You can’t pick up the house you love and move it, but you can hire the same architect for your next home.
That’s what Aisling Murphy and Richie Ryan are doing as they say goodbye to Barr na Sráide, in Blarney, and head east to Ardmore. They’re moving to the coast, nearer to family, as Richie is from Waterford and they are both sea swimmers.
The couple moved to this Blarney address 17 years ago. It was a small ‘two up, two down’ cottage on 0.59 acres.
Local architect Tom Downes, from Kerry Pike, was their go-to man for the renovation. “He came up with a plan and some innovative ideas as well. He arrived at the house and hopped straight up onto the ditch and said, ‘This house needs to be upside down’. We were a bit surprised by this, but now absolutely love it,” says Aisling.
“The living room has full-length glass windows and you can see out and watch the cows in the field across the way.” The pair had previously rented a colder house, so “heat was my main driver. I wanted the house to be way over spec when it comes to insulation and Tom was all about the views and my husband wanted the gardens”.
The bedrooms being on the lower level means the light is more appropriate for sleep.
Of course, transforming a 1910 cottage in to a modern, B-rated four-bed, four-bath home presented a lot of design opportunities.
“The kitchen faces onto a farm at the back. And one of my favourite spots is the balcony, which gets the sunrise and you can sit out there and have a cup of tea and and start your morning. The living room gets some spectacular views. There are lots of spots for views, Tom really worked on that. From the dining table, you can see the garden and the cutting garden and the pond, and you can see sheep in the fields from the kitchen.”
With a passion for the outdoors — the pair travel to Chelsea Flower Show every year – Aisling has earned a certificate in horticulture from the RHS, and Richie is a keen bird watcher — the gardens are a beautifully diverse range of ‘outdoor rooms’.
The Irish wildflower garden has a pond, a beautifully scented rose garden with David Austin roses, and lavender, and is framed by a yew hedge.
The fruit garden has blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, elderberries, and honey berries, as well as pear, apple, and plum trees.
A polytunnel extends the growing season and contains raised beds with strawberries, grapes, rosemary, and herbs.
The garden room could be a home office or gym or studio. The cut-flower garden has a wealth of growth, including hydrangeas, sunflowers, yarrow, calendula, sweet pea, dahlia, cosmos, peonies, and St John’s wort.
Then there’s the showstopper: The raised decking area, which features a Pratic Nomo pergola with a motorised retractable roof, power sockets, and outdoor cooking facilities.
The pair have also kept hens here: “They’re great for fertilising the grass, and for supplying eggs. I love the heritage breeds.”
Between the upper-level living space, accessed via a solid-oak staircase, and the outdoor entertaining and exploring areas, it’s been a great place for having guests over: “I have one sister, who lives in Blarney, and we have family in Australia and America, so it’s great to have people visit and we can have pizza in the garden.” Inside, the open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area has Karnkean flooring and a Waterford Stanley range oven, as well as a balcony overlooking the gardens.
The pair have a ‘particular set of skills’, which they used in decorating and styling the rest of the house, too — they both trained in graphic design, marketing, and branding.
The living room paint is peacock blue. The main wall in this room is papered in Senzo Spot, by Cole & Son, from their Ardmore Collection, in charcoal and metallic gold on teal: “It was designed by Senzo Duma, of the Ardmore Ceramic Art studio in South Africa, and the pattern was inspired by the markings of a giraffe. Because the spots are small, the paper reads as a textured semi-plain by day and only fully wakes up in the evening, when the gold catches the soft lamp or candlelight. The deep teal holds the soft Irish light well, so the room stays warm even on a misty day.”
“The cabinet doors were a factory standard cream that were reworked in Annie Sloan Napoleonic blue chalk paint and wax, finished with brass dragonfly handles. It’s a quirky room with a deliberate, maximalist approach, I like to escape in there sometimes!”
There are some tasteful nods to the ‘old’ too. The original name plate from one of the front pillars now has pride of place in the hallway.
The house is a 20-minute spin to shops at Blackpool Shopping Centre and the city centre; and about eight minutes to Blarney, with Mallow a commutable distance.
A fairly recently added TFI Local Link bus passes on the road outside, handy for busy families.
Tirza Hourihane, of Sherry FitzGerald, said: “We already have enquiries from people looking to upsize and people looking for a countrysize feel in a very convenient location that’s only eight minutes from Blarney.”
“The gardens are as impressive and stunning as the main property, which has such an attractive and quality finish throughout — you can see the love and attention that’s gone into them; they are absolutely spectactular for anyone in to gardening and the verandah is a huge addition to the property.”
VERDICT: A masterclass in modernising a cottage — upside-down living delivers wonderful rural views, while the varied and stunning gardens offer a ready-made slice of paradise for nature lovers.