Property 08-10-2011

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Property 08.10.2011

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& Interiors

Harbour berth

Stunning quality design cleared the coast for a new-build to replace a washed-up 1970s bungalow Photo by Denis Scannell

PLUS • MARKET MOVERS • STYLISH HOMES • GET THE LOOK • ANTIQUES • STEP BY STEP DIY

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PROPERTY

HOUSE WEEK OF THE

Tommy Barker reports

C

ALLED after a Dutch river, Amstel is a c showers, and even the ground floor guest WC has a 80-year-old house, about to leave its third shower. Tiles won’t date, and shower cubicles were generation of family ownership — and has fibreglassed behind them for longevity and waternever looked so good. proofing.

The semi-detached house is in quiet Marble Hall The owners travelled out and brought tiles in from Park, by the start of the Douglas and Ballinlough Italy as they were doing up their own main family Roads, a 10 minute amble from Cork city centre. home at the same time, so everything has that slightly It has been handed down through the women of the refreshing, ‘not seen everywhere’ look, and interior family, and now after a major overhaul in 2005/06 is designer Fiona O’Keeffe has helped with the final ready to walk into by new decor and fabrics. owners. In its back-end of a Apart from being fully reLocation: CORK CITY cul de sac setting, Amstel plumbed, with condenser gas Price: €395,000 comes for sale with Ann boiler running across four O’Mahony of Sherry zones, the house has been reSize: 172 sq m (1,850 sq ft) FitzGerald, who guides it at wired, and most lighting is Bedrooms: 4 €395,000, and that’s for a fourvia recessed spotlights, bed 1,800 sq ft home with, bedrooms are neutrally BER rating: Pending literally, everything done to carpeted, and have built-ins, Broadband: Yes it, and done well. and a new linen press has It has been extended to the been provided, with a towel Best asset: Real quality upgrade back, for a new kitchen/diner, rad hidden inside for airing with cheerful red gloss units purposes. Floors were dug up making an assertive bid for attention, contrasting at ground level, with Kingspan insulation put in, walls with fresh creaminess of a top-to-toe paint job. have been slabbed for insulation on the inside, and That’s just to freshen the house up after a period of outside Amstel’s walls have been re-dashed. The roof, being carefully rented out, but truth be told, the meanwhile, has been re-done in slate, as has the quality of the work done indicates it was never done pitched roof over the sympathetic kitchen and utility as a fast-buck rental. room extension.

All internal joinery — doors, skirting, architraves, Thanks to that latter add-on, the house now is nearly etc, is in oak, as are much of the ground floor finishes, 50’ deep, but despite growing on to the back, it doesn’t and the main, deep front bay windows are double seem to have shut off light to the middle core or hall of glazed, in teak rise and falls sashes (made by Michael this welcoming home. It’s helped by glazing, such as Coughlan in Ballydehob) to keep faith with the house’s an extra, feature circular window beside the glazed vintage. Elsewhere, for ease of keeping, glazing is front door, and internal doors to the two main ‘practical’ white PVC. reception rooms and kitchen beyond are also glazed All three bathrooms were re-done, with pumped and sandblasted, in unfussy oak frames.

CONTENTS

4

TRADING UP There’s feature stone used well inside and out at a Ballyferriter, Kerry home.

6

STARTERS A quirky house interior refurb sees mirrors in odd places, even as stair treads.

8

COVER STORY A bungalow was blitzed for an enviable replacement contemporary home.

10 MARKET The same €295,000 sees city and country offers for traders in, or traders up.

12 14 19 22 22

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

�������� � ������� ��������� �� ���� �� ��������������

Pictures: Denis Scannell

Amstel seems to feel bigger than its quoted 1,800 sq ft of space, thanks to an extra wide hall and its very good ground level floor plan, and none of the four bedrooms overhead is particularly small: the en suite master bedroom is given an extra lift by its bay window bonus.

The house faces south, with front garden, tiled path, and wide drive for easy parking, while there’s a sheltering screen half way back along the gable wall to give privacy to the relatively compact back garden, with storage shed.

VERDICT: Amstel has been brought bang up to date, there’s nothing flashy, yet it’s all well done, a quality semi-d in a super-convenient setting.

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INTERIORS EDITOR Esther McCarthy, 021 4802386 interiors@examiner.ie INTERIORS ADVERTISING Ger Duggan, 021 4802192 interiorads@examiner.ie

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

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

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IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

3

TERAPROOF:User:noelcampionDate:06/10/2011Time:12:34:59Edition:08/10/2011PropertyXP0810Page:2

Zone:XP1

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PROPERTY

HOUSE WEEK OF THE

Tommy Barker reports

C

ALLED after a Dutch river, Amstel is a c showers, and even the ground floor guest WC has a 80-year-old house, about to leave its third shower. Tiles won’t date, and shower cubicles were generation of family ownership — and has fibreglassed behind them for longevity and waternever looked so good. proofing.

The semi-detached house is in quiet Marble Hall The owners travelled out and brought tiles in from Park, by the start of the Douglas and Ballinlough Italy as they were doing up their own main family Roads, a 10 minute amble from Cork city centre. home at the same time, so everything has that slightly It has been handed down through the women of the refreshing, ‘not seen everywhere’ look, and interior family, and now after a major overhaul in 2005/06 is designer Fiona O’Keeffe has helped with the final ready to walk into by new decor and fabrics. owners. In its back-end of a Apart from being fully reLocation: CORK CITY cul de sac setting, Amstel plumbed, with condenser gas Price: €395,000 comes for sale with Ann boiler running across four O’Mahony of Sherry zones, the house has been reSize: 172 sq m (1,850 sq ft) FitzGerald, who guides it at wired, and most lighting is Bedrooms: 4 €395,000, and that’s for a fourvia recessed spotlights, bed 1,800 sq ft home with, bedrooms are neutrally BER rating: Pending literally, everything done to carpeted, and have built-ins, Broadband: Yes it, and done well. and a new linen press has It has been extended to the been provided, with a towel Best asset: Real quality upgrade back, for a new kitchen/diner, rad hidden inside for airing with cheerful red gloss units purposes. Floors were dug up making an assertive bid for attention, contrasting at ground level, with Kingspan insulation put in, walls with fresh creaminess of a top-to-toe paint job. have been slabbed for insulation on the inside, and That’s just to freshen the house up after a period of outside Amstel’s walls have been re-dashed. The roof, being carefully rented out, but truth be told, the meanwhile, has been re-done in slate, as has the quality of the work done indicates it was never done pitched roof over the sympathetic kitchen and utility as a fast-buck rental. room extension.

All internal joinery — doors, skirting, architraves, Thanks to that latter add-on, the house now is nearly etc, is in oak, as are much of the ground floor finishes, 50’ deep, but despite growing on to the back, it doesn’t and the main, deep front bay windows are double seem to have shut off light to the middle core or hall of glazed, in teak rise and falls sashes (made by Michael this welcoming home. It’s helped by glazing, such as Coughlan in Ballydehob) to keep faith with the house’s an extra, feature circular window beside the glazed vintage. Elsewhere, for ease of keeping, glazing is front door, and internal doors to the two main ‘practical’ white PVC. reception rooms and kitchen beyond are also glazed All three bathrooms were re-done, with pumped and sandblasted, in unfussy oak frames.

CONTENTS

4

TRADING UP There’s feature stone used well inside and out at a Ballyferriter, Kerry home.

6

STARTERS A quirky house interior refurb sees mirrors in odd places, even as stair treads.

8

COVER STORY A bungalow was blitzed for an enviable replacement contemporary home.

10 MARKET The same €295,000 sees city and country offers for traders in, or traders up.

12 14 19 22 22

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

�������� � ������� ��������� �� ���� �� ��������������

Pictures: Denis Scannell

Amstel seems to feel bigger than its quoted 1,800 sq ft of space, thanks to an extra wide hall and its very good ground level floor plan, and none of the four bedrooms overhead is particularly small: the en suite master bedroom is given an extra lift by its bay window bonus.

The house faces south, with front garden, tiled path, and wide drive for easy parking, while there’s a sheltering screen half way back along the gable wall to give privacy to the relatively compact back garden, with storage shed.

VERDICT: Amstel has been brought bang up to date, there’s nothing flashy, yet it’s all well done, a quality semi-d in a super-convenient setting.

��� ����� �� ���� �� ������ �� ����� ����� ��� �������� ��� ���� ��� ������ �� ��� �� ����� ����� �� ����� � ����� ����������

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�������� ����� ����� ��������� ��������� ����� ������ ��� ����� ��� �� ���� ��������� ����������� INTERIORS DIY HOME ECONOMICS GARDENING ANTIQUES

INTERIORS EDITOR Esther McCarthy, 021 4802386 interiors@examiner.ie INTERIORS ADVERTISING Ger Duggan, 021 4802192 interiorads@examiner.ie

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

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

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IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

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PROPERTY

TRADING UP

We scan a selection of trading up homes around the country Douglas

€660,000

1 Golden Grove ��� �� ������ �� �� ������� �� ��������� ��������� ������������� ���� ���� � �������� �������� �� ��� ������� ����� ��� �������� ��� ���� �������� ��� ����������� �� ��� ������� ������ ���� ��� ������ � ���� � ������� ���� � �������������� ���� � ������ ���� � �������� � ������ �������������� ���� � � �������� � ��� ��������������� Call Sheila O’Flynn or Ann O’Mahony on 086 257 4948 or 086 805 5834

BALLYFERRITER, CO KERRY TIVOLI, CORK €275,000 €420,000 Sq m: 124 (1,335sq ft) BER rating: Pending

Bedrooms: 2 Broadband: Yes

THERE’S still money around for holiday home buys in west Kerry, says Anthony FitzGerald, who’s currently offering this extended traditional cottage at Ballincolla, Ballyferriter.

Just a stroll from Ballincolla boat slip and a short drive, (or brisk walk) to Béal Bán beach, the house is fresh, open plan and the sale includes all of the furniture. The house is on offer at €275,000, and while it only has two bedrooms, it has a substantial amount of space on offer — so it’s ideal as a summer or retirement home.

The older part of the house, the single storey element, is part of a big, kitchen/ living/dining area, with exposed stone walls and the old fireplace at its centre.

And there’s a separate living room with twin patio doors to the garden and a stone-built fireplace.

The kitchen element is fitted with vanilla units and wooden worktops and has Smeg integrated appliances. The ground floor also includes a guest bathroom and utility, while heating is run on gas and there’s mains water.

The upper level has two good bedrooms, one with a fireplace included, and main bathroom and the site size is 0.12 of an acre.

Verdict: Ideally placed near Ballyferriter with its pubs and restaurants and close to Ceann Sibéal Golf Links.

Sq m: 148 (1,600 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

CORK CITY €310,000 Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

THE last house sale at Cork’s Tivoli Estate, of a five-bed house on a half acre was an ostensible do-er upper, but which is now set to be knocked and replaced by a new-build undertaking, after a €400-500k price buy.

Next up for sale, and in far better order, in the same Montenotte estate of one-offs is Ard Mahon, a four-bed detached home, south facing, with river Lee views from its tiered and sloping site.

Estate agent Conor P Flynn seeks offers around €420,000 for the distinctive and elevated family home a couple of miles from the city centre, and it is under offer now around €380,000.

Dating to 1936, it now needs modernisation, but has huge potential, Mr Flynn adds.

It has two ground level reception rooms, the best being the 17’ by 13’ drawing room with double aspect and east-facing bay window looking down the harbour.

There’s another south-facing bay window in the slightly smaller living/ dining room, plus kitchen, utility/ pantry and a guest WC with shower off the parquet-floored hall.

Overhead are four bedrooms, main bathroom, and separate WC. VERDICT: The setting is the star here, with light and views to capture in any upgraded investment.

DOUGLAS, CORK€460,000 AND €405,000/€425,000

Sq m: 168 (1,800 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

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IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

VERDICT: Great location in a cul de sac a 10 minute walk from city centre.

IT wasn’t just the novelty of a showhouse being opened on a wet weekend — there was genuine interest among many of the 125 callers to Cork’s Vicarage scheme on Carr’s Hill, Douglas, last Saturday.

The completed Frinailla scheme, in receivership (and built

by Bowen Construction, another casualty of the bust) has five detached houses, out of 17 built, being offered for via agents Savills. The five houses include three house types.

The largest, a five-bed and which is also the showhouse of 2,174 sq ft, is being sold fully furnished, and is under offer at its guide of €460,000. The look is cool, and continental, inside, and the houses are quite deep, and tall, with one attic

€590,000

White Oaks, Ballymah � ���� ������� ��� ������� �������� ������ ���� �������� �� ��� ��� ������� ���� �� ������� ���� �� �� ���� � ������ � ������ ���� � ������� � ������ ���� � ����� � ����� ���� � ������� � ��� �������� � � ��������� � � �������� � ������� ���� �� ����� Call Sheila O’Flynn 086 257 4948 or 021 493 7418

CASTLETOWNSHEND, CORK €370,000

THE owner of Ellenville once won a prize from Gay Byrne for composing a song about where he lived — but, truth be told, he essentially rehashed a few lines about Dreaming of Living in Marble Halls, from the libretto The Gypsy Girl’s Dream, in the Bohemian Girl.

The occupant of this detached fourbed home in Cork city’s Marble Hall Park, by the start of the Ballinlough and Douglas Road near St Finbarr’s Hospital, has lived in Ellenville for 40 years, recently graduated with a degree in geology from UCC aged in his 80s, and is making a move to family in Dublin — UCD watch out.

The sizeable enough family home he is now selling (it has a double bay in front, yielding three reception rooms, plus optional study/bed four at ground level alone,) has good bones, and some finely preserved features, such as an ornately tiled hall floor, and a pristine copper canopy on the main sitting room’s cast iron fireplace.

Upstairs are three bedrooms plus a bathroom and separate WC, but it’s the space at ground level that impresses most, with a side annexe making for lots of utility room potential.

Estate agent Ann O’Mahnony of Sherry FitzGerald seeks €310,000.

Sq m: 220/186/191 BER rating: B3

Waterfall

Sq m: text text text BER rating: Pending

Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

MIGHT Stonehaven be The One? Set one mile from Castletownshend in west Cork, this one-off stands on one acre and is one of the better-priced market offering in the fairly sought-after coastal setting.

It comes to market with not one, but two agents, Cahalane Skuse in Cork city, and with Charles P McCarthy in Skibbereen, five miles away.

Though close enough to probably smell and hear the sea, the views from this decade-old stone-faced dormer home are rural rather than coastal, and the location is off a quiet road and private drive, past locally-sourced stone walls.

The house’s own exterior is also stoneheavy, blending with wood-grain pvc double glazing, and the sympathetic design incorporates a sun-room to the front, with slate roof and raised pitched glass gable.

Internally, there are some quarry slate floors, a central vacuum system, two large reception roms, a ground floor en suite bedroom, plus three more bedrooms overhead (one with en suite), as well as that 18’ by 10’ sun room overlooking the garden and views.

There are beaches nearby at Sandy Cove, Castlehaven and Tragumna.

Model Farm Road, Shanid

For sale by Auction AMV €585,000 Public Auction (unless previously sold) 11am 26th Oct, Sherry FitzGerald, 6 Lapps Quay, Cork ����������� ��� ��� �������� ���� ����� ������ ��� ��� ������� ���� ���� ���� ����� �� ����� ������ ��� ����� ��������� � ���� � ������ � ������ � �� ���� � ������� � ������ ����� � ���� ���� � ����� � � �������� � ��� � ��� ��� �� � � ����� �� �� ������� Call Sheila O’Flynn on 086 257 4948

Ovens

€325,000

Silversprings

€240,000

Thomond, 16 Firgrove Drive ��� ��� ���� ���� ���� ���� ��� ���� ��������� ������ ���� ������ ����� � ���� � ������ � ������ � ��� � ������� � �� � ��� ���� � ��� � ����� ��� �� � � ����� �� �� ������� Call Johnny O’Flynn on 086 601 5560

€440,000 Ballincollig

Skehanagh House, Knockanemore ��� �� � � ����� �� �� ������� �� ���������� � ��� ���� �� ��� ����� ������� ���������� ������������ ��� ���������� ��������� �� ����� �������� ��� ��� ������� ������� � �������� ���� � ������ � ����������������� ���� � ������ ���� � ������ ���� � ������� � � �������� � ������� � ��������� Call Norma Healy 021 493 7406 or 086 852 5940

Bishopstown

€250,000

91 The Green, Coolroe Meadows ���� ��� ���� �������� ���� �� � ������� ����� ������ ���� ������� � ���� � ������ ���� � ������ ���� � ������� � ������� � �� � � �������� � ������� � ��������� Call Norma Healy on 086 852 5940

100B Ashmount Court ��� �� � � ����� �� �� ������� � �������� ��� ������ � ��� ������������� ���� �� ����� ���������� �������� � ���� � ����������������� � ������ ���� � ������ � �� � ���� � � ���� � ��� � ����� Call Michael O’Donovan 021 493 7407 or 086 820 5474

Ballincollig

Maryborough Hill from €500,000 Elden ���� ��� �� � � ����� �� �� ������� ����� ����� ���������� ������ � ��� ��� ������ ���� ������������ ������� ��� ������� �������� � ���� � �� � ������ � ����������������� � ���� � � ���� � � ��� � ����� Call Ann O’Mahony 021 427 3041 or 086 805 5834

NEW HOMES

VERDICT: Built to last, and in a favoured location where planning is hard to get, Stonehaven is ready to go for new owners.

Bedrooms: 5/4/4 Broadband: Yes level en suite bedroom in each house. Finish and specification levels are good, with slate roofs, underfloor heating at ground level, wiring for multi-audio, Jacuzzi bath, etc.

Launch prices back in 2007/08 were €770,000 and €850,000 to €1.1m for a 2,350 sq ft house, with a small number of sales.

Savills will also offer apartments in two blocks in Temple Grove, by the Vicarage’s entrance, very shortly, where final works are being carried out.

VERDICT: There’s not much else built and available, to a good standard, within a walk of Douglas village.

SHOW HOMES OPEN THURSDAY 13TH OF OCTOBER 12 - 2PM OR BY APPOINTMENT

Thinking of buying?

Call Sherry FitzGerald New Homes ��� ��� ���� �� ����� ������������

Rochestown

from €190,000 Mount Oval Village ���� ���� � �� ��� �� � ������� � ��������� �� ��� ������� ����� ������ � ��� ���� ���� ��������� � ��� ���� ��������� � ��� ��� ���� ��������� � ��� ���� ��������� � ��� ���� �������� Call Sheila O’Flynn or Ann O’Mahony 021 427 3041

������ ����������� � ����� ����� ���� ���� ��� ��� ���� ������������ ���������

from €120,000 Old Quarter ���� �� �� � �� ��� �� � ������� ����� ����� ���������� ������ � ��� ��� ������ ���� ������������ ������� ��� ������� �������� � ���� � �� � ������ � ����������������� � ���� � � ���� � � ��� � ����� Call Sheila O’Flynn or Norma Healy 021 427 3041

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IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

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TERAPROOF:User:noelcampionDate:06/10/2011Time:12:35:23Edition:08/10/2011PropertyXP0810Page:4

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PROPERTY

TRADING UP

We scan a selection of trading up homes around the country Douglas

€660,000

1 Golden Grove ��� �� ������ �� �� ������� �� ��������� ��������� ������������� ���� ���� � �������� �������� �� ��� ������� ����� ��� �������� ��� ���� �������� ��� ����������� �� ��� ������� ������ ���� ��� ������ � ���� � ������� ���� � �������������� ���� � ������ ���� � �������� � ������ �������������� ���� � � �������� � ��� ��������������� Call Sheila O’Flynn or Ann O’Mahony on 086 257 4948 or 086 805 5834

BALLYFERRITER, CO KERRY TIVOLI, CORK €275,000 €420,000 Sq m: 124 (1,335sq ft) BER rating: Pending

Bedrooms: 2 Broadband: Yes

THERE’S still money around for holiday home buys in west Kerry, says Anthony FitzGerald, who’s currently offering this extended traditional cottage at Ballincolla, Ballyferriter.

