Property 12-11-2011 by Evening Echo

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Property 12.11.2011

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& Interiors

Picture Perfect The one-time family home of Titanic photographer Fr Browne comes up for sale, lovingly restored Photo by Denis Scannell

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PROPERTY

HOUSE WEEK OF THE

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Tommy Barker reports

Rochestown Road

LL the drama at Ballea Cotage takes place local architect Michael Casey, sees the L-shaped quietly, off-stage, in the gardens — the spot distinctive dormer home of 2,700 sq ft placed at the loved by its late owners, Harold Johnson, a entrance side of its half acre site, so most of its former chairman of Cork Opera House, and gardens are private, notes estate agent Michael Piggott his wife Chloe. of Sherry FitzGerald O’Donovan Daly. The couple, who rowed to the rescue of theatre in Mr Piggott sets his own scene at this Ballea Road Cork in the 1950s after the old Opera House burned offering, close to Carrigaline town in south Cork, down in 1955, were instrumental in fundraising and describing the setting as beautiful and private, with keeping energies going for a new, 1965 replacement. the house oozing with character. An accountant by training It’s a four-bed, with and profession, Mr Johnson two upper floor Location: Carrigaline, Cork remained on the board, and bedrooms and two Price: €460,000 served as Opera House downstairs, with baths chairman, into the 1990s, as in each of the two Size: 252 sq m (2,700 sq ft) well as being actively bathrooms, while the Bedrooms: 4 involved in the Cheshire main living room is a Home and RNLI. He was decent space at 20’ by 16’ BER rating: Pending awarded an honorary MA with marble fireplace Yes from UCC in 2000 for his work Broadband: and sliding doors to the for Cork Opera House. stone-flagged rear patio. Best asset: Gardens Now, a slight link with his Another sliding door many years’ active surfaces in the kitchen, involvement and lifelong interest in theatre can be which has a Rayburn range, there’s a dining room/ glimpsed in no less a rarified setting than the family second reception, guest WC, and a studio (16’ by 11’) bathroom of his and the late Chloe Johnson’s home, reached via a utility off the kitchen, with further Ballea Cottage. Its walls have been peppered and access to the front of the house by the drive, so handy papered with posters from shows which came to visit for those seeking to do a bit of work from home. Cork’s Opera House, from serious theatre to light There’s access to overhead space from this studio. opera, and from pantos to circus companies like Adding also to the indoor/outdoors feel of this house Barnum and Bailey (see accompanying image taken in with good gardens is the sheltered balcony off one of 2000). the two first floor bedrooms, and that balcony’s large Following Mr Johnson’s passing at the age of 86 this enough to put a breakfast table out on for a couple, September, Ballea Cottage comes up for sale as its and the deep eaves overhead make it fairly sheltered. garden glories fade into winter dullness, but will Outside, the house is marked from the Ballea Road spring back in 2012, when new owners may be in situ. by fairly recently added stone pillars, the half acre is The house, built almost 30 years ago to a design by mature and well-planted, the ‘cottage’s approach is

CONTENTS 4

TRADING UP Boot up for an affordable period buy at Wellington Square.

STARTER HOMES Homes for €49,000 and €55,000? They’re small and affordable to improve

FEATURE Calling all sailors — Monkstown’s Calypso has views of all manner of craft.

10 COVER STORY Buxton House was Titanic photographer Fr Browne’s home.

12 14 19 22 23

softened by climbing plants up its walls, there’s lots of trees, and behind is a large stone patio, glasshouse, outbuilding and there are two stable-style store rooms in a pleasing-on-the-eye detached building.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

Dripsey

€360,000

from €580,000 Ashley �� Call Sherry FitzGerald Cork 021 427 3041

Orchard Road

€450,000

Rochestown

Wilton

�� Call Sheila O’Flynn 086 257 4948 / 021 427 304�

€310,000 Ballyvolane

Kylebeg, 3 Cahergal Lawn �� Call Michael O’Donovan 021 427 3041 / 086 820 5474

Ballincollig

€245,000

Silversprings

€220,000

Ballincollig

€110,000

€320,000

61B Foxwood, Garryduff �� Call Ann O’Mahony 086 805 5834 / 021 493 7409

Auburn �� Call Johnny O’Flynn 086 601 5560 or 021 493 7411

Kilgobnait �� Call Norma Healy 086 852 5940 or 021 493 7406

€285,000

VERDICT: The floor plan of Ballea Cottage has stood the test of time, with a good balance of bedrooms, bright living space and lots of indoor-outdoor access to enjoy the gardens.

��

Boreenmanna Road

from €260,000 �� Call Sherry FitzGerald Cork 021 427 3041

121 Coopers Grange � �� Call Norma Healy 021 493 7408 or 086 852 5940

88 Ashmount Court �� Call Michael O’Donovan 021 427 3041 / 086 820 5474

The late Harold Johnson of Cork Opera House fame among his theatrical memorabilia which remains at Ballea Cottage.

INTERIORS DIY HOME ECONOMICS ANTIQUES CLASSIFIEDS

PROPERTY EDITOR Tommy Barker, 021 4802221 property@examiner.ie INTERIORS EDITORIAL Sue O’Connor, 021 4802386 interiors@examiner.ie INTERIORS ADVERTISING Ger Duggan, 021 4802192 interiorads@examiner.ie PROPERTY ADVERTISING Marguerite Stafford, 021 4802100 marguerite.stafford@examiner.ie

��

Rochestown

€199,000

4 The Ferns, Foxwood, Garryduff � �� Call Ann O’Mahony 086 805 5834 / 021 493 7409

��

Crosshaven

��

from €150,000 Brightwater/Drakes Point � �� Call Sherry FitzGerald Cork 021 427 3041

123 Leslies Arch �� Call Norma Healy 021 493 7408 or 086 852 594

��

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

TERAPROOF:User:noelcampionDate:10/11/2011Time:12:46:45Edition:12/11/2011PropertyXP1211Page:2

Zone:XP1

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PROPERTY

HOUSE WEEK OF THE

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Tommy Barker reports

Rochestown Road

CONTENTS 4

TRADING UP Boot up for an affordable period buy at Wellington Square.

STARTER HOMES Homes for €49,000 and €55,000? They’re small and affordable to improve

FEATURE Calling all sailors — Monkstown’s Calypso has views of all manner of craft.

10 COVER STORY Buxton House was Titanic photographer Fr Browne’s home.

12 14 19 22 23

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

Dripsey

€360,000

from €580,000 Ashley �� Call Sherry FitzGerald Cork 021 427 3041

Orchard Road

€450,000

Rochestown

Wilton

�� Call Sheila O’Flynn 086 257 4948 / 021 427 304�

€310,000 Ballyvolane

Kylebeg, 3 Cahergal Lawn �� Call Michael O’Donovan 021 427 3041 / 086 820 5474

Ballincollig

€245,000

Silversprings

€220,000

Ballincollig

€110,000

€320,000

61B Foxwood, Garryduff �� Call Ann O’Mahony 086 805 5834 / 021 493 7409

Auburn �� Call Johnny O’Flynn 086 601 5560 or 021 493 7411

Kilgobnait �� Call Norma Healy 086 852 5940 or 021 493 7406

€285,000

VERDICT: The floor plan of Ballea Cottage has stood the test of time, with a good balance of bedrooms, bright living space and lots of indoor-outdoor access to enjoy the gardens.

��

Boreenmanna Road

from €260,000 �� Call Sherry FitzGerald Cork 021 427 3041

121 Coopers Grange � �� Call Norma Healy 021 493 7408 or 086 852 5940

88 Ashmount Court �� Call Michael O’Donovan 021 427 3041 / 086 820 5474

The late Harold Johnson of Cork Opera House fame among his theatrical memorabilia which remains at Ballea Cottage.

INTERIORS DIY HOME ECONOMICS ANTIQUES CLASSIFIEDS

��

Rochestown

€199,000

4 The Ferns, Foxwood, Garryduff � �� Call Ann O’Mahony 086 805 5834 / 021 493 7409

��

Crosshaven

��

from €150,000 Brightwater/Drakes Point � �� Call Sherry FitzGerald Cork 021 427 3041

123 Leslies Arch �� Call Norma Healy 021 493 7408 or 086 852 594

��

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

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PROPERTY

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Port na hAbhann, Cappoquin, Co.Waterford

TRADING UP

FR P OM RIC €5 ED 0, 00 0

TERAPROOF:User:noelcampionDate:10/11/2011Time:12:55:34Edition:12/11/2011PropertyXP1211Page:4

We scan a selection of trading up homes around the country

“The Property Auction Experts”

FOR SALE BY PUBLIC AUCTION “On Instructions Of Owners”

(unless previously sold)

Tuesday 15th November 2011 @ 2.30pm The Imperial Hotel, South Mall, Cork

For Sale by Private Treaty

• Exceptional value, two storey 3 bed properties with stunning views directly on to the River Blackwater. • Available in one or more lots. • Located in the village of Cappoquin, West Waterford within easy reach of the Comeragh and Knockmealdown Mountains and only 15 minutes from Dungarvan.

304 River Towers, Lee Road, Cork

Superb 2 bed rental/owner occupier property. Finished to high Specification.

Primrose Hill, Tower, Blarney, Co. Cork

4 Bed Detached House. Exceptional family home or investment opportunity.

Gurrane, Ballyfinnane, Firies, Killarney, Co. Kerry.

3 Bedroom detached property on large site

• PVC double glazed windows, on- site parking and gardens to both front and rear.

DRIPSEY, CO CORK €350,000 Sq m: 219 (+57 attic) BER rating: Pending

THE LOUGH, CORK €275,000

Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

THERE has been considerable interest already in this four-bed, detached property at Killgobnait, Dripsey, Co Cork, says Norma Healy of Sherry FitzGerald. It’s easy to see why — underfloor heating throughout, three of its four bedrooms en suite, a huge open plan living area, including sunroom, as well as two other living rooms. And it’s on offer at €350,000. The house is on a good, mature site close to Dripsey village and the location has also has brought in the Ballincollig viewers, says Ms Healy, because it’s so close to town. It has great countryside views and also comes with a large, detached garage of 750 sq ft with a loft space on the upper level that could provide a great den or teenager’s hang out space. Internally, the house also offers four good bedrooms and a main bathroom, but the extra attic space could have further potential. The outside has a good barbecue/ patio area and there’s sensor lighting fitted all round. The site is well tended and runs to half an acre. The house is 2,366 sq ft plus attic area of 623 sq ft. VERDICT: Built in 2006, this house comes with top quality fittings, including granite worktops and a mix of porcelain tiles and solid wood flooring.

