will hold a house contents auction at Old Park, The Turrets in the centre of Charleville at 2pm. In Limerick the sale at Limerick Auction Rooms gets underway at 2.30pm today. .................................................................. . WINE SEASON A single-owner sale of finest and rarest Bordeaux opens Sotheby’s 2012 London wine season next Wednesday, January 25. Ranging from 1953 to 1995 the focus is on great vintages from the 1980s and ‘90s. From the Right Bank, a 12 bottle case of Château Pétrus 1982 is the highest value lot in the sale, with an estimate of £36,000-44,000. The 665 lots are expected to bring in between £1.4 and £1.8 million.

ADVERTISING

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL Ger Duggan Tel: 021-4802192 email: interiorads@examiner.ie ��

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LYNES & LYNES ONLINE IRISH ART SALE

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Next Saturday 28th Jan at 12 noon

Contents from a Youghal Residence � ��

well known Irish artists

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to be sold online only Auction Times:

This George II Irish silver salver by Robert Calderwood, Dublin 1745, is at the Weldon's stand at the Hibernian Antique fair at Dromoland Castle, Co Clare tomorrow. It bears the arms of the Wyndham-Quin family, Earls of Dunraven.

Starts: 13th Jan 2012 at 9am

Arthur K. Maderson

Kenneth Webb

Graham Knuttel

F u l l c a t a l o gu e c a n b e v i e w ed on w w w . m o r g a n o d r i s c o l l . c o m or on view at our offices in Skibbereen Ilen Street, Skibbereen, Co. Cork; Tel: 028 22338 · Mob: 086 2472425 email: info@morganodriscoll.com

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

A 1750 view of Cork City

Park, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork Tel: 021/4389998; 087/2531580 www.lynesandlynes.com

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Auction

Modern and good antique furniture, engravings of Youghal, Cork and Kinsale (1750). £5 Ploughman Note and numerous effects. Viewing this Thursday and Friday 10am - 7.30 pm. Also Saturday morning from 10 am to start of sale. At our Auction Rooms: Eastlink Business

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Over 110 works by

Ends: 31st Jan 2012 at 7pm

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This Georgian mahogany fold over tea table is at the Lynes and Lynes sale at Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork next Saturday at noon.

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� �� IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

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ANTIQUES & FINE ART

Affordability to the fore in first Irish art sale of 2012 Dolan’s catalogue lists 228 works from wide range of artists, writes Des O’Sullivan

Christie’s Liz Taylor art sale

IN BRIEF Market Day by Arthur George Bell featuring Durer’s house is at the Dolan’s art auction at Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork tomorrow. It is estimated at €1,000€1,500.

AUCTION

MONDAY 30th JANUARY

The Cork Auction Rooms, 12 Southlink Business Park, Ballycureen Road, Cork

T: 021 4847689, 086 8165329

FURNITURE AUCTION & TAG SALE

Items now Invited for inclusion. TAG SALE CONTINUES DAILY THIS WEEK

This 1915 depiction of Galway Fisherfolk by Augustus John (1878-1961) is from the Elizabeth Taylor art collection to be sold at Christie’s in February. It is estimated at €2,900-€3,900.

WOODWARDS AUCTION ROOMS 26 COOK ST CORK ∙ 021-4273327 ∙ www.woodward.ie

ADVERTISING

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL Ger Duggan Tel: 021-4802192 email: interiorads@examiner.ie ��

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LYNES & LYNES ONLINE IRISH ART SALE

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Next Saturday 28th Jan at 12 noon

Contents from a Youghal Residence � ��

well known Irish artists

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to be sold online only Auction Times:

Starts: 13th Jan 2012 at 9am

Arthur K. Maderson

Kenneth Webb

Graham Knuttel

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

A 1750 view of Cork City

Park, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork Tel: 021/4389998; 087/2531580 www.lynesandlynes.com

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Auction

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Over 110 works by

Ends: 31st Jan 2012 at 7pm

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This Georgian mahogany fold over tea table is at the Lynes and Lynes sale at Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork next Saturday at noon.

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� �� IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 21.01.2012

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