Just a stroll from Ballincolla boat slip and a short drive, (or brisk walk) to Béal Bán beach, the house is fresh, open plan and the sale includes all of the furniture. The house is on offer at €275,000, and while it only has two bedrooms, it has a substantial amount of space on offer — so it’s ideal as a summer or retirement home.

The older part of the house, the single storey element, is part of a big, kitchen/ living/dining area, with exposed stone walls and the old fireplace at its centre.

And there’s a separate living room with twin patio doors to the garden and a stone-built fireplace.

The kitchen element is fitted with vanilla units and wooden worktops and has Smeg integrated appliances. The ground floor also includes a guest bathroom and utility, while heating is run on gas and there’s mains water.

The upper level has two good bedrooms, one with a fireplace included, and main bathroom and the site size is 0.12 of an acre.

Verdict: Ideally placed near Ballyferriter with its pubs and restaurants and close to Ceann Sibéal Golf Links.

Sq m: 148 (1,600 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

CORK CITY €310,000 Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

THE last house sale at Cork’s Tivoli Estate, of a five-bed house on a half acre was an ostensible do-er upper, but which is now set to be knocked and replaced by a new-build undertaking, after a €400-500k price buy.

Next up for sale, and in far better order, in the same Montenotte estate of one-offs is Ard Mahon, a four-bed detached home, south facing, with river Lee views from its tiered and sloping site.

Estate agent Conor P Flynn seeks offers around €420,000 for the distinctive and elevated family home a couple of miles from the city centre, and it is under offer now around €380,000.

Dating to 1936, it now needs modernisation, but has huge potential, Mr Flynn adds.

It has two ground level reception rooms, the best being the 17’ by 13’ drawing room with double aspect and east-facing bay window looking down the harbour.

There’s another south-facing bay window in the slightly smaller living/ dining room, plus kitchen, utility/ pantry and a guest WC with shower off the parquet-floored hall.

Overhead are four bedrooms, main bathroom, and separate WC. VERDICT: The setting is the star here, with light and views to capture in any upgraded investment.

DOUGLAS, CORK€460,000 AND €405,000/€425,000

Sq m: 168 (1,800 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

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IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

VERDICT: Great location in a cul de sac a 10 minute walk from city centre.

IT wasn’t just the novelty of a showhouse being opened on a wet weekend — there was genuine interest among many of the 125 callers to Cork’s Vicarage scheme on Carr’s Hill, Douglas, last Saturday.

The completed Frinailla scheme, in receivership (and built

by Bowen Construction, another casualty of the bust) has five detached houses, out of 17 built, being offered for via agents Savills. The five houses include three house types.

The largest, a five-bed and which is also the showhouse of 2,174 sq ft, is being sold fully furnished, and is under offer at its guide of €460,000. The look is cool, and continental, inside, and the houses are quite deep, and tall, with one attic

€590,000

White Oaks, Ballymah � ���� ������� ��� ������� �������� ������ ���� �������� �� ��� ��� ������� ���� �� ������� ���� �� �� ���� � ������ � ������ ���� � ������� � ������ ���� � ����� � ����� ���� � ������� � ��� �������� � � ��������� � � �������� � ������� ���� �� ����� Call Sheila O’Flynn 086 257 4948 or 021 493 7418

CASTLETOWNSHEND, CORK €370,000

THE owner of Ellenville once won a prize from Gay Byrne for composing a song about where he lived — but, truth be told, he essentially rehashed a few lines about Dreaming of Living in Marble Halls, from the libretto The Gypsy Girl’s Dream, in the Bohemian Girl.

The occupant of this detached fourbed home in Cork city’s Marble Hall Park, by the start of the Ballinlough and Douglas Road near St Finbarr’s Hospital, has lived in Ellenville for 40 years, recently graduated with a degree in geology from UCC aged in his 80s, and is making a move to family in Dublin — UCD watch out.

The sizeable enough family home he is now selling (it has a double bay in front, yielding three reception rooms, plus optional study/bed four at ground level alone,) has good bones, and some finely preserved features, such as an ornately tiled hall floor, and a pristine copper canopy on the main sitting room’s cast iron fireplace.

Upstairs are three bedrooms plus a bathroom and separate WC, but it’s the space at ground level that impresses most, with a side annexe making for lots of utility room potential.

Estate agent Ann O’Mahnony of Sherry FitzGerald seeks €310,000.

Sq m: 220/186/191 BER rating: B3

Waterfall

Sq m: text text text BER rating: Pending

Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

MIGHT Stonehaven be The One? Set one mile from Castletownshend in west Cork, this one-off stands on one acre and is one of the better-priced market offering in the fairly sought-after coastal setting.

It comes to market with not one, but two agents, Cahalane Skuse in Cork city, and with Charles P McCarthy in Skibbereen, five miles away.

Though close enough to probably smell and hear the sea, the views from this decade-old stone-faced dormer home are rural rather than coastal, and the location is off a quiet road and private drive, past locally-sourced stone walls.

The house’s own exterior is also stoneheavy, blending with wood-grain pvc double glazing, and the sympathetic design incorporates a sun-room to the front, with slate roof and raised pitched glass gable.

Internally, there are some quarry slate floors, a central vacuum system, two large reception roms, a ground floor en suite bedroom, plus three more bedrooms overhead (one with en suite), as well as that 18’ by 10’ sun room overlooking the garden and views.

There are beaches nearby at Sandy Cove, Castlehaven and Tragumna.

Model Farm Road, Shanid

For sale by Auction AMV €585,000 Public Auction (unless previously sold) 11am 26th Oct, Sherry FitzGerald, 6 Lapps Quay, Cork ����������� ��� ��� �������� ���� ����� ������ ��� ��� ������� ���� ���� ���� ����� �� ����� ������ ��� ����� ��������� � ���� � ������ � ������ � �� ���� � ������� � ������ ����� � ���� ���� � ����� � � �������� � ��� � ��� ��� �� � � ����� �� �� ������� Call Sheila O’Flynn on 086 257 4948

Ovens

€325,000

Silversprings

€240,000

Thomond, 16 Firgrove Drive ��� ��� ���� ���� ���� ���� ��� ���� ��������� ������ ���� ������ ����� � ���� � ������ � ������ � ��� � ������� � �� � ��� ���� � ��� � ����� ��� �� � � ����� �� �� ������� Call Johnny O’Flynn on 086 601 5560

€440,000 Ballincollig

Skehanagh House, Knockanemore ��� �� � � ����� �� �� ������� �� ���������� � ��� ���� �� ��� ����� ������� ���������� ������������ ��� ���������� ��������� �� ����� �������� ��� ��� ������� ������� � �������� ���� � ������ � ����������������� ���� � ������ ���� � ������ ���� � ������� � � �������� � ������� � ��������� Call Norma Healy 021 493 7406 or 086 852 5940

Bishopstown

€250,000

91 The Green, Coolroe Meadows ���� ��� ���� �������� ���� �� � ������� ����� ������ ���� ������� � ���� � ������ ���� � ������ ���� � ������� � ������� � �� � � �������� � ������� � ��������� Call Norma Healy on 086 852 5940

100B Ashmount Court ��� �� � � ����� �� �� ������� � �������� ��� ������ � ��� ������������� ���� �� ����� ���������� �������� � ���� � ����������������� � ������ ���� � ������ � �� � ���� � � ���� � ��� � ����� Call Michael O’Donovan 021 493 7407 or 086 820 5474

Ballincollig

Maryborough Hill from €500,000 Elden ���� ��� �� � � ����� �� �� ������� ����� ����� ���������� ������ � ��� ��� ������ ���� ������������ ������� ��� ������� �������� � ���� � �� � ������ � ����������������� � ���� � � ���� � � ��� � ����� Call Ann O’Mahony 021 427 3041 or 086 805 5834

NEW HOMES

VERDICT: Built to last, and in a favoured location where planning is hard to get, Stonehaven is ready to go for new owners.

Bedrooms: 5/4/4 Broadband: Yes level en suite bedroom in each house. Finish and specification levels are good, with slate roofs, underfloor heating at ground level, wiring for multi-audio, Jacuzzi bath, etc.

Launch prices back in 2007/08 were €770,000 and €850,000 to €1.1m for a 2,350 sq ft house, with a small number of sales.

Savills will also offer apartments in two blocks in Temple Grove, by the Vicarage’s entrance, very shortly, where final works are being carried out.

VERDICT: There’s not much else built and available, to a good standard, within a walk of Douglas village.

SHOW HOMES OPEN THURSDAY 13TH OF OCTOBER 12 - 2PM OR BY APPOINTMENT

Thinking of buying?

Call Sherry FitzGerald New Homes ��� ��� ���� �� ����� ������������

Rochestown

from €190,000 Mount Oval Village ���� ���� � �� ��� �� � ������� � ��������� �� ��� ������� ����� ������ � ��� ���� ���� ��������� � ��� ���� ��������� � ��� ��� ���� ��������� � ��� ���� ��������� � ��� ���� �������� Call Sheila O’Flynn or Ann O’Mahony 021 427 3041

������ ����������� � ����� ����� ���� ���� ��� ��� ���� ������������ ���������

from €120,000 Old Quarter ���� �� �� � �� ��� �� � ������� ����� ����� ���������� ������ � ��� ��� ������ ���� ������������ ������� ��� ������� �������� � ���� � �� � ������ � ����������������� � ���� � � ���� � � ��� � ����� Call Sheila O’Flynn or Norma Healy 021 427 3041

follow us on ����������������������

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IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

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STARTER HOMES BRANDON, KERRY €100,000 Sq m: 70 (750 sq ft) BER rating: Pending DONE up top to bottom around its 100th birthday is this spectacularly-set Dingle Peninsula home, at Upper Tier beyond Cloghane.

It has views that could be breathtaking (in more ways than one) over Brandon Bay, and will suit anyone looking for a bit of solitude, yet it’s near a good village back-up.

Agents Finucane Auctioneers have dropped the selling price from a high hope of €300,000 to just

Bedrooms: 3 Broadband: Yes

Bright semi-d with a modern twist

Tommy Barker is impressed by a stylish and spacious home

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

Ballincollig, Cork €195,000 Sq. m 112 sq m (1,200 sq ft) 3 Pending Yes

€100,000, and say it was fully re-done in 2001, with new windows, oil heating, new bathroom, etc.

VERDICT: Fairly remote, but very affordable now, and the work has been done.

BALLINLOUGH, CORK €215,000 Sq m: 103 (1,112 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

T

HE all done-up and up-graded semi-d at 22 Woodbine Lawn reflects well on its owner — he’s used mirrors, and lots of them, cleverly all around the place to make it as bright and airy as he can.

And, it is no slouch in the space stakes, either, with 1,200 sq ft of space, all with a modern twist, with a very good kitchen, and lots of storage upstairs and down, and floors predominantly in oak.

The vendor has a design background, and it shows: there’s an assertive use of colour, and walls of mirror in rooms like bathrooms and elsewhere, like the kitchen, but really unusual is finishing stair treads in mirror: the effect is most odd, and not conducive to skirt wearers.

Estate agent Dennis Guerin of Frank V Murphy & Co guides the house in Ballincollig’s Inniscarra View

at €195,000, and has it under early offer in the early €180,000s.

He says it has been very well kept and updated, with a flair for design, and the essential attributes are there too, such as a south-facing back garden, enhanced by a conservatory/glasshouse, and the back had a mature air, plus garden shed for storage.

Internally, there’s a front reception room with glazed built-ins, the same storage features in the lime-coloured kitchen/diner behind which has walnut-topped Shaker style units and a double ceramic sink.

The garage to the side, meanwhile, is converted to a home office, with sliding patio doors, plus there’s a store room and a utility.

The main bathroom is extensively tiled, with sink set on a rich-hued marble plinth.

Bedrooms: 3 Broadband: Yes

6

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

Silversprings,. Cork €235,000 Sq. m 126 (1,350 sq ft) 3 Pending Yes

Open and airy inside and out

No 8 Southridge has sun room extension that’s impressing viewers finds Tommy Barker

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

each new set of occupants.

A spiral stairs in the brickwalled reception hall (with solid fuel stove nearby) links all three levels of this tall dormer, and the five bedrooms (one en suite) are over the top two floors, while downstairs there’s a bit of split-

FIRST TIME BUYERS

Property

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

Glanmire, Cork €450,000 204 sq m (2,200 sq ft) 5 C1 Yes Acres of woodland ground

level layout going on as well in the main, inter-linked living spaces, and one is sort of octagonal-shaped, with easy deck access.

VERDICT: If you are looking for something out of the humdrum, with space as well, this is it.

FOR SALE BY PUBLIC AUCTION ON FRIDAY, 21st OCTOBER, 2011 AT 3pm IN THE PARISH HALL, INNISHANNON, CO. CORK.

��� ���� �� ������ ������� �� �������� ���� ������� ���� �� ������ �� ��� ������ ������ ����������� ��� ���� ���� ������

Bedrooms: 3/4 Broadband: Yes

keep grounds outside, Bellavista’s a manageable period home buy.

L

AST sold in 2005 for far in excess of its mid-€500,000s asking price at the time, the distinctive and modern home Highgrove had further moneys spent on it since by its purchasers, who’ve also added to insulation levels in this architect’s former home.

Set out at Glencree, by Brooklodge in Cork’s Glanmire, this woodland retreat with a €450,000 price guide via Michael O’Donovan of Sherry FitzGerald even has a river (the Glashaboy) running along much of its extensive boundaries: there’s about five acres going with this home, which must make it one of the most interesting mixes currently on the greater Cork market.

The grounds at Highgrove include sallys, beech trees, furze and a whole host more, and spring bluebells are there aplenty too, while the gardens and woods beyond can be reached via special walkways from the house’s main living level and decking — one of three levels in this unusual and deceptive build.

Highgrove was built in the 1980s by an architect for his own occupation and he sold on in the 1990s, and it sold again about five or six years ago — and it has proved adaptable for

Saturday, aturday, October 15

CORK CITY €285,000

VERDICT: In good nick inside, and with easy to

Five acre Glanmire woodland retreat is an interesting mix, Tommy Barker reports

� ���������

VERDICT: This older style three-bed semi needs doing up, but with certified works having been done it is a case on onwards and upwards.

PROXIMITY to UCC is a bonus with the midterraced house Bellavista, by the top of Highfield Avenue between College Road and Magazine Road, a 10 minute walk from Cork city centre.

Estate Agent Matt Fallon seeks offers around €285,000 for the property aimed both at investors and private buyers.

Highgrove: A river runs through it

������� �������

LOVELY original features like a terrazzo hall floor, and fireplaces in two reception rooms and in two overhead bedrooms will appeal to viewers of 7, Belmont, on Cork’s settled Ballinlough suburb. Also appealing will be completed certs on drains replacement, etc.

Estate agent Timothy Sullivan says there’s a nice bit of garden space front and back, and a great innersuburban location..

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

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THANKS to a good rear sun room extension, this family three-bed semi-detached home fits in 1,350 sq ft of space — so it is well over the average size for its type.

No 8, Southridge, up in Cork’s Silversprings off the northern ring road, is impressing in early viewings, says its selling agent Jeremy Murphy, who adds that it has views over Cork city as well, thanks to its lofty setting. On a wedge-shaped corner site with printed concrete front garden and drive, by a cul de sac, it really manages to feel open and airy, inside and out, and decor levels are very good too.

With a neat porch entrance before the main hall, No 8 has a good-sized family room at the front, a little under 17’ by 12’, and behind is a second reception room, now linked to the latterly-added sunroom extension. The kitchen is to the back, with U-shaped units laid out behind a dining area, and there’s a utility room as well. Overhead are three bedrooms, one with en suite with shower and the main bathroom has recently been upgraded.

VERDICT: In immaculate condition, it’s a walk-in job.

��� �����

KILLOMINOGUE, INNISHANNON, CO. CORK. (On the instruction of the administrator, in the estate of Patrick McCarthy Deceased.)

Due to the upcoming changes to mortgage interest relief and

A single storey traditional style cottage, on c.3⁄4 acre and outbuildings.

Accommodation comprises of kitchenette, dining room, living room, three bedrooms and a bathroom.

Although the dwelling requires complete refurbishment, it offers excellent potential, given its large and mature site, along with its location, on the Cork side of Innishannon, plus its proximity to Kinsale etc. A superb opportunity for anyone.

better value than ever before, now is the time for first time buyers to close the deal to get their first step on the property ladder.

Make sure your properties are seen by first time buyers currently looking at the options available to them by advertising in this targeted feature on Saturday, October 15.

PROPERTY

ADVERTISING CONTACT:

Property Advertising Tel: 021-4802100

Solicitors with carriage of sale: Julie Gallwey, P.J. O’Driscolls, 41 South Main Street, Bandon.

Selling Agent: Sherry FitzGerald Brennan Busteed Bandon 023 8854444 Sherryfitz.ie / myhome.ie / daft.ie

ADVERTISING? LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!

Our property section is viewed every week by a huge number of readers on the lookout.

Make sure your ad is in the right place to be seen by all the right people.

Property Advertising Team Tel: 021-4802-100 Fax: 021-4802199

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JOINT AGENTS

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IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

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STARTER HOMES BRANDON, KERRY €100,000 Sq m: 70 (750 sq ft) BER rating: Pending DONE up top to bottom around its 100th birthday is this spectacularly-set Dingle Peninsula home, at Upper Tier beyond Cloghane.

It has views that could be breathtaking (in more ways than one) over Brandon Bay, and will suit anyone looking for a bit of solitude, yet it’s near a good village back-up.

Agents Finucane Auctioneers have dropped the selling price from a high hope of €300,000 to just

Bedrooms: 3 Broadband: Yes

Bright semi-d with a modern twist

Tommy Barker is impressed by a stylish and spacious home

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

Ballincollig, Cork €195,000 Sq. m 112 sq m (1,200 sq ft) 3 Pending Yes

€100,000, and say it was fully re-done in 2001, with new windows, oil heating, new bathroom, etc.

VERDICT: Fairly remote, but very affordable now, and the work has been done.

BALLINLOUGH, CORK €215,000 Sq m: 103 (1,112 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

T

HE all done-up and up-graded semi-d at 22 Woodbine Lawn reflects well on its owner — he’s used mirrors, and lots of them, cleverly all around the place to make it as bright and airy as he can.

And, it is no slouch in the space stakes, either, with 1,200 sq ft of space, all with a modern twist, with a very good kitchen, and lots of storage upstairs and down, and floors predominantly in oak.

The vendor has a design background, and it shows: there’s an assertive use of colour, and walls of mirror in rooms like bathrooms and elsewhere, like the kitchen, but really unusual is finishing stair treads in mirror: the effect is most odd, and not conducive to skirt wearers.

Estate agent Dennis Guerin of Frank V Murphy & Co guides the house in Ballincollig’s Inniscarra View

at €195,000, and has it under early offer in the early €180,000s.

He says it has been very well kept and updated, with a flair for design, and the essential attributes are there too, such as a south-facing back garden, enhanced by a conservatory/glasshouse, and the back had a mature air, plus garden shed for storage.

Internally, there’s a front reception room with glazed built-ins, the same storage features in the lime-coloured kitchen/diner behind which has walnut-topped Shaker style units and a double ceramic sink.

The garage to the side, meanwhile, is converted to a home office, with sliding patio doors, plus there’s a store room and a utility.

The main bathroom is extensively tiled, with sink set on a rich-hued marble plinth.

Bedrooms: 3 Broadband: Yes

6

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

Silversprings,. Cork €235,000 Sq. m 126 (1,350 sq ft) 3 Pending Yes

Open and airy inside and out

No 8 Southridge has sun room extension that’s impressing viewers finds Tommy Barker

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

each new set of occupants.