Sq m: 112 (1,200 sq ft) BER rating: D1

Bedrooms: 3/4 Broadband: Yes

A LOCATION near the Lough in Cork city, and lots of work done to bring No 34 St Finbarr’s Park up to modern specification, plus a very recent successful sale just two doors away, means this could be a handy sale for estate agent Darragh Taaffe of Keane Mahony Smith in Cork. No 34 has the option of a fourth bedroom or home office at ground level, while the owners have already extended at the ground level to make for a bigger kitchen/dining room. Back when they bought it, almost 20 years ago, it was underpinned with drains replaced in 1994, and the garage was also converted around the same time. It has two reception rooms, kitchen/ diner, a guest loo, utility, three overhead bedrooms plus bathroom. It has been well maintained, has double glazing oil-fired central heating “but now would benefit from an upgraded bathroom and some redecoration.” The location, so close to the wildfowl sanctuary at the Lough is a bonus, with UCC and the city centre close. There’s off-street parking in front for several cars, with an enclosed south/ west facing garden to the rear, grabbing afternoon sun and which isn’t overlooked. VERDICT: Ticks lots of boxes for buyers who want city conveniences in a settled setting.

YOU can see the big, early to mid-1900s houses in ‘old’ Knockrea park and Woolhara park off the Douglas road from the newer arrival, Knockrea Lawn — and this view means a good, sunny southerly aspect to the back garden of 21 Chesterton Close, Knockrea Lawn. The detached four-bed, built around the 1980s in the cul-de-sac park off the Ballinlough Road by Our

BANTRY, CORK €490,000 Sq m: 163 (1,750 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

• 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.

CORK CITY €320,000 Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

Sq m: 121 (1,300 sq ft) BER rating: Exempt

Bedrooms: 5 Broadband: Yes

THE gardens at Lakefield were planted with the benefit both of patience and patients — the property belonged to a doctor at the nearby hospital, who got some ‘thank yous’ in the manner of garden gifts, plants and seedlings. Add in the fact it was a much loved home on five acres (with tennis court, and pony paddock) for a family for decades, and a quality picture emerges. Lakefield was designed in the 1960s by architect Denis Kelly of Kelly Barry, for a Dr Barry Murphy, who was the first County Physician at the ‘new’ Bantry General Hospital, and it was built by the late Florrie McCarthy. It is now for sale with John O’Neill of Celtic Properties, who says it overlooks Reenadonegan Lake, about four kilometres from the town of Bantry (and is used by the local rowing club), has 150 metres of road frontage and includes a natural shallow stream running through the grounds. The dormer-style house with car-port and attached garage has character and charm, is bright, but dated internally. Guiding €490,000, agent John O’Neill adds “it’s a rare opportunity to acquire a prestige home, which with the benefit of internal modernisation would once again make Lakefield a truly standout family residence.

MIGHT a UCC academic, or a local Bons hospital medic, be lured to No 4 Wellington Square? The fantastic location, with military-history links, off Cork’s Magazine Road, has fans, and No 4 is selling at a price that will suit a variety of buyers. The almost-secret suburban enclave, with a rounded square or green, has a number of fine original Georgian homes, most of them in very good order, some expensively done-up (some have basements), and they’re always prized by their owners. Dating to the 1830s, No 4 is original, or at least old-fashioned, and is new to market in the past few weeks with Michael Downey, of ERA Downey McCarthy — who’ve just relocated their own offices in Cork city to the South Mall, from Grand Parade, so he knows about uprooting to traditional buildings. No 4’s near the entrance to Wellington Square, and has five bedrooms plus bathroom over its upper two floors, and a main ground-floor reception, with kitchen/dining room behind. At only 1,300 sq ft (the walls are thick, so it looks larger from outside), it is a manageable project with original features retained, is in a quiet setting, with south-facing side garden, and has off-street parking.

VERDICT: It takes years to get gardens this mature.

VERDICT: Wellington Square has a touch of magic.

BALLINLOUGH, CORK €375,000 Lady of Lourdes girls national school, is new to market with estate agents Frank V Murphy & Co , who bill it as ‘substantial’ and in very good decorative condition. “It’s getting quite a bit of interest already,” agent Dennis Guerin says. An ideal trading-up family home, or for buyers who want to relocate to a quiet

Sq m: 149 (1,600 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

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

Silverdale, Ballinlough, Cork Former Medical Centre/Commercial Unit. 5 offices/ rooms. Parking area to front. Unlimited Potential.

Limerick Institute of Technology

ANNUAL CONFERRING CEREMONY The Limerick Institute of Technology ceremony for the Built environment was held recently at Moylish Park, Limerick. Anne-Marie Deegan, Cratloe, Co.Clare won the Society of Chartered surveyors (SCS) award for excellence in the final year of the Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Real Estate. The award was sponsored by the Society of Chartered Surveyors (SCS) and the Irish Examiner

Convenience Store / Commercial Unit, Macroom, Co. Cork

Ex. spec. Many uses. Fit out to HSE & HACCP Guidelines

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• For Further Information & Viewings Contact The Auction Team: Denis A Barrett Auctioneers, 81 South Mall, Cork Tel: 021 4278455 Web: www.denisbarrett.com Email: info@denisbarrett.com

Absolute Property Group

A One Stop Shop For All Property Needs BLOCK MANAGEMENT SPECIALISTS WITH OVER 30 YEARS PROGRESSIVE AND SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE. Our dedicated experienced friendly staff are client focused and always willing to be of assistance. We offer a 24 hour 365 day Emergency Service on Managed Properties and tailor made flexible packages to suit client needs. Expenditure and charges are met in the most cost efficient manner and the benefits of bulk & group purchasing are passed on. We provide regular reports and financial statements with integrity and transparency. Quotations are free of charge and without obligation in the Munster area. Single and mixed use managed units enjoy the same level of service.

Lettings & Sales We have over 20 Years experience in Lettings & Sales. Our aim is to rent properties within 14 days from placement. We promote all properties free of charge and all tenants are vetted. Sales are conducted on a fixed rate charge & promoted free of charge. Our Letting & Sales division is headed up by Christy Connery, who has pre approved clients awaiting suitable properties.

Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

Maintenance & Repairs We provide a professional supervised Maintenance & Repairs Service to our clients and the general public. Our Maintenance & Repairs division is headed up by John Stack who provides a 7 day personal service. All work is carried out by professional tradesmen registered and insured and supervised by us.

residential enclave within an easy walk of the city centre and Douglas, plus a host of schools, it has four bedrooms, one en suite, two reception rooms, utility and guest loo, with walled-in back garden with decking. VERDICT: Good to go, in a well-serviced settled southside suburb.

Eyeries, Beara, Co. Cork

Traditional farmhouse newly renovated on C.0.5 acre. Panoramic views of Coulagh Bay.

We are fully bonded & insured and are ISO 9001 accredited

Anne Marie Deegan is pictured with Marguerite Stafford, Property Advertising Manager, Irish Examiner & Carlo Hanrahan, Liaison Officer, Society of Chartered Surveyors (SCS).

81 South Main Street, Cork tel 021-4251288 fax 021-4251315 web www.absoluteproperty.ie email info@absoluteproperty. ie “We are the difference”

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

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Port na hAbhann, Cappoquin, Co.Waterford

TRADING UP

FR P OM RIC €5 ED 0, 00 0

TERAPROOF:User:noelcampionDate:10/11/2011Time:12:55:34Edition:12/11/2011PropertyXP1211Page:4

We scan a selection of trading up homes around the country

“The Property Auction Experts”

FOR SALE BY PUBLIC AUCTION “On Instructions Of Owners”

(unless previously sold)

Tuesday 15th November 2011 @ 2.30pm The Imperial Hotel, South Mall, Cork

For Sale by Private Treaty

304 River Towers, Lee Road, Cork

Superb 2 bed rental/owner occupier property. Finished to high Specification.

Primrose Hill, Tower, Blarney, Co. Cork

4 Bed Detached House. Exceptional family home or investment opportunity.

Gurrane, Ballyfinnane, Firies, Killarney, Co. Kerry.

3 Bedroom detached property on large site

• PVC double glazed windows, on- site parking and gardens to both front and rear.

DRIPSEY, CO CORK €350,000 Sq m: 219 (+57 attic) BER rating: Pending

THE LOUGH, CORK €275,000

Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

Sq m: 112 (1,200 sq ft) BER rating: D1

Bedrooms: 3/4 Broadband: Yes

BANTRY, CORK €490,000 Sq m: 163 (1,750 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

CORK CITY €320,000 Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

Sq m: 121 (1,300 sq ft) BER rating: Exempt

Bedrooms: 5 Broadband: Yes

VERDICT: It takes years to get gardens this mature.

VERDICT: Wellington Square has a touch of magic.

Sq m: 149 (1,600 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

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

Silverdale, Ballinlough, Cork Former Medical Centre/Commercial Unit. 5 offices/ rooms. Parking area to front. Unlimited Potential.

Limerick Institute of Technology

Convenience Store / Commercial Unit, Macroom, Co. Cork

Ex. spec. Many uses. Fit out to HSE & HACCP Guidelines

Absolute Property Group

Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

Eyeries, Beara, Co. Cork

Traditional farmhouse newly renovated on C.0.5 acre. Panoramic views of Coulagh Bay.

We are fully bonded & insured and are ISO 9001 accredited

Anne Marie Deegan is pictured with Marguerite Stafford, Property Advertising Manager, Irish Examiner & Carlo Hanrahan, Liaison Officer, Society of Chartered Surveyors (SCS).

81 South Main Street, Cork tel 021-4251288 fax 021-4251315 web www.absoluteproperty.ie email info@absoluteproperty. ie “We are the difference”

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

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STARTER HOMES

A house with land in west Cork for the cost of a good wage

A run-down cottage on Long Island for €49,000 — with sea views. Rose Martin reports

CARRIGALINE, CO CORK €149,000 Sq m: 88.8 (956 sq ft) BER rating: B

Bedrooms: 3 Broadband: Yes

WHERE will you get underfloor heating, solid oak kitchen with granite worktop and solid beech doors in a starter home? At Castle Heights, Carrigaline is where — and this Castlelands Construction scheme comes with a good BER rating and quality finishes. No 12 Fern Drive is the latest offering here and is on the market with Dan Howard of Dooley and Howard for offers in the region of €149,000. There’s an offer of €145,000 at the moment and five of these houses have been sold in the last two weeks — at the guide price, Dan Howard points out. Verdict: Quality house, handy location, fair price — what’s not to like?

IT’S back to the good old days when you could pick up a house and a bit of land in west Cork for the price of a decent salary. Marie Cotter of Irish Rural Properties has just sold a brace of houses in Goleen for €63,000 and says prices have plummeted all over the peninsula. And she’s now selling, (among others), a run-down old cottage on Long Island for €49,000 and it comes with half an acre of land and sea views. As this is really a holiday home buy, is it difficult to access the island? “Not at all — it’s only 10 minutes over — they swim the cattle there,” she says, adding that she has a number of viewings lined up already, some as far away as Christmas. “Enquiries from the UK are starting to

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

Worth waiting for... Calypso is a find for sea lovers and families in need of space, with potential for another home on site. Tommy Barker reports

Long Island, Schull, Co Cork €49,000 56 sq. m approx (600 sq ft) 2 Pending TBC

increase — they are the saving grace and there are plenty of inquiries. I’ve had plenty for the first time in four years and have three people viewing out of it. I’m

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hoping it’s not a blip,” she says. And as to the house on Long Island — it’s not a renovation job, she says, more of a Grand Design project. And you can’t say

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

PROPERTY

Monkstown, Cork €575,000 299 sq m (3,200 sq ft) 6 Pending Yes Harbour views and extra house site

fairer than that, at €50k. VERDICT: Perfect summer home — you could even camp out and renovate/extend bit by bit. Lovely.

