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PLUS • TRADING UP • STYLISH HOMES • GET THE LOOK • ANTIQUES • STEP BY STEP DIY

Innishannon woodland house for saleis richly timbered, inside and out

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nell

Tall Timbers

Property07.01.2012& Interiors

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2 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 3

PROPERTY

CONTENTS

HOUSE OFTHEWEEK

Clockwise from above: The house today; an aerial view of the site; the rear of the house pictured in the 1900s; a stone round tower lodge on the site; a view from the house.

Tommy Barker reports

PROPERTY EDITORTommy Barker, 021 4802221property@examiner.ie

PROPERTY ADVERTISINGMarguerite Stafford, 021 4802100marguerite.stafford@examiner.ie

INTERIORS ADVERTISINGGer Duggan, 021 4802192interiorads@examiner.ie

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

The house in 2008.

AHOUSE to put the romance back into aproperty overhaul is set to make early NewYear waves — if it can be bought for anythingnear its tempting guide.

In a bit of a sorry state right now is Wood House, onCork’s Rochestown Road, a Victorian home that hasrapidly fallen on hard times, but will rise again.Its advantages and strong selling points massively

outweigh any drawbacks: it has 5,000sq ft of space onabout seven acres, with Corkharbour views from everypart of a hill-slope site lessthan 1km from Rochestownvillage towards Passage.It’s private, secure and has

a long farm-like laurel-linedapproach avenue, marked atits start by the remains of aGothic-style fully roundbuilding: this is house No 2,and is still a manageablerenovation/extension project.And, the really good news is the asking price: just

€300,000 is quoted by auctioneer Sam Kingston ofCasey and Kingston, who says that while it may in theend get active bidding above that low-seeming launchlevel, if that’s all that it gets, it will go for that.At one time, in the noughties, this sold for circa €1.5

million, and was bought as a renovation/investmentproject, but subsequent attempts to sell it for evenmore never took off.Now, Victorian Wood House is there for the taking,

appealing to a wide range of buyers — from hopelessromantics to hard-pressed but hard-nosed investors(under Budget 2012, you could renovate and sell onwithin seven years, free of capital gains tax).

It hit the market just in the run up to Christmas,and within a week was heading to 1,500 online viewswhile actual viewings of the physical property areonly starting now.Vandals have hit the place in the last few years,

though, smashing the window panes and letting theweather and wet in.Yet, there’s everything you’d still hope for in this

quite long and slender house to get it back on track,including a number ofrooms with doubleaspect, with windowsplaced for the longstretch of river/harbourviews (to the north) andback to south for light,and on east and westgables as a bonus.It has at least three

decent reception rooms,one’s very unusual withan internal shuttered

window linking it to the house’s centrepiece — thelong, sunny rear hall and pitch pine staircase.Overhead are five bedrooms, bathroom, WC, etc, witha second service steps at the eastern end. This end iswhere you can find the old kitchen (complete with oldAga) pantry and utilities. The rooms are generallyairy and high ceilinged.The days of willfully knocking and replacing old

places needing work like Wood House are probablyover — there’s a good floor plan here to work with. Anew owner wanting to restore it to proper comfort willwant to re-roof as a first step, renew/replace windows,fully weather-proof it and allow it dry out slowly, thenstrip back, assess, repair and conserve/upgrade.

It has finery, though, a formal steps entrance to itsornate porch with ornamental fascias just abouthanging on, as well as outbuildings now almost lost inChristmas wrapping-like overgrowth. But, nothing aslashhook won’t reveal. The house has three slenderbays to the front, rendered over red-brick, with tworear bay projections, and our early 1900s photo hereshows a sun-room almost the full-width of WoodHouse, something that surely will be re-instated.There’s the bones of an old orchard seen behind, and

trees around include oak, ash, beech, rhododendron,elm, eucalyptus, and a host more lost in briars, andgood grazing in the several large paddocks.

VERDICT: Buying it will be half the battle, but what aprize.

Location: Rochestown, CorkPrice: €300,000Size: 458 sq m (5,000 sq ft)Bedrooms: 5BER rating: N/ABroadband: YesBest feature: Huge scope, small money

PROPERTY

Energy efficient in BeaumontTwo houses are on offer in the same part of the mature Cork suburb, writes Tommy Barker

ANEW-BUILD, and an as-good asnew build, are on offer to homeseekers for the New Year atLissadell, in Cork city’s mature

Beaumont suburb.Building firm MOS, who usually do

commercial projects and renovationwork on older buildings, were behindthe purchase of a tired semi-d in UpperBeaumont Drive a few years ago.They re-did the house from top to

bottom, addressing all issues of its age,and brought it up to modern daycomforts and standards, along with a B2BER rating. Then, they added anotherhouse onto it side gable wall, building asecond home with an even better B1

energy rating on this corner site.Now, they’ve both up for sale, each

priced around €330,000, and eachcoming with compensating assets.The larger, at 1,770 sq ft, is the

original four-bed semi-d at 31 UpperBeaumont Drive, but now it iseffectively mid-terraced as a result ofbeing built onto.Yet, it has independent retained lane

access to the south-facing back garden,so it’s easy to get bikes, fuel and morearound to the rear—- where there’s alarge new added on single and part two-storey extension, effectively yourcontemporary open plan kitchen/living/dining room.

Its accommodation includes a front15’ by 11’ sitting room with gasfireplace, that big 24’ by 21’ living/kitchen/diner behind. In between thishouse’s front and back living spaces is amulti-use (but windowless) room,suitable as a study, possible play room,or very large store/utility, althoughthere’s a second utility elsewhere offthe kitchen. There’s also a guest WC,and upstairs are four bedrooms, two ofthem sharing an en suite, plus mainfamily bathroom, and apart from thegas central heating, there are solarpanels for water heating.With a similar level of finish, the

house next door, called Lissadell, is

marginally smaller, at 1,550 sq ft, but isstill a four-bed, with one en suite, andmain bathroom, and has a big open hall,with large, wheelchair friendly guestWC — but this house has no utilityroom.It has off-street parking in front, with

a slender side garden and small backgarden, facing south. www.mos.ie hasfurther sales details and images.

VERDICT: Both houses will be veryenergy efficient (accessible attics have300mm of insulation). easy to heat andbasking in hot water from the sun, in asettled suburb with a bus stop by thedoor, and a public park close by.

Location: Beaumont, CorkPrice: €330,000Size: 1,770/1,550 sq ftBedrooms: 4BER rating: B2/B1Broadband: Yes, with CAT 5 cablingBest feature: Energy efficiency

Quality home in excellent conditionThe drop in price for this quality may suit those who have waited. Tommy Barker reports

A BIG house from top to bottom— that’s price-reduced 7Abbottswood, a six-bed familyhome built in the last decade in

Cork’s Rochestown.Estate agent Jeremy Murphy now

guides this three-storey brick-facedhome at €525,000, showing a bigreduction from the boom period whenthese big homes were in the €1 million-plus price league, and showing the sortof 50% drop from peak that this week’sdepressing Myhome, Daft and Sherry

FitzGerald surveys indicated.Now, for traders up who can get their

hands on finance, or who’ve sat andwaited for the drops to date, the half amillion euro mark could see themmake the leap to the sort of comfortablehouse they’d never have to leave, untilmaybe trading-down time wheelsaround in a decade or two, when theproperty world might be a better place.No 7’s a quality home, with Kahrs

wood flooring through much of itsground level, in rooms like the hall,

front formal sitting room, with afeature fireplace, in the dining room,and the play room, while the kitchen/breakfast room floor is tiled, with itspale maple units in a U-shape. There’salso a tiled utility and guest WC.The first floor houses four bedrooms,

most with varnished wood floors, themaster bedroom is en suite, and themain family bathroom has an oval-shaped bath up on legs. Go up anotherfloor, and the top level is home to twobedrooms plus a shower room, so

making for four bathrooms in all overits three levels.Overall condition is excellent, with

some nice decor touches, notes MrMurphy.