A spiral stairs in the brickwalled reception hall (with solid fuel stove nearby) links all three levels of this tall dormer, and the five bedrooms (one en suite) are over the top two floors, while downstairs there’s a bit of split-

FIRST TIME BUYERS

Property

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

Glanmire, Cork €450,000 204 sq m (2,200 sq ft) 5 C1 Yes Acres of woodland ground

level layout going on as well in the main, inter-linked living spaces, and one is sort of octagonal-shaped, with easy deck access.

VERDICT: If you are looking for something out of the humdrum, with space as well, this is it.

FOR SALE BY PUBLIC AUCTION ON FRIDAY, 21st OCTOBER, 2011 AT 3pm IN THE PARISH HALL, INNISHANNON, CO. CORK.

��� ���� �� ������ ������� �� �������� ���� ������� ���� �� ������ �� ��� ������ ������ ����������� ��� ���� ���� ������

Bedrooms: 3/4 Broadband: Yes

keep grounds outside, Bellavista’s a manageable period home buy.

L

AST sold in 2005 for far in excess of its mid-€500,000s asking price at the time, the distinctive and modern home Highgrove had further moneys spent on it since by its purchasers, who’ve also added to insulation levels in this architect’s former home.

Set out at Glencree, by Brooklodge in Cork’s Glanmire, this woodland retreat with a €450,000 price guide via Michael O’Donovan of Sherry FitzGerald even has a river (the Glashaboy) running along much of its extensive boundaries: there’s about five acres going with this home, which must make it one of the most interesting mixes currently on the greater Cork market.

The grounds at Highgrove include sallys, beech trees, furze and a whole host more, and spring bluebells are there aplenty too, while the gardens and woods beyond can be reached via special walkways from the house’s main living level and decking — one of three levels in this unusual and deceptive build.

Highgrove was built in the 1980s by an architect for his own occupation and he sold on in the 1990s, and it sold again about five or six years ago — and it has proved adaptable for

Saturday, aturday, October 15

CORK CITY €285,000

VERDICT: In good nick inside, and with easy to

Five acre Glanmire woodland retreat is an interesting mix, Tommy Barker reports

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VERDICT: This older style three-bed semi needs doing up, but with certified works having been done it is a case on onwards and upwards.

PROXIMITY to UCC is a bonus with the midterraced house Bellavista, by the top of Highfield Avenue between College Road and Magazine Road, a 10 minute walk from Cork city centre.

Estate Agent Matt Fallon seeks offers around €285,000 for the property aimed both at investors and private buyers.

Highgrove: A river runs through it

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LOVELY original features like a terrazzo hall floor, and fireplaces in two reception rooms and in two overhead bedrooms will appeal to viewers of 7, Belmont, on Cork’s settled Ballinlough suburb. Also appealing will be completed certs on drains replacement, etc.

Estate agent Timothy Sullivan says there’s a nice bit of garden space front and back, and a great innersuburban location..

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

XP1 - V1

THANKS to a good rear sun room extension, this family three-bed semi-detached home fits in 1,350 sq ft of space — so it is well over the average size for its type.

No 8, Southridge, up in Cork’s Silversprings off the northern ring road, is impressing in early viewings, says its selling agent Jeremy Murphy, who adds that it has views over Cork city as well, thanks to its lofty setting. On a wedge-shaped corner site with printed concrete front garden and drive, by a cul de sac, it really manages to feel open and airy, inside and out, and decor levels are very good too.

With a neat porch entrance before the main hall, No 8 has a good-sized family room at the front, a little under 17’ by 12’, and behind is a second reception room, now linked to the latterly-added sunroom extension. The kitchen is to the back, with U-shaped units laid out behind a dining area, and there’s a utility room as well. Overhead are three bedrooms, one with en suite with shower and the main bathroom has recently been upgraded.

VERDICT: In immaculate condition, it’s a walk-in job.

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KILLOMINOGUE, INNISHANNON, CO. CORK. (On the instruction of the administrator, in the estate of Patrick McCarthy Deceased.)

Due to the upcoming changes to mortgage interest relief and

A single storey traditional style cottage, on c.3⁄4 acre and outbuildings.

Accommodation comprises of kitchenette, dining room, living room, three bedrooms and a bathroom.

Although the dwelling requires complete refurbishment, it offers excellent potential, given its large and mature site, along with its location, on the Cork side of Innishannon, plus its proximity to Kinsale etc. A superb opportunity for anyone.

better value than ever before, now is the time for first time buyers to close the deal to get their first step on the property ladder.

Make sure your properties are seen by first time buyers currently looking at the options available to them by advertising in this targeted feature on Saturday, October 15.

PROPERTY

ADVERTISING CONTACT:

Property Advertising Tel: 021-4802100

Solicitors with carriage of sale: Julie Gallwey, P.J. O’Driscolls, 41 South Main Street, Bandon.

Selling Agent: Sherry FitzGerald Brennan Busteed Bandon 023 8854444 Sherryfitz.ie / myhome.ie / daft.ie

ADVERTISING? LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!

Our property section is viewed every week by a huge number of readers on the lookout.

Make sure your ad is in the right place to be seen by all the right people.

Property Advertising Team Tel: 021-4802-100 Fax: 021-4802199

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IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

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TERAPROOF:User:sueoconnorDate:06/10/2011Time:11:45:31Edition:08/10/2011PropertyXP0810Page:8

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COVER STORY

COVER STORY

Ard na Greine revamp proves a work of art Constraints no impediments for reworked west Cork island property on Roaringwater Bay, Tommy Barker reports Pictures: Denis Scannell

K

EEPING it looking simple can be a hard job: the west Cork house called Ard na Greine in Roaringwater Bay is an example of a challenging build, where the art is and was in concealing the art.

This new 3,000 sq ft home, on a spectacular island site, only came to pass because of persistence from afar on behalf of the owners, who were living in the Far East when it was being built, and their diligent Waterford-based design team, backed up with a builder who lived a mile from the site, and came garlanded with recommendations. Key, especially, to its eventual grant of permission was the fact it was going to replace or morph out of an existing dwelling.

It has replaced a 1970s bungalow holiday/retirement home which, most probably, was kept modest in its own scope five decades ago because, even then, the site was seen as quite sacrosanct thanks to its visibility.

But, the site deserved better than the relatively bland box allowed on it back then, and the replacement house finished a couple of years ago, and seen here in its restrained palette glories, can actually be seen as an enhancement to its setting.

In fact, there’s another brand new architectural arrival to it, just over the mound of hill, and that’s fairly extraordinary with soaring monopitch roofs going all directions, so fair dues to brave planners prepared to allow exceptions for exceptional buildings and homes that intrigue the eye (but, pity we can’t all afford sites and buildings of this quality to make planning arguments for us!)

The location is on an island, though with bridge access, fortunately for the sake of Ard na Greine’s house builder, the nd design-literate Mike Leonard, who has done a

8

number of the best one-offs in the Skibbereen area.

(It’s more than a bit ironic the hoops that home-builders can be put through to get permission to build a single dwelling though, when often just up and down the road in lots of clear examples schemes of dozens of houses of little or no architectural merit get built, often for tax reasons, and lie empty for the vast majority of the year.)

The Irish couple who

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

purchased this two-acre, sloping site with coastline access back in 2002 had architectural ambitions for it, and retained Waterford citybased design firm dhbarchitects to design a newbuild, to emerge from the shadow and footprint of the original, far smaller dwelling.

It took several goes and sketches, though. dhb architects’ director Fintan Duffy notes that they had been up against a planning

diktat of “a ban on any new house on the site, only an extension of the existing being deemed acceptable. This was difficult to understand in light of the poor qualities, both constructional and aesthetic, of this house. The design conditions were presented as restrictions, such as ‘no flat roofs’, ‘traditional materials’ and so on. We took these on board at design stage, and tried to turn them to our advantage — although it is always difficult to approach a design process in an ideal manner when there are already declared ‘no-go’ areas,” adds Mr Duffy.

It took lots of sketches, stretching into two years in pre-planning before a design was approved and moved upon The new Ard na Greine keeps only a shadow of root with the original house, and is long, and in sections, with a mix of roof profiles to break up its 3,000 sq ft mass into defined, clusterlike sections. This break-up of forms and quarters into up to six linked or interwoven sections allows for lots of roof finish variations, and for huge windows /glazing options too, with low and high level windows, wide sweeps of glass, clerestory, and for a long, full width glazed roof atrium as well over the staircase and link corridor.

The main living section to the front is A-roofed, holding solar panels southwards to the sun with a mono-pitch behind with high level clerestory windows, and there are several ‘extensions’ to give the impression of organic growth, with the bedrooms in the rear, long tee-d in two-storey section.

Deliberately skewed angles, especially in a zinc-roofed pitched run, must have tested the competencies of the roofing carpenter, but it is all carried off with aplomb, and that surely is down to the talents of builder Mike Leonard, who has

got design training as well as a strong family building background. This meant Mike had few problems translating the highly individual design, and definitely off-standard plan with some engineering/span challenges.

Despite the engineering challenges, and getting levels right on the slopes, the interior is marked out by the purity of its flooring. It is pretty much all done in the same gently striated large tile, each 60 cm by 60cm. Anyone who has ever DIY tiled a floor will know the blessed relief of being able to cover up imperfections with

door saddle boards and skirting boards: no such places to hide here. The tiles flow unobstructed, with just the slenderest of grout lines, from one room to another. It means if any room was off-square, things would go awry the further you went from the starting line. Here, all is ‘true,’ and walls internally are left without skirtings or architraves around doors, with simple ‘shadow lines’ put in to mark boundaries — it’s the hardest work of all to get right, it is utterly unforgiving.

The finished look of the house, coolly white, is down to

Helsinki-based interior designer Kaisa Blomstedt, retained by the owners and asked to keep to the architectural purity of the design, with a pared-back palette. Bar blasts of colour from furniture or art, walls, doors, ceilings and the opentread cantilevered steel staircase are mostly white, spray painted for smooth finish.

Plumbing is done to a high level, with Hansgrohe showers and taps, and Duravit sanitary ware, and several bathrooms have Corian sink stands.

Bedrooms are in a two-storey

wing, where the master bed’s suite has vibrant red glass mosaic tiling around the bath.

The house’s living/cooking/ dining space is open-plan, laid out on a grid system, with large and irregularly-shaped windows across the front stonefaced facade, placed for a mix of long views and framing of particular points of reference.

A detached garage picks up the same angle as the bedroom wing to make for a figurative approach courtyard.

Stout Douglas Fir timbers are used to link house and garage, for geometric pergola expressions at either end and

as brise soleil over the main living space’s large sliding doors to a decked protrusion.

Here, you suddenly realise, you’ve not been led up the garden path — there is no path, the house’s lawn and natural landscaping comes right up to the limestone front wall.

Finishes include breathable lime-rendered masonry and semi-drystone walls done in locally sourced field stone, topped with — for a complete change of texture — cut limestone.

Other finishes include slate, standing seam zinc, and Trocal membrane roofs, >>>

“It keeps only a shadow of root with the original house”

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

9

TERAPROOF:User:sueoconnorDate:06/10/2011Time:11:45:31Edition:08/10/2011PropertyXP0810Page:8

Zone:XP1

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XP1 - V1

COVER STORY

COVER STORY

Ard na Greine revamp proves a work of art Constraints no impediments for reworked west Cork island property on Roaringwater Bay, Tommy Barker reports Pictures: Denis Scannell

K

EEPING it looking simple can be a hard job: the west Cork house called Ard na Greine in Roaringwater Bay is an example of a challenging build, where the art is and was in concealing the art.

This new 3,000 sq ft home, on a spectacular island site, only came to pass because of persistence from afar on behalf of the owners, who were living in the Far East when it was being built, and their diligent Waterford-based design team, backed up with a builder who lived a mile from the site, and came garlanded with recommendations. Key, especially, to its eventual grant of permission was the fact it was going to replace or morph out of an existing dwelling.

It has replaced a 1970s bungalow holiday/retirement home which, most probably, was kept modest in its own scope five decades ago because, even then, the site was seen as quite sacrosanct thanks to its visibility.

But, the site deserved better than the relatively bland box allowed on it back then, and the replacement house finished a couple of years ago, and seen here in its restrained palette glories, can actually be seen as an enhancement to its setting.

In fact, there’s another brand new architectural arrival to it, just over the mound of hill, and that’s fairly extraordinary with soaring monopitch roofs going all directions, so fair dues to brave planners prepared to allow exceptions for exceptional buildings and homes that intrigue the eye (but, pity we can’t all afford sites and buildings of this quality to make planning arguments for us!)

The location is on an island, though with bridge access, fortunately for the sake of Ard na Greine’s house builder, the nd design-literate Mike Leonard, who has done a

8

number of the best one-offs in the Skibbereen area.

(It’s more than a bit ironic the hoops that home-builders can be put through to get permission to build a single dwelling though, when often just up and down the road in lots of clear examples schemes of dozens of houses of little or no architectural merit get built, often for tax reasons, and lie empty for the vast majority of the year.)

The Irish couple who

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

purchased this two-acre, sloping site with coastline access back in 2002 had architectural ambitions for it, and retained Waterford citybased design firm dhbarchitects to design a newbuild, to emerge from the shadow and footprint of the original, far smaller dwelling.

It took several goes and sketches, though. dhb architects’ director Fintan Duffy notes that they had been up against a planning

diktat of “a ban on any new house on the site, only an extension of the existing being deemed acceptable. This was difficult to understand in light of the poor qualities, both constructional and aesthetic, of this house. The design conditions were presented as restrictions, such as ‘no flat roofs’, ‘traditional materials’ and so on. We took these on board at design stage, and tried to turn them to our advantage — although it is always difficult to approach a design process in an ideal manner when there are already declared ‘no-go’ areas,” adds Mr Duffy.

It took lots of sketches, stretching into two years in pre-planning before a design was approved and moved upon The new Ard na Greine keeps only a shadow of root with the original house, and is long, and in sections, with a mix of roof profiles to break up its 3,000 sq ft mass into defined, clusterlike sections. This break-up of forms and quarters into up to six linked or interwoven sections allows for lots of roof finish variations, and for huge windows /glazing options too, with low and high level windows, wide sweeps of glass, clerestory, and for a long, full width glazed roof atrium as well over the staircase and link corridor.

The main living section to the front is A-roofed, holding solar panels southwards to the sun with a mono-pitch behind with high level clerestory windows, and there are several ‘extensions’ to give the impression of organic growth, with the bedrooms in the rear, long tee-d in two-storey section.

Deliberately skewed angles, especially in a zinc-roofed pitched run, must have tested the competencies of the roofing carpenter, but it is all carried off with aplomb, and that surely is down to the talents of builder Mike Leonard, who has

got design training as well as a strong family building background. This meant Mike had few problems translating the highly individual design, and definitely off-standard plan with some engineering/span challenges.

Despite the engineering challenges, and getting levels right on the slopes, the interior is marked out by the purity of its flooring. It is pretty much all done in the same gently striated large tile, each 60 cm by 60cm. Anyone who has ever DIY tiled a floor will know the blessed relief of being able to cover up imperfections with

door saddle boards and skirting boards: no such places to hide here. The tiles flow unobstructed, with just the slenderest of grout lines, from one room to another. It means if any room was off-square, things would go awry the further you went from the starting line. Here, all is ‘true,’ and walls internally are left without skirtings or architraves around doors, with simple ‘shadow lines’ put in to mark boundaries — it’s the hardest work of all to get right, it is utterly unforgiving.

The finished look of the house, coolly white, is down to

Helsinki-based interior designer Kaisa Blomstedt, retained by the owners and asked to keep to the architectural purity of the design, with a pared-back palette. Bar blasts of colour from furniture or art, walls, doors, ceilings and the opentread cantilevered steel staircase are mostly white, spray painted for smooth finish.

Plumbing is done to a high level, with Hansgrohe showers and taps, and Duravit sanitary ware, and several bathrooms have Corian sink stands.

Bedrooms are in a two-storey

wing, where the master bed’s suite has vibrant red glass mosaic tiling around the bath.

The house’s living/cooking/ dining space is open-plan, laid out on a grid system, with large and irregularly-shaped windows across the front stonefaced facade, placed for a mix of long views and framing of particular points of reference.

A detached garage picks up the same angle as the bedroom wing to make for a figurative approach courtyard.

Stout Douglas Fir timbers are used to link house and garage, for geometric pergola expressions at either end and

as brise soleil over the main living space’s large sliding doors to a decked protrusion.

Here, you suddenly realise, you’ve not been led up the garden path — there is no path, the house’s lawn and natural landscaping comes right up to the limestone front wall.

Finishes include breathable lime-rendered masonry and semi-drystone walls done in locally sourced field stone, topped with — for a complete change of texture — cut limestone.

Other finishes include slate, standing seam zinc, and Trocal membrane roofs, >>>

“It keeps only a shadow of root with the original house”

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

9

TERAPROOF:User:sueoconnorDate:06/10/2011Time:12:16:58Edition:08/10/2011PropertyXP0810Page:10

Zone:XP1

XP1 - V2

COVER STORY

Leap cottage packed with character

GETTHELOOK

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

1 Steel away to bed.

Deviating from standard staircases can make a feature of a necessity, these treads are cantilevered, and spraypainted steel

2 Pitch perfect. Varying roof lines and adding high-up, clerestory windows make for some fascinating visuals and natural lighting

1

2

3

4

3 You don’t have to shell out for expensive bathroom accessories: these seashells speak to every child-at-heart

5

6

5 Make the most of a sloping site by going split-level — it defines areas while still keeping a flow through them

SOURCEBOOK

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

Architects: dhbarchitects, Unit 1, Broad Street Centre, Waterford. 051 858121. www.dhbarchitects.com, info@dhbarchitects.com ..................................................................................................

Main contractor: Michael Leonard, Reengaroga, Baltimore, Co Cork. 02820089, 086-8505693, mikeleonard@eircom.net ..................................................................................................

Interior design, furniture sourcing, lights, etc: Studio Kaisa Blomstedt, Helsinki, Finland. www.kaisablomstedt.fi ..................................................................................................

Quantity surveyors: Frank Grogan, 48 The Glen, Waterford. 051-871101.

Info@grogansurveyors.com ..................................................................................................

Solar/Underfloor heating: Alternative Heating and Cooling, Skibbereen. 02823701. info@ahac.ie ..................................................................................................

Plumbing: Martin Cahalane, Castletownshend, Skibbereen, Cork.

028-36441. ..................................................................................................

Tiling: Jer Buckley Skibbereen, Cork.

028-236160

MAN with great carpentry skills got his hands on Cashel Cottage — and it shows.

Serious, high-level joinery and some high-level roof windows distinguish this extended west Cork cottage on an acre, kept traditional, but comfortable too.

Best suited to buyers under the 6’ height mark, as ceilings in the central area are quite low, it is full of character, and extended to gain extra light.

As currently configured, it is just a two-bed, with a good, large first floor bedroom, there’s another bedroom almost remote, set across the house via the unusual sun room/dining room with solid fuel stove and this space has an overhead roof lantern.

Set a couple of miles from Connonagh and Leap off the main Cork-Skibbereen road, Cashel Cottage is only a few weeks on the market with agent John Hodnett of Hodnett Forde, who seeks

City, country option going for the same price

6 Bold use of colour works as a great contrast with cool white decor schemes

10

High-quality carpentry is one of the attractions of this property, Tommy Barker reports

A

4 This sun-screen (or brise soleil) is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Why not try a pergola at home?

>>> stainless steel guttering and steel downpipes for a sense of changing textures, as well as those grid pergola outlines, which craft ever-changing shadows.

Internally, the living/dining and kitchen area is open plan, down four steps on the footprint of the original bungalow from the reading room and a family room to the back, reached via sliding doors.

All clean, uncluttered lines, the kitchen is pared back, with large chocolate-coloured island made from Corian, with gas hob and extract and feature light above. Appliances are the likes of Gaggenau and Miele, kept either under the island, or hidden in the glossy back wall of cupboard storage.

