An architect and interior architect made for a capable couple when it came to conceiving and creating an unusual contemporary home in Crecora\n<\/p>\n
Asking price: \u20ac960,000<\/p>\n
Agent: Sherry FitzGerald (061) 418000<\/p>\n
\u200bDesign duo Erin and Alan Ryan created their \u2018vernacular home\u2019 in the rolling hills around Ballycahane in rural Limerick, with a modern take on a round-topped barn structure as its key feature.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople often think it\u2019s a restoration of an old building, because of the thick walls and the barn-like style, but it\u2019s a modern take on an old design,\u201d Erin says.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The front of Aobh House in Crecora<\/p>\n
The couple bought the site back in 2009, but didn\u2019t begin building until 2018. \u201cWe had the design completed, but there was a recession and it hit the construction sector hard so we waited,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
By summer 2019, the couple and their two daughters moved into 3,700 sq ft Aobh House (Aobh means \u2018beautiful\u2019 or \u2018radiant\u2019 in Irish).<\/p>\n
The measurements include all covered spaces. \u201cAlan is an architect and I\u2019m an interior architect, so there were no surprises. We knew what we wanted and how to get it,\u201d says Erin, whose company Stillwater Interior Design has clients across the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe house unfolds across three sections \u2013 the semi-submerged garage, a main living block and a barn-like kitchen and living area with a five-metre ceiling.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The open-plan living area<\/p>\n
The couple took visual inspiration from the unsual combination of horse riding, German minimalism and West Cork.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re down the road from JP McManus\u2019s stud farm. This is horse country \u2013 stud farms and stone walls, with Adare and the Ryder Cup course not far away,\u201d Alan explains.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted the house to feel as if it belonged here, like it grew out of the land.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe love Germany. We were married there and appreciate the modern, paired back aesthetic and the considered designs,\u201d Erin adds. \u201cThe sliding barn doors and wide hallway are also German inspired.<\/p>\n
“At the front door, upon entering the home, you can walk down a staircase in white concrete with a single steel rail.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The arched front door<\/p>\n
Light is central to the modern design. \u201cEvery room is dual aspect, so light comes in from two sides in each room. We used Danish Aluclad Carlson windows.\u201d<\/p>\n
The barrel-shaped roof of the huge open-plan living room, dining room and kitchen area that is the heart of this home is one of the Aobh House\u2019s defining features.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe used galvanised steel cladding and performance trusses for sturdiness. The curved plasterwork inside ensures there are no harsh lines,\u201d Alan says. \u201cAnd there are no skirting boards \u2013 just shadow gaps creating a clean, pared-back finish.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/083d5667-d2b6-4a10-a23c-5352f9bfdb6d.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The family room<\/p>\n
\u201cOn summer days, we open the twin sets of glazed bi-fold doors to the courtyard and gardens, so that inside and outside merge. It\u2019s really special,\u201d Erin says. \u201cEverything in the kitchen is built in and hidden.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t like clutter, so there are no chairs \u2013 the large Italian dinner table has a bench on either side,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n
The custom-made benches seat 12 around the table, and they can look out the windows on either side. Everything about the design is \u2018considered.\u2019<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/9acbabd9-e278-4b30-a6af-482c11a03994.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The open-plan space<\/p>\n
The kitchen blends oak cabinetry with a dark quartz waterfall granite island, paired with a tactile, anthracite-grey finish and a copper sink. \u201cUnderfloor heating runs across both floors, powered by an air-to-water system. A heat recovery ventilation system keeps the air fresh, while concr ete floors add solidity and warmth,\u201d Alan says.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have mutual respect for each other\u2019s work and vision,\u201d Erin says. \u201cWe also used local contractors like JB O\u2019Sullivan of Abbeyfeale, who did everything \u2013 they even contoured the land so the building would sit more naturally in the field.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s how you create a site,\u201d Alan adds. \u201cIt\u2019s about placing the house into the landscape, not forcing it on top.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The exterior of the property, with barrel-shaped wing<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a real team effort: family, local builders, engineers. Everyone brought their part to it,\u201d Erin says. \u201cIt was finished on time, so there were no dramatics like you get in Grand Designs.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we got such a buzz out of it. Everything had to be matte white. The interiors are pared-back and carefully detailed: shadow gaps instead of skirting boards, textured nap render on walls. We love white, but the walls are filled with art from west Cork and local artists.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bathrooms have herringbone tiling, floating oak shelves, quartz-topped vanities and Hansgrohe rain showers. They also imported Villeroy & Boch bathroom fittings from (you guessed) Germany.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The bathroom<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the upstairs hallway, we wanted lots of light so there are big windows,\u201d says Alan.<\/p>\n
The main bedroom has a full-height sliding wardrobe for lots of storage. The design features in the room are the strips of narrow windows. \u201cWe\u2019re close to the road so we wanted something more private,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
Two further double bedrooms and a family bathroom complete the \u2018private wing;\u2019 while the playroom\/den could serve as a fourth bedroom for a larger family.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
One of the three bedrooms<\/p>\n
As a modern home, sustainability is built in. Despite its scale, the A3-rated property feels cosy and warm, thanks to underfloor heating and an air-to-water system with HRV ventilation. \u201cThat means that the air in the house cleans itself.\u201d<\/p>\n
The garden is filled with shaped earth mounds, rocks and remnants of the building, turned into little rolling hills and knolls, castle ruins and even a so-called \u201chill of the fairies.\u201d<\/p>\n
The couple are now ready to move on. \u201cWe love this place, but we want something smaller and closer to family and amenities for our girls, who are nine and 14,\u201d says Erin.<\/p>\n
Sherry FitzGerald seeks \u20ac960,000.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An architect and interior architect made for a capable couple when it came to conceiving and creating an…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44087,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[307,304,305,306,308,93,61,60,898],"class_list":{"0":"post-44086","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-artsdesign","12":"tag-design","13":"tag-entertainment","14":"tag-ie","15":"tag-ireland","16":"tag-latest-news-ticker"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44086","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44086"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44086\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44086"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}