Cosy house ideal for single buyer

The standout feature of this house must be the price which, at €55,000 is a steal in what must be the most under-rated residential area of the city, Rose Martin reports

��

Property & Interiors ��

ADVERTISING CONTACT:

Marguerite Stafford Tel: 021-4802100 Mobile: 087-9957903 Email: marguerite.stafford@examiner.ie Booking deadline: Friday, November 11

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

THIS cosy little house is in fairly good nick — but it’s standout feature has to be the price. At €55,000 this is a true recession buy, but the location could make it a canny punt for someone looking to store cash. Just behind the North Cathedral, in what has to be the most underrated residential area of the city, No 7 St Mary’s is a walk to town and it would also qualify a buyer for resident’s parking permit — nearly worth it over time just for that. Kate Kearney of DNG Kevin Condon is the selling agent and she says it’s in good condition. Rooms include a fitted kitchen open to the living room area, with fireplace, ground floor bathroom, and two bedrooms overhead. VERDICT: Cheaper than rent and in good city centre location — this could be a good bet for the single buyer.

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

Shandon, Cork €55,000 Sq m 46.7 (503 sq ft) 2 Pending Yes

Above: View from Calypso at Fairy Hill in Monkstown. Right: The living room with a view of the church.

HERE’S almost two houses, or one house plus the promise of another bang-up-to-date one on a site below it, at the Cork harbour home called Calypso. The name comes from the boat used by ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, and reflects this Monkstown, Cork harbour, home owners’ love of boats and the sea. One of the owners is a former international yachtsman, and the next family generation also have answered the call of the sea — not too surprisingly, as the sea and the launching slip at the Sand Quay are just a few hundred yards away. This house is well-placed for lovers of all things maritime, as it has fantastic views over the old Verolme dockyard, out to the naval base at Haulbowline and west towards Monkstown’s new yacht marina. All the while, yachts, boats and ships pass underneath in an ever changing trooping of activity. A big, architect-designed 1970s house, with its best living quarter on the top deck, the 3,200 sq ft five bed family home on Monkstown’s Fairy Hill comes to market on its commanding half acre site with Malcolm Tyrrell of Cohalan Downing guiding €575,000. That price includes the house itself and the lower garden portion which has full planning in place for a second,

contemporary-style 2,515 sq ft home over a 450 sq ft garage/workshop. Design for the balcony-decked new home is by Blue House Architects, and like its older structure, its best, uppermost viewing spots are given over to living quarters. The bulk of the existing half-acre site division will rest with the existing two-storey, upside down house, very much “of its time internally”, with some parana pine ceilings (with brass porthole lights,) fairface painted block walls, and with large picture windows to front facade’s south-east orientation. In fact, Calyspo follows design principles which are very much back in vogue in the past decade. The lively family home with a good spread of bedrooms and accommodation (plus an upper-level sun/boat-watching room) has been well-kept, but probably now needs a bit of a shake-up, the essentials are all sound, the location and aspect is ace, and the views are beguiling, with the local mid 1800s Sacred Heart Church in the foreground, and harbour-heaven beyond. VERDICT: With an existing good-sized dwelling, and full planning for a similar sized second home on its lower grounds, there’s a choice of berth options for families looking for space.

Above: A Computer Aided Design image of house plan for site.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

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STARTER HOMES

A house with land in west Cork for the cost of a good wage

A run-down cottage on Long Island for €49,000 — with sea views. Rose Martin reports

CARRIGALINE, CO CORK €149,000 Sq m: 88.8 (956 sq ft) BER rating: B

Bedrooms: 3 Broadband: Yes

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

Worth waiting for... Calypso is a find for sea lovers and families in need of space, with potential for another home on site. Tommy Barker reports

Long Island, Schull, Co Cork €49,000 56 sq. m approx (600 sq ft) 2 Pending TBC

increase — they are the saving grace and there are plenty of inquiries. I’ve had plenty for the first time in four years and have three people viewing out of it. I’m

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hoping it’s not a blip,” she says. And as to the house on Long Island — it’s not a renovation job, she says, more of a Grand Design project. And you can’t say

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

PROPERTY

Monkstown, Cork €575,000 299 sq m (3,200 sq ft) 6 Pending Yes Harbour views and extra house site

fairer than that, at €50k. VERDICT: Perfect summer home — you could even camp out and renovate/extend bit by bit. Lovely.

Cosy house ideal for single buyer

The standout feature of this house must be the price which, at €55,000 is a steal in what must be the most under-rated residential area of the city, Rose Martin reports

��

Property & Interiors ��

ADVERTISING CONTACT:

Marguerite Stafford Tel: 021-4802100 Mobile: 087-9957903 Email: marguerite.stafford@examiner.ie Booking deadline: Friday, November 11

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

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

Shandon, Cork €55,000 Sq m 46.7 (503 sq ft) 2 Pending Yes

Above: View from Calypso at Fairy Hill in Monkstown. Right: The living room with a view of the church.

Above: A Computer Aided Design image of house plan for site.

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PROPERTY FEATURE

‘Wooden’ it be nice to live here Kilmacrane’s timber-frame, timber-clad design has a cosy Scandinavian feel on 15 private acres, says Tommy Barker

HERE’S a touch of Walton’s Mountain about Kilmacrane — a place you can imagine rearing a family, in a care-free, free-range setting. Heck, the house, built on the path of an old, abandoned butter road, even has a covered veranda, facing west for sunsets over the Nadd hills, and pitchperfect for rocking chairs. This is a big, wide open and accommodating home built in the noughties, which bucks the trend of block-built one-offs of boring and predictable design. Thanks to its timber-clad upper floor, there’s a touch of Scandinavia, or North America, about this: it shares design similarities with homes built across the upper reaches of the northern hemisphere. It’s wooden, inside and out, and in its core, thanks to its timber-frame construction. Although the BER test is only in the offing, as the house is new to market (the vendors are relocating for work reasons) it should score well for creature comforts, thanks to the timber-frame construction, sheeps-wool insulation, and Marvin timber-sash double-glazed windows. There’s plenty of those windows too, giving a double aspect to some rooms. All the rooms are a good size and bright, with a rear service annex and back hall being the slightly dark spot, home to a large utility/pantry, plus huge groundfloor family bathroom with storage and space for a football team: here it holds toys, sports equipment and outdoor clothes for a bustling young family that relished its 15 acres of privacy. Reached up a long, private approach drive and back a few fields from a quiet country road three miles from Banteer in north Cork, Kilmacrane is on a rolling holding of land facing south, toward the hills above Nadd, with a clutch of commercial windmills in the distance, far enough away not to be a nuisance, close enough to be hypnotic to those distracted by windspeed and weather. Closer to hand are the gardens, sheds, out-buildings and small barn (with a stack of hand-cut turf for the house’s two solid-fuel stoves) vegetable patch — as well as a proper tarmac and fenced tennis court, for Wimbledon moments with your own home-grown strawberries. With all this land,

you could even keep a cow for cream provisions. Just going for sale with agent John Singleton, of Sherry FitzGerald O’Donovan, in Mallow, for a shade under the €400k mark, he says it could be a perfect, readymade buy for those looking for space to roam, as a country retreat, or even as an equestrian/hobby farm. Location is 30 miles north of Cork city, reached via the hamlets of Lyre and Nadd over forested hills, or on better roads via Mallow and Banteer. Banteer, with its wellkept railway station, is three or four miles away. With the amount of space, its utility, and good, well-draining land, Singleton says horses or livestock will be happy here, and there’s space behind the house for polytunnels galore, with a shelterbelt of mature beech, sycamore and lofty pine trees. Inside Kilmacrane, space is generous pretty much everywhere, on all levels, with a wide hall and a bifurcating staircase in dark timber giving east and west approach options to a central landing with seating, storage and a library space by the south-facing window. All four bedrooms are doubles, one is en-suite, another has a large walk-around wardrobe/ screened dressing area, and the big family bathroom has both a roll-top cast-iron bath and separate shower, with a second sink outside the door. This level also has a hobbyist’s photographic darkroom for those who haven’t fully switched to digital, handy for others with storage needs.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

Location: Price: Size: Bedrooms: BER rating: Best feature:

Banteer, Cork €397,500 208 sq m (3,300 sq ft) on 15 acres 4 Pending Comfortable rural lifestyle and space

Pictures: Denis Scannell

Truth be told, you won’t be caught for storage here in any case, thanks to the 3,300 sq ft of internal space, and that barn-like shed will swallow up anything else you’d care to throw at it. Handy for drying clothes, too (heating in the house is a mix of stoves, electric heaters, and oil-fired central heating, with some under-floor heating in the core areas.) Downstairs is a 18’ by 15’ drawing room, with solid-fuel stove. Across the hall is a larger, 19’ by 17’ family room, also with a stove, access to the west-facing veranda, and sliding doors leading to the cavernous 27’ by 18’ kitchen/ dining room, with green, Avon oil range cooker, high-beamed ceilings and timber posts, with two overhead Velux windows. There’s also a great utility/boot room, a home office, study, cool pantry, and that big, stone-flagged hall with a fan-lit front door to a small, sheltering porch. VERDICT: For rural tranquillity, Kilmacrane is worth viewing.

The house, built on the path of an old, abandoned butter road, has a covered veranda, facing west for sunsets

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PROPERTY FEATURE

‘Wooden’ it be nice to live here Kilmacrane’s timber-frame, timber-clad design has a cosy Scandinavian feel on 15 private acres, says Tommy Barker

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

Location: Price: Size: Bedrooms: BER rating: Best feature:

Banteer, Cork €397,500 208 sq m (3,300 sq ft) on 15 acres 4 Pending Comfortable rural lifestyle and space

Pictures: Denis Scannell

The house, built on the path of an old, abandoned butter road, has a covered veranda, facing west for sunsets

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COVER STORY

Buxton House’s grandeur makes a grand home

A pristine, 200-year-old Georgian in an enclave on Cork’s Sunday’s Well has been lovingly restored by the vendors, says Tommy Barker

VER 200 years old, Buxton House has had two watchful eyes on it: first, it was the birthplace of the talented photographer, the Jesuit priest Fr Frank Browne, whose most notable images were of the Titanic’s maiden voyage, and, second, its current owners have made it picture-perfect once more. Fr Browne was born into comfortable family surroundings in Sunday’s Well, Cork city, in 1880, and later was reared by his uncle, the bishop of Cloyne, Dr Peter Browne. But the Georgian Buxton House had stood long ever before the pioneering photographer’s arrival in salubrious society. His mother, Bridgid Hegarty was the daughter of a wealthy lord mayor of Cork, and had grown up in the country-homestyle period house, Ardfallen, close-by. When she married, she and her new husband, James Browne, were given this house in Ardfallen’s grounds. Their son Francis or Frank, was one of eight children, and he began his photography in 1897, when he set off on a grand tour upon leaving school in Dublin. He was given a ticket by Bishop Browne for the Titanic’s maiden voyage from Southampton to Queenstown (Cobh) in April, 1912. He documented the attractions of the ship, passenger and crew, and his images are worldrenowned. Buxton House is likely to have new owners by the time of the April, 2012 centenary of the Titanic’s sinking. The house is in mint order, a real period deal done up over several decades by its nowdownsizing occupants, whose family are reared and have flown the nest. They took several years of deliberation before taking the hard decision to sell, such is their love for the house and grounds.