Ard na Greine was finished 18 months ago and is itself starting to meld into its sloped and tiered site, culminating in a path down to a shingle beach: it was a place worth taking the plunge for.

XP1 - V2

Electrical Work: Barry Bros. Electrical, Skibbereen, Cork. 028-21795. ..................................................................................................

Painting (spray finishes, etc): John O’Sullivan & Sons. Glandore, Cork. 02833170. ..................................................................................................

Zinc roofing: Noel Murphy Roofing, Cork city. 021-4891511. ..................................................................................................

Structural engineer: Chris Chapman, Frank Fox and Associates, 7 Bank Lane, Waterford. 051-872799. ..................................................................................................

Windows: Bruckner Austria, Irish agent Marlowe and Bates, Hayestown, Piercestown, Wexford. 087-672169. ..................................................................................................

Stoves: Hearth and Home, Unit 2, Fonthill Retail Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22. 01-6237848. www.hearthandhome.ie ..................................................................................................

Trocal roofing: Alternative Roofing, Cork. 021-4911964. ..................................................................................................

Landscaping: Mark Lee Landscaping Services. Skibbereen, Cork. 028-22444.

A suburban semi-d or rural five-bed can be yours for €295,000, Tommy Barker reports

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

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

offers around the €250,000 mark.

There are good bathrooms off each of the two main bedrooms, and the upstairs one, reached via a real ‘away to bed’ winding stairs, also has access to a dressing room. The main living room is wholly traditional, with exposed joists, stone fireplace, etc.

Apart from the main c 1,300 sq ft house, there’s a productive vegetable garden, flower garden, composting area, and a decent garage, with slate roof.

Model Farm Road, Cork €295,000 112 sq m (1,200 sq ft) 4 E1 Yes Big garden

Leap, west Cork €250,000 121 sq m (1,300 sq ft) 2 Pending Yes Quality joinery

Windows here in the garage — like in the main house — are double glazed, in mahogany frames.

The rest of Cashel Cottage’s grounds include lawns, orchard and a good selection of trees scattered about, adding to the privacy of the mix.

VERDICT: Lots to like here, it is indeed pretty and eye-catching as the agents say, but many buyers might want to find a third bedroom space.

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

Kerry Pike, Cork €295,000 175 sq m (1,880 sq ft) 5 C2 Yes Loads of family space

Left and above: Laburnum Lawn in Bishopstown. Right: Woodlands Lower, Kerry Pike.

C

ITY and country home options are offered by a Cork estate agent, at an identical price, guiding €295,000 apiece.

First up, there’s a good suburban offering, the extended semi-d at 17 Laburnum Lawn in Bishopstown, extended into a four-bed about 20 years ago and coming on the back of a few very recent Sale Agreeds in the hinterland, says John Barry of Keane Mahony Smith, expressing confidence in No 17’s saleability.

It comes up for sale after he’s agreed

a sale on a renovated and extended three-bed semi in Highfield Lawn, for just over its €325,000 guide, and it had an impressive 39 viewings. And he has also gone sale agreed around the same price level on a four-bed semi-d with huge back garden on Bishoptown’s Central Avenue also.

No 17 Laburnum Lawn (near the back of the CUH) was extended 20 years ago, adding a fourth bedroom, has been recently underpinned, now has solar panels and enhanced attic insulation, but new owners might want to upgrade

the kitchen and bathroom now, or in time.

“Going on our last few sales and viewings, it is offered at the sort of price buyers are comfortable to buy at, and in a location they are comfortable with too,” said John Barry.

The KMS agent also has another €295,000 offering, a larger five-bed detached built in 1984, in a location of one-offs at Woodlands Lower, Kerry Pike just on the city’s northern fringes.

No 30 here is timber-framed in kilndried Canadian pine and has a good C2

BER rating thank to 100mm insulation layers. It has been in the same family’s care for 27 years, and they are now downsizing.

On its ground floor it has three of its five bedrooms, two reception roms, kitchen/dining room, utility and bathroom, and overhead is a home office, plus two more bedrooms and another, main bathroom.

“Kerry Pike is very convenient to Ballincollig and the western suburbs on one site, and to Blarney, Tower and the Mallow Road on the other,” notes Mr Barry.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

11

TERAPROOF:User:sueoconnorDate:06/10/2011Time:12:16:58Edition:08/10/2011PropertyXP0810Page:10

Zone:XP1

XP1 - V2

COVER STORY

Leap cottage packed with character

GETTHELOOK

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

1 Steel away to bed.

Deviating from standard staircases can make a feature of a necessity, these treads are cantilevered, and spraypainted steel

2 Pitch perfect. Varying roof lines and adding high-up, clerestory windows make for some fascinating visuals and natural lighting

1

2

3

4

3 You don’t have to shell out for expensive bathroom accessories: these seashells speak to every child-at-heart

5

6

5 Make the most of a sloping site by going split-level — it defines areas while still keeping a flow through them

SOURCEBOOK

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

Architects: dhbarchitects, Unit 1, Broad Street Centre, Waterford. 051 858121. www.dhbarchitects.com, info@dhbarchitects.com ..................................................................................................

Main contractor: Michael Leonard, Reengaroga, Baltimore, Co Cork. 02820089, 086-8505693, mikeleonard@eircom.net ..................................................................................................

Interior design, furniture sourcing, lights, etc: Studio Kaisa Blomstedt, Helsinki, Finland. www.kaisablomstedt.fi ..................................................................................................

Quantity surveyors: Frank Grogan, 48 The Glen, Waterford. 051-871101.

Info@grogansurveyors.com ..................................................................................................

Solar/Underfloor heating: Alternative Heating and Cooling, Skibbereen. 02823701. info@ahac.ie ..................................................................................................

Plumbing: Martin Cahalane, Castletownshend, Skibbereen, Cork.

028-36441. ..................................................................................................

Tiling: Jer Buckley Skibbereen, Cork.

028-236160

MAN with great carpentry skills got his hands on Cashel Cottage — and it shows.

Serious, high-level joinery and some high-level roof windows distinguish this extended west Cork cottage on an acre, kept traditional, but comfortable too.

Best suited to buyers under the 6’ height mark, as ceilings in the central area are quite low, it is full of character, and extended to gain extra light.

As currently configured, it is just a two-bed, with a good, large first floor bedroom, there’s another bedroom almost remote, set across the house via the unusual sun room/dining room with solid fuel stove and this space has an overhead roof lantern.

Set a couple of miles from Connonagh and Leap off the main Cork-Skibbereen road, Cashel Cottage is only a few weeks on the market with agent John Hodnett of Hodnett Forde, who seeks

City, country option going for the same price

6 Bold use of colour works as a great contrast with cool white decor schemes

10

High-quality carpentry is one of the attractions of this property, Tommy Barker reports

A

4 This sun-screen (or brise soleil) is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Why not try a pergola at home?

>>> stainless steel guttering and steel downpipes for a sense of changing textures, as well as those grid pergola outlines, which craft ever-changing shadows.

Internally, the living/dining and kitchen area is open plan, down four steps on the footprint of the original bungalow from the reading room and a family room to the back, reached via sliding doors.

All clean, uncluttered lines, the kitchen is pared back, with large chocolate-coloured island made from Corian, with gas hob and extract and feature light above. Appliances are the likes of Gaggenau and Miele, kept either under the island, or hidden in the glossy back wall of cupboard storage.

Ard na Greine was finished 18 months ago and is itself starting to meld into its sloped and tiered site, culminating in a path down to a shingle beach: it was a place worth taking the plunge for.

XP1 - V2

Electrical Work: Barry Bros. Electrical, Skibbereen, Cork. 028-21795. ..................................................................................................

Painting (spray finishes, etc): John O’Sullivan & Sons. Glandore, Cork. 02833170. ..................................................................................................

Zinc roofing: Noel Murphy Roofing, Cork city. 021-4891511. ..................................................................................................

Structural engineer: Chris Chapman, Frank Fox and Associates, 7 Bank Lane, Waterford. 051-872799. ..................................................................................................

Windows: Bruckner Austria, Irish agent Marlowe and Bates, Hayestown, Piercestown, Wexford. 087-672169. ..................................................................................................

Stoves: Hearth and Home, Unit 2, Fonthill Retail Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22. 01-6237848. www.hearthandhome.ie ..................................................................................................

Trocal roofing: Alternative Roofing, Cork. 021-4911964. ..................................................................................................

Landscaping: Mark Lee Landscaping Services. Skibbereen, Cork. 028-22444.

A suburban semi-d or rural five-bed can be yours for €295,000, Tommy Barker reports

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

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

offers around the €250,000 mark.

There are good bathrooms off each of the two main bedrooms, and the upstairs one, reached via a real ‘away to bed’ winding stairs, also has access to a dressing room. The main living room is wholly traditional, with exposed joists, stone fireplace, etc.

Apart from the main c 1,300 sq ft house, there’s a productive vegetable garden, flower garden, composting area, and a decent garage, with slate roof.

Model Farm Road, Cork €295,000 112 sq m (1,200 sq ft) 4 E1 Yes Big garden

Leap, west Cork €250,000 121 sq m (1,300 sq ft) 2 Pending Yes Quality joinery

Windows here in the garage — like in the main house — are double glazed, in mahogany frames.

The rest of Cashel Cottage’s grounds include lawns, orchard and a good selection of trees scattered about, adding to the privacy of the mix.

VERDICT: Lots to like here, it is indeed pretty and eye-catching as the agents say, but many buyers might want to find a third bedroom space.

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

Kerry Pike, Cork €295,000 175 sq m (1,880 sq ft) 5 C2 Yes Loads of family space

Left and above: Laburnum Lawn in Bishopstown. Right: Woodlands Lower, Kerry Pike.

C

ITY and country home options are offered by a Cork estate agent, at an identical price, guiding €295,000 apiece.

First up, there’s a good suburban offering, the extended semi-d at 17 Laburnum Lawn in Bishopstown, extended into a four-bed about 20 years ago and coming on the back of a few very recent Sale Agreeds in the hinterland, says John Barry of Keane Mahony Smith, expressing confidence in No 17’s saleability.

It comes up for sale after he’s agreed

a sale on a renovated and extended three-bed semi in Highfield Lawn, for just over its €325,000 guide, and it had an impressive 39 viewings. And he has also gone sale agreed around the same price level on a four-bed semi-d with huge back garden on Bishoptown’s Central Avenue also.

No 17 Laburnum Lawn (near the back of the CUH) was extended 20 years ago, adding a fourth bedroom, has been recently underpinned, now has solar panels and enhanced attic insulation, but new owners might want to upgrade

the kitchen and bathroom now, or in time.

“Going on our last few sales and viewings, it is offered at the sort of price buyers are comfortable to buy at, and in a location they are comfortable with too,” said John Barry.

The KMS agent also has another €295,000 offering, a larger five-bed detached built in 1984, in a location of one-offs at Woodlands Lower, Kerry Pike just on the city’s northern fringes.

No 30 here is timber-framed in kilndried Canadian pine and has a good C2

BER rating thank to 100mm insulation layers. It has been in the same family’s care for 27 years, and they are now downsizing.

On its ground floor it has three of its five bedrooms, two reception roms, kitchen/dining room, utility and bathroom, and overhead is a home office, plus two more bedrooms and another, main bathroom.

“Kerry Pike is very convenient to Ballincollig and the western suburbs on one site, and to Blarney, Tower and the Mallow Road on the other,” notes Mr Barry.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

11

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INTERIORS

INTERIORS

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

Tea cosy

Carol O’Callaghan recommends a slightly formal afternoon tea gathering to keep the autumn chills at bay

I

T’S the cup that cheers but does not inebriate, and the beverage of choice in a crisis. But our beloved cup of tea and the gentle, pleasurable ritual of pouring it from the pot fell decidedly out of fashion, thanks to the casual interloper mug and his sidekick the tea bag disguised as the rather appealing duo named convenience and efficiency.

But with the onset of the season of sleepy autumn Sunday afternoons laced with lashings of rain, it’s time to revive the tea ceremony with the good taste and spirit of a lovely, gentle occasion when the fire is lighting and you fancy something yummy with a nice cuppa to boost the mid-afternoon energy slump.

Get out the tablecloths, napkins and your best tea set with matching teapot and remember, no mugs here please. The ceremony of afternoon tea does not tolerate gate-crashing by thick, unrefined mugs under-dressed in their saucer-less state. Only cups and saucers are invited, suitably accessorised with spoons and chaperoned by a grand teapot, a seasoned attendee at such events thanks to perpetual scaldings and the stain of loose leaves.

Next, organise your furniture so you have somewhere to put all your tableware finery. A coffee table will accommodate wares and food so your guests can perch their cups and saucers and plates on side tables. If, however, you have a nice high tea table, which is similar to what we now call café or bistro tables, seat a small party of three or four around it. Do remember that everyone must be seated. This is not a finger buffet occasion or drinks party when people are expected to eat or drink while standing.

Now it’s time to set out your afternoon tea goodies, making sure everyone has a cup and saucer and plate with a linen napkin preferably, but paper if you must. Organise a lovely three-tiered cake stand, placing dainty crust-less sandwiches on the bottom plate, scones on the second and little sweet cakes — pastries or cup-cakes — on the top tier.

Three separate fancy plates will do if you can’t muster a cake stand, or dinner plates dressed up with paper doilies are absolutely fine too.

If the thought of baking and sandwichmaking seems like too much hard work after a week of preparing packed lunches, just go ahead and cheat by

12

DAINTY DISPLAYS Get the look without breaking the bank ■ West Cork Inspires is a new exhibition at the Cork Public Museum in Fitzgerald’s Park until the end of December. Based on the book written by west Cork chair-maker Alison Ospina, it narrates its creative community from 1962 to 2000.

■ Right: Work by David Seegar is amongst exhibits for sale at the West Cork Inspires exhibition Left: A compact bistro or cafe table with handy stools will accomodate you and three guests for afternoon tea. Just add a pretty tablecloth and your best china to complete the occasion (Thornton set from Littlewoods Ireland €244). Right: Enjoy afternoon tea for one with a splendid tea-pot and a cup and saucer, and sit back for a happy half hour (Cosmic china range from Denby, individual pieces start at approx. €7 at good department stores).

Left: Table linens don’t have to be all lace and damask. Try some contemporary styles in faded greens set in stylish stripes from the Linum range (available at The Drapery Shop, Cork).

Left: The Water Lily pedestal cake stand will accommodate your sandwiches and cakes, and comes in three sizes (from €7.50 from Meadows & Byrne).

Below: Sturdy Le Creuset is feminised with a pink finish in its Strawberry Tea range which includes everything from teapot to cake stand (individual pieces from €12 at good cookshops and department stores).

Right: A nest of tables is spacesaving but handy when visitors arrive and need a place to park their cup and plate (Oxford nest of three from Casey’s furniture €299).

Tea treats In the market for a new tea-set? Check out our finds Rachel Allen’s product design includes the traditional look Tea Time set in pretty, delicate colours (€45 from good giftwares shops and department stores)

Left: Artist Graham Knuttel's Waiting Game set of tea-pot, milk jug and sugar bowl will be a conversation piece on your afternoon tea table (€45 at good department stores and gift shops)

Fun spots and dots decorate the Red Dotty set which includes an adorable chubby tea-pot (from Debenhams, individual pieces from €5)

Afternoon delights A traditional afternoon tea party won’t get underway without a kettle, a tea-pot, and a cake cover to keep insects and prying fingers off the goodies Employ a mesh cover so no one is tempted to dip a finger in your cream cakes (from Littlewoods Ireland €8)

Right: A ceramic tea-pot with wooden handle lends itself beautifully to specialities teas such as jasmine or green tea (the Anchor by Meadows & Byrne is €4)

buttering slices of nice white crusty bread or melting buttery toast, and place on the bottom tier of the cake stand.

Place your favourite chocolate biscuits on the middle tier and slices of your favourite cake on top.

When everyone is seated brew a pot of loose tea and have a pot of boiling water to hand in case it gets too strong, not forgetting a tea leaf strainer so your party isn’t spoilt by ‘floaters’.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

Place little jugs of milk and bowls of sugar cubes on side tables and have jam and whipped cream for the scones at the ready.

Once tea is poured invite your guests to tuck in. A simple afternoon’s pleasure, but a most enjoyable one.

Next week we look at how to create a lasting look by teaming antique and traditional with contemporary furniture and accessories.

Try a lovely new cheery red kettle in a traditional design by Russell Hobbs (€69 from electrical shops nationwide)

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

13

TERAPROOF:User:sueoconnorDate:06/10/2011Time:12:17:40Edition:08/10/2011PropertyXP0810Page:12

Zone:XP1

XP1 - V2

XP1 - V2

INTERIORS

INTERIORS

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

Tea cosy

Carol O’Callaghan recommends a slightly formal afternoon tea gathering to keep the autumn chills at bay

I

T’S the cup that cheers but does not inebriate, and the beverage of choice in a crisis. But our beloved cup of tea and the gentle, pleasurable ritual of pouring it from the pot fell decidedly out of fashion, thanks to the casual interloper mug and his sidekick the tea bag disguised as the rather appealing duo named convenience and efficiency.

But with the onset of the season of sleepy autumn Sunday afternoons laced with lashings of rain, it’s time to revive the tea ceremony with the good taste and spirit of a lovely, gentle occasion when the fire is lighting and you fancy something yummy with a nice cuppa to boost the mid-afternoon energy slump.

Get out the tablecloths, napkins and your best tea set with matching teapot and remember, no mugs here please. The ceremony of afternoon tea does not tolerate gate-crashing by thick, unrefined mugs under-dressed in their saucer-less state. Only cups and saucers are invited, suitably accessorised with spoons and chaperoned by a grand teapot, a seasoned attendee at such events thanks to perpetual scaldings and the stain of loose leaves.

Next, organise your furniture so you have somewhere to put all your tableware finery. A coffee table will accommodate wares and food so your guests can perch their cups and saucers and plates on side tables. If, however, you have a nice high tea table, which is similar to what we now call café or bistro tables, seat a small party of three or four around it. Do remember that everyone must be seated. This is not a finger buffet occasion or drinks party when people are expected to eat or drink while standing.

Now it’s time to set out your afternoon tea goodies, making sure everyone has a cup and saucer and plate with a linen napkin preferably, but paper if you must. Organise a lovely three-tiered cake stand, placing dainty crust-less sandwiches on the bottom plate, scones on the second and little sweet cakes — pastries or cup-cakes — on the top tier.

Three separate fancy plates will do if you can’t muster a cake stand, or dinner plates dressed up with paper doilies are absolutely fine too.

If the thought of baking and sandwichmaking seems like too much hard work after a week of preparing packed lunches, just go ahead and cheat by

12

DAINTY DISPLAYS Get the look without breaking the bank ■ West Cork Inspires is a new exhibition at the Cork Public Museum in Fitzgerald’s Park until the end of December. Based on the book written by west Cork chair-maker Alison Ospina, it narrates its creative community from 1962 to 2000.

■ Right: Work by David Seegar is amongst exhibits for sale at the West Cork Inspires exhibition Left: A compact bistro or cafe table with handy stools will accomodate you and three guests for afternoon tea. Just add a pretty tablecloth and your best china to complete the occasion (Thornton set from Littlewoods Ireland €244). Right: Enjoy afternoon tea for one with a splendid tea-pot and a cup and saucer, and sit back for a happy half hour (Cosmic china range from Denby, individual pieces start at approx. €7 at good department stores).

Left: Table linens don’t have to be all lace and damask. Try some contemporary styles in faded greens set in stylish stripes from the Linum range (available at The Drapery Shop, Cork).

Left: The Water Lily pedestal cake stand will accommodate your sandwiches and cakes, and comes in three sizes (from €7.50 from Meadows & Byrne).

Below: Sturdy Le Creuset is feminised with a pink finish in its Strawberry Tea range which includes everything from teapot to cake stand (individual pieces from €12 at good cookshops and department stores).