VERDICT: There’s a touch ofNorth American family homes to theexterior design, even if there isn’t quitethe “great open spaces” followedthrough in the inside. Lots ofrooms, and lots of space,though.

Location: Rochestown, CorkPrice: €525,000Size: 275 sq m (3,000 sq ft)Bedrooms: 6BER rating: PendingBroadband: YesBest feature: Size and location

4 TRADING UPKerry coast calling: aGlenbeigh home for€175,000 has stoneinside and out.

5 OVERSEASWe’re not alone:property marketsworldwide are stag-nant.

6 COVER STORYShipool Lodge is awoodland hideaway,close to a city andairport.

10 INTERIORSWe take a look at thelatest colour trendsfor a new look for2012.

14 DIY18 ASK THE DESIGNER20 GARDENING22 ANTIQUES23 CLASSIFIEDS

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2 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 3

PROPERTY

CONTENTS

HOUSE OFTHEWEEK

Clockwise from above: The house today; an aerial view of the site; the rear of the house pictured in the 1900s; a stone round tower lodge on the site; a view from the house.

Tommy Barker reports

PROPERTY EDITORTommy Barker, 021 4802221property@examiner.ie

PROPERTY ADVERTISINGMarguerite Stafford, 021 4802100marguerite.stafford@examiner.ie

INTERIORS ADVERTISINGGer Duggan, 021 4802192interiorads@examiner.ie

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

The house in 2008.

AHOUSE to put the romance back into aproperty overhaul is set to make early NewYear waves — if it can be bought for anythingnear its tempting guide.

In a bit of a sorry state right now is Wood House, onCork’s Rochestown Road, a Victorian home that hasrapidly fallen on hard times, but will rise again.Its advantages and strong selling points massively

outweigh any drawbacks: it has 5,000sq ft of space onabout seven acres, with Corkharbour views from everypart of a hill-slope site lessthan 1km from Rochestownvillage towards Passage.It’s private, secure and has

a long farm-like laurel-linedapproach avenue, marked atits start by the remains of aGothic-style fully roundbuilding: this is house No 2,and is still a manageablerenovation/extension project.And, the really good news is the asking price: just

€300,000 is quoted by auctioneer Sam Kingston ofCasey and Kingston, who says that while it may in theend get active bidding above that low-seeming launchlevel, if that’s all that it gets, it will go for that.At one time, in the noughties, this sold for circa €1.5

million, and was bought as a renovation/investmentproject, but subsequent attempts to sell it for evenmore never took off.Now, Victorian Wood House is there for the taking,

appealing to a wide range of buyers — from hopelessromantics to hard-pressed but hard-nosed investors(under Budget 2012, you could renovate and sell onwithin seven years, free of capital gains tax).

It hit the market just in the run up to Christmas,and within a week was heading to 1,500 online viewswhile actual viewings of the physical property areonly starting now.Vandals have hit the place in the last few years,

though, smashing the window panes and letting theweather and wet in.Yet, there’s everything you’d still hope for in this

quite long and slender house to get it back on track,including a number ofrooms with doubleaspect, with windowsplaced for the longstretch of river/harbourviews (to the north) andback to south for light,and on east and westgables as a bonus.It has at least three

decent reception rooms,one’s very unusual withan internal shuttered

window linking it to the house’s centrepiece — thelong, sunny rear hall and pitch pine staircase.Overhead are five bedrooms, bathroom, WC, etc, witha second service steps at the eastern end. This end iswhere you can find the old kitchen (complete with oldAga) pantry and utilities. The rooms are generallyairy and high ceilinged.The days of willfully knocking and replacing old

places needing work like Wood House are probablyover — there’s a good floor plan here to work with. Anew owner wanting to restore it to proper comfort willwant to re-roof as a first step, renew/replace windows,fully weather-proof it and allow it dry out slowly, thenstrip back, assess, repair and conserve/upgrade.

It has finery, though, a formal steps entrance to itsornate porch with ornamental fascias just abouthanging on, as well as outbuildings now almost lost inChristmas wrapping-like overgrowth. But, nothing aslashhook won’t reveal. The house has three slenderbays to the front, rendered over red-brick, with tworear bay projections, and our early 1900s photo hereshows a sun-room almost the full-width of WoodHouse, something that surely will be re-instated.There’s the bones of an old orchard seen behind, and

trees around include oak, ash, beech, rhododendron,elm, eucalyptus, and a host more lost in briars, andgood grazing in the several large paddocks.

VERDICT: Buying it will be half the battle, but what aprize.

Location: Rochestown, CorkPrice: €300,000Size: 458 sq m (5,000 sq ft)Bedrooms: 5BER rating: N/ABroadband: YesBest feature: Huge scope, small money

PROPERTY

Energy efficient in BeaumontTwo houses are on offer in the same part of the mature Cork suburb, writes Tommy Barker

ANEW-BUILD, and an as-good asnew build, are on offer to homeseekers for the New Year atLissadell, in Cork city’s mature

Beaumont suburb.Building firm MOS, who usually do

commercial projects and renovationwork on older buildings, were behindthe purchase of a tired semi-d in UpperBeaumont Drive a few years ago.They re-did the house from top to

bottom, addressing all issues of its age,and brought it up to modern daycomforts and standards, along with a B2BER rating. Then, they added anotherhouse onto it side gable wall, building asecond home with an even better B1

energy rating on this corner site.Now, they’ve both up for sale, each

priced around €330,000, and eachcoming with compensating assets.The larger, at 1,770 sq ft, is the

original four-bed semi-d at 31 UpperBeaumont Drive, but now it iseffectively mid-terraced as a result ofbeing built onto.Yet, it has independent retained lane

access to the south-facing back garden,so it’s easy to get bikes, fuel and morearound to the rear—- where there’s alarge new added on single and part two-storey extension, effectively yourcontemporary open plan kitchen/living/dining room.

Its accommodation includes a front15’ by 11’ sitting room with gasfireplace, that big 24’ by 21’ living/kitchen/diner behind. In between thishouse’s front and back living spaces is amulti-use (but windowless) room,suitable as a study, possible play room,or very large store/utility, althoughthere’s a second utility elsewhere offthe kitchen. There’s also a guest WC,and upstairs are four bedrooms, two ofthem sharing an en suite, plus mainfamily bathroom, and apart from thegas central heating, there are solarpanels for water heating.With a similar level of finish, the

house next door, called Lissadell, is

marginally smaller, at 1,550 sq ft, but isstill a four-bed, with one en suite, andmain bathroom, and has a big open hall,with large, wheelchair friendly guestWC — but this house has no utilityroom.It has off-street parking in front, with

a slender side garden and small backgarden, facing south. www.mos.ie hasfurther sales details and images.

VERDICT: Both houses will be veryenergy efficient (accessible attics have300mm of insulation). easy to heat andbasking in hot water from the sun, in asettled suburb with a bus stop by thedoor, and a public park close by.