They’ve clearly lavished that love, and their labours, on Buxton House down the 23 years since they bought it. Back then, it had been empty for a few years after spending years subdivided as flats, a different entity to what it is restored. It’s as good as our images show, yet homely. Their work included making new sash windows in pitch pine and hardwood, fashioning furniture, window seats and bookcases aplenty for their private, colonising library of books, scraping back plastic

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

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

tiles and concrete to reveal original ‘buried’ kitchen-floor tiles, repairing decorative plaster work, doing fabrics and curtains, and painstaking decor, all with a sense of passion, purpose and appropriateness. Now, it’s new to market as a pristine period property within an easy walk of the city centre, with agents, Sheila O’Flynn and Michael O’Donovan, of Sherry FitzGerald, who know they’ve something rare on their hands, a place to appeal to the purists.

Sunday’s Well, Cork city €680,000 250sq m (2,700 sq ft) 5 Exempt Yes Pristine, plus parking

The family dining room is in And, while much of Sunday’s the place of the original, big Well’s houses rightly made old kitchen, with a solid-fuel millions during the boom, and stove in lieu of the old, had millions more lavished on blackened range set into a wall them following purchase, this of glazed white-and-blue tiles, is good to go as-is, at, around, and has a small but superor even over its €680,000 price, efficient kitchen behind, plus and comes with a few handy utility/pantry, as well as a extra attributes as well. guest WC with bath. French It’s one of about four or five doors open from the dining very different, very private and space to a sheltered, eastdistinct houses invisibly set facing and lushly-green behind old, low-key limestone courtyard for morning coffees. pillars and suitably-restrained There’s quality woodwork in electric access gates, all with abundance, restored windows, garden bowers screened by working sashes, three mature trees, laurels, pines and bathrooms serving the two hardwoods, and lots of parking. floors and the five bedrooms, If ever there was an with a rear annexe allowing unexpected niche, city for back landing/library and residential enclave, this Buxton even more walls for display collection fits the description. purposes. Don’t at all Buxton House was originally underestimate the wall area, one very long house, with 6,000 or ceiling heights. One wall, by sq ft: now, its been split into the elegant carpeted stairs, is two equal-sized semis, Nos 110 so high that each ‘drop’ for and 111 Sunday’s Well, each wallpapers takes the best part deferring sufficiently to one of a full roll to cover. another’s privacy. You really wouldn’t know VERDICT: Fine, 200-year-old that No 111 is a semi, or ‘half ’ city homes don’t come more of an earlier mansion — and complete than this, especially you won’t be short of quality in the price range. space either. Many of Sunday’s Well’s best houses suffer from lack of parking, but no such problem here, there’s room for a clutch of cars in the private grounds and driveway, plus there’s a double garage almost hidden in the greenery. Internally, all is Georgian grace, yet manageable. Two fine, wellproportioned reception rooms compete for ‘best room’ status, with elegant marble fireplaces, restored sash windows, tall ceilings and cornice work, all made for art and books display, decorated — nay, appointed — with taste. Old bells by fireplaces here, and in the main bedrooms, used originally to summon servants, have been renewed and wired-up, and Fr Frank Brown, whose most have been known to successfully conjure up cups of notable images were of the Titanic’s maiden voyage. tea from obliging offspring.

GETTHELOOK

Some great ideas for you to use in your home and where to get them 1

1. Shelf life. Put your books on display for familiarity, easy reference, and even insulation and decorative purposes

2. Get plastered. Decorative plasterwork like these fine corbels are an intrinsic part of period, and faux-period, homes

Pictures: Denis Scannell

3 Curtains don’t have to hang meekly either side of a window, try different ways of dressing them

4 Hall floors make the first impression of a home; Buxton House has immaculate original polished tiling

5 Clothes can dry naturally indoors out of the way if your ceilings are high enough for a ‘Sheila Maid.’ Having a stove or a range helps

The house is in mint order, a real period deal done up over several decades by its downsizing occupants ... they’ve lavished love on it

6 Using stained and leaded glass in a living room window by the entrance porch ensure privacy for room occupants

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COVER STORY

Buxton House’s grandeur makes a grand home

A pristine, 200-year-old Georgian in an enclave on Cork’s Sunday’s Well has been lovingly restored by the vendors, says Tommy Barker

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

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

Sunday’s Well, Cork city €680,000 250sq m (2,700 sq ft) 5 Exempt Yes Pristine, plus parking

GETTHELOOK

Some great ideas for you to use in your home and where to get them 1

1. Shelf life. Put your books on display for familiarity, easy reference, and even insulation and decorative purposes

2. Get plastered. Decorative plasterwork like these fine corbels are an intrinsic part of period, and faux-period, homes

Pictures: Denis Scannell

3 Curtains don’t have to hang meekly either side of a window, try different ways of dressing them

4 Hall floors make the first impression of a home; Buxton House has immaculate original polished tiling

5 Clothes can dry naturally indoors out of the way if your ceilings are high enough for a ‘Sheila Maid.’ Having a stove or a range helps

The house is in mint order, a real period deal done up over several decades by its downsizing occupants ... they’ve lavished love on it

6 Using stained and leaded glass in a living room window by the entrance porch ensure privacy for room occupants

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INTERIORS

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

TEXTURETREATS

Go dotty

Get the look without breaking the bank ■ Cork born designer and maker Joseph Walsh continues to develop furniture embodying all the practical necessities, but with an aesthetic that straddles the realms of design and functional art. His Enignum collection is now the subject of an exhibition at the Oliver Sears Gallery on Dublin’s Molesworth Street from November 17 to January 27, and a must-see for those whose souls are rooted in materials brought to life by a master craftsman.

Carol O’Callaghan waves goodbye to white walls and minimalism and says hello to warm and fashionable patterns

AY goodbye to minimalism and white walls, and hello to pattern to warm up your interiors as the chilly season takes hold. Cheeky checks, tasty tartans and dotty spots can be as subtle or as mesmerisingly large as you fancy to bring texture and life to an otherwise neutral decorating scheme. Tartans might conjure up thoughts of kilts with outsize safety pins to hold the wearer’s modesty together, but these traditional skirt fabrics work beautifully on everything from cushions to blinds. Bolder versions are probably best suited to accessories, but if you want something that touches on tartan without too much colour, consider how Burberry tartan, first designed in the 1920s, was revived and became much beloved of fashionistas in recent years. Inevitably, similar takes on the pattern have made their way into interiors, and when applied to window blinds, they offer pattern without being too great a departure from plain simplicity for lovers of neutral. Stripes have always been synonymous with a certain sort of chic, especially in interiors, stretching back to Regency times and revived in the 1980s with what we now know as the Habitat look. Key to this was the overstuffed sofa with jumbo stripes, but for more timid tastes, narrow stripes were favoured, the latter standing the test of time and not really dating like so many trends these days. With the revival of stripes there are some novel approaches to their use, so if you don’t want obvious bold versions or too much colour, consider upholstery that pairs two different, but same coloured fabrics, in alternate strips so the stripes are created through texture rather than colour. Stripes on the horizontal have always suggested unflattering girth when donned by the human form, but they bring a chic and eye-catching approach when painted onto walls. Admittedly, this sort of paint job would require a professional unless you are an amateur DIY enthusiast with great patience and a very steady hand. A more achievable option is wallpaper and versions with patterns of horizontal stripes bring a refreshing approach to straight lines, but remember larger spaces can cope more effectively with bold and wide stripes without making the space oppressive, whereas narrow gauge stripes are better in confined areas. In

Varying patterns and colours Cuddly textiles are a great way to introduce pattern and can be easily removed if you tire of the look A different approach to stripes comes with the Nappa rug where different fabrics and textures create the effect (€39 at Meadows & Byrne).

Mix gleaming white towels and a little pattern with the Argos Polka Dot set (€22.99).

Above: Try this horizontal stripe look in a small space like a downstairs loo to liven up this often cramped space (Farrow & Ball Stripe €69 p/roll at Boulevard Interiors; Coakley Decor, Bantry; Town House Interiors, Mallow; Bailey Interiors, Limerick). Below: Spots and stripes might seem like uneasy bed-fellows but when set against an otherwise neutral backdrop the result can be fresh and stylish (Eivor Leva quilt cover and four pillowcases €85; Sofia curtain fabric €6.99 p/m; Valborg striped cushion cover €5.99; Eivor grey blanket €30.99; all from Ikea).

Aubergine and faded green combine in a check weave that works beautifully against plain upholstery (Chequer cushion from Bo Concept €39).

Kolour kaleidoscope Checks, stripes and dots also lend themselves to harder surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom Have a morning boiled egg and soldiers with the Dotty Rose selection of egg cups by Lisa Stickley for Debenhams (about €5 each)

Bring some nautical stripes to the bathroom with the Orb loo seat (from Littlewoods Ireland €32)

Left: The Navajo Blocks style takes the fashion for colour and teams it a mix of short horizontal and vertical lines on bed linens (duver cover from €40, runner €47.50, cushion €27 at M&S). Right: Checks and tartans don’t have to be strong reds and greens but also come in subtle, more neutral shades for neutral colour schemes (Edin roman blind from The Natural Curtain Company €249).

all cases, use sparingly otherwise they can create that dazzling, headache inducing effect. Spots, dots and little circles are prone to looking a little on the twee side, or

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

even childish, on the most grown-up of products, so perhaps best to confine their use to accessories and tablewares. One room, however, that lends itself really well to spots is the bathroom.

Shower curtains invariably have pattern and the dear old dot manages to hide a multitude should the lock fail and someone barge in while you are indulging in your daily ablutions. White

towels look gorgeous and feel so clean and refreshing yet very hard to maintain and will discolour over time, but if you can’t bear to defect to full colour, try spots set against a white

background, or tableware with spots to liven up white porcelain. It’s an easy approach to introducing a new trend and affordable too.

■ Next week we look at decorating for Christmas without turning your interiors into Santa’s grotto.

Traditional floral patterns move over for checks on the Carnaby mug from Woodies (€1.69 each)

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INTERIORS

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

TEXTURETREATS

Go dotty

Carol O’Callaghan waves goodbye to white walls and minimalism and says hello to warm and fashionable patterns

Mix gleaming white towels and a little pattern with the Argos Polka Dot set (€22.99).