Right: A nest of tables is spacesaving but handy when visitors arrive and need a place to park their cup and plate (Oxford nest of three from Casey’s furniture €299).

Tea treats In the market for a new tea-set? Check out our finds Rachel Allen’s product design includes the traditional look Tea Time set in pretty, delicate colours (€45 from good giftwares shops and department stores)

Left: Artist Graham Knuttel's Waiting Game set of tea-pot, milk jug and sugar bowl will be a conversation piece on your afternoon tea table (€45 at good department stores and gift shops)

Fun spots and dots decorate the Red Dotty set which includes an adorable chubby tea-pot (from Debenhams, individual pieces from €5)

Afternoon delights A traditional afternoon tea party won’t get underway without a kettle, a tea-pot, and a cake cover to keep insects and prying fingers off the goodies Employ a mesh cover so no one is tempted to dip a finger in your cream cakes (from Littlewoods Ireland €8)

Right: A ceramic tea-pot with wooden handle lends itself beautifully to specialities teas such as jasmine or green tea (the Anchor by Meadows & Byrne is €4)

buttering slices of nice white crusty bread or melting buttery toast, and place on the bottom tier of the cake stand.

Place your favourite chocolate biscuits on the middle tier and slices of your favourite cake on top.

When everyone is seated brew a pot of loose tea and have a pot of boiling water to hand in case it gets too strong, not forgetting a tea leaf strainer so your party isn’t spoilt by ‘floaters’.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

Place little jugs of milk and bowls of sugar cubes on side tables and have jam and whipped cream for the scones at the ready.

Once tea is poured invite your guests to tuck in. A simple afternoon’s pleasure, but a most enjoyable one.

Next week we look at how to create a lasting look by teaming antique and traditional with contemporary furniture and accessories.

Try a lovely new cheery red kettle in a traditional design by Russell Hobbs (€69 from electrical shops nationwide)

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

13

TERAPROOF:User:sueoconnorDate:06/10/2011Time:10:46:35Edition:08/10/2011PropertyXP0810Page:14

Zone:XP1

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DIY

DIY

FREESTANDING LOOK RIGHT FOR KITCHEN

DIYTIPS

DIY Kitchen Blackboard Cabinets

I recently saw this idea used over the faces of all upper cabinet doors, and it looked truly awful. However, used in limited areas, blackboard paint is ideal for creating a place for scribbled notes, recipes and shopping lists. If you like the idea but not the look, paint the inside of an upper door instead.

WHAT YOU NEED: ■ A full cabinet door at a height suitable to write at. A low cabinet can provide the kids with some fun.

■ Blackboard paint. About €13 per litre for Rustins (Woodie’s DIY and stockist nationwide).

There are plenty of ways to freshen up your kitchen without paying over the odds, Kya deLongchamps writes

T

ired of those repetitive branded terraces of fitted units? Kick off the kick-boards, move in some leggy independent pieces and free up your kitchen style with a freestanding look.

Why so independent? Just as in the kitchen of centuries past, each character in the unfitted kitchen has a part to play, and unlike sweeps of fitted cabinets, roles dumbed down by blank, identical doors, this furniture has a deliberate, functional identity. Pantry cupboards, pot boards, central island tables bravely stand alone rather than being slapped tightly into place. It’s worth remembering that in a fitted kitchen you pay over the odds for just two surfaces, doors and counters, the rest is largely supporting MDF. What defines free-standing, is the standing, so flush kick boards stitching the piece to its neighbour are out. You can push together matching modules in a contemporary range (with no side overhangs) and tie them with a counter.

While this creates a closer physical relationship closer to a fitted choice, it retains individual legging.

A total plan, or even a dash of individual furnishing, is no longer limited to twee country hand painted confections. There are plenty of classic shaker types and glittering module styles gleaned from the hard working industrial kitchens of hotels and restaurants to choose from. IKEA’s Varde is highly popular and a solid entry level off-the-peg option.

VERSATILE AND FOOTLOOSE Unfitted pieces are a real plus in rangy old houses with imperfect walls where fitted pieces would have to be shimmed into position or the walls refinished to ensure a long run of cabinets was not cocked out of position. No drilling required, the kitchen can be arranged to suit the most awkward of floor plans, strapped down only at plumbing points.

In these strangling financial times a freestanding kitchen can be reconfigured, and can move when you do. This does leave potential buyers with a gutted room full of nothing put power outlets and dangling pipe work, something you need to make clear when setting out the ‘fixtures and fittings’ provisos for your agent. If you’re looking towards an extension but are not quite ready to throw your finances at the project, refreshing your current kitchen storage with pieces not screwed into place, can be a first investment.

14

■ A small paint brush. 1”-2” will do fine.

■ Masking tape — low tack blue painters’ tape.

■ Stencil letters, borders or motifs if you like.

CHEATS AND COMBINATIONS In a fitted kitchen add a sense of standalone with in-frame design, breakfronts, and advancing plinths to the front of the cabinet work that suggest legging.

This could be turned, squared up or even implied legs in a different colour, or materials such as wood doors framed in metal supports. Islands and central tables are an ideal way to step away from monotonous runs of units.

Explore everything from substantial trollies (Argos do a wide selection) to the more structural weight of a complete island. We’re looking for the appearance of a heavy legged table complete with storage, rather that something tied to the floor. Recess the kick boards for a floating feel if there are no legs. Choose industrial styling in stainless steel, resins and rubber wheeled trollies, blocks and islands if you’re fighting off a mansion kitchen look.

Approach a kitchen maker for a quote on a free-standing bespoke or combination kitchen offering built-ins blended with signature freestanding elements. Combining painted units with bare-wood works beautifully in these marriages. Just remember to be practical, integrating extra pieces as part of a functioning well thought-out area not simply as visual fluff.

■ Rack from old Scrabble set or small piece of slender dished moulding 5cm-10cm long (to hold chalks).

1 Left: A bespoke Combination Kitchen here marries the advantages of fitting and free-standing elements in heirloom quality hand-painted and solid wood. Price on application from Abbeywood Furniture, Mourneabbey, Mallow, Co Cork. 022-29400. www.abbeywoodfurniture.com. Right: Take one piece at a time. We love this attractive trolley from Argos for €80, ideal for injecting extra storage in a sedentary kitchen.

5

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

Apply first coat of paint.

Allow to dry.

Apply another coat in the opposite direction. Leave for 24 hours.

When dry apply a title in stencil letters such as RECIPES/ NOTES/SHOPPING. Don’t obstruct too much of the writing surface Glue on a piece of moulding to hold chalk at the bottom of your board. The plastic word-rack from an old Scrabble set, glued in place is ideal.

Go further: Paint up a large area or even an entire wall with your blackboard paint. Keep in mind, chalk does create dust.

SWEET SALVATION The columns, antique-style knobs, linen hangers, and elegant broken line of a top class ‘country style’ kitchen, reflect its roots in a freestanding assortment of articles purchased as small amounts of occasional cash was available.

There is huge potential for the use of reclaimed pieces. Brown ‘utilitarian’ pieces of no great aesthetic interest from the 20s to the 50s area are a steal at most auctions. Keep your room measurements in your bag at viewing.

An Edwardian wardrobe is proudly re-established as a pantry cupboard.

Follow the French, simply removing door panels and replacing them with chicken wire or sheers. A post-war sideboards and plain overhead shelving are painted up together and set near enough to present a unique dresser.

Chests of drawers can take everything from recipe books to an arsenal of pots.

Underscore sentimental touches with aesthetic harmony and practicality. The height of work counters, especially those adjoining the sink and cooker must make sense. A difference of 5mm

2 3 4

If the door has an inset panel, mask the outside of the frame with your low tack tape.

Q&A

Do you have a DIY question you would like answered?

Send it to interiors@examiner.ie

Q: Is the whole ‘working triangle’ in a kitchen thing really relevant. Can I break this rule?

Left: Marks & Spencer Sonoma kitchen in American Oak shows a contemporary face of a fashion for the un-fitted. Complete prices from €4,605. Right: Varde pieces from IKEA in solid birch. Add in one at a time or combine for a total finish. From €199-€599. www.ikea.ie

is a muscle cramping effort when stooped, leaning and reaching over a worksurface. A joiner may be able to tweak some spatial challenges with subtle fixes.

A similar colour of timber can welcome in a number of styles. If something is completely out of step, consider stripping it and re-finishing it to a closer match. Keep your eye open for over-sized catering unit in stainless steel, now highly prized even in honest scuffed condition.

If you’re lucky enough to find small

square, mailbox-size lockers, tailor these for individual items. A small masked area of chalkboard paint and you can quickly label the contents and change it as you choose. Look for lockers with no rust present, and if the original enamel paint is only in slightly distressed condition consider celebrating it against more civilised surfaces. If you find a wooden locker in good condition at a bargain basement price, throw the money at the seller, grab it in your arms and run.

GHASTLY GAPS If there is a caveat with freestanding kitchens, it’s the lack of baseboards and the inclusion of any counter breaks.

Fitted units gained popularity in the 1940s, as quite simply it reduced housework in a home without servants.

Kitchen floors are daily scattered with food and ancillary grot dragged in from the back door and with a following wind this soon rambles under the units.

Regular cleaning is absolutely vital.

Slender, vertical gaps in a kitchen are

bad news. Where pieces butt up against each other with even a slight overhang to the sides or a change in height, a mung-swallowing gorge develops.

Think through where you should place longer runs of uniting counter over several pieces to stage food preparation.

Wheeled pieces, or lighter elements with the slightest shake, will not sit obediently against wall tiling, and in a tiny kitchen where every centimetre counts a full freestanding fit-out can be problematic.

A. Consider the sense behind the fridge-sink-cooker triangle. As you’re cooking, you’ll first visit the fridge.

Next you might well wash your vegetables or chop and prepare close to the sink. Once ready you’ll want to reach the cooker position easily. You may have to separate these areas by distances, but make those distances unobstructed by not having to go around an island.

Q: Can I use an old 1940s dining room sideboard as an eclectic length of kitchen unit? It seems an ideal length at 1500mm.

A. There are two issues. If it’s a dining room piece is it high enough to work

at? You may be able to raise it on a hidden platform to match the surroundings. Secondly, will it take a run of some suitable counter top? A stable stone-style composite counter of 90cm deep with a 5mm overhang is an ideal contrast. Try Earthstone from B&Q. from €442 for 1800mm.

Q: My galley kitchen really is tiny, and I’m trying to find every way possible to maximise storage.

Suggestions?

A. Three prong attack. First fly as much storage as you can up the walls without trenching yourself in a canyon of blind cabinets. Tailor the storage you have with partitions, shelves and basketwork.

Choose drawers, carousels and sliders where possible as they take up less space when open compared to classic doors.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

15

TERAPROOF:User:sueoconnorDate:06/10/2011Time:10:46:35Edition:08/10/2011PropertyXP0810Page:14

Zone:XP1

XP1 - V2

XP1 - V2

DIY

DIY

FREESTANDING LOOK RIGHT FOR KITCHEN

DIYTIPS

DIY Kitchen Blackboard Cabinets

I recently saw this idea used over the faces of all upper cabinet doors, and it looked truly awful. However, used in limited areas, blackboard paint is ideal for creating a place for scribbled notes, recipes and shopping lists. If you like the idea but not the look, paint the inside of an upper door instead.

WHAT YOU NEED: ■ A full cabinet door at a height suitable to write at. A low cabinet can provide the kids with some fun.

■ Blackboard paint. About €13 per litre for Rustins (Woodie’s DIY and stockist nationwide).

There are plenty of ways to freshen up your kitchen without paying over the odds, Kya deLongchamps writes

T

ired of those repetitive branded terraces of fitted units? Kick off the kick-boards, move in some leggy independent pieces and free up your kitchen style with a freestanding look.

Why so independent? Just as in the kitchen of centuries past, each character in the unfitted kitchen has a part to play, and unlike sweeps of fitted cabinets, roles dumbed down by blank, identical doors, this furniture has a deliberate, functional identity. Pantry cupboards, pot boards, central island tables bravely stand alone rather than being slapped tightly into place. It’s worth remembering that in a fitted kitchen you pay over the odds for just two surfaces, doors and counters, the rest is largely supporting MDF. What defines free-standing, is the standing, so flush kick boards stitching the piece to its neighbour are out. You can push together matching modules in a contemporary range (with no side overhangs) and tie them with a counter.

While this creates a closer physical relationship closer to a fitted choice, it retains individual legging.

A total plan, or even a dash of individual furnishing, is no longer limited to twee country hand painted confections. There are plenty of classic shaker types and glittering module styles gleaned from the hard working industrial kitchens of hotels and restaurants to choose from. IKEA’s Varde is highly popular and a solid entry level off-the-peg option.

VERSATILE AND FOOTLOOSE Unfitted pieces are a real plus in rangy old houses with imperfect walls where fitted pieces would have to be shimmed into position or the walls refinished to ensure a long run of cabinets was not cocked out of position. No drilling required, the kitchen can be arranged to suit the most awkward of floor plans, strapped down only at plumbing points.

In these strangling financial times a freestanding kitchen can be reconfigured, and can move when you do. This does leave potential buyers with a gutted room full of nothing put power outlets and dangling pipe work, something you need to make clear when setting out the ‘fixtures and fittings’ provisos for your agent. If you’re looking towards an extension but are not quite ready to throw your finances at the project, refreshing your current kitchen storage with pieces not screwed into place, can be a first investment.

14

■ A small paint brush. 1”-2” will do fine.

■ Masking tape — low tack blue painters’ tape.

■ Stencil letters, borders or motifs if you like.

CHEATS AND COMBINATIONS In a fitted kitchen add a sense of standalone with in-frame design, breakfronts, and advancing plinths to the front of the cabinet work that suggest legging.

This could be turned, squared up or even implied legs in a different colour, or materials such as wood doors framed in metal supports. Islands and central tables are an ideal way to step away from monotonous runs of units.

Explore everything from substantial trollies (Argos do a wide selection) to the more structural weight of a complete island. We’re looking for the appearance of a heavy legged table complete with storage, rather that something tied to the floor. Recess the kick boards for a floating feel if there are no legs. Choose industrial styling in stainless steel, resins and rubber wheeled trollies, blocks and islands if you’re fighting off a mansion kitchen look.

Approach a kitchen maker for a quote on a free-standing bespoke or combination kitchen offering built-ins blended with signature freestanding elements. Combining painted units with bare-wood works beautifully in these marriages. Just remember to be practical, integrating extra pieces as part of a functioning well thought-out area not simply as visual fluff.

■ Rack from old Scrabble set or small piece of slender dished moulding 5cm-10cm long (to hold chalks).

1 Left: A bespoke Combination Kitchen here marries the advantages of fitting and free-standing elements in heirloom quality hand-painted and solid wood. Price on application from Abbeywood Furniture, Mourneabbey, Mallow, Co Cork. 022-29400. www.abbeywoodfurniture.com. Right: Take one piece at a time. We love this attractive trolley from Argos for €80, ideal for injecting extra storage in a sedentary kitchen.

5

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

Apply first coat of paint.

Allow to dry.

Apply another coat in the opposite direction. Leave for 24 hours.

When dry apply a title in stencil letters such as RECIPES/ NOTES/SHOPPING. Don’t obstruct too much of the writing surface Glue on a piece of moulding to hold chalk at the bottom of your board. The plastic word-rack from an old Scrabble set, glued in place is ideal.

Go further: Paint up a large area or even an entire wall with your blackboard paint. Keep in mind, chalk does create dust.

SWEET SALVATION The columns, antique-style knobs, linen hangers, and elegant broken line of a top class ‘country style’ kitchen, reflect its roots in a freestanding assortment of articles purchased as small amounts of occasional cash was available.

There is huge potential for the use of reclaimed pieces. Brown ‘utilitarian’ pieces of no great aesthetic interest from the 20s to the 50s area are a steal at most auctions. Keep your room measurements in your bag at viewing.

An Edwardian wardrobe is proudly re-established as a pantry cupboard.

Follow the French, simply removing door panels and replacing them with chicken wire or sheers. A post-war sideboards and plain overhead shelving are painted up together and set near enough to present a unique dresser.

Chests of drawers can take everything from recipe books to an arsenal of pots.

Underscore sentimental touches with aesthetic harmony and practicality. The height of work counters, especially those adjoining the sink and cooker must make sense. A difference of 5mm

2 3 4

If the door has an inset panel, mask the outside of the frame with your low tack tape.

Q&A

Do you have a DIY question you would like answered?

Send it to interiors@examiner.ie

Q: Is the whole ‘working triangle’ in a kitchen thing really relevant. Can I break this rule?

Left: Marks & Spencer Sonoma kitchen in American Oak shows a contemporary face of a fashion for the un-fitted. Complete prices from €4,605. Right: Varde pieces from IKEA in solid birch. Add in one at a time or combine for a total finish. From €199-€599. www.ikea.ie

is a muscle cramping effort when stooped, leaning and reaching over a worksurface. A joiner may be able to tweak some spatial challenges with subtle fixes.

A similar colour of timber can welcome in a number of styles. If something is completely out of step, consider stripping it and re-finishing it to a closer match. Keep your eye open for over-sized catering unit in stainless steel, now highly prized even in honest scuffed condition.

If you’re lucky enough to find small

square, mailbox-size lockers, tailor these for individual items. A small masked area of chalkboard paint and you can quickly label the contents and change it as you choose. Look for lockers with no rust present, and if the original enamel paint is only in slightly distressed condition consider celebrating it against more civilised surfaces. If you find a wooden locker in good condition at a bargain basement price, throw the money at the seller, grab it in your arms and run.

GHASTLY GAPS If there is a caveat with freestanding kitchens, it’s the lack of baseboards and the inclusion of any counter breaks.

Fitted units gained popularity in the 1940s, as quite simply it reduced housework in a home without servants.

Kitchen floors are daily scattered with food and ancillary grot dragged in from the back door and with a following wind this soon rambles under the units.

Regular cleaning is absolutely vital.

Slender, vertical gaps in a kitchen are

bad news. Where pieces butt up against each other with even a slight overhang to the sides or a change in height, a mung-swallowing gorge develops.

Think through where you should place longer runs of uniting counter over several pieces to stage food preparation.

Wheeled pieces, or lighter elements with the slightest shake, will not sit obediently against wall tiling, and in a tiny kitchen where every centimetre counts a full freestanding fit-out can be problematic.

A. Consider the sense behind the fridge-sink-cooker triangle. As you’re cooking, you’ll first visit the fridge.

Next you might well wash your vegetables or chop and prepare close to the sink. Once ready you’ll want to reach the cooker position easily. You may have to separate these areas by distances, but make those distances unobstructed by not having to go around an island.

Q: Can I use an old 1940s dining room sideboard as an eclectic length of kitchen unit? It seems an ideal length at 1500mm.

A. There are two issues. If it’s a dining room piece is it high enough to work

at? You may be able to raise it on a hidden platform to match the surroundings. Secondly, will it take a run of some suitable counter top? A stable stone-style composite counter of 90cm deep with a 5mm overhang is an ideal contrast. Try Earthstone from B&Q. from €442 for 1800mm.

Q: My galley kitchen really is tiny, and I’m trying to find every way possible to maximise storage.

Suggestions?

A. Three prong attack. First fly as much storage as you can up the walls without trenching yourself in a canyon of blind cabinets. Tailor the storage you have with partitions, shelves and basketwork.

Choose drawers, carousels and sliders where possible as they take up less space when open compared to classic doors.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

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Looking for that something special for your home?

Carol O’ Callaghan takes a look at what is hot for your home this week

Get Set for Winter Create Energy Savings and a Cosier Home M&S has enlisted the help of the eternally cool Terence Conran who has designed furniture for the high street retailer that wouldn’t look out of place in any of his design stores. Among the range is the Ackroyd sofa upholstered in teal (from M&S Home, approximately €2,475).