Location: Beaumont, CorkPrice: €330,000Size: 1,770/1,550 sq ftBedrooms: 4BER rating: B2/B1Broadband: Yes, with CAT 5 cablingBest feature: Energy efficiency

Quality home in excellent conditionThe drop in price for this quality may suit those who have waited. Tommy Barker reports

A BIG house from top to bottom— that’s price-reduced 7Abbottswood, a six-bed familyhome built in the last decade in

Cork’s Rochestown.Estate agent Jeremy Murphy now

guides this three-storey brick-facedhome at €525,000, showing a bigreduction from the boom period whenthese big homes were in the €1 million-plus price league, and showing the sortof 50% drop from peak that this week’sdepressing Myhome, Daft and Sherry

FitzGerald surveys indicated.Now, for traders up who can get their

hands on finance, or who’ve sat andwaited for the drops to date, the half amillion euro mark could see themmake the leap to the sort of comfortablehouse they’d never have to leave, untilmaybe trading-down time wheelsaround in a decade or two, when theproperty world might be a better place.No 7’s a quality home, with Kahrs

wood flooring through much of itsground level, in rooms like the hall,

front formal sitting room, with afeature fireplace, in the dining room,and the play room, while the kitchen/breakfast room floor is tiled, with itspale maple units in a U-shape. There’salso a tiled utility and guest WC.The first floor houses four bedrooms,

most with varnished wood floors, themaster bedroom is en suite, and themain family bathroom has an oval-shaped bath up on legs. Go up anotherfloor, and the top level is home to twobedrooms plus a shower room, so

making for four bathrooms in all overits three levels.Overall condition is excellent, with

some nice decor touches, notes MrMurphy.

VERDICT: There’s a touch ofNorth American family homes to theexterior design, even if there isn’t quitethe “great open spaces” followedthrough in the inside. Lots ofrooms, and lots of space,though.

Location: Rochestown, CorkPrice: €525,000Size: 275 sq m (3,000 sq ft)Bedrooms: 6BER rating: PendingBroadband: YesBest feature: Size and location

4 TRADING UPKerry coast calling: aGlenbeigh home for€175,000 has stoneinside and out.

5 OVERSEASWe’re not alone:property marketsworldwide are stag-nant.

6 COVER STORYShipool Lodge is awoodland hideaway,close to a city andairport.

10 INTERIORSWe take a look at thelatest colour trendsfor a new look for2012.

14 DIY18 ASK THE DESIGNER20 GARDENING22 ANTIQUES23 CLASSIFIEDS

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4 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 5

TRADING UPPROPERTY

SKEHARD ROAD, CORK €265,000

SKEHARD ROAD, CORK€250,000Sq m: 100 (1,100 sq ft) Bedrooms: 4BER rating: Pending Broadband: Yes

SET in a scheme of detachedbungalows is Jalna, a handy-sizedhome with up to four bedrooms fittedinto its 1,100 sq ft, all on the onelevel.Jalna is No 27 Oakdene, off the

Skehard Road by the CSO offices,and so has easy access (traffic peaktimes permitting) to the south ringroad, to Mahon Point, to theemployment base at City Gate, as wellas the gentler attractions of the RiverLee by the Marina a short distanceaway.Jalna is for sale with Paul O’Shea

of FML Properties, carrying a€250,000 price tag, and he says it hasbeen decorated and kept to a highstandard, with a low maintenancerear garden with lots of graveland paving. The walled-in backgarden includes a shed and dogkennel.Rooms include a 16’ by 10’ living

room to the front, overlooking agreen area, a kitchen/dining roomwith breakfast bar divide and patiodoors, main bathroom and fourbedrooms, all fairly much on thecompact side.

VERDICT: Buyers who don’t needfour bedrooms in a 1,100 sq ft homecould consider making one adressing room, study/home office or thelike.

KINSALE, CORK€295,000Sq m: 232 (2,500 sq ft) Bedrooms: 4BER rating: Pending Broadband: Yes

A BIT old fashioned in bungalowdesign stakes, but sizeable and withscope nonetheless, is the four-bed2,500 sq ft bungalow called FriarsGate.Located on a quarter acre site

on the Innishannon side of Kinsaletown with elevated views, sellingagent Johnny O’Flynn of SherryFitzGerald says its only “a hop,skip and a jump from the towncentre”.It’s old school in that it’s a genuine

bungalow, with all its space onthe one level, so maybe going thedormer extension route (subject toplanning) could open possibilities(and more views) for new ownerswho will probably be looking atfurther spending and modernising inany case.High up on its sloping site,

right now it has a single 16’ by 12’living room, and larger, decent andbright 26’ by 13’ kitchen/dining room tothe left hand side, with utility behind,and has its four bedrooms and solebathroom off towards the right and therear.On the far right, is a split-level

garage, primed for home office or denuse.

VERDICT: Lots to work with here, in agood town location, and the house willrespond well to upgrades.

We scan a selection of tradingup homes around the country

No 64 Castlemeadows must be one of the larger familyhomes in the peninsula end of Cork’s Skehard Road.Thanks to a two-storey side and rear extension, it fits inabout 1,700 sq ft of space in all, with a good spread onboth levels: one of the four bedrooms is en suite, there’sa first floor study as well, plus accessible part-flooredattic space.Home to the house proud, it has got a good mix of

living space and bedrooms, as well as a very usableback garden with lots of patio paving, with green areasoutside it cul de sac setting.And, the location near the Ringmahon Road, close to

where the Mahon peninsula has that great amenity to

walk around it makes the setting ideal for the active.There’s a quick pedestrian access to Mahon Point’sshopping centre, cinema and restaurants nearby.New to market with Jeremy Murphy & Associates, No

64 has been well minded, and extended, so there are twovery good reception rooms, including one in what wasthe added-on bit, 23’ front to back, with windows on theside wall as well as at the front and with rear patiodoors adding to the light flow. There’s also patio/gardenaccess from the open kitchen/dining room, with a maxmeasurement of 18’ by 17’.

VERDICT: All ready for a trading up family.

Sq m: 155 (1,700 sq ft) Bedrooms: 4BER rating: Pending Broadband: Yes

GLENBEIGH, CO KERRY€175,000Sq m: 139 (1,550 sq ft) Bedrooms: 3BER rating: Pending Broadband: Yes

THERE’S a great opportunity here forthe Dublin diaspora to finally buy thathome near the sea. What withsettlement packages flying around likesnuff at a wake this month, and atsunami of civil servants retiring earlyin February, this house is perfect forthe Young Age Pensioners.Located on the outskirts of Glenbeigh

village in one of the loveliest parts ofwest Kerry, this is a new build homebut one with lots of character.And according to selling agent Sarah

O’Keeffe, even though the house hasn’tbeen used for a while, it was warm anddry when she went to measure up forsale.Standing on a half acre site (again,

she says the site is unruly, but wouldrespond to a good strim), there’s hugepotential and the property has those all-important sea views.The interior is open plan, with lots of

exposed beams and sheeted panelling,but it’s not de trop, in fact, the interioronly needs a little tweaking to becomethe perfect hideaway.

VERDICT: Built in red sandstone, withstone wall interiors and finished to ahigh standard, this house could bescooped up at a handy price, with just alittle negotiation. And the vendor iswilling to include the furniture too. Thesite is fully enclosed and is minutesfrom shops and services.