Aubergine and faded green combine in a check weave that works beautifully against plain upholstery (Chequer cushion from Bo Concept €39).

Bring some nautical stripes to the bathroom with the Orb loo seat (from Littlewoods Ireland €32)

all cases, use sparingly otherwise they can create that dazzling, headache inducing effect. Spots, dots and little circles are prone to looking a little on the twee side, or

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

even childish, on the most grown-up of products, so perhaps best to confine their use to accessories and tablewares. One room, however, that lends itself really well to spots is the bathroom.

Shower curtains invariably have pattern and the dear old dot manages to hide a multitude should the lock fail and someone barge in while you are indulging in your daily ablutions. White

towels look gorgeous and feel so clean and refreshing yet very hard to maintain and will discolour over time, but if you can’t bear to defect to full colour, try spots set against a white

background, or tableware with spots to liven up white porcelain. It’s an easy approach to introducing a new trend and affordable too.

■ Next week we look at decorating for Christmas without turning your interiors into Santa’s grotto.

Traditional floral patterns move over for checks on the Carnaby mug from Woodies (€1.69 each)

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DIY

CHECK IN FOR HOTEL TIPS FOR YOUR HOME

DIYTIPS

Wallpaper Feature Wall Use fabulous wallpaper as a virtual headboard right to the ceiling. Choose a paper that’s a rich colour and scuff resistant if you are likely to lean on it. WHAT YOU NEED: ■ Wallpaper ■ Work out your drop (the height of the wallpaper needed ceiling to floor plus 5cm at the starting edge on the ceiling and another 5cm at the skirting). Pattern repeats are in centimetres and are added to the drop when calculating

It’s not just the room service: hotels are carefully designed to deliver luxury. Kya deLongchamps show you how they do it

HE great get away. A hotel suite delivers the functions of a small apartment — sleeping, working, relaxing, entertaining, storage, bathing and even dining. In terms of multi-tasking, every metre must work hard. Somehow even the most modest travel hotel gets it right more often than not, while the chaos of a standard family master at home plunges to the lows of a jaded kip. Take more than a receipt away from that hotel stay, using our interior styling tips for home hospitality. Placement, symmetry, relaxing colour schemes and streamlined furniture: style tourism could shoot your bedroom up to a four star rating. SYMMETRY Most hotel rooms are set up for two, and no matter how eclectic the décor, there will be a practical arrangement of the bed, furnishings and accessories underscoring the aesthetics. The ergonomics are perfectly thought out to get from one spot to another without fuss or collisions. For the major furnishings surrounding the bed, go for symmetrical arrangements on either side. Centre the divan on the longest wall, frame it with identical bedside tables or lockers and set these with matching table lamps or wall mounted lights. Floating furniture, with supports tucked up below the frame, is currently very popular. Look out for bedsteads with integrated shelving running out from the headboard to form beside surfaces and lockers. Floor lighting under the platform is very Manhattan, throwing a soft ambient light to find your partner, or (if you want to be more mundane about it) for simply fishing out your slippers. FOCUS The bed is the focal point in any bedroom. Using a statement bed or a simple divan, simple attention to detail can create that opulent, shoulder lifting feel of a top class overnight stay. An oversized headboard with a vertical thrust is perfect for physically inflating the presence of the bed. Use the wall itself, find indulgent, designer wallpaper and run it floor to ceiling behind the bed, bannering its status. Textured papers work well here as the raking light from the bedside tables will play with their three dimensional textural luxury.

If you fancy some Parisian bohemian flirt, a canopy is easily installed either directly behind the bed as single, generously luffed curtain drifting from a brass pole, or taken over the entire bed on two parallel poles, running along the top and end of the bed. Sheers, or sheers over an opaque material spilling to the floor are positively naughty, recalling stolen weekends away with the bed dressings firmly closed. The area over the head of the bed is an ideal spot for a great painting or odd numbered group (1s and 3s) of artworks. Again, think symmetrical arrangements for a harmonious finish and if you have a curtain behind the bed, set paintings boldly onto and into the material as Henry VIII might have done. FUNCTIONS In suggesting the room has more than sleeping in mind, the addition of an occasional chair can work in almost any sized bedroom. Fluff it up to a reading nook with the addition of a standard lamp and footstool, or choose a gorgeous single chair. Vintage dining chairs are often orphaned at antique sales for the €50 mark and a simple tub chair has the embrace of an armchair in a smaller frame. An inexpensive upholstery job can marry your chair to the other soft furnishings in your chosen them or material. One staple of hotel décor I would leave at reception, is the panoramic reflection of a vast mirror at the end of the bed over a glass topped table for preening and scribing. Certainly too much bare faced reality for me at 7am on a Monday. Still, the dressing table seen in traditional penthouse suites, placed on any alternative wall can multi-function both as an occasional writing desk and as a quiet spot for a woman to get her make-up in place while he cheerfully dominates the ensuite. FIVE STAR SENSE Hotel stays are sold as an experience, and where the surroundings are relatively bland and safe, texture and linen can stoke the senses. Sheets can be pure white, crisp to the eye but must be buttery to the touch. A 300 thread count is a good starting point, and in white can be teamed with a sophisticated layering of spreads and throws. With the bed made, transform it to a chaise with a generous bank of cushions and bolsters, in a variety of

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1 2

■ Wallpaper paste and wallpaper brush ■ Wallpaper table (even with self pasted varieties, the table is helpful) ■ A craft knife ■ Plumb line or laser level ■ Stepladder

A great look with superb storage. Shaker Ivory bedroom with brushed chrome handles, available with a deep top moulding to the wardrobe, ideal for downlighters. www.cashandcarrykitchens.ie. POA.

Top: Killarney Knot Tray Cloth in pure linen with hand drawn threadwork. €11.90. www.iamofireland.ie Above: Double stemmed Jacquard by Orla Kiely. Clean, crisp with a demure texture. From €35.95 for a pair of pillow cases. Suppliers online include www.ubode.ie.

Above: Tidy up your act if you want that spa feel in the bathroom. This pretty Flaren cabinet, features a delicate tracery of flowers to hide your blushes. €69. IKEA.

materials and patterns that are truly your own to lounge on by day. When and if you change out your carpet, invest in quality underlay for a receptive spring under bare feet. A thick rug will take the pound out of a wood floor and can be used to accent areas or spread beneath the bed leaving room for your toes to land in luxury. This is real life and your room, and inevitably your stuff is in it, but does it all have to be out on every surface? Wardrobes, drawers, under-bed sliders and discreet blind storage (with hiding doors) can be pressed into service with a good clear out and organisation. Be more exacting about what you have on show. Honour your spirit by surrounding yourself with beautiful, carefully chosen things that have real meaning for you. If you love that framed print, celebrate it with a gallery light remotely operated from the entryway. The bathroom in a hotel has a spa-esque feel largely because the lighting in a windowless room is tightly managed, and there’s nothing in there but cleansing products in embroidered bottles and plump, searing white towels. The plumbing and cistern are discreetly out of sight and the lighting made to flatter rather than deliver a useful reflection. Improving your storage and updating your towels regularly are simple things you can do to inject everyday decadence to a domestic en-suite. That five-star feel can be attained with surprising ease.

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SCHEMES Neutral, calming colours are the mainstay of the vast majority of hotels. This is your decompression zone, and you can hardly let your guard down when visually bullied by over excited, pillars of colour. That doesn’t mean to say you have to stick to the motorway motel drudgery of coffee and cream and faux leather headboards. There’s a lot to be said for being free of eye snagging, busy designs too. Pare back on the pattern to blocked areas such as cushions, feature walls and slip covers you can easily change for washing or renovating. Again, this approach is a potential money saver, as you only need a few metres of the best materials to inject colour, texture and class. Light walls and rangy mirrors will amplify available light.

Q&A

If you want a decadant bedroom, be unapologetic about its styling. Here jewel coloured linens, velvet dark walls and a pop of colour in a Roche Bobois Mayflower chair (€1,975) say I’m worth it.

Using a plumb or laser level, mark a vertical line where you intend to line up one vertical edge of your first panel (work outwards from this first panel centred on the bed position). Place any large graphic over where the bed will be allowing for the headboard. Paste your first cut of paper on a pasting table, face down and working from the centre out. Fold the cut ends into the centre in loose folds. Loosely fold in half again. Ascend ladder. A helper is a gift at this tricky moment. Unfolding from the top edge of your pasted panel, slide it gently into position on your vertical line, with your 5cm of width over at the ceiling. Unfold the lower parts smoothing with a brush to eliminate any bubbles. Continue to place panels on either side of your starter panel. Trim excess with a craft knife.

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

Q. I want to introduce a really relaxing, romantic feel for the bedroom in my new house. I have a dimming centre light but what other lighting would set the mood? My accent colours are gold and plum.

LOOK AND LEARN Every hotel online has a room viewing page, where you can see just how far top hoteliers go in high contemporary style or traditional tailoring. Take a look at the Rococo splendour of the Four Season George V in Paris www.fourseason.com, the opulent swagger of Claridges in Mayfair, London, a diamond of Art Deco, www.claridges.co.uk, and our own Clarence Hotel in Dublin, stuffed with bespoke Irish pieces and every room an individual education in design. www.theclarence.ie.

3 4 5 6 7

Measure the bed and match it to the nearest number of wallpaper widths (with paper at 52cm, that would be three for a King). Go over rather than under.

Q. I suffer from SAD and find waking in the dark mornings very hard. Are there light systems that I can time to come on as I wake?

A. Pooling and diffusing light with wall lights and spot-lights are ideal for zoning the illumination and control its intensity. Brass wall lights would work well with your gold tones. Argos does an Antique Brass Discus unit at €19.99 including the bulb.

Yes, but a more economical and possibly more effective solution would be a Sunrays Alarm Clock. It comes with nine alarm settings, an FM radio and gradually brightens to a natural daylight spectrum over 30 minutes, simulating a natural sunrise. On special offer right now from www.jmldirect.com for €48.

Q. I had hoped to put a chandelier in my bedroom, but the ceiling height really makes it look all wrong. I only have €100 left for the fittings. Any ideas?

Q. I read and occasionally work in bed. I’m tired of knocking everything over on a bedside table. How can I provide more room without pinning myself in with a large table?

Take it back to a scale with a nonelectric beaded shade to sit flat to the ceiling. Littlewoods have a Georgia Beaded Shade for a central fitting set on black organza with a swag of crystal for €47. Crystal Table Lamps for the bedside. €37. For more see www.littlewoodsireland.ie.

My suggestion would be a swing arm wall lamp to free up the surface of your bedside table and a movable trolley to stage your work. Be wary of working in bed. This is your nest not your office.