It seems such a waste to make a pot of tea for one person, so try the natty little Tea for One cup, saucer and tea pot combo (€16.95 from Provenance Interiors).

Swop your greasy frying pan for the heathy option electric grill. It cooks on both sides simultaneously and so cuts down on cooking time. (The George Foreman model is available at electrical retailers, €59.88).

Who could resist the friendly farm animal faces of the Friends trivets, bringing a little wit as well as function to what can otherwise be dull but essential kitchen objects? Made from durable cork, they raise your hot pots and pans off the table (€40 for set of four at www.normanncopenhagen.com).

THERE’S nothing nicer than the feeling of closing your front door on a cold, wet and windy winter’s evening and stepping into the warmth and safety of your home.

Recent weather predictions indicate that we are in for yet another harsh winter and no doubt every homeowner wants to feel prepared, knowing their home will be comfortable and energy efficient during any cold spell ahead.

We are all familiar with the little ways we can help keep heat in our home including; closing doors, drawing curtains, setting our heat on timer but

did you realise a poorly insulated roof can result in as much as 30% heat loss?

Equally poorly insulated cavity walls means your home can lose up to 20% 30% of its heat. These factors highlight the fact that insulation is one of the best investments you can make in your home.

It may be something you have been meaning to get around to and now, as the winter approaches, it’s the ideal time to call on the energy experts, the Bord Gáis Energy Home Team.

The Bord Gáis Energy Home Team offers a free consultation and will advise you on what are the best solutions in terms of saving money and making your home more comfortable.

The Bord Gáis Energy Better Home Bonus is a plan including an attic and cavity wall insulation package that offers 0% interest free payments for up to 12 months allowing you to budget your upgrade efficiently. They will sort out your SEAI grant (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) so you only pay the total cost less the grant, then they take off their own special discount.

Finally you have the peace of mind that your work will be carried out by trusted and reliable professionals.

To book a Home Energy Consultancy appointment, call the Bord Gáis Energy Home Team now on 1850 632 632 or find out more at www.bordgaisenergy.ie/hometeam

Liam & Orla Brady, Carrigaline, Cork AFTER such a severe winter in 2010/11 and a very poorly insulated home that was losing a huge amount of heat, we decided enough was enough and that we needed to make an investment in insulating our home to make cost and energy savings.

From the outset, we genuinely found it so easy and straightforward (we wouldn’t even refer to it as a ‘process’ it was so easy!) and just literally had to sign on the dotted line after two days of work by the Bord Gáis Energy Home Team with little or no disruption.

The team were incredibly accommodating and no issue was too big for their experience and expertise.

The cavity wall insulation work was even carried out on Good Friday, typically a day off for most of us, which to Orla and I showed commitment and willingness to work around the clock to meet our needs.

In today’s economic climate, we did of course do our homework and shop around but what ultimately helped us make our decision was that we knew by going with Bord Gáis Energy we were going with the most trusted name and a company that has offered a long standing service to our community. That peace of mind was invaluable and Bord Gáis Energy’s reputation proved accurate in the tremendous service we received from the team.

We are so pleased with the results and can already feel an increase in the level of comfort in our home and know that the winter will see a big change for our family in terms of savings and a cosier home.

It was also really satisfying to see the SEAI grant figure deducted from the end of our bill and we took up the offer to pay in interest free instalments over a one-year period. Apart from the obvious benefits to our own home life, the SEAI grant highlighted the fact that we were improving the energy efficiency of our home for the better of the environment.

Interview conducted with Liam Brady on the 22nd August 2011

Polka Dot clothes pegs with a 1950s theme make hanging out the washing fun (€3.95 per box of 24 from Bluebell Interiors, Midleton).

16

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

17

TERAPROOF:User:noelcampionDate:06/10/2011Time:12:45:47Edition:08/10/2011PropertyXP0810Page:16

Zone:XP1

WISH LIST

XP1 - V1

COMMERCIAL FEATURE XP1 - V1

Looking for that something special for your home?

Carol O’ Callaghan takes a look at what is hot for your home this week

Get Set for Winter Create Energy Savings and a Cosier Home M&S has enlisted the help of the eternally cool Terence Conran who has designed furniture for the high street retailer that wouldn’t look out of place in any of his design stores. Among the range is the Ackroyd sofa upholstered in teal (from M&S Home, approximately €2,475).

It seems such a waste to make a pot of tea for one person, so try the natty little Tea for One cup, saucer and tea pot combo (€16.95 from Provenance Interiors).

Swop your greasy frying pan for the heathy option electric grill. It cooks on both sides simultaneously and so cuts down on cooking time. (The George Foreman model is available at electrical retailers, €59.88).

Who could resist the friendly farm animal faces of the Friends trivets, bringing a little wit as well as function to what can otherwise be dull but essential kitchen objects? Made from durable cork, they raise your hot pots and pans off the table (€40 for set of four at www.normanncopenhagen.com).

THERE’S nothing nicer than the feeling of closing your front door on a cold, wet and windy winter’s evening and stepping into the warmth and safety of your home.

Recent weather predictions indicate that we are in for yet another harsh winter and no doubt every homeowner wants to feel prepared, knowing their home will be comfortable and energy efficient during any cold spell ahead.

We are all familiar with the little ways we can help keep heat in our home including; closing doors, drawing curtains, setting our heat on timer but

did you realise a poorly insulated roof can result in as much as 30% heat loss?

Equally poorly insulated cavity walls means your home can lose up to 20% 30% of its heat. These factors highlight the fact that insulation is one of the best investments you can make in your home.

It may be something you have been meaning to get around to and now, as the winter approaches, it’s the ideal time to call on the energy experts, the Bord Gáis Energy Home Team.

The Bord Gáis Energy Home Team offers a free consultation and will advise you on what are the best solutions in terms of saving money and making your home more comfortable.

The Bord Gáis Energy Better Home Bonus is a plan including an attic and cavity wall insulation package that offers 0% interest free payments for up to 12 months allowing you to budget your upgrade efficiently. They will sort out your SEAI grant (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) so you only pay the total cost less the grant, then they take off their own special discount.

Finally you have the peace of mind that your work will be carried out by trusted and reliable professionals.

To book a Home Energy Consultancy appointment, call the Bord Gáis Energy Home Team now on 1850 632 632 or find out more at www.bordgaisenergy.ie/hometeam

Liam & Orla Brady, Carrigaline, Cork AFTER such a severe winter in 2010/11 and a very poorly insulated home that was losing a huge amount of heat, we decided enough was enough and that we needed to make an investment in insulating our home to make cost and energy savings.

From the outset, we genuinely found it so easy and straightforward (we wouldn’t even refer to it as a ‘process’ it was so easy!) and just literally had to sign on the dotted line after two days of work by the Bord Gáis Energy Home Team with little or no disruption.

The team were incredibly accommodating and no issue was too big for their experience and expertise.

The cavity wall insulation work was even carried out on Good Friday, typically a day off for most of us, which to Orla and I showed commitment and willingness to work around the clock to meet our needs.

In today’s economic climate, we did of course do our homework and shop around but what ultimately helped us make our decision was that we knew by going with Bord Gáis Energy we were going with the most trusted name and a company that has offered a long standing service to our community. That peace of mind was invaluable and Bord Gáis Energy’s reputation proved accurate in the tremendous service we received from the team.

We are so pleased with the results and can already feel an increase in the level of comfort in our home and know that the winter will see a big change for our family in terms of savings and a cosier home.

It was also really satisfying to see the SEAI grant figure deducted from the end of our bill and we took up the offer to pay in interest free instalments over a one-year period. Apart from the obvious benefits to our own home life, the SEAI grant highlighted the fact that we were improving the energy efficiency of our home for the better of the environment.

Interview conducted with Liam Brady on the 22nd August 2011

Polka Dot clothes pegs with a 1950s theme make hanging out the washing fun (€3.95 per box of 24 from Bluebell Interiors, Midleton).

16

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

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TERAPROOF:User:sueoconnorDate:06/10/2011Time:10:15:50Edition:08/10/2011PropertyXP0810Page:18

Zone:XP1

XP1 - V1

INTERIORS

HOME ECONOMICS

ASK THE

DESIGNER

Q

I’m a bit of a make-up junkie and my dressing table is always a mess with powders and creams — do you have any design solutions?

A. If you’re fed up of rooting through makeup bags trying to find your favourite lippy, here’s a handy tip for storing all your cosmetics I got from Laura’s Thoughts (www.laurasthoughts81.blogspot.com).

All you need is a magnetic board, some small magnets and a glue gun. Frame or paint the board anyway you like, then just glue a magnet to the back of each container and attach to the board — et voilà! You can do something similar to create a pretty jewellery holder — cover a small board in fabric, screw in some small hooks.

Q. I love cooking spicy food, but it always leaves a lingering smell in my kitchen. I’ve tried air fresheners, but none of them seem to work — what do you suggest?

A. As you love cooking, why not use the window sill as a miniature herb garden.

The natural scents emitted by herbs such as Parsley and Rosemary freshen the air more effectively and longer than artificial products purchased from a store — and they’re cheaper too.

Alternatively, try an indoor plant like a vanilla orchid — not only do plants gobble up carbon dioxide and other nasties and release oxygen, they brighten up your home as well.

Q. As an avid reader, I’d love to create a cosy little reading corner in my home where I can curl up for the

The Home Barn

One website which has got the change in seasons just right, unlike the weather, is homebarn.ie.

It has a fabulous range of products that will bring the autumnal glow to your home. Owner Olive Walsh runs a blog through the site that also captures how to bring subtle seasonal differences to your home from changing the colour of your cushion covers to baking up a storm for that cosy feeling. Containing products for the year round, this site also delves into garden goodies to entice you into the great outdoors.

■ www. thehomebarn.ie

18

Wrap up for winter

Interior designer Karen Hughes director of Emerald Interior Design in Dublin (www.emeraldinteriordesign.ie) answers your questions. Email: interiors@examiner.ie

Kya deLongchamps continues with her 12-week series on getting your home ready for the cold weather

If the indoor pipes freeze....

winter, but am stuck for space. Any ideas?

A. There’s nothing better than curling up with a good book and a hot chocolate on a cold, winter night. And even if your home is small, there are plenty of unused nooks and crannies where you get away from the world for a while.

Look at spaces like windowsills, under the stairs and in alcoves. With the right seating or just a few cushions, all these areas can be transformed into a book worm’s dream — but be sure to check that it can accommodate the weight of one or two people first. I also love spacesaving hanging pod chairs, where you can quite literally curl up with your favourite novel.

Clockwise from top: Brighten up your home office with a section of bold wallpaper to liven up your home office.

This site is worth a look for its gorgeous furniture and wacky accessories. Based in Dublin, it is run by a brother and sister team, he is a designer and she has the online know-how. Their ‘glacier sideboard’ and ‘glacier media unit’ glides us into the future of interiors, while the leaf rug is must be joy to walk on.

Check out their Traditional Irish Welcome Mat or the Pen for Pessimists — they crack me up.

It stocks independent designers and makers in Ireland, Britain and Europe.

■ www. nofixedabode.ie

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

3

4 5 Payback for a full pipe work insulation including the immersion tank can be less than one year. Protect your water supply and attic pipes with DIY total pipe insulating kits from www.cosyhomestore.ie. Bishopstown, Cork. 021 457 0226

T

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

No Fixed Abode

3

Make-Up Magnet Board idea by Laura Thoughts (www.laurathoughts81. blogspot.com).

A.As someone who also runs her own business, I know that home offices, while usually functional and efficient, aren’t always the most exciting work environment. But there are lots of funky home office solutions that don’t have to eat into those hard-earned wages. For a quirky storage idea, hang bold wall paper behind a traditional dresser and display funky box files for your paperwork.

Ladder desks are a great alternative if you don’t have a lot of space. Create a gallery wall using family photos and vintage accessories such as a mirror — which will instantly double the size of your office.

2

1 2

White living room green window seat and cushions built in bookshelf real home.

Q. After setting up my own business, I’ve just turned the spare room into an office. And while it does the job, it’s very boring. How can I liven up my work space?

WEB WATCH 1

XP1 - V1

GarrenDenny Lane

Making a name for itself quietly but quickly is GarrenDenny Lane. Located in a farm in the midlands and named after a lane that runs through the farm, you can almost smell the home cooking from the site. It stocks many quality Irish products among its decadent wares. ’Click for home chic’ is its tag line and it certainly doesn’t disappoint if you are looking for photoframes, candle snuffers and everything in between.

There seems to be a lot of work going on behind the scenes and a wealth of produce to choose from.

■ www.garrendennylane.com

Put the champers on ice! Available on www.thehomebarn.ie this is called the Ice Orb from Fusionbrands €16.50.

This is a innovative vertical ice tray that makes, serves, chills and stores.

HE cruel winter of last year proved a huge shock to many of us. Losing our water supply, rocketing heating bills, and dealing with frozen pipe-work — it really was a slap in the face.

Now is the time to get the waterworks inside your home properly insulated to ward off icing up and to retain the increasingly expensive energy devoted to feeding a wet heating system. These inexpensive projects are something younger DIY warriors can gift (in a couple of hours of labour at least) to older or physically challenged family members, neighbours and friends.

Payback for a full pipe work insulation including the immersion tank can be less than one year.

Remember if you do go away, keep the house slightly heated (even 12ºC) to prevent the system freezing in severe weather. Before you start even looking at your pipes, find out exactly where your stop-cock is located and to make sure it’s not jammed.

Immersion tank: Unless your tank has come pre-insulated from the factory, choose a jacket 80mm-100mm thick.

Standard sizes are 900mm x 450mm and 1050mm x 450mm (from €15). Having allowed the tank to cool use a soft tape to measure it vertically and around the widest section of the dome. There’s a bit of tailoring to be done as the jacket will be in segments that are belted to the tank and pulled up at the top for a snug fit. Don’t pull the insulation completely flat as it needs to be fluffed to catch air pockets. Overlap the segments, and lay them back in place if you put your hand on the tank to check its temperature. If an electric

immersion heater is fitted, ensure the cap and electric cables are not covered.

General pipe-work: trace what pipes you can hide behind shelving, kitchen units, through attic insulation, stored goods, and other obstacles. The diameter of your surrounding pipework will be 10mm, 15mm or 22mm and there are simple foam strips of varying diameters to customise a good fit. They are slit down one side, and are simple to cut to size and manipulate on, bending neatly into any curves. Using a craft knife, pare the inside slightly if you have a strange bend or joint to get over or cut a mitre style join. Where there are any areas popping free or junctions, butt the lengths against each other and secure with insulating tape.

Boxed in pipe-work can be warmed up in a stuffing of loose fibre insulation poked into the boxing.

Pipes from the immersion: The pipes going to hot water taps might seem less important as they are used incidentally for immediate hot water use, but lag them for at least their first 1m of length leaving the cylinder. Covering all these extremities will further insulate the tank itself, rather like keeping your toes and fingers in gloves and socks.

Butt the pipe cover up to the immersion and tighten it there with a wind of insulating tape.

Outdoors: Use exterior grade sleeves to snug up outside taps, and feeds to and from any well point. Water lines should be well buried to allow the earth to act as an insulator. Outside walls in unheated garages, etc, are extremely cold, so lag carefully all pipes and

isolate and drain these outside supplies if conditions are set to freeze. Look out for any exposed sections of your mains supply. The Cosy Home Store in Cork, have some superb products, including tap covers, a stop-cock cosy for outdoor use and kits for indoor pipes in userfriendly foam. www.cosyhomestore.ie.

Attic pipe-work: Here your pipes may be fixed to joists. The important thing is to make the insulation continuous where possible. Overflow and vent pipes peeking out of the attic should also be lagged. Cover any odd breaks that won’t surrender to your foam strips with a dedicated self-adhesive foam-wrap. This type of soft wrap is great for covering taps and stopcocks. .

An infra-red light/heater can raise the temperature slightly in an unheated attic in freezing weather. Ensure it’s safely hung away from flammable materials.

Cold water tanks: With temperatures close to outdoor levels, the cold water storage tank and any expansion tank must be insulated. Fitted jackets with belts designed to meet the floor insulation are ideal. Alternatively, stuff heavy bin bags with roll insulation to make your own cover for the sides and top of your tank, tying in place. It’s critical to leave the base of the tank naked to the floor as these few degrees in an inhabited house are enough to keep the tank from freezing.

Further help: Anyone in receipt of the National Fuel Allowance in an owner occupied home can apply for insulation improvements through www.seia.ie or 1800-250204.

6 7 8

Call a neighbour and ask if their water is off. If not, your pipes alone are frozen.

Turn off the boiler and the water at source (the stop-cock is located where the supply rises into the house).

Protect the area around the suspected freeze in case it does burst. Keep large old towels and buckets at hand. If the pipe bursts, drain the system by opening all your taps. Call a plumber.

If you have a gate-valve to the cold water tank, turn this off Check which taps work and which don’t and you should soon be able to work out which pipe the blockage might be in. Suspect the loft first.

Having ensured pipe is undamaged, gentle warming is key. Use a normal hairdryer or fan heater to warm the pipe. Start as close to the tap or cistern as possible and work your way back towards the freeze.

Keep the non-flowing tap open so that you will know if you thaw the blockage.

Once the pipe has unfrozen, check for any damage and then insulate it.

Ensure your next boiler features a frost protection thermostat that kicks the system on to prevent freezing.

Note: If the frozen pipe is a mains pipe outdoors inside the boundary and it remains frozen after midday, don’t get out a blow-torch or start plunging around with a pick-axe. Call your plumber for advice. Ensure outdoor taps are not left dripping, an easy access point for a creeping freeze.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

19

TERAPROOF:User:sueoconnorDate:06/10/2011Time:10:15:50Edition:08/10/2011PropertyXP0810Page:18

Zone:XP1

XP1 - V1

INTERIORS

HOME ECONOMICS

ASK THE

DESIGNER

Q

I’m a bit of a make-up junkie and my dressing table is always a mess with powders and creams — do you have any design solutions?

A. If you’re fed up of rooting through makeup bags trying to find your favourite lippy, here’s a handy tip for storing all your cosmetics I got from Laura’s Thoughts (www.laurasthoughts81.blogspot.com).

All you need is a magnetic board, some small magnets and a glue gun. Frame or paint the board anyway you like, then just glue a magnet to the back of each container and attach to the board — et voilà! You can do something similar to create a pretty jewellery holder — cover a small board in fabric, screw in some small hooks.

Q. I love cooking spicy food, but it always leaves a lingering smell in my kitchen. I’ve tried air fresheners, but none of them seem to work — what do you suggest?

A. As you love cooking, why not use the window sill as a miniature herb garden.

The natural scents emitted by herbs such as Parsley and Rosemary freshen the air more effectively and longer than artificial products purchased from a store — and they’re cheaper too.

Alternatively, try an indoor plant like a vanilla orchid — not only do plants gobble up carbon dioxide and other nasties and release oxygen, they brighten up your home as well.

Q. As an avid reader, I’d love to create a cosy little reading corner in my home where I can curl up for the

The Home Barn

One website which has got the change in seasons just right, unlike the weather, is homebarn.ie.

It has a fabulous range of products that will bring the autumnal glow to your home. Owner Olive Walsh runs a blog through the site that also captures how to bring subtle seasonal differences to your home from changing the colour of your cushion covers to baking up a storm for that cosy feeling. Containing products for the year round, this site also delves into garden goodies to entice you into the great outdoors.

■ www. thehomebarn.ie

18

Wrap up for winter

Interior designer Karen Hughes director of Emerald Interior Design in Dublin (www.emeraldinteriordesign.ie) answers your questions. Email: interiors@examiner.ie

Kya deLongchamps continues with her 12-week series on getting your home ready for the cold weather

If the indoor pipes freeze....

winter, but am stuck for space. Any ideas?

A. There’s nothing better than curling up with a good book and a hot chocolate on a cold, winter night. And even if your home is small, there are plenty of unused nooks and crannies where you get away from the world for a while.