SKIBBEREEN, CORK€240,000Sq m: 118 (1,290 sq ft) Bedrooms: 3BER rating: C3 Broadband: Yes

GREEN fingered owners clearly arebehind the joys of this Cooranullerbungalow in west Cork, six miles fromboth Skibbereen and Ballydehob, byAughadown.The three-bed, single-storey home is

on three-quarters of an acre that’s beenlandscaped and planted, with seatingareas and a rockery in the garden toenjoy the planting, country views andbird-life from.It came to market just before

Christmas with Maeve McCarthy ofCharles P McCarthy auctioneers inSkib, who seeks offers around €240,000for the home, ideal for traders down orup, and especially those who relish thepleasures of west Cork countryside, anda gentle climate to foster garden growth.The coast isn’t too far away either, sheadds.While quiet, the area isn’t remote, and

is fairly well serviced for those with acar to hand. The property has its owngraveled drive, plus attached 230 sq ftgarage, as well as garden shed.Internally, rooms include a 15’ by 13’

sitting room, kitchen, dining room,utility room and main bathroom, withthree bedrooms, one of which has ashower room en suite.

VERDICT: A lovely bungalow, witheven better gardens, for those who wantto spend time out in their own slice ofthe great outdoors.

PROPERTY FEATURE

Counting the costThe slump in world markets continues to affect Irish people who splashed out in the boom, writes Diarmaid Condon

The Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. Prices are largely stagnant in Dubai, which was an Irish favourite in the boom years.

L IKE its domestic counterpart, the activity ofthe Irish abroad has been severely curtailedby happenings in our own and our nearestneighbours’ financial markets. We are not,

suffice it to say, setting the world alight with headlinepurchases in the world’s most chic areas anymore.Indeed, you are more likely to read of trophy assetspurchased by high flying Irish individuals andsyndicates being sold at knockdown prices than to findour fellow countrymen gracing the pages of the presshaving snapped up bargains. Some Irish investors arebeing shown to have been a lot less “canny” thanmight have been suspected on first impressions.During 2011 we have been treated to numerous

stories of headline-grabbing investors like DerekQuinlan, Treasury Asset Management and Sean Quinnbeing forced to shed assets at a fraction of the valuesfor which they were purchased.This is quite ironic because with all that has

happened in a range of property markets across theworld over the past four years, there are opportunitiesto purchase at a price point that hasn’t been seen forup to two decades.Unfortunately, the Irish bought much of their

property portfolios during a boom time with a glut ofcheap finance being pushed very heavily by bankswanting to voraciously expand their operations. Theresult obviously hasn’t been good for the banks, forwhich we will be paying for many generations tocome. What is less easy to see is the private personalproblems that have ensued for Irish property owners,both home and abroad, as the banks have equallyvoraciously begun to recall these loans, showing verylittle mercy while doing so.So would it be correct to assume that the majority of

the world’s property markets are in price freefall?Ours is more so than any other, but most marketsaren’t setting the world alight at the moment. Lookingaround Europe you would certainly struggle to find a‘booming’ market (not that booming markets areanything to aspire to, as we’ve learned to our cost).An in depth discussion of all the markets across the

world is beyond the scope of a short piece like this, butif you want to see some comparisons you could visithttp://bit.ly/sz6X33, where you’ll find the KnightFrank Q3 2011 House Price Index. It’s not perfect, butas a method to compare the performance of a range ofmarkets it’s certainly not a bad place to start.The Jones Lang La Salle Global Real Estate

Transparency Index for 2010 (http://bit.ly/smAKE3),which compares how countries allow locals andforeigners alike do business in the real estate marketsin individual countries, is also worthy of someconsideration.If you visit the Knight Frank site you’ll notice the

fairly grim heading “Global Property MarketStagnates”, which is, of course, taking the worldmarket as a whole.During the year up to Q3 2011, house prices fell in

54% of the countries monitored by the index andaverage price growth was zero. Very few propertymarkets in which Irish investors are involved havemuch positive price growth associated with them,apart from Estonia, Slovenia, France, Turkey, Austria,Switzerland and Canada. Other countries showingvery moderate, growth over the past year includeGermany, Lithuania and Sweden.Unsurprisingly, Ireland is propping up the table in

51st place with total estimated price drop over the past12 months of 14.3%. It may, however, come assomewhat of a surprise to find we are in the companyof Russia which has seen a 10.7% drop in prices overthe past year. Others in negative territory includeCyprus, Bulgaria, Poland, Spain, the Czech Republic,Slovakia, Greece, the US and Portugal. It may alsocome as somewhat of a surprise that prices are largelystagnant in Dubai, as well as in Britain, both of whichwere Irish favourites in the boom years. Dubai, inparticular, suffered very badly when it’s market

belatedly went into price decline, so Irish investorsthere will be happy to see that plummeting valuesappear to have eased off somewhat.On the Mediterranean, Porto Montenegro in Tivat,

Montenegro, is the fastest selling project in the region.Like Bulgaria, Montenegro’s holiday home marketrelies on Russia’s fortunes. Demand is driven by thoselooking for berths for large yachts, of which there issomewhat of a shortage in Europe. Michael Fingleton’sill-fated investment in the large abandoned Hotel Fjordon the beautiful Kotor Bay has made the countryheadline news once again in Ireland.Neighbouring Croatia depends more on the British

market and, as such, is struggling. The market nowmainly revolves around Croats buying properties backfrom Irish and British owners. If joining the EU is stilla good thing, which is debatable, then Croatia maybenefit from its confirmed entry in 2013.In Bulgaria, tourist markets on the coast and ski

resorts continue to struggle, but demand for high

quality property in Sofia is remarkably resilient.In Hungary, reports are that rents are holding very

stable in the better areas of Budapest but, like Ireland,the country is very much in the grip of austerity, andhas been for longer than most. Properties in goodquality areas with rental demand are, however,holding their value.There’s no way to wrap up the US in a short piece, it

is a conglomeration of markets ranging in fortunes.The north-east continues to perform reasonably wellbut fortunes are still waning as you head toward thesouthern coastlines.Bargains are certainly to be had if you are in the

market but, much like Ireland, finance is the chiefstumbling block. Beware of really cheap ‘rental-ready’products being sold at apparently ‘rock-bottom’ prices,particularly in places like Detroit. They are availablefor virtually nothing locally so the mark-up for theagents is huge and rental income can be difficult tocome by.

A view of the beach in the resort of Golden Sands, Bulgaria. Tourist markets on the coast and ski resorts in Bulgaria continue to struggle,but demand for high quality property in Sofia is remarkably resilient.

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4 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 5

TRADING UPPROPERTY

SKEHARD ROAD, CORK €265,000

SKEHARD ROAD, CORK€250,000Sq m: 100 (1,100 sq ft) Bedrooms: 4BER rating: Pending Broadband: Yes

SET in a scheme of detachedbungalows is Jalna, a handy-sizedhome with up to four bedrooms fittedinto its 1,100 sq ft, all on the onelevel.Jalna is No 27 Oakdene, off the

Skehard Road by the CSO offices,and so has easy access (traffic peaktimes permitting) to the south ringroad, to Mahon Point, to theemployment base at City Gate, as wellas the gentler attractions of the RiverLee by the Marina a short distanceaway.Jalna is for sale with Paul O’Shea

of FML Properties, carrying a€250,000 price tag, and he says it hasbeen decorated and kept to a highstandard, with a low maintenancerear garden with lots of graveland paving. The walled-in backgarden includes a shed and dogkennel.Rooms include a 16’ by 10’ living

room to the front, overlooking agreen area, a kitchen/dining roomwith breakfast bar divide and patiodoors, main bathroom and fourbedrooms, all fairly much on thecompact side.

VERDICT: Buyers who don’t needfour bedrooms in a 1,100 sq ft homecould consider making one adressing room, study/home office or thelike.