■ Words by Kya deLongchamps

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DIY

CHECK IN FOR HOTEL TIPS FOR YOUR HOME

DIYTIPS

It’s not just the room service: hotels are carefully designed to deliver luxury. Kya deLongchamps show you how they do it

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

1 2

■ Wallpaper paste and wallpaper brush ■ Wallpaper table (even with self pasted varieties, the table is helpful) ■ A craft knife ■ Plumb line or laser level ■ Stepladder

A great look with superb storage. Shaker Ivory bedroom with brushed chrome handles, available with a deep top moulding to the wardrobe, ideal for downlighters. www.cashandcarrykitchens.ie. POA.

Above: Tidy up your act if you want that spa feel in the bathroom. This pretty Flaren cabinet, features a delicate tracery of flowers to hide your blushes. €69. IKEA.

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Q&A

If you want a decadant bedroom, be unapologetic about its styling. Here jewel coloured linens, velvet dark walls and a pop of colour in a Roche Bobois Mayflower chair (€1,975) say I’m worth it.

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

Q. I want to introduce a really relaxing, romantic feel for the bedroom in my new house. I have a dimming centre light but what other lighting would set the mood? My accent colours are gold and plum.

3 4 5 6 7

Measure the bed and match it to the nearest number of wallpaper widths (with paper at 52cm, that would be three for a King). Go over rather than under.

Q. I suffer from SAD and find waking in the dark mornings very hard. Are there light systems that I can time to come on as I wake?

Q. I had hoped to put a chandelier in my bedroom, but the ceiling height really makes it look all wrong. I only have €100 left for the fittings. Any ideas?

Q. I read and occasionally work in bed. I’m tired of knocking everything over on a bedside table. How can I provide more room without pinning myself in with a large table?

My suggestion would be a swing arm wall lamp to free up the surface of your bedside table and a movable trolley to stage your work. Be wary of working in bed. This is your nest not your office.

■ Words by Kya deLongchamps

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

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WISH LIST

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The season of shopping and gift-giving is fast approaching. Carol O’Callaghan checks out some of the interiors goodies for your seasonal Wish List

Striped towels are not only an in-look for the bathroom but are much more practical and serviceable than plain versions (the Bandsjon bath sheet from Ikea €14.99).

As winter sets in abandon the starkness of white bed linens and embrace warm colour and pattern with the Butterfly duvet set by Matthew Williamson (approx. €65).

Tablecloths are enjoying a revival and there are none so practical as the oilcloth, which now comes in a huge selection of patterns and colours (from €22 p/m at The Drapery Shop). Delonghi’s bean to cup coffee-maker with electronic temperature control. It can be used with ground coffee or beans. €399 from Soundstore.

Vases are not only practical but when made of coloured glass can have a lovely ornamental look too (Oriental Garden range by Linea at Brown Thomas €14.50). Combine your aspirations for an American style fridge freezer with your desire for the Aga brand, and check out the Premium standard refrigerator finished in classic cream (€9,495 at Aga stores nationwide).

Inject a little fun into tea time with the bright and cheery Spot tea-pot (€15 from Dunnes Stores).

An unusual lamp is an attractive addition to a room and will brighten up a dark corner on cold winter evenings (Sperneg Super lamp from Objekt €185).

Try a cosy winter throw for chilly legs or to drape over a time-worn chair. (Nordic throw from Heatons €8).

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

Pop some rosy red autumn apples or bright orange gourds into the metallic basket by M&S (approximately €40).

Vivid colour is the height of interiors fashion and is even applied to kitchen appliances like the Breville four-slice toaster RRP €62 (Breville products available at Sound Store).

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WISH LIST

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The season of shopping and gift-giving is fast approaching. Carol O’Callaghan checks out some of the interiors goodies for your seasonal Wish List

Striped towels are not only an in-look for the bathroom but are much more practical and serviceable than plain versions (the Bandsjon bath sheet from Ikea €14.99).

As winter sets in abandon the starkness of white bed linens and embrace warm colour and pattern with the Butterfly duvet set by Matthew Williamson (approx. €65).

Inject a little fun into tea time with the bright and cheery Spot tea-pot (€15 from Dunnes Stores).

An unusual lamp is an attractive addition to a room and will brighten up a dark corner on cold winter evenings (Sperneg Super lamp from Objekt €185).

Try a cosy winter throw for chilly legs or to drape over a time-worn chair. (Nordic throw from Heatons €8).

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

Pop some rosy red autumn apples or bright orange gourds into the metallic basket by M&S (approximately €40).

Vivid colour is the height of interiors fashion and is even applied to kitchen appliances like the Breville four-slice toaster RRP €62 (Breville products available at Sound Store).

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

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INTERIORS

HOME ECONOMICS

ASK THE

DESIGNER

I’ve bought my boyfriend a Blu-ray home cinema system for his birthday and would like to have it all set up as a surprise — but as I’m not much of a techie, can you advise the best way to position the speakers? A. Lucky boy! Assuming you’ve gone for the most common 5-speaker surround sound system, where you place them all depends where your TV is positioned. Ideally, left and right speakers should be either side of the TV screen, with another in the centre. But as most TVs are in the corner of the room, you may need to bring the left and right speakers a little closer together to the front. The surround-left and surround-right speakers should be placed to the rear of the room, to either side of the main seating area. If you’ve also splashed on a subwoofer (to carry non-directional bass frequencies) this can be placed anywhere in the room.

Interior designer Deborah Ruddy of Chic Unique, Ratoath, Co Meath, chicunique.ie, answers your design dilemmas. Email: interiors@examiner.ie

Green homes are the way forward, reports Kya deLongchamps in her series on making your home energy efficient

grants available – try alliedsolar.ie.

A. Despite the mess it can make, us girls just love our fake bake. So rather than forgo your fake tan, the best advice is to apply it in your shower unit. When you’re done, spray the walls and floor of the shower with a good bathroom cleaner such as Cif Power CreamBathroom (€3.49), leave on for a few minutes and rinse it down. It may also be worth investing in special grout cleaner for the party season — although grout should be sealed in a way that it cannot stain in the first place. As for bedsheets, putting a little Vanish in the wash should do the trick. Or simply avoid the problem by wearing a onesie.

Q. We have a solid fuel stove, but coming into the cold winter months is there an economical way to bolster our home heating?

Q. Cluttered with sweeping brushes, cleaning products and ironing equipment, I have a small utility room off my kitchen that’s a neat freak’s nightmare. How can I make the most of this space?

A. Winter may not be the most obvious time to think about installing solar panels, but they work year-round even when the sky is overcast and there is no direct sunlight. Right now, you’ll get about 50% of summer levels — which should be enough to supplement your existing system. Basically, the system works by absorbing solar radiation and turning it into heat, then pumping this heat to water in a storage tank, heating both your water and radiators. Systems start from around €3,000, but there are

A. Consider what you use the room for — laundry, shoe storage, hanging keys or pet leads, etc. Any items that don’t belong there, get rid of them. If the room has existing shelving or cupboards, use them. Otherwise, invest in clever storage such as an expanding coat rack, over washer/dryer shelf and stackable cubes to declutter this multi-use room. Try hogankitchens.com or roundtowerkitchens.com for bespoke storage to fit your vacuum cleaner or ironing board.

Bodie and Fou

Q. With the party season around the corner, I’ve been stocking up on fake tan, but how can I avoid bronzing my bathroom and bedsheets too?

WEB WATCH 2

Above and below right: Ideas for a utility room layout. Below left: Where to place surround speakers.

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

Betty Octopus

Fiona Turley

This site is a breath of fresh air. It gives us a peep into someone’s else magnificent home. Simply described as Le Blog, this portal will give you an oasis from other sites and show how to live your best interiors life. With chic ideas, effortless designs and clues to transform your own living space this blog is up there with the best of them. It is a meeting point of ideas, a mesh pot of French talent and an inspiring concept store for those in search of cool, modern styling for the home, and quality European designs.

Now for something completely different. Remember those felt brooches we used to wear back in the day? Well they have made a comeback for all in the form of Betty Octupus’ site. Products delve into cards, artwork and necklaces made from wonderful felt creations that will bring out the make n’ do fan in anyone. There is a gorgeous section especially for children if anyone is looking for a stocking filler for there little ones. Framed felt artwork is a subtle way to bring texture to your home and injecting fun into a room.

How beautiful is this Orla Kiely casserole dish, on the right? It is just one of the delights appearing on the webpages of www.fionaturley.com. Herb pots, milk jugs, gratin dishes are all homely features in the kitchenware section. And check out the boozy bath hamper with two bars of carbolic soap plus one bottle of real ale bathing gel. She has an area dedicated to Irish designers and makers including Paddy McCormack, Alan Ardiff, John Rocha, Louis Mulcahy, Wildgoose, John Riordon, Julian Smyth and Karen Shannon.

■ www.bodieandfou.blogspot.com

■ www.bettyoctopus.com

■ www.fionaturley.com

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

It’s easy being green

Multi-stem casserole dish by Orla Kiely is earthenware — dishwasher and microwave safe. Approx €69.95 from www.fionaturley.com

F we do not sink under the shared weight of economic disaster in Europe, there is something to be hopeful about in Ireland’s green building and improvement sector. Real results are appearing from the grants system and information delivered by the Better Energy Homes initiative and its earlier forms in the past five years. State-supported energy efficiency programmes are reducing energy bills by on average €450 per annum and are sustaining up to 6,000 jobs. The popular grant system run through Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has radically changed and developed, so if you want to apply ensure you understand what’s on the table by going straight to www.seai.ie. This year, based on the current financial climate and proven results since the schemes began in 2006, certain grants have disappeared or have had their levels abruptly reduced. Some of what the SEIA term ‘recalibrations’ have resulted from the more competitive pricing that is appearing on the sustainable energy market. The Better Energy Homes Scheme (also known at the National Energy Upgrade Programme) replaced the Greener Homes Scheme and Home Energy Saving Scheme on May 16. It offers a number of different grants to upgrade houses built before 2006 when the building regulations did not reflect current demands for heating, the inclusion of a sustainable energy source and rigorous levels of insulation. The grant aid now on offer has been slashed by 20%. Biomass boilers and stoves and heat pumps are no longer grant aided. Top figures for attic insulation, internal insulation, the addition of solar and the improvement of heating controls and upgrades to a boiler, run from €200 for attic insulation at floor level to €800 for solar (a fixed grant) and these payments vary case by case. External wall insulation has escaped change from its original level of €4,000. It costs in the area of €10,000 (excluding grant aid) for a standard family home. The minimum application for a grant must be €400 and the obligatory BER grant of €80 (to be carried out after the works) does not count towards the €400 minimum. There is a very strict format for applications, so don’t hire anyone or buy anything for the work you intend to have done, until you’ve read the procedure and conditions for your grant at www.seai.ie. The list of registered installers is critical to the application process and the materials going into your upgrades must be approved also. Despite biomass and heat pumps not being grant aided, it is worth applying for heating controls for these systems

Zero Cost Ways to Slash Utility Bills

1 2 3 4 5 6 Top figures for attic insulation, internal insulation, the addition of solar and the improvement of heating controls and upgrades to a boiler run from €200 for attic insulation at floor level, to €800 for solar (a fixed grant) and these payments vary case by case.

as part of a €400 plus application. The most exciting extra development in the grant sector will be the evolution of the current system into the National Retrofit Programme (NRP). The Government has allocated an additional €30 million in 2011 to the Department of Communications Energy and Natural Resources for the programme. What makes NRP different, is that an integral part of this new grant scheme will be a Pay as You Save element (PAYS), first proposed in Ireland by green construction campaigner and editor of Construct Ireland magazine, Jeff Colley. This would allow householders to pay for the energy improvements to their homes directly out of the money they are saving from the upgrades, a method that is already working in parts of the US and Canada. Bord Gáis and the ESB are both showing keen interest in the retrofit scheme and this creative, non-punative solution for everyone to afford these often intimidating capital investments without overnight returns.