Look at spaces like windowsills, under the stairs and in alcoves. With the right seating or just a few cushions, all these areas can be transformed into a book worm’s dream — but be sure to check that it can accommodate the weight of one or two people first. I also love spacesaving hanging pod chairs, where you can quite literally curl up with your favourite novel.

Clockwise from top: Brighten up your home office with a section of bold wallpaper to liven up your home office.

This site is worth a look for its gorgeous furniture and wacky accessories. Based in Dublin, it is run by a brother and sister team, he is a designer and she has the online know-how. Their ‘glacier sideboard’ and ‘glacier media unit’ glides us into the future of interiors, while the leaf rug is must be joy to walk on.

Check out their Traditional Irish Welcome Mat or the Pen for Pessimists — they crack me up.

It stocks independent designers and makers in Ireland, Britain and Europe.

■ www. nofixedabode.ie

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

3

4 5 Payback for a full pipe work insulation including the immersion tank can be less than one year. Protect your water supply and attic pipes with DIY total pipe insulating kits from www.cosyhomestore.ie. Bishopstown, Cork. 021 457 0226

T

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

No Fixed Abode

3

Make-Up Magnet Board idea by Laura Thoughts (www.laurathoughts81. blogspot.com).

A.As someone who also runs her own business, I know that home offices, while usually functional and efficient, aren’t always the most exciting work environment. But there are lots of funky home office solutions that don’t have to eat into those hard-earned wages. For a quirky storage idea, hang bold wall paper behind a traditional dresser and display funky box files for your paperwork.

Ladder desks are a great alternative if you don’t have a lot of space. Create a gallery wall using family photos and vintage accessories such as a mirror — which will instantly double the size of your office.

2

1 2

White living room green window seat and cushions built in bookshelf real home.

Q. After setting up my own business, I’ve just turned the spare room into an office. And while it does the job, it’s very boring. How can I liven up my work space?

WEB WATCH 1

XP1 - V1

GarrenDenny Lane

Making a name for itself quietly but quickly is GarrenDenny Lane. Located in a farm in the midlands and named after a lane that runs through the farm, you can almost smell the home cooking from the site. It stocks many quality Irish products among its decadent wares. ’Click for home chic’ is its tag line and it certainly doesn’t disappoint if you are looking for photoframes, candle snuffers and everything in between.

There seems to be a lot of work going on behind the scenes and a wealth of produce to choose from.

■ www.garrendennylane.com

Put the champers on ice! Available on www.thehomebarn.ie this is called the Ice Orb from Fusionbrands €16.50.

This is a innovative vertical ice tray that makes, serves, chills and stores.

HE cruel winter of last year proved a huge shock to many of us. Losing our water supply, rocketing heating bills, and dealing with frozen pipe-work — it really was a slap in the face.

Now is the time to get the waterworks inside your home properly insulated to ward off icing up and to retain the increasingly expensive energy devoted to feeding a wet heating system. These inexpensive projects are something younger DIY warriors can gift (in a couple of hours of labour at least) to older or physically challenged family members, neighbours and friends.

Payback for a full pipe work insulation including the immersion tank can be less than one year.

Remember if you do go away, keep the house slightly heated (even 12ºC) to prevent the system freezing in severe weather. Before you start even looking at your pipes, find out exactly where your stop-cock is located and to make sure it’s not jammed.

Immersion tank: Unless your tank has come pre-insulated from the factory, choose a jacket 80mm-100mm thick.

Standard sizes are 900mm x 450mm and 1050mm x 450mm (from €15). Having allowed the tank to cool use a soft tape to measure it vertically and around the widest section of the dome. There’s a bit of tailoring to be done as the jacket will be in segments that are belted to the tank and pulled up at the top for a snug fit. Don’t pull the insulation completely flat as it needs to be fluffed to catch air pockets. Overlap the segments, and lay them back in place if you put your hand on the tank to check its temperature. If an electric

immersion heater is fitted, ensure the cap and electric cables are not covered.

General pipe-work: trace what pipes you can hide behind shelving, kitchen units, through attic insulation, stored goods, and other obstacles. The diameter of your surrounding pipework will be 10mm, 15mm or 22mm and there are simple foam strips of varying diameters to customise a good fit. They are slit down one side, and are simple to cut to size and manipulate on, bending neatly into any curves. Using a craft knife, pare the inside slightly if you have a strange bend or joint to get over or cut a mitre style join. Where there are any areas popping free or junctions, butt the lengths against each other and secure with insulating tape.

Boxed in pipe-work can be warmed up in a stuffing of loose fibre insulation poked into the boxing.

Pipes from the immersion: The pipes going to hot water taps might seem less important as they are used incidentally for immediate hot water use, but lag them for at least their first 1m of length leaving the cylinder. Covering all these extremities will further insulate the tank itself, rather like keeping your toes and fingers in gloves and socks.

Butt the pipe cover up to the immersion and tighten it there with a wind of insulating tape.

Outdoors: Use exterior grade sleeves to snug up outside taps, and feeds to and from any well point. Water lines should be well buried to allow the earth to act as an insulator. Outside walls in unheated garages, etc, are extremely cold, so lag carefully all pipes and

isolate and drain these outside supplies if conditions are set to freeze. Look out for any exposed sections of your mains supply. The Cosy Home Store in Cork, have some superb products, including tap covers, a stop-cock cosy for outdoor use and kits for indoor pipes in userfriendly foam. www.cosyhomestore.ie.

Attic pipe-work: Here your pipes may be fixed to joists. The important thing is to make the insulation continuous where possible. Overflow and vent pipes peeking out of the attic should also be lagged. Cover any odd breaks that won’t surrender to your foam strips with a dedicated self-adhesive foam-wrap. This type of soft wrap is great for covering taps and stopcocks. .

An infra-red light/heater can raise the temperature slightly in an unheated attic in freezing weather. Ensure it’s safely hung away from flammable materials.

Cold water tanks: With temperatures close to outdoor levels, the cold water storage tank and any expansion tank must be insulated. Fitted jackets with belts designed to meet the floor insulation are ideal. Alternatively, stuff heavy bin bags with roll insulation to make your own cover for the sides and top of your tank, tying in place. It’s critical to leave the base of the tank naked to the floor as these few degrees in an inhabited house are enough to keep the tank from freezing.

Further help: Anyone in receipt of the National Fuel Allowance in an owner occupied home can apply for insulation improvements through www.seia.ie or 1800-250204.

6 7 8

Call a neighbour and ask if their water is off. If not, your pipes alone are frozen.

Turn off the boiler and the water at source (the stop-cock is located where the supply rises into the house).

Protect the area around the suspected freeze in case it does burst. Keep large old towels and buckets at hand. If the pipe bursts, drain the system by opening all your taps. Call a plumber.

If you have a gate-valve to the cold water tank, turn this off Check which taps work and which don’t and you should soon be able to work out which pipe the blockage might be in. Suspect the loft first.

Having ensured pipe is undamaged, gentle warming is key. Use a normal hairdryer or fan heater to warm the pipe. Start as close to the tap or cistern as possible and work your way back towards the freeze.

Keep the non-flowing tap open so that you will know if you thaw the blockage.

Once the pipe has unfrozen, check for any damage and then insulate it.

Ensure your next boiler features a frost protection thermostat that kicks the system on to prevent freezing.

Note: If the frozen pipe is a mains pipe outdoors inside the boundary and it remains frozen after midday, don’t get out a blow-torch or start plunging around with a pick-axe. Call your plumber for advice. Ensure outdoor taps are not left dripping, an easy access point for a creeping freeze.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

19

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IN THE GARDEN

IN THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK COLOUR in the high canopy is already on the change. How I thrill at the sight! These are the glory days for our favourite trees and as they undress they slowly drop their garments about their feet like a great coloured duvet. All the similarities of green are resolved as if by prismatic force into a multiplicity of red, orange, and yellow. At any other time of the year I would be happy to enjoy clipped evergreens, but not now, and not to have a high canopy filled with shimmering colour would be a tremendous loss. Birch seedlings survive in myriads in a nearby plot and ash seeds, spinning with determined propellers, germinate in any moist earth or thin shady grass, forming pale knee-high thickets that will need good soil to develop further. The ash leaves, yellow now as wet straw, fall earliest of all, to be followed by chestnut, alder and poplar NEW ADDITIONS: Plant new climbers, particularly clematis, now for the root systems have a chance to establish, ensuring more vigorous growth and more prolific flowering next year. Clematis will do best when planted deeply (certainly a few inches deeper than in the pot they arrive in) into soil improved with compost or leaf-mound.

A handful of calcified seaweed stirred in will provide a slow-release source of lime. I saw a whole new collection of low-growing varieties at The Potting Shed stand at the recent Fota Autumn Seminar. Send for their catalogue.

INCREASING STOCK: If you have perennials to lift and divide then this is the perfect time to make a start. Once lifted, make sure the roots are not left exposed otherwise they will quickly dry out.

Spray them with water and keep the roots in plastic bags, or covered with polythene sheeting whilst you work.

Replenish the soil with

20

GARDENNOTES

by Charlie Wilkins

■ Bandon Flower Club are hosting a Flower Festival with the theme Jubilate in St Patrick’s Church, Bandon on Friday, October 14 to Sunday, October 16. The opening on Friday at 7.30pm will be by Una Fleming, vice chairman of the AOIFA. Viewing on Saturday 10am to 6pm, and Sunday 10am to 5pm.

Closing ceremony on Sunday at 5pm with Alice Taylor. Admission €10 includes refreshments. All proceeds in aid of the church organ restoration.

spread pancake-like, causing bare patches. If the dry weather continues, break and disperse the casts by beating them with a besom broom (or use a spring-tined rake) so that the finely scattered soil is washed back into the ground.

Alternatively, move individual casts to flower or vegetable beds.

The soil processed by worms is fine and nutritious and there is the added consolation that the worms are aerating the lawn.

■ IGPS (Dublin) hold their annual plant sale tomorrow at 11am in the Parish Hall, Our Lady of Dolours Church Glasnevin.

■ Mallow Flower and Garden Club host Mary C O’Keeffe at their AGM on Tuesday, October 18, in Mercy Centre at 8pm.

■ Skibbereen Flower and Garden Club will meet on Wednesday in Abbeystrewry Hall at 8.15pm.

Beverly Buttimer will give a demonstration.

SAVE WATER: If you don’t have a water butt, now is a good time to install one. Get the largest you can afford and tap into a downpipe using a rainwater connector available from builders supply outlets or from the water butt makers.

SAFETY; Take care when clearing and cutting back garden plants. Be just as careful when shredding waste material. Use gloves (if you can work with these) obligatory goggles, and certainly protective clothing when barbed, thorn-filled, or spiny materials are being handled. Bear in mind that there are many plants in the garden which can cause strange and sometimes painful flare-ups.

Many conifers, courgette leaves, daffodils, hyacinths, tomato and strawberry leaves can cause minor rashes, itching and swelling, whilst Giant Hogweed can cause blistering serious enough to need hospital treatment.

Chemicals in the sap of other plants can cause soreness or itching, more again have sap which makes the skin sensitive to sunlight, Top left: Plant new climbers, particularly clematis, now for the root systems have a chance to establish, ensuring more vigorous growth leading to severe and more prolific flowering next year. Geraniums, right, can cause hay-fever type symptoms. Above: Giant Hogweed an cause sunburn that can erupt blistering serious enough to need hospital treatment. even on dull days!

Geraniums can cause hay-fever type drainage. once this gains a fine, crumbly mixture is well-rotted compost or symptoms, whilst foothold the grass will produced, free of odour use farm or horse bamboo, borage, bugloss, and pleasant to handle. If LAWNS: Raise the slowly disappear. Apply manure. ‘Gee-Up’ horse and comfrey can cause an autumn lawn-food if you live in a high height of cut now that manure is particularly severe skin irritations. not already seen to. rainfall area or if you we are into early good as it is fully Pretty spurge can cause October. To remain at Worm casts are a bit of a garden on clay, be sure composted to kill off a burning sensation on problem again this year. summer height will only to add grit (small gravel) weed seeds, then sieved the skin so too the When trodden upon they so as to increase encourage moss and and shredded so that a foliage of runner-beans!

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

■ Clonakilty Flower Club welcomes new members next Monday at Fernhill House Hotel at 8pm.

■ Macroom Flower and Garden Club have a special guest in Coolcower House on Thursday next at 8pm.

■ Kinsale Flower and Garden Club present Gardening in Fota by David O’Regan, head gardener, Fota Arborotum and Gardens on Thursday in St Multose Hall at 8pm.

Crocus tommasinianus emerges through the marbled foliage of autumn-flowering cyclamen, to dance and shine in the strengthening rays of early spring sunshine. If you only planted a dozen.....

Miniature treasures to nurture

T

o anyone engaged in the process of taming nature — the essence of garden-making — self-sowing plants are pariahs! You only have to think of what Alchemilla mollis, many Pulmonarias, Forget-me-Nots and Aquilegias are capable of ! But there are a handful of exceptions, notably the small, early-flowering bulbs currently due for planting. I should therefore introduce you to such miniature treasures as the elegant and exquisite chionodoxa in sky blue, to neat puskinnias in milky-blue, anemone blanda (also in blue or white but never mixed) and scillas in their two-tone blue shades or pure white. I notice them now, box after box neatly laid out on shelf and bench at garden outlets waiting for the keen gardener, the old-stager, the beginner. What hope and promise they bring to all who garden! But why do we welcome with such warmth these spring treasures? I suspect it has to do with their early arrival, for many begin to show colour towards the end of January and on into February, March, and even later. I have made no mention of the spring crocus, but let me assure that these are as valuable as any of the above! The prince of these is Crocus tommasinianus, the most incontinent of

by Charlie Wilkins them all, but one of the cheapest with which to start a legion-strong colony.

Crocus tommasinianus originally came to us from the former Yugoslavia.

They’re the true species, so don’t be offended when offered small bulbs, for that’s the way of nature not the selling outlet. Their slender flowers were usually lilac-blue with a white tube and these are still available being sold as plain tommasinianus. However, you are more likely to come across a reddishpurple form sold as ‘Whitewell Purple’ which is very showy and an excellent garden plant, especially for naturalising.

‘Lilac Beauty’ is another and this variety boasts lavender flowers with an attractive silvery reverse. Then there’s ‘Ruby Giant’ (violet with a lighter base and light margin), and ‘Roseus’, an attractive old rose shade unfortunately not often offered for sale except through bulb catalogues. All are good choices for early flowering promise and an ability to naturalise well when happily sited. They will increase willingly in ground between shrubs and trees but not so quickly perhaps in grass or in areas subject to very high rainfall. Unlike the Chrysanthus forms which come to us from the Balkans and Turkey (’Cream Beauty’ ‘Snowbunting’, ‘Zwaneberg

Bronze’, ‘E.A.Bowles’, or ‘Blue Pearl’) the tommasinianus forms do not demand a summer baking in hot sun. They can be safely planted in dozens between silver birches, in multiples beneath graceful magnolias, in under deciduous azaleas, large-leaved evergreen rhododendrons, and summer shrubs of every kind. A good dramatic winter effect can be achieved by putting a few dozen beneath the sealing-wax red stems of the Westonbirt dogwoods or its bright yellow relation, Cornus flaviramea.

Irrespective of which crocus variety you choose, bear in mind that they will look most effective when grown in tight clumps or in carpet fashion in short grass, or towards the front of a border.

All will increase willingly over the years.

Few nowadays seem to grow the above-mentioned Chionodoxa siebei (also known as luciliae or Glory of the Snow) but believe me when I say that this determined little self-seeding bulb will, in a short time give the grower hundreds of tiny bright blue blooms each boasting a distinctive white eye.

Along with Anemone blanda, this distinctive, miniature bulb has given me a better return than all the others put together!

■ Ballincollig Flower and Garden Club will host a floral demonstration by Margaret Walsh on Monday next at 8pm in the Oriel House Hotel.

■ Kanturk Flower Club will meet on Wednesday next at 8pm in the Trade Union Hall.

■ Ardfield/Rathbarry Gardening Club will meet on Tuesday next at 8pm in the Parish Hall.

■ Mallow RAPID co-ordinator Margaret Desmond invites all residents to the garden competition results on Tuesday next at 8pm at the Community Platform meeting.

■ Innishannon Flower and Garden Club are holding an autumn demonstration with Catherine Shiels on Wednesday next at 8pm in Barrett’s Lounge.

■ Youghal Flower and Garden Club hold a teaching night with Maureen O’Keeffe on Tuesday, Farrell’s Bar, Summerfield Cross at 8pm.

■ Autumn Colour Photography Competition. Capture an autumn scene and post it to Griffins Garden Centre’s wall on Facebook and you could win a €50 gift voucher.

Today at 3pm the Slug Club will have prizes for the best scarecrow.

■ Malcolm Kitt will present an 8-week creative floristry course in Bishopstown Community School beginning Monday next at 7.30pm.

Tel: 021-4869310 to enrol.

■ Cork Garden Club, Ashton School have Craig Benton (EPA) to speak on ‘Composting’ at their meeting on Thursday next at 8pm. All welcome.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

21

TERAPROOF:User:sueoconnorDate:06/10/2011Time:13:00:06Edition:08/10/2011PropertyXP0810Page:20

Zone:XP1

XP1 - V3

XP1 - V3

IN THE GARDEN

IN THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK COLOUR in the high canopy is already on the change. How I thrill at the sight! These are the glory days for our favourite trees and as they undress they slowly drop their garments about their feet like a great coloured duvet. All the similarities of green are resolved as if by prismatic force into a multiplicity of red, orange, and yellow. At any other time of the year I would be happy to enjoy clipped evergreens, but not now, and not to have a high canopy filled with shimmering colour would be a tremendous loss. Birch seedlings survive in myriads in a nearby plot and ash seeds, spinning with determined propellers, germinate in any moist earth or thin shady grass, forming pale knee-high thickets that will need good soil to develop further. The ash leaves, yellow now as wet straw, fall earliest of all, to be followed by chestnut, alder and poplar NEW ADDITIONS: Plant new climbers, particularly clematis, now for the root systems have a chance to establish, ensuring more vigorous growth and more prolific flowering next year. Clematis will do best when planted deeply (certainly a few inches deeper than in the pot they arrive in) into soil improved with compost or leaf-mound.

A handful of calcified seaweed stirred in will provide a slow-release source of lime. I saw a whole new collection of low-growing varieties at The Potting Shed stand at the recent Fota Autumn Seminar. Send for their catalogue.

INCREASING STOCK: If you have perennials to lift and divide then this is the perfect time to make a start. Once lifted, make sure the roots are not left exposed otherwise they will quickly dry out.

Spray them with water and keep the roots in plastic bags, or covered with polythene sheeting whilst you work.

Replenish the soil with

20

GARDENNOTES

by Charlie Wilkins

■ Bandon Flower Club are hosting a Flower Festival with the theme Jubilate in St Patrick’s Church, Bandon on Friday, October 14 to Sunday, October 16. The opening on Friday at 7.30pm will be by Una Fleming, vice chairman of the AOIFA. Viewing on Saturday 10am to 6pm, and Sunday 10am to 5pm.

Closing ceremony on Sunday at 5pm with Alice Taylor. Admission €10 includes refreshments. All proceeds in aid of the church organ restoration.

spread pancake-like, causing bare patches. If the dry weather continues, break and disperse the casts by beating them with a besom broom (or use a spring-tined rake) so that the finely scattered soil is washed back into the ground.

Alternatively, move individual casts to flower or vegetable beds.

The soil processed by worms is fine and nutritious and there is the added consolation that the worms are aerating the lawn.

■ IGPS (Dublin) hold their annual plant sale tomorrow at 11am in the Parish Hall, Our Lady of Dolours Church Glasnevin.

■ Mallow Flower and Garden Club host Mary C O’Keeffe at their AGM on Tuesday, October 18, in Mercy Centre at 8pm.