KINSALE, CORK€295,000Sq m: 232 (2,500 sq ft) Bedrooms: 4BER rating: Pending Broadband: Yes

A BIT old fashioned in bungalowdesign stakes, but sizeable and withscope nonetheless, is the four-bed2,500 sq ft bungalow called FriarsGate.Located on a quarter acre site

on the Innishannon side of Kinsaletown with elevated views, sellingagent Johnny O’Flynn of SherryFitzGerald says its only “a hop,skip and a jump from the towncentre”.It’s old school in that it’s a genuine

bungalow, with all its space onthe one level, so maybe going thedormer extension route (subject toplanning) could open possibilities(and more views) for new ownerswho will probably be looking atfurther spending and modernising inany case.High up on its sloping site,

right now it has a single 16’ by 12’living room, and larger, decent andbright 26’ by 13’ kitchen/dining room tothe left hand side, with utility behind,and has its four bedrooms and solebathroom off towards the right and therear.On the far right, is a split-level

garage, primed for home office or denuse.

VERDICT: Lots to work with here, in agood town location, and the house willrespond well to upgrades.

We scan a selection of tradingup homes around the country

No 64 Castlemeadows must be one of the larger familyhomes in the peninsula end of Cork’s Skehard Road.Thanks to a two-storey side and rear extension, it fits inabout 1,700 sq ft of space in all, with a good spread onboth levels: one of the four bedrooms is en suite, there’sa first floor study as well, plus accessible part-flooredattic space.Home to the house proud, it has got a good mix of

living space and bedrooms, as well as a very usableback garden with lots of patio paving, with green areasoutside it cul de sac setting.And, the location near the Ringmahon Road, close to

where the Mahon peninsula has that great amenity to

walk around it makes the setting ideal for the active.There’s a quick pedestrian access to Mahon Point’sshopping centre, cinema and restaurants nearby.New to market with Jeremy Murphy & Associates, No

64 has been well minded, and extended, so there are twovery good reception rooms, including one in what wasthe added-on bit, 23’ front to back, with windows on theside wall as well as at the front and with rear patiodoors adding to the light flow. There’s also patio/gardenaccess from the open kitchen/dining room, with a maxmeasurement of 18’ by 17’.

VERDICT: All ready for a trading up family.

Sq m: 155 (1,700 sq ft) Bedrooms: 4BER rating: Pending Broadband: Yes

GLENBEIGH, CO KERRY€175,000Sq m: 139 (1,550 sq ft) Bedrooms: 3BER rating: Pending Broadband: Yes

THERE’S a great opportunity here forthe Dublin diaspora to finally buy thathome near the sea. What withsettlement packages flying around likesnuff at a wake this month, and atsunami of civil servants retiring earlyin February, this house is perfect forthe Young Age Pensioners.Located on the outskirts of Glenbeigh

village in one of the loveliest parts ofwest Kerry, this is a new build homebut one with lots of character.And according to selling agent Sarah

O’Keeffe, even though the house hasn’tbeen used for a while, it was warm anddry when she went to measure up forsale.Standing on a half acre site (again,

she says the site is unruly, but wouldrespond to a good strim), there’s hugepotential and the property has those all-important sea views.The interior is open plan, with lots of

exposed beams and sheeted panelling,but it’s not de trop, in fact, the interioronly needs a little tweaking to becomethe perfect hideaway.

VERDICT: Built in red sandstone, withstone wall interiors and finished to ahigh standard, this house could bescooped up at a handy price, with just alittle negotiation. And the vendor iswilling to include the furniture too. Thesite is fully enclosed and is minutesfrom shops and services.

SKIBBEREEN, CORK€240,000Sq m: 118 (1,290 sq ft) Bedrooms: 3BER rating: C3 Broadband: Yes

GREEN fingered owners clearly arebehind the joys of this Cooranullerbungalow in west Cork, six miles fromboth Skibbereen and Ballydehob, byAughadown.The three-bed, single-storey home is

on three-quarters of an acre that’s beenlandscaped and planted, with seatingareas and a rockery in the garden toenjoy the planting, country views andbird-life from.It came to market just before

Christmas with Maeve McCarthy ofCharles P McCarthy auctioneers inSkib, who seeks offers around €240,000for the home, ideal for traders down orup, and especially those who relish thepleasures of west Cork countryside, anda gentle climate to foster garden growth.The coast isn’t too far away either, sheadds.While quiet, the area isn’t remote, and

is fairly well serviced for those with acar to hand. The property has its owngraveled drive, plus attached 230 sq ftgarage, as well as garden shed.Internally, rooms include a 15’ by 13’

sitting room, kitchen, dining room,utility room and main bathroom, withthree bedrooms, one of which has ashower room en suite.

VERDICT: A lovely bungalow, witheven better gardens, for those who wantto spend time out in their own slice ofthe great outdoors.

PROPERTY FEATURE

Counting the costThe slump in world markets continues to affect Irish people who splashed out in the boom, writes Diarmaid Condon

The Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. Prices are largely stagnant in Dubai, which was an Irish favourite in the boom years.

L IKE its domestic counterpart, the activity ofthe Irish abroad has been severely curtailedby happenings in our own and our nearestneighbours’ financial markets. We are not,

suffice it to say, setting the world alight with headlinepurchases in the world’s most chic areas anymore.Indeed, you are more likely to read of trophy assetspurchased by high flying Irish individuals andsyndicates being sold at knockdown prices than to findour fellow countrymen gracing the pages of the presshaving snapped up bargains. Some Irish investors arebeing shown to have been a lot less “canny” thanmight have been suspected on first impressions.During 2011 we have been treated to numerous

stories of headline-grabbing investors like DerekQuinlan, Treasury Asset Management and Sean Quinnbeing forced to shed assets at a fraction of the valuesfor which they were purchased.This is quite ironic because with all that has

happened in a range of property markets across theworld over the past four years, there are opportunitiesto purchase at a price point that hasn’t been seen forup to two decades.Unfortunately, the Irish bought much of their

property portfolios during a boom time with a glut ofcheap finance being pushed very heavily by bankswanting to voraciously expand their operations. Theresult obviously hasn’t been good for the banks, forwhich we will be paying for many generations tocome. What is less easy to see is the private personalproblems that have ensued for Irish property owners,both home and abroad, as the banks have equallyvoraciously begun to recall these loans, showing verylittle mercy while doing so.So would it be correct to assume that the majority of

the world’s property markets are in price freefall?Ours is more so than any other, but most marketsaren’t setting the world alight at the moment. Lookingaround Europe you would certainly struggle to find a‘booming’ market (not that booming markets areanything to aspire to, as we’ve learned to our cost).An in depth discussion of all the markets across the

world is beyond the scope of a short piece like this, butif you want to see some comparisons you could visithttp://bit.ly/sz6X33, where you’ll find the KnightFrank Q3 2011 House Price Index. It’s not perfect, butas a method to compare the performance of a range ofmarkets it’s certainly not a bad place to start.The Jones Lang La Salle Global Real Estate

Transparency Index for 2010 (http://bit.ly/smAKE3),which compares how countries allow locals andforeigners alike do business in the real estate marketsin individual countries, is also worthy of someconsideration.If you visit the Knight Frank site you’ll notice the

fairly grim heading “Global Property MarketStagnates”, which is, of course, taking the worldmarket as a whole.During the year up to Q3 2011, house prices fell in

54% of the countries monitored by the index andaverage price growth was zero. Very few propertymarkets in which Irish investors are involved havemuch positive price growth associated with them,apart from Estonia, Slovenia, France, Turkey, Austria,Switzerland and Canada. Other countries showingvery moderate, growth over the past year includeGermany, Lithuania and Sweden.Unsurprisingly, Ireland is propping up the table in