To find out more about the development of the National Retrofit Programme and the current Better Energy Homes scheme, simply log onto www.seai.ie. Click on ‘Grants’ to get a full outline of the products and services included. A list of qualified, approved suppliers and installers, plus everything you need to know about the grant application process is also available. Alternatively, call 1850-927000 for information.

The list of registered installers is critical to the application process and the materials going into your upgrades must be approved also

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Shop around for your oil. Oil prices can vary by the day. Use online tools and the telephone to check out the cheapest prices delivered for 1,000L. You’ll be surprised. I was! Try cheapestoil.ie for great online deals. Power “off”. Your mobile charger is using 95% of its energy when left plugged in, and your PC screen a whopping 50%. Get hands on with the controls. Vary your energy use according to the weather. If you wake on a December morning and it’s balmy, over-ride the settings. Boil only as much water as you need. Boiling a litre of water in the kettle can take as much energy as it does to keep the fridge running for seven hours. Shut those doors. Zoning your heated areas doesn’t just mean dancing over the digital controls but leaving some areas such as halls and bedrooms cooler. Cool time period. Let the central heating system go off 20 minutes before going to bed. The house will retain enough heat for you not to notice the change. Pay by Direct Debit. Most energy suppliers offer better prices for a DD payment. Check your account regularly to ensure your usage and payment is correct. Dial it down by 1ºC. Just shifting from 21ºC to 20ºC can save you a warming 10% on your heating bill. You’ll barely notice and a cooler house is a healthier house. Turn off those lights. If you cannot get the kids to turn off lights in corridors and occasionally lit areas, install timer push switches to do it for them.

Wash at 30ºC rather than 40ºC will save you 40% of the power in a standard machine. Regular hot washes at 60ºC for clothes will keep bacteria at bay.

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INTERIORS

HOME ECONOMICS

ASK THE

DESIGNER

Interior designer Deborah Ruddy of Chic Unique, Ratoath, Co Meath, chicunique.ie, answers your design dilemmas. Email: interiors@examiner.ie

Green homes are the way forward, reports Kya deLongchamps in her series on making your home energy efficient

grants available – try alliedsolar.ie.

Q. We have a solid fuel stove, but coming into the cold winter months is there an economical way to bolster our home heating?

Q. Cluttered with sweeping brushes, cleaning products and ironing equipment, I have a small utility room off my kitchen that’s a neat freak’s nightmare. How can I make the most of this space?

Bodie and Fou

Q. With the party season around the corner, I’ve been stocking up on fake tan, but how can I avoid bronzing my bathroom and bedsheets too?

WEB WATCH 2

Above and below right: Ideas for a utility room layout. Below left: Where to place surround speakers.

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

Betty Octopus

Fiona Turley

■ www.bodieandfou.blogspot.com

■ www.bettyoctopus.com

■ www.fionaturley.com

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

It’s easy being green

Multi-stem casserole dish by Orla Kiely is earthenware — dishwasher and microwave safe. Approx €69.95 from www.fionaturley.com

Zero Cost Ways to Slash Utility Bills

The list of registered installers is critical to the application process and the materials going into your upgrades must be approved also

7 8 9

Wash at 30ºC rather than 40ºC will save you 40% of the power in a standard machine. Regular hot washes at 60ºC for clothes will keep bacteria at bay.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

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IN THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK

by Charlie Wilkins

SHADOWS;

VIRGINIA CREEPER is best attended to this month or next if it has become a little rampant. Keep Parthenocissus (Virginia creeper) growths away from window frames, roofs and gutters by shortening back all vigorous shoots. Remove at the same time any growths moving away from their supports. Wisterias too will need attention to winter pruning by cutting back laterals and side shoots to within two or three buds of their base.

Days may have shortened but the low sunlight concentrates the mind on shape and form. The gardens look larger and every line and contour stands proud so my gaze stretches to the boundaries and beyond, unhindered by the soft gauze of summer. I can easily see all the garden and I watch in awe as the box balls on the drive throw long, skinny shadows across the brick paving. Not too long ago these were short and fat and huddled beneath the box as if sheltering from the overhead sun. My neighbour’s too, are visible and once more their plantings, layout, and style reappear having been hidden since early spring by dense foliage.

PRUNE late-flowering clematis, cutting back the flowered stems to a little over two feet above ground level. Cut above a pair of buds on each stem. Roll up the unwanted whippy shoots and discard. Varieties such as Hagley Hybrid, Gypsy Queen, Star of India, Jackmanii, Ville de Lyon and Perle d’Azur will respond handsomely to this kind of treatment and will send out vigorous new shoots during late January and on into early spring. These will be the growths which will flower best during summer. To encourage bigger and better blooms, mulch the root area with the likes of Gee-Up horse manure or use Browngold. Be generous with either.

WOOD ASH; Soft white plumes of smoke slowly rise into the chilly air from a distant garden fire and once again I’m reminded that bonfire ash is always best added to the compost heap since its soluble nutrients are easily washed away when added directly to the soil. Mix wood ash with other ingredients whenever possible or add it as you turn the heap. Try to put some form of covering over your compost heap so that the contents do not become sodden. That would only reduce the heat generated and delay the rotting process.

CHRISTMAS CACTI (Schlumbergera) are starting to bud up but remember that they require careful watering during these dull months. Give no more than will keep the fleshy discs from wrinkling. The compost for these should never be more than slightly damp; an excess will cause the cerise

Virginia Creeper is best attended to this month or next if it has become a little rampant.

The Christmas Cactus is a very adaptable houseplant and thrives well in sunny locations indoors but will also fend well in low lit areas.

blooms to drop like pine needles. Mind you, a light spraying with tepid water from now until flowering will remind them of their steamy forest origins and make them give of their best. Most often sold in pots that seem far too small, do not be tempted to give them more room in a

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

larger pot. They love being more or less potbound. Another of their dislikes is constant handling. Once the right place has been found for them, they should be left there undisturbed until flowering has finished.

HOSTAS; Division is the only way to ensure that hosta plants come true to type. This can be done now or in early spring and the easiest approach is to dig up the clump and to wash off all excess soil. This will give a clearer view of the dormant buds. Cut through the crown between the buds making small plants in the process. Replant with some manure or compost mixed into the backfill soil. Many hostas produce seed but these do not come true to type.

THIRSTY TOWERS T REES are great travellers! They move effortlessly through time and around the world. Many have survived since before the ice age without any change in their habit or appearance. Trees, like us, are survivors but we are inclined to abuse them by felling too many broadleaved varieties (for building purposes and road projects), through vandalism, and poor replanting rates. For all that, we “feel” for trees. Over two hundred years ago the German naturalist, Alexander von Humbolt, said “we feel for trees because we identify with them. Like us, they are small and helpless when they are young. Like us, they take pride in their power when they come to maturity. And like us, they come to a tottering old age when they are once again dependent on others for survival”. Visiting trees from every continent can take root in your garden, the only restrictions being extremes of climate and available space. But did you know that trees have a drink problem, and that their quest for water may lead to property damage in their vicinity? Some varieties are bigger drinkers than others. For instance, a fully grown apple tree can drink 4,400 gallons of water per year whilst a mature poplar will draw up 12,000 gallons. When trees are vigorous and growing strongly they will drink even more and this can affect the ground beneath their spread. Clay soil shrinks alarmingly when it is desiccated by a heavy drinker and the higher the plasticity (the smaller the particles in the clay) the more it shrinks. As seen, the biggest drinkers are the poplars followed in turn by willow, oak, eucalyptus and the dreaded leylandii. Those with a moderate thirst include ash, alder, blackthorn, cherry, hawthorn, horse chestnut, laburnum, lime, plane, pine, yew, apple, pear, and plum. Low consumers of water include beech, birch, holly, magnolia mulberry and rowan. Lucky for me, the giant silver birch growing within 15 feet of where I write is a low consumer of moisture and quite unlikely to ever cause damage to the garden studio. And yet all trees, no matter how tall, have shallow roots. They go out not down. Even a big tree’s roots rarely go further down than 6 feet and most are in the first two feet. They rarely find their way down to the water table preferring to rely on rain at all times. Roots anchor the tree and draw in moisture but all the heavy supporting roots are in the surface soil. That root spread is at least equal to the height of the tree and could be more if the soil is infertile, so always check from the nurseryman what the final height of your purchase will be when mature. Points to consider include; ● How much of a drinker is your

by Charlie Wilkins

GARDENNOTES

■ Ardfield/Rathbarry Gardening Club will host Breda Crowley’s ‘Christmas Demonstrations’ on Thursday at 8pm in the Parish Hall.

■ Mallow Flower and Garden Club host their Gala Christmas Demonstration in the GAA Complex Carrigoon on Tuesday, November 22 at 8pm. Brid Coonan will give ideas for the festive season. Entry €12. ■ Teaching demonstration entitled You Can Do It Too will be given by Maureen O’Keeffe at Clonakilty Flower Club on Monday at 8pm, Fernhill House Hotel. ■ Macroom Flower and Garden Club presents Come Flower With Me — A Christmas Gala Demonstration by Chris Bailey in Coolcower House on Thursday at 8pm. Proceeds in aid of St. Colman’s House and Macroom Senior Citizens. Admission €10 includes light refreshments and all are welcome. ■ Sunday’s Well Flower and Garden Club Christmas Demonstration by Sheila Gilbert, Wednesday at 8 pm in St Vincent’s Parish Centre. ■ East Cork Flower Club Gala Christmas Demonstration entitled This Festive Season with Bernadette Scanlan, Thursday, November 24 in the Park Hotel at 7.30pm. Tickets €15 includes refreshments. ■ Conna and District Flower and Garden Club gala demonstration by Bernie Preston (Interflora Demonstrator), Wednesday next at 8pm in the Community Centre. Refreshments served. Admission €10 which will aid the Cystic Fibrosis Association. ■ A Christmas cake demonstration by Jacqueline Cullinane and floral demo by Gene O’Riordan will take place in the Irish Guide Dog Centre, Model Farm Road on Tuesday, November 29 at 7.30pm. Mulled wine and mince pie reception. ■ The RHSI presents a flower arranging demonstration by Janet Maddock with the theme Forest Feel at Home on Wednesday next in Wesley House, Leeson Park, Dublin 6 at 8pm. All are welcome. ■ Cork Flower Club are holding a gala demonstration by Sandra Finnegan on Tuesday in the Canon Packham Hall Douglas at 8pm. All welcome.