■ Skibbereen Flower and Garden Club will meet on Wednesday in Abbeystrewry Hall at 8.15pm.

Beverly Buttimer will give a demonstration.

SAVE WATER: If you don’t have a water butt, now is a good time to install one. Get the largest you can afford and tap into a downpipe using a rainwater connector available from builders supply outlets or from the water butt makers.

SAFETY; Take care when clearing and cutting back garden plants. Be just as careful when shredding waste material. Use gloves (if you can work with these) obligatory goggles, and certainly protective clothing when barbed, thorn-filled, or spiny materials are being handled. Bear in mind that there are many plants in the garden which can cause strange and sometimes painful flare-ups.

Many conifers, courgette leaves, daffodils, hyacinths, tomato and strawberry leaves can cause minor rashes, itching and swelling, whilst Giant Hogweed can cause blistering serious enough to need hospital treatment.

Chemicals in the sap of other plants can cause soreness or itching, more again have sap which makes the skin sensitive to sunlight, Top left: Plant new climbers, particularly clematis, now for the root systems have a chance to establish, ensuring more vigorous growth leading to severe and more prolific flowering next year. Geraniums, right, can cause hay-fever type symptoms. Above: Giant Hogweed an cause sunburn that can erupt blistering serious enough to need hospital treatment. even on dull days!

Geraniums can cause hay-fever type drainage. once this gains a fine, crumbly mixture is well-rotted compost or symptoms, whilst foothold the grass will produced, free of odour use farm or horse bamboo, borage, bugloss, and pleasant to handle. If LAWNS: Raise the slowly disappear. Apply manure. ‘Gee-Up’ horse and comfrey can cause an autumn lawn-food if you live in a high height of cut now that manure is particularly severe skin irritations. not already seen to. rainfall area or if you we are into early good as it is fully Pretty spurge can cause October. To remain at Worm casts are a bit of a garden on clay, be sure composted to kill off a burning sensation on problem again this year. summer height will only to add grit (small gravel) weed seeds, then sieved the skin so too the When trodden upon they so as to increase encourage moss and and shredded so that a foliage of runner-beans!

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

■ Clonakilty Flower Club welcomes new members next Monday at Fernhill House Hotel at 8pm.

■ Macroom Flower and Garden Club have a special guest in Coolcower House on Thursday next at 8pm.

■ Kinsale Flower and Garden Club present Gardening in Fota by David O’Regan, head gardener, Fota Arborotum and Gardens on Thursday in St Multose Hall at 8pm.

Crocus tommasinianus emerges through the marbled foliage of autumn-flowering cyclamen, to dance and shine in the strengthening rays of early spring sunshine. If you only planted a dozen.....

Miniature treasures to nurture

T

o anyone engaged in the process of taming nature — the essence of garden-making — self-sowing plants are pariahs! You only have to think of what Alchemilla mollis, many Pulmonarias, Forget-me-Nots and Aquilegias are capable of ! But there are a handful of exceptions, notably the small, early-flowering bulbs currently due for planting. I should therefore introduce you to such miniature treasures as the elegant and exquisite chionodoxa in sky blue, to neat puskinnias in milky-blue, anemone blanda (also in blue or white but never mixed) and scillas in their two-tone blue shades or pure white. I notice them now, box after box neatly laid out on shelf and bench at garden outlets waiting for the keen gardener, the old-stager, the beginner. What hope and promise they bring to all who garden! But why do we welcome with such warmth these spring treasures? I suspect it has to do with their early arrival, for many begin to show colour towards the end of January and on into February, March, and even later. I have made no mention of the spring crocus, but let me assure that these are as valuable as any of the above! The prince of these is Crocus tommasinianus, the most incontinent of

by Charlie Wilkins them all, but one of the cheapest with which to start a legion-strong colony.

Crocus tommasinianus originally came to us from the former Yugoslavia.

They’re the true species, so don’t be offended when offered small bulbs, for that’s the way of nature not the selling outlet. Their slender flowers were usually lilac-blue with a white tube and these are still available being sold as plain tommasinianus. However, you are more likely to come across a reddishpurple form sold as ‘Whitewell Purple’ which is very showy and an excellent garden plant, especially for naturalising.

‘Lilac Beauty’ is another and this variety boasts lavender flowers with an attractive silvery reverse. Then there’s ‘Ruby Giant’ (violet with a lighter base and light margin), and ‘Roseus’, an attractive old rose shade unfortunately not often offered for sale except through bulb catalogues. All are good choices for early flowering promise and an ability to naturalise well when happily sited. They will increase willingly in ground between shrubs and trees but not so quickly perhaps in grass or in areas subject to very high rainfall. Unlike the Chrysanthus forms which come to us from the Balkans and Turkey (’Cream Beauty’ ‘Snowbunting’, ‘Zwaneberg

Bronze’, ‘E.A.Bowles’, or ‘Blue Pearl’) the tommasinianus forms do not demand a summer baking in hot sun. They can be safely planted in dozens between silver birches, in multiples beneath graceful magnolias, in under deciduous azaleas, large-leaved evergreen rhododendrons, and summer shrubs of every kind. A good dramatic winter effect can be achieved by putting a few dozen beneath the sealing-wax red stems of the Westonbirt dogwoods or its bright yellow relation, Cornus flaviramea.

Irrespective of which crocus variety you choose, bear in mind that they will look most effective when grown in tight clumps or in carpet fashion in short grass, or towards the front of a border.

All will increase willingly over the years.

Few nowadays seem to grow the above-mentioned Chionodoxa siebei (also known as luciliae or Glory of the Snow) but believe me when I say that this determined little self-seeding bulb will, in a short time give the grower hundreds of tiny bright blue blooms each boasting a distinctive white eye.

Along with Anemone blanda, this distinctive, miniature bulb has given me a better return than all the others put together!

■ Ballincollig Flower and Garden Club will host a floral demonstration by Margaret Walsh on Monday next at 8pm in the Oriel House Hotel.

■ Kanturk Flower Club will meet on Wednesday next at 8pm in the Trade Union Hall.

■ Ardfield/Rathbarry Gardening Club will meet on Tuesday next at 8pm in the Parish Hall.

■ Mallow RAPID co-ordinator Margaret Desmond invites all residents to the garden competition results on Tuesday next at 8pm at the Community Platform meeting.

■ Innishannon Flower and Garden Club are holding an autumn demonstration with Catherine Shiels on Wednesday next at 8pm in Barrett’s Lounge.

■ Youghal Flower and Garden Club hold a teaching night with Maureen O’Keeffe on Tuesday, Farrell’s Bar, Summerfield Cross at 8pm.

■ Autumn Colour Photography Competition. Capture an autumn scene and post it to Griffins Garden Centre’s wall on Facebook and you could win a €50 gift voucher.

Today at 3pm the Slug Club will have prizes for the best scarecrow.

■ Malcolm Kitt will present an 8-week creative floristry course in Bishopstown Community School beginning Monday next at 7.30pm.

Tel: 021-4869310 to enrol.

■ Cork Garden Club, Ashton School have Craig Benton (EPA) to speak on ‘Composting’ at their meeting on Thursday next at 8pm. All welcome.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

21

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ANTIQUES & FINE ART

ADVERTISING

700 lots at Irish antique, furniture sale

DIARY

Many attractions at Country House Collections sale, writes Des O’Sullivan

F

resh from the success of selling a million euro artwork in Dublin last week auctioneers James Adam will hold the annual Country House Collections sale at Slane Castle, Co. Meath next Tuesday. The 700 lot sale is strong on fine antique Irish furniture and features silver, glass, porcelain, pictures and photography. There are pieces from the estate of Henriette and Serge Boissevain, formerly of Ballynatray House, Co Waterford, and from the collection of the late Senator Edward McGuire,

as well as silver commissioned by Archbishop Ryder of Tuam in the mid-18th century.

The Jack Yeats masterpiece, A Fair Day, Mayo, which has already been featured on this page, became the highest priced painting sold at auction in Ireland when it made a hammer price of €1 million at Adams last week. Viewing for the Slane Castle sale at 10.30am next Tuesday gets underway in Co. Meath today. Viewing from 11am to 5pm today and tomorrow and from 9.30am to 4pm on Monday.

Top: This sideboard in Irish Sheraton style is at the James Adam Country House Collections sale at Slane Castle next Tuesday (oct 11). It is from Abbeville, Kinsealy and is estimated at €2,000€3,000. Above: Village Scene is the title of this watercolour by John Luke RUA (1906-1975) at the Morgan O’Driscoll art sale in Cork on Monday, October 17. It is estimated at €3,000-€4,000.

Card table top attraction

A

William IV foldover card table (estimate €1,300-€1,500) is a feature of the sale at Kerry Auction Rooms in Tralee on Tuesday at noon. Viewing 11am to 6pm today, noon to 6pm tomorrow, 11am to 9pm Monday.

In Mitchelstown, Co. Cork there will be viewing at the Firgrove Hotel from 7pm to 9pm this evening for the Edward Walsh sale of over 300 lots at 2.30pm tomorrow. Viewing continues from 10am tomorrow.

EDWARD WALSH SALES - MITCHELSTOWN Phone 025-84107 or 086-2540645

IRISH ART SALE m 1 at 6.30p Monday 17th October 201 Auction Venue: a Radisson Blu & Sp Little Island Cork City Viewing: Sun 16th Oct: 12noon - 10pm Mon 17th Oct: 10am - m 6p Markey Robinson

Over 280 lot s

John Shinnors Breon O’Casey F ul l c a t a l o g u e c a n b e v i e w e d o n w w w. m o r g a n o d r i s c o l l . c o m o n l i n e , a b s e n t e e a n d t e l e p h o n e b i d d i n g a v a i l. a b l e Tel: 028 22338 · Mob: 086 247242 Ilen Street, Skibbereen, Co. Cork; m email: info@morganodriscoll.co

22

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

Auction of Antique and Parochial House and High Class Furniture at the Firgrove Hotel, Mitchelstown on this Sunday October 9th at 2.30pm.

Briefly as follows: Georgian Fold over card table, Georgian work box, Victorian Mahogany Davenport, Regency Sofa Table, Pr of Mahogany Victorian Hall Chairs, Victorian dining room table with 2 leaves, set of 6 and 8 Victorian dining room chairs, Mahogany 3 and 2 door bookcases, Victorian chaise lounge, Victorian inlaid Piano stool, Victorian mirror back sideboard, Victorian Inlaid display cabinets, large Mahogany 5 ft hall table, Mahogany hall stand, Mahogany scotch chests, Mahogany lockers, Mahogany partners desk, Oak roll top writing desk, 2 Georgian Grandfather clocks, Victorian wall clocks and mantal clocks, Victorian dinner and tea services, Victorian Mason jug & bowl, cut glass and brass chandeliers, collection of Victorian glass and de-canters, garden benches, Victorian round table on pod, 5 piece Victorian inlaid dining room suite, items in porcelain, brass, silver plate and household contents.

THERE IS OVER 300 LOTS. There will be viewing Saturday evening 7p.m. 9p.m. and morning of auction from 10am until auction commences at 2.30pm. Further details from above.

FAIR WEEKEND This is an antique fair weekend at The Grain Store, Ballymaloe, Co Cork.

Among those taking part are George Stacpoole, president of the Irish Antique Dealers Association, Katie O’Connell from Killarney, Roger Grimes and Vanessa Parker, book dealers from Westport, Marie Curran from Dublin and Michael Watson of Lissardagh Antiques, Cork. Opening times are from 11am to 8pm today and from 10am to 6pm tomorrow. The fair features an 18th century engraving by Bernard Baron after an earlier painting of Henry VIII by Hans Holbein in London’s National Portrait Gallery with a dedication to Richard Boyle, Lord Burlington of Cork. .................................................................

LOT SALE There will be a sale of 400 lots at Limerick Auction Rooms, Ballysimon Road, Limerick on Saturday, October 15. Among the items on offer is a portrait of the late “Fonsie” Renehan a well-known newspaper vendor in Limerick’s Train Station. .................................................................

ART SALE Morgan O’Driscoll will hold an Irish art sale at the Radisson Blu Hotel at LIttle Island, Cork on Monday, October 17, at 6.30pm. www.morganodriscoll.com

ANTIQUE FAIR Hibernian Antique Fairs are at Bunratty Castle Hotel from 11am to 6pm tomorrow. .................................................................

DINNER SERVICE A complete Mason’s dinner service is a feature of the sale at O’Donovan and Associates, Newcastlewest, Co Limerick at 11am today.

Other lots include a rare Keane Cappoquin seat and a pair of Staffordshire greyhounds. .................................................................

ART SALE In Dublin, Whytes will hold an Irish and British art sale at the Clyde Rooms in the RDS next Monday at 6pm.

It features 279 modern, contemporary and classical paintings, drawings and sculpture with realistic market reserves. The catalogue is on www.whytes.com .................................................................

8-WEEK COURSE Hegartys of Bandon will hold an eight week art and antiques appreciation course from November 2, with an option of a morning or evening session. Details from Ted Hegarty on 023-8852910 or ted@hegartyantiques.com.

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

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AUCTION KERRY AUCTION ROOMS

Tuesday 11th October 12 Noon Antique Furniture, Art, Irish silver, books & collectables View Sat 8th Oct 11am - 6pm. Sun 12-6pm, Mon. 11am - 9pm & frm.

9am Tues or view it all now online

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

FURNITURE & ANTIQUE AUCTION Entries now invited for October Sale

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

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Saturday, Oct 8th 11am - 8pm Sunday, Oct 9th 10am-6pm

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23

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ANTIQUES & FINE ART

ADVERTISING

700 lots at Irish antique, furniture sale

DIARY

Many attractions at Country House Collections sale, writes Des O’Sullivan

F

resh from the success of selling a million euro artwork in Dublin last week auctioneers James Adam will hold the annual Country House Collections sale at Slane Castle, Co. Meath next Tuesday. The 700 lot sale is strong on fine antique Irish furniture and features silver, glass, porcelain, pictures and photography. There are pieces from the estate of Henriette and Serge Boissevain, formerly of Ballynatray House, Co Waterford, and from the collection of the late Senator Edward McGuire,

as well as silver commissioned by Archbishop Ryder of Tuam in the mid-18th century.

The Jack Yeats masterpiece, A Fair Day, Mayo, which has already been featured on this page, became the highest priced painting sold at auction in Ireland when it made a hammer price of €1 million at Adams last week. Viewing for the Slane Castle sale at 10.30am next Tuesday gets underway in Co. Meath today. Viewing from 11am to 5pm today and tomorrow and from 9.30am to 4pm on Monday.

Top: This sideboard in Irish Sheraton style is at the James Adam Country House Collections sale at Slane Castle next Tuesday (oct 11). It is from Abbeville, Kinsealy and is estimated at €2,000€3,000. Above: Village Scene is the title of this watercolour by John Luke RUA (1906-1975) at the Morgan O’Driscoll art sale in Cork on Monday, October 17. It is estimated at €3,000-€4,000.

Card table top attraction

A

William IV foldover card table (estimate €1,300-€1,500) is a feature of the sale at Kerry Auction Rooms in Tralee on Tuesday at noon. Viewing 11am to 6pm today, noon to 6pm tomorrow, 11am to 9pm Monday.

In Mitchelstown, Co. Cork there will be viewing at the Firgrove Hotel from 7pm to 9pm this evening for the Edward Walsh sale of over 300 lots at 2.30pm tomorrow. Viewing continues from 10am tomorrow.

EDWARD WALSH SALES - MITCHELSTOWN Phone 025-84107 or 086-2540645

IRISH ART SALE m 1 at 6.30p Monday 17th October 201 Auction Venue: a Radisson Blu & Sp Little Island Cork City Viewing: Sun 16th Oct: 12noon - 10pm Mon 17th Oct: 10am - m 6p Markey Robinson

Over 280 lot s

John Shinnors Breon O’Casey F ul l c a t a l o g u e c a n b e v i e w e d o n w w w. m o r g a n o d r i s c o l l . c o m o n l i n e , a b s e n t e e a n d t e l e p h o n e b i d d i n g a v a i l. a b l e Tel: 028 22338 · Mob: 086 247242 Ilen Street, Skibbereen, Co. Cork; m email: info@morganodriscoll.co

22

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 08.10.2011

Auction of Antique and Parochial House and High Class Furniture at the Firgrove Hotel, Mitchelstown on this Sunday October 9th at 2.30pm.

Briefly as follows: Georgian Fold over card table, Georgian work box, Victorian Mahogany Davenport, Regency Sofa Table, Pr of Mahogany Victorian Hall Chairs, Victorian dining room table with 2 leaves, set of 6 and 8 Victorian dining room chairs, Mahogany 3 and 2 door bookcases, Victorian chaise lounge, Victorian inlaid Piano stool, Victorian mirror back sideboard, Victorian Inlaid display cabinets, large Mahogany 5 ft hall table, Mahogany hall stand, Mahogany scotch chests, Mahogany lockers, Mahogany partners desk, Oak roll top writing desk, 2 Georgian Grandfather clocks, Victorian wall clocks and mantal clocks, Victorian dinner and tea services, Victorian Mason jug & bowl, cut glass and brass chandeliers, collection of Victorian glass and de-canters, garden benches, Victorian round table on pod, 5 piece Victorian inlaid dining room suite, items in porcelain, brass, silver plate and household contents.

THERE IS OVER 300 LOTS. There will be viewing Saturday evening 7p.m. 9p.m. and morning of auction from 10am until auction commences at 2.30pm. Further details from above.

FAIR WEEKEND This is an antique fair weekend at The Grain Store, Ballymaloe, Co Cork.

Among those taking part are George Stacpoole, president of the Irish Antique Dealers Association, Katie O’Connell from Killarney, Roger Grimes and Vanessa Parker, book dealers from Westport, Marie Curran from Dublin and Michael Watson of Lissardagh Antiques, Cork. Opening times are from 11am to 8pm today and from 10am to 6pm tomorrow. The fair features an 18th century engraving by Bernard Baron after an earlier painting of Henry VIII by Hans Holbein in London’s National Portrait Gallery with a dedication to Richard Boyle, Lord Burlington of Cork. .................................................................

LOT SALE There will be a sale of 400 lots at Limerick Auction Rooms, Ballysimon Road, Limerick on Saturday, October 15. Among the items on offer is a portrait of the late “Fonsie” Renehan a well-known newspaper vendor in Limerick’s Train Station. .................................................................

ART SALE Morgan O’Driscoll will hold an Irish art sale at the Radisson Blu Hotel at LIttle Island, Cork on Monday, October 17, at 6.30pm. www.morganodriscoll.com

ANTIQUE FAIR Hibernian Antique Fairs are at Bunratty Castle Hotel from 11am to 6pm tomorrow. .................................................................

DINNER SERVICE A complete Mason’s dinner service is a feature of the sale at O’Donovan and Associates, Newcastlewest, Co Limerick at 11am today.

Other lots include a rare Keane Cappoquin seat and a pair of Staffordshire greyhounds. .................................................................

ART SALE In Dublin, Whytes will hold an Irish and British art sale at the Clyde Rooms in the RDS next Monday at 6pm.

It features 279 modern, contemporary and classical paintings, drawings and sculpture with realistic market reserves. The catalogue is on www.whytes.com .................................................................

8-WEEK COURSE Hegartys of Bandon will hold an eight week art and antiques appreciation course from November 2, with an option of a morning or evening session. Details from Ted Hegarty on 023-8852910 or ted@hegartyantiques.com.

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

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Tuesday 11th October 12 Noon Antique Furniture, Art, Irish silver, books & collectables View Sat 8th Oct 11am - 6pm. Sun 12-6pm, Mon. 11am - 9pm & frm.

9am Tues or view it all now online

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

FURNITURE & ANTIQUE AUCTION Entries now invited for October Sale

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

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Saturday, Oct 8th 11am - 8pm Sunday, Oct 9th 10am-6pm

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