51st place with total estimated price drop over the past12 months of 14.3%. It may, however, come assomewhat of a surprise to find we are in the companyof Russia which has seen a 10.7% drop in prices overthe past year. Others in negative territory includeCyprus, Bulgaria, Poland, Spain, the Czech Republic,Slovakia, Greece, the US and Portugal. It may alsocome as somewhat of a surprise that prices are largelystagnant in Dubai, as well as in Britain, both of whichwere Irish favourites in the boom years. Dubai, inparticular, suffered very badly when it’s market

belatedly went into price decline, so Irish investorsthere will be happy to see that plummeting valuesappear to have eased off somewhat.On the Mediterranean, Porto Montenegro in Tivat,

Montenegro, is the fastest selling project in the region.Like Bulgaria, Montenegro’s holiday home marketrelies on Russia’s fortunes. Demand is driven by thoselooking for berths for large yachts, of which there issomewhat of a shortage in Europe. Michael Fingleton’sill-fated investment in the large abandoned Hotel Fjordon the beautiful Kotor Bay has made the countryheadline news once again in Ireland.Neighbouring Croatia depends more on the British

market and, as such, is struggling. The market nowmainly revolves around Croats buying properties backfrom Irish and British owners. If joining the EU is stilla good thing, which is debatable, then Croatia maybenefit from its confirmed entry in 2013.In Bulgaria, tourist markets on the coast and ski

resorts continue to struggle, but demand for high

quality property in Sofia is remarkably resilient.In Hungary, reports are that rents are holding very

stable in the better areas of Budapest but, like Ireland,the country is very much in the grip of austerity, andhas been for longer than most. Properties in goodquality areas with rental demand are, however,holding their value.There’s no way to wrap up the US in a short piece, it

is a conglomeration of markets ranging in fortunes.The north-east continues to perform reasonably wellbut fortunes are still waning as you head toward thesouthern coastlines.Bargains are certainly to be had if you are in the

market but, much like Ireland, finance is the chiefstumbling block. Beware of really cheap ‘rental-ready’products being sold at apparently ‘rock-bottom’ prices,particularly in places like Detroit. They are availablefor virtually nothing locally so the mark-up for theagents is huge and rental income can be difficult tocome by.

A view of the beach in the resort of Golden Sands, Bulgaria. Tourist markets on the coast and ski resorts in Bulgaria continue to struggle,but demand for high quality property in Sofia is remarkably resilient.

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COVER STORY COVER STORY

Pictures: John Herriott

A River Bandonhouse that istruly uniqueTommy Barker visits a house set in mature woodland, so closely intouch with nature that fauna comes right to its door

Tranquillity andconvenience with avery private andexclusive signaturehome in a woodedsetting with its ownriverside pier access

THE word ‘unique’ getsbandied about withsome abandon inproperty-speak, but

here’s a River Bandon housethat earns the soubriquet.It’s timber-framed, with

quality woods featuringextensively inside and out.Then, to crown it all, it is set ina copse of dense, maturewoodland, a house closely intouch with nature, so close thatwoodland fauna comes right toits door.As an added bonus, fish can

come to its site boundary too.This one-off home of individualcharacter, called Shipool Lodge,has one section of its severalprivate acres of site comingwith 120ft of river frontage andpier to the lower, tidal stretchesof the River Bandon, allowingeasy access to a boat, and onthen a couple of wendingwooded miles to Kinsale, to theocean beyond.Located a mile or so

downriver of Innishannon, andthus close to both Bandon andKinsale and with Cork city andairport a 15 to 20-minute spinaway, Shipool Lodge is beingquietly marketed by Bandonestate agent Brendan Bowe, forits owner and designer, aContinental Europeanbusinessman who has beenseveral decades living here.It’s the second house he’s

built on this site, as the firstwas hit by fire, and thisreplacement kept faith with theoriginal house’s feel and look.It’s now offered for sale as theowner is down-sizing.It packs in a lot into one up-

market package, with a sizeablemain house, complete withvery extensive libraries withceiling-high walls lined withbooks, plus a separate butadjacent second building, withground-floor garage, and a self-contained guest apartmentbedsit/overhead, plus as aworkshop.It can only be barely

glimpsed from the

Innishannon-Kinsale roadbelow it, thanks to its cloak oftrees. The consequence of suchclose proximity of planting isshading from trees whichdarkens the interiors. It’spossibly at its brightest on a

clear and sunny winter’s day,when the deciduous trees arewithout greenery. Other thanthat, you know you are livingin the woods, views are gradedfrom near to mid-distance:there are no long vistas here.

There’s something decidedlyContinental about its looks andfinishes. Externally, theimpression is immediatelyconveyed by its deep overhangeaves, usually needed forshedding heavy snow, as wellas keeping water away from itsrough-rendered walls andabundant climbing plants, fromroses to wisterias, while fasciasand window frames aresympathetic in cedar andScandinavian pines.Internally, there’s a plethora

of woods used in the finishes,ranging from Scandinavianblonds to darker russets, butmost distinguished of all arethe pitch pines, used in lots offloors and ceilings.Shipool Lodge is a sort of

catalogue of ‘best of ’ materials,including stone, brick, copper,tile and glass, but it is atsomewhat of a variance withcontemporary tastes.Minimalist it isn’t.It’s a super-snug house in lots

of ways, with good insulationstandards and exemplaryglazing, but you’d have to hopeit is tightly enveloped, as it is,first of all, sizeable, and thepresence of things like a gym,sauna, several hot-tubs and anair-conditioned gym/leisurecentre with compact swimmingpool with counter-flow currentfor swimming exercise is goingto push up energy and runningcosts, naturally enough.Layout is individual, if not

idiosyncratic, with the maincore and living room a soaringdouble height space withgalleried landing around anenormous chimney breast. Themain house is relatively shorton bedroom numbers for itssize, with three properbedrooms plus another sleepingarea by one of the severallibraries. As several roomsinter-connect, there arepossibilities of varying uses, oradaptations.As it stands, it has been

designed very much for theowners’ lifestyle, so book

storage, display and readingareas gets lots of space, withcustom-made polished darkwood shelving, rising up wallsand even columns, with ladderson wheels for access.Also setting Shipool Lodge

apart is the raft of leisurefacilities, from gym with sauna,large hot-tub set into a virtualinternal rockery, with plungepool, to the short swimmingpool with powered controllablecounter current to swimagainst, with air conditioningto keep air fresh, all against aRomanesque backdrop of artand statuary.Up under an apex roof is a

home cinema, a completedblack-out space, with projector,surround sound and pull-downscreen, with plenty of loungingspace in this 22’ by 8’ carefullyinstalled room.Estate agent Brendan Bowe

rightly describes the house as‘bespoke,’ or tailored, but it isadaptable to more regularfamily use too, perhaps bymoving a few walls around.It’s one of those houses where

the best of materials have beenused, especially the timbersand the pitch-pine flooring, andthe kitchen, though it looks oldfashioned, has an entirelyfunctional spread of services,

with a backdrop of luscious,deep-glazed hand-made tiles,while a custom-built coppercanopy is set above the hob.Shipool Lodge’s heart is its

hearth, a soaring, brickchimney breast in the double-height living space, which hasdouble doors and lots of glazingto the south-facing patio, ringedby high trees, stone terraces,and water features, and morestatuary. Behind, the back ofthe house is sheltered by a car-port, giving plenty of drystorage space, ideal for dryingtimber for the severalfireplaces in the mainresidence, such as in the 30’ by

18’ atrium-like living room, andthe master bedroom which hasa very continental lookingglazed-tile stove. One of themany private librarysanctuaries has a fireplace withgas insert.Auctioneer Brendan Bowe,

who doesn’t disclose an askingprice (likely to be in the verybroad €1 million to €2mcategory) had lined up a fewselect viewings over theholiday period from overseas.They are attracted by theproximity to the airport,Kinsale, west Cork and more.Having a part of the groundacross the road with direct

river access to the tidalsections of the River Bandon isa bonus, especially for boatowners.It is, says Mr Bowe,

“tranquillity and conveniencewith a very private andexclusive signature home in awooded setting with its ownriverside pier access. Truly, anindividual home for theindividual who seeks perfectionand privacy”.