This large silver birch is growing within 15 feet of where these lines are written! I feel quite confident it will never cause the studio to suffer subsidence, but in time, will a mighty gale bring it crashing down?

choice based on the information above? ● What kind of soil do you have, clay, chalk, sand, coarse? Light porous soils do not move. ● How deep are the nearest foundations? Those over six feet deep won’t be interfered with by roots ● Will your choice ultimately affect the

light, dry out the lawn, or stress nearby trees? ● Will the tree trunk push at a structure when it has grown to full girth? ● Buying a new tree can be a difficult and exasperating experience, so choose carefully and seek advice from the experts if you are unsure.

■ Ballincollig Flower and Garden Club will host a Christmas Gala Demonstration by Joan Lockhard entitled Christmas Is..? in the Oriel House Hotel, Ballincollig on Monday at 7.45pm. Enquiries to Bridget 0876339125. Supporting Cystic Fibrosis and WAFA Ireland 2014. Admission €15. Visitors welcome. ■ Cobh Flower and Horticulture Club will hold their Gala Christmas Demonstration entitled Christmas Time by Breda Crowley on Wednesday in the Commodore Hotel, Cobh at 8pm. ■ Christmas Demonstrations at Griffins every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 12pm. Workshops on Christmas tree dressing, mantelpiece, swags and garlands.

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IN THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK

by Charlie Wilkins

SHADOWS;

Virginia Creeper is best attended to this month or next if it has become a little rampant.

The Christmas Cactus is a very adaptable houseplant and thrives well in sunny locations indoors but will also fend well in low lit areas.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

by Charlie Wilkins

GARDENNOTES

■ Ardfield/Rathbarry Gardening Club will host Breda Crowley’s ‘Christmas Demonstrations’ on Thursday at 8pm in the Parish Hall.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

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ANTIQUES & FINE ART

ADVERTISING

Finest furniture on table at Lynes

Take your pick from items from some of the big Cork houses. Des O’Sullivan reports

NE of the finest antique furniture collections to feature at a Cork auction in decades will come up at Lynes and Lynes, Carrigtwohill, on November 26. The auction includes furniture from Dunkathel

House, Glanmire, Rockgrove House, Glaunthaune and Castlefreke, Co Cork. The Dunkathel lots include a fine Irish Georgian three pillar dining table (€40,000-€60,000), 10 Georgian Cork dining chairs (€12,000-€15,000)

and a fine pair of Cork side tables with crossbanded tops (€30,000-€50,000). Other lots from Dunkathel include a Cork sideboard (€15,000€25,000), a rare circular butler’s tray with fittings (€20,000-€25,000), and a

large fruitwood bookcase (€40,000-€60,000). There is a large gilt overmantel mirror by Richard Harris, carver and gilder of Hanover St, Cork supplied to Dunkathel House in 1837 (€20,000€30,000). Other lots include an 18th century

Irish blanket chest (€4,000-€6,000), a 19th century terrestrial globe (€2,000-€3,000) and a pair of early oak 19th century stools with the FrekeEvans coat of arms from Lord Carbery’s auction at Castlefreke in 1919 (€30,000-€40,000).

ANTIQUE AUCTION Inc. 2 house contents November 23rd - Entries Invited

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

AUCTION - KERRY AUCTION ROOMS Tuesday 15th November 12 Noon Antique Furniture, Art, Irish silver, books & Collectables View Sat 12th Nov 11am - 6pm. Sun 12-6pm, Mon. 11am - 9pm & from. 9am Tues or view it all online now

Moyderwell, Tralee, Co. Kerry 066 7186734 or 087 2908328 www.kerryauctionrooms.com

Above: A Belgian seascape by Francois Etienne Musin (€30,000€40,000). Top left: An Irish Georgian three pillar dining table and ten Cork dining chairs. All from Dunkathel House.

LYNES & LYNES

Important Auction

Antique Furniture, Paintings and Effects On Saturday 26th November at 12 Noon

Items from Dunkathel House, Glanmire, Rockgrove House, Glounthaune (seat of the Dring family) oak stools from Lord Carberys Auction Castlefreke 1919, residual clearances from Castlemartyr, Crab Lane, Blackrock, Glenbrook, and important items from a Sundays Well residence. Removed to our auction rooms at: Eastlink Business Park, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork (Off N25 East at Exit 4) Viewing on Sunday 20th Nov from 12 - 6pm Also the following Mon, Tues, Wed, Thur 9.30-6pm, Friday 9.30-8pm, Limited viewing morning of sale. Tel: 021/4389998 | 087/2531580 Email: info@lynesandlynes.com www.lynesandlynes.com 22

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

Dev with Cherokees anyone?

imerick offers much to tempt collectors this weekend. The National Antique and Art Fair takes place at the South Court Hotel today and tomorrow and there are antique auctions at Limerick Auction Rooms and at O’Donovan’s in Newcastlewest today. Robin O’Donnell of Hibernian Antique Fairs will bring more than 70 dealers to Limerick and claims that, by volume of stands, this is Ireland’s biggest fair. There will be a huge selection on offer, with many members from the Irish Antique Dealers Association in attendance. Opening times are from 11am to 6 pm on each day. No less than 500 lots

will come under the hammer at Limerick Auction Rooms at 2.30pm. Rarities include an original photograph in poor condition of Éamon de Valera in the US with the Cherokees, a first 1913 edition by Thomas Hardy of A Changed Man and other tales and a World War I death plaque for Limerick nurse Elizabeth Grace Stewart who died on service in February 1916. Antique and household furniture will come under the hammer at O’Donovan and Associates, Newcastlewest at 11am today. A gold Krugerand features among a collection of coins and bank notes and the sale features sporting memorabilia and a selection of collectibles.

IN BRIEF NAMA SALE The much overburdened Irish taxpayer might have some small consolation at Christie’s in London next Thursday when 11 works from the collection of property developer Derek Quinlan will be offered on behalf of NAMA. Included are works by William Scott, Roderic O’Conor, Jack Butler Yeats, Paul Henry and Louis le Brocquy. ......................................................... SOTHEBY’S SALE A small pen, ink and watercolour by Louis le Brocquy, Tinkers Enter the City is estimated at £18,000-£25,000 (€21,000- €29,000) at Sotheby’s in London on Wednesday. ......................................................... UNDER THE HAMMER Furniture, art and collectibles will come under the hammer at Kerry Auction Rooms, Moyderwell, Tralee next Tuesday at noon. A c1850 serving table is estimated at €3,000€5,000 and a shore scene by Markey Robinson has an estimate of €3,500€4,500.The auction is now on view. ......................................................... YEATS’ PAINTING Paintings by Jack B Yeats and Paul Henry are at Bonham’s sale of 20th century British and Irish art in London next Wednesday. Paul Henry’s Running for Shelter featured at the artist’s annual exhibition in Dublin in 1938. It is estimated at £120,000-£180,000 (€140,000-€210,000) . ......................................................... ONLINE SALE The first Morgan O’Driscoll online art auction which finished last Monday was highly successful with a 78% sell rate. The top lot was a work by Kenneth Webb which made €3,000. ......................................................... O’REILLY’S, SALE The sale at O’Reilly’s, Francis St., Dublin next Wednesday includes a diamond cluster ring by Tiffany. ......................................................... ANTIQUE AUCTION In Waterford RJ Keighery will hold an auction of antique furniture next Monday at 11am.

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

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Zone:XP1

XP1 - V1

ANTIQUES & FINE ART

ADVERTISING

Finest furniture on table at Lynes

Take your pick from items from some of the big Cork houses. Des O’Sullivan reports

NE of the finest antique furniture collections to feature at a Cork auction in decades will come up at Lynes and Lynes, Carrigtwohill, on November 26. The auction includes furniture from Dunkathel

ANTIQUE AUCTION Inc. 2 house contents November 23rd - Entries Invited

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

Moyderwell, Tralee, Co. Kerry 066 7186734 or 087 2908328 www.kerryauctionrooms.com

Above: A Belgian seascape by Francois Etienne Musin (€30,000€40,000). Top left: An Irish Georgian three pillar dining table and ten Cork dining chairs. All from Dunkathel House.

LYNES & LYNES

Important Auction

Antique Furniture, Paintings and Effects On Saturday 26th November at 12 Noon

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 12.11.2011

Dev with Cherokees anyone?

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

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GET YOUR PROPERTY SOLD by

Matt Fallon Auctioneer F M L PROPERTIES LTD.

info@fmlproperties.ie matt@fmlproperties.ie www.fmlproperties.ie

55 Grand Parade, Cork

Tel: 021 4277877 Mobile: 086 2574864

91 ASHMOUNT COURT, SILVERSPRINGS, TIVOLI 52 LARCHFIELD, COMMON’S ROAD, CORK NEW TO MARKET

62 ASHMOUNT, SILVERSPRINGS, CORK

NEW TO MARKET

SALE AGREED

BELLAVISTA, COLLEGE RD., CORK UNDER OFFER

Quality 4-bed semi det. residence Guide €219,000

Magnificent 4-bed semi det. residence Guide €220,000

Excellent 3-bed semi det. Similar property wanted

3/4 bedroomed mid tce. house - Quality investment

5 GLEANN EAN, GLENVILLE, CO. CORK

SITE NO.53 WHEATFIELDS, KILMONEY, CARRIGALINE, CO. CORK

11 LIOS NA GREINE

1 MANOR VILLAGE WEST, LEHENAGHBEG

NEW TO MARKET

UNDER OFF

New build 4-bed det. bungalow c. 1,730sq. ft. PC sum available for internal finishes. Guide Price €260,000

82 MULLAVALE, CASTLETOWNROCHE

Only one remaining, in this exclusive development. Guide Price €160,000

16 POPLAR AVE, FOTA ROCK, CARRIGTWOHILL

REDUCED TO SELL

UNDER OFFER

3-bed ground floor apartment. Guide Price €130,000

Quality 3 bed semi det. residence in excellent condition throughout. Guide Price €255,000

CLUAIN NA RI, CLONDULANE, FERMOY

3 NICHOLAS STREET, CORK

SOL

SHOWHOUSE SALE AGREED

NEW TO MARKET Priced to sell: 3-bed semis & terraced houses

3-bed semi det. house. Guide Price €165,000

BALLYPHILIP, WHITES CROSS, CORK

Launching soon, last few remaining houses

Two bed mid-ter. house. Similar property wanted

AVOCA 1A GRANGE ROAD, GRANGE

141A /B BALLYHOOLEY ROAD, CORK

LOUNGE

Quality 3/4 bed detached bungalow on circa 0.5 acres. 10 mins from City centre. Guide pride €295.000 Magnificent views from South West facing back garden

NEW TO MARKET

Quality 3 bedroomed detached house Guide price €240,000

Investment property: Two 2-bedroomed apartments Ground and first floor. Price on application:

If you’re thinking of selling your property then contact Matt for a realistic valuation that will enable you to get your property sold!