VERDICT: You won’t beambivalent about thiswoodland property mix; it’seither right up yourstreet, or off-piste.

Location: Innishannon, CorkPrice: Not disclosedSize: 312 sq m (3,345 sq ft)Bedrooms: 4BER rating: PendingBest feature: Superb quality build

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6 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 7

COVER STORY COVER STORY

Pictures: John Herriott

A River Bandonhouse that istruly uniqueTommy Barker visits a house set in mature woodland, so closely intouch with nature that fauna comes right to its door

Tranquillity andconvenience with avery private andexclusive signaturehome in a woodedsetting with its ownriverside pier access

THE word ‘unique’ getsbandied about withsome abandon inproperty-speak, but

here’s a River Bandon housethat earns the soubriquet.It’s timber-framed, with

quality woods featuringextensively inside and out.Then, to crown it all, it is set ina copse of dense, maturewoodland, a house closely intouch with nature, so close thatwoodland fauna comes right toits door.As an added bonus, fish can

come to its site boundary too.This one-off home of individualcharacter, called Shipool Lodge,has one section of its severalprivate acres of site comingwith 120ft of river frontage andpier to the lower, tidal stretchesof the River Bandon, allowingeasy access to a boat, and onthen a couple of wendingwooded miles to Kinsale, to theocean beyond.Located a mile or so

downriver of Innishannon, andthus close to both Bandon andKinsale and with Cork city andairport a 15 to 20-minute spinaway, Shipool Lodge is beingquietly marketed by Bandonestate agent Brendan Bowe, forits owner and designer, aContinental Europeanbusinessman who has beenseveral decades living here.It’s the second house he’s

built on this site, as the firstwas hit by fire, and thisreplacement kept faith with theoriginal house’s feel and look.It’s now offered for sale as theowner is down-sizing.It packs in a lot into one up-

market package, with a sizeablemain house, complete withvery extensive libraries withceiling-high walls lined withbooks, plus a separate butadjacent second building, withground-floor garage, and a self-contained guest apartmentbedsit/overhead, plus as aworkshop.It can only be barely

glimpsed from the

Innishannon-Kinsale roadbelow it, thanks to its cloak oftrees. The consequence of suchclose proximity of planting isshading from trees whichdarkens the interiors. It’spossibly at its brightest on a

clear and sunny winter’s day,when the deciduous trees arewithout greenery. Other thanthat, you know you are livingin the woods, views are gradedfrom near to mid-distance:there are no long vistas here.

There’s something decidedlyContinental about its looks andfinishes. Externally, theimpression is immediatelyconveyed by its deep overhangeaves, usually needed forshedding heavy snow, as wellas keeping water away from itsrough-rendered walls andabundant climbing plants, fromroses to wisterias, while fasciasand window frames aresympathetic in cedar andScandinavian pines.Internally, there’s a plethora

of woods used in the finishes,ranging from Scandinavianblonds to darker russets, butmost distinguished of all arethe pitch pines, used in lots offloors and ceilings.Shipool Lodge is a sort of

catalogue of ‘best of ’ materials,including stone, brick, copper,tile and glass, but it is atsomewhat of a variance withcontemporary tastes.Minimalist it isn’t.It’s a super-snug house in lots

of ways, with good insulationstandards and exemplaryglazing, but you’d have to hopeit is tightly enveloped, as it is,first of all, sizeable, and thepresence of things like a gym,sauna, several hot-tubs and anair-conditioned gym/leisurecentre with compact swimmingpool with counter-flow currentfor swimming exercise is goingto push up energy and runningcosts, naturally enough.Layout is individual, if not

idiosyncratic, with the maincore and living room a soaringdouble height space withgalleried landing around anenormous chimney breast. Themain house is relatively shorton bedroom numbers for itssize, with three properbedrooms plus another sleepingarea by one of the severallibraries. As several roomsinter-connect, there arepossibilities of varying uses, oradaptations.As it stands, it has been

designed very much for theowners’ lifestyle, so book

storage, display and readingareas gets lots of space, withcustom-made polished darkwood shelving, rising up wallsand even columns, with ladderson wheels for access.Also setting Shipool Lodge

apart is the raft of leisurefacilities, from gym with sauna,large hot-tub set into a virtualinternal rockery, with plungepool, to the short swimmingpool with powered controllablecounter current to swimagainst, with air conditioningto keep air fresh, all against aRomanesque backdrop of artand statuary.Up under an apex roof is a

home cinema, a completedblack-out space, with projector,surround sound and pull-downscreen, with plenty of loungingspace in this 22’ by 8’ carefullyinstalled room.Estate agent Brendan Bowe

rightly describes the house as‘bespoke,’ or tailored, but it isadaptable to more regularfamily use too, perhaps bymoving a few walls around.It’s one of those houses where

the best of materials have beenused, especially the timbersand the pitch-pine flooring, andthe kitchen, though it looks oldfashioned, has an entirelyfunctional spread of services,

with a backdrop of luscious,deep-glazed hand-made tiles,while a custom-built coppercanopy is set above the hob.Shipool Lodge’s heart is its

hearth, a soaring, brickchimney breast in the double-height living space, which hasdouble doors and lots of glazingto the south-facing patio, ringedby high trees, stone terraces,and water features, and morestatuary. Behind, the back ofthe house is sheltered by a car-port, giving plenty of drystorage space, ideal for dryingtimber for the severalfireplaces in the mainresidence, such as in the 30’ by

18’ atrium-like living room, andthe master bedroom which hasa very continental lookingglazed-tile stove. One of themany private librarysanctuaries has a fireplace withgas insert.Auctioneer Brendan Bowe,

who doesn’t disclose an askingprice (likely to be in the verybroad €1 million to €2mcategory) had lined up a fewselect viewings over theholiday period from overseas.They are attracted by theproximity to the airport,Kinsale, west Cork and more.Having a part of the groundacross the road with direct

river access to the tidalsections of the River Bandon isa bonus, especially for boatowners.It is, says Mr Bowe,

“tranquillity and conveniencewith a very private andexclusive signature home in awooded setting with its ownriverside pier access. Truly, anindividual home for theindividual who seeks perfectionand privacy”.

VERDICT: You won’t beambivalent about thiswoodland property mix; it’seither right up yourstreet, or off-piste.

Location: Innishannon, CorkPrice: Not disclosedSize: 312 sq m (3,345 sq ft)Bedrooms: 4BER rating: PendingBest feature: Superb quality build

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COVER STORY COVER STORY

GETTHELOOKSome great ideas for you to use inyour home and where to get them

1 2

3 4

5 6

1 Deep eaves provideshelter for house andinhabitants, here there’s aseating area outside afirst-floor bedroom’sFrench doors.

2 There’s nothing cosierthan a book-lined den:full shelves are likereminders of oldfriendships.

3 If you’ve the space, aday-bed in the corner ofa quiet room will invitecontemplation andrelaxation.

4 Arched doorwaysprovide a different ‘frame’to internal views.

5 Healthy plants are thesign of a healthy house.

6 Plant, and then over-plant, your patio spacesfor exuberant life andgrowth.

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8 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 9

COVER STORY COVER STORY

GETTHELOOKSome great ideas for you to use inyour home and where to get them

1 2

3 4

5 6

1 Deep eaves provideshelter for house andinhabitants, here there’s aseating area outside afirst-floor bedroom’sFrench doors.

2 There’s nothing cosierthan a book-lined den:full shelves are likereminders of oldfriendships.

3 If you’ve the space, aday-bed in the corner ofa quiet room will invitecontemplation andrelaxation.

4 Arched doorwaysprovide a different ‘frame’to internal views.

5 Healthy plants are thesign of a healthy house.

6 Plant, and then over-plant, your patio spacesfor exuberant life andgrowth.

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10 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 11

Home energy boostThere are plenty of grants available for people to make their homes more energy efficient, as Kya deLongchamps discovers

Some 54% of men claim to making having their home adequately insulated compared to 43% of women who tend to notice a draught or cold spot.

R ECENTLY a survey of 500people was conducted by anindependent research agencyon behalf of Bord Gáis Energy

Home Team services. The resultsprovide a compelling snapshot of whathouseholders know about the potentialenergy savings available throughimprovements to their property, andtheir real behaviour and motivationswhen using and economising with theirutilities and appliances.What men and women really want?

62% of male respondents said they werefamiliar with energy efficiency schemescompared to 46% of females. Curiously,despite this greater awareness, a largerproportion of women appear to beenvironmentally motivated, 50%declaring they would make improve-ments principally to reduce their‘carbon footprint’ compared to 40% ofmen, who prioritise cost savings.Women appear to be more sensitive to

their immediate environment, with 54%of men having laid claim to makingtheir home adequately insulatedcompared to 43% of women who tend tonotice a draught or cold spot. Not to beoutdone, a whopping 74% of men wouldchampion having a home energy auditcarried out to save costs in the longrun. Knowledge really is power.Aware, but ready to act? Our wisdom

on grant-aided energy saving schemesseems to increase markedly with thecold, hard realities of a longer lifetimefighting utility bills, damp and thecruelty of a cold house. Those in the 18-34 age bracket are the least aware of thecurrent schemes (42%) while theawareness level of 35-54-year-olds is52%. An impressive 66% of over-55s areaware of current schemes.Mark Prentice, head of retail at Bord

Gáis Energy says that “two in everyfive people surveyed (43%) felt theirhomes were poorly insulated to dealwith such harsh weather. Those livingin urban areas were more concernedwith every second respondent (54%)feeling their home did not have properinsulation, compared to rural areaswhere 31% were of the same opinion”.The vast majority of respondents are

ready to put their money where theirconcerns are. If the survey does reflectnational attitudes, 24% of us are willingto stump up an extra €2,000 to top up a

Government-aided grant and an additional 38% would spendbetween €500 and €1,000.Mr Prentice goes on: “Poor roof and cavity wall insulation

were cited as the main reason people believe their home to bepoorly insulated and in fact these are two really simple andstraight-forward improvements.”The survey shows that 73% of people would consider home

insulation if and when they could afford it. It also seems thatnow fully aware of what’s on offer, over half (56%) said theywere likely to take part in energy efficiency schemes runthrough the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland websiteand their local councils.Where to now? For everything you need to know about

saving energy at home plus the application process for theSEAI grant-aided Better Energy Homes Schemes, log ontoseai.ie or call 1850 927 000. Low-income households and those

on the National Fuel Allowance may be eligible for WarmerHomes grant aid. Log onto www.seai.ie or call 1800 250 204.Well & Warm is also useful for those struggling with fuel bills.www.wellandwarm.ie.The utility companies in Ireland are pro-active in providing

customers with up-to-the-minute advice and even tailoredfinancial products for energy saving investments. The BordGáis Energy Home Team can manage the SEAI grantapproval process as part of the Better Home Bonus plan,which includes an attic and cavity wall insulation packagewith 0% interest-free payments up to 12 months. They alsosort out your SEAI grant so you only pay the total cost lessthe grant and take off a special discount.

■ www.bordgaisenergy.ie/hometeam

Theory and practise: Good habits at home?

NOW, having wittered on like an agedfishwife for years in the pages of this paper,I found the energy-saving practise area ofthe Bord Gáis Home Team survey uplifting.

It’s good to know, that whereas we might not alwaysbehave as well as we should, we do know how weshould be behaving to knock those bills on the headand lighten the load on our struggling little planet.The overall majority of respondents showed a

strong awareness of the different ways to reduceenergy consumption in their household.

● Switching off lights came top of the measures interms of awareness (94%)● Use of CFL bulbs (89%)● Not leaving appliances on standby (86%)● Keeping doors and windows closed (80%)● Only boiling the required amount of water in thekettle (80%)● Putting central heating on timer (76%)● Turning down heating thermostat by one degree(75%)● Buying A-rated appliances (75%)

● Closing curtains at night/opening during the dayto let sunlight in (65%)This is the theory and in some cases practise is a

lot less impressive. Only 58% of those surveyed saythey would actually buy an A-rated appliance(possibly due to the acknowledged extra expense);while 68% said they would not take the trouble toturn appliances off rather than leaving them onstandby. Considering this last casual neglect canleave a 50% bleed of electricity for the small troubleof pushing a switch, we clearly have a way to go.

PROPERTY HOME ECONOMICS

Location: Kinsale, CorkPrice: €375,000Size: Sq m 177 (1,900 sq ft)Bedrooms: 4BER rating: B2Broadband: Yes

Ship ahoy for appealing townhousesThese visually engaging homes have a Kinsale view. Tommy Barker reports

THERE’S only a dozen houseshere in Kinsale’s Admiral’sWalk, in two runs of terraces,and they’re both niche and

popular.The large townhouses’ design is

clever, and visually engaging, withsections stepped forward and back withsome hung-slate sections and balconiesto break up the run of joined-upfacades.Located up above the entrance to

Kinsale harbour, on the Cork side, thethree-storey No 12 is, handily, end ofterrace, with both a side yard and aback garden, and has four en suitebedrooms, one on the top floor, theother three are in the mid-level, and themaster bed to the back on the middlelevel has views down towards Kinsaletown from its raised balcony, lookingover and past its back garden.The ground level is open and bright,

with a 18’ by 12’ kitchen/dining room to

the front, and an 18’ by 17’ living roombehind, with wide bay window anddoors to the back garden. There’s also astudy, plus utility and a fifth WC.Pleasant-looking Admiral’s Walk was

built by the well-regarded JohnBuckley, and the front gardens aremore or less open and communal, withreserved storage areas. No 12’s reargardens are accessed via the study, orthe living room, opening to vies of theyacht club, for wanna-be admirals.

According to selling agent JohnnyO’Flynn of Sherry FitzGerald, No 12’sinterior “is second-to-none with the useof very attractive materials to includesolid hard wood flooring, qualitycarpeting, quality fitted kitchen withgranite worktops and natural yet warmtones throughout”.

VERDICT: There’s a nice floor plan tothese well-detailed Kinsale townhouses,now selling for €375,000 or so.

Location: Killeens, Ballymakeera, Co CorkPrice: €400,000Size: 214 sq ms (2,303 sq ft)Bedrooms: 4BER rating: PendingBroadband: Yes

Characterful period propertyThe house price has been cut to tempt buyers. Tommy Barker reports

I T’S the perfect period property —not too big, not too small, not tooold and yet, old enough.

Tig Danushe is a characterful neo-Georgian house near Ballymakeera, CoCork and it’s been halved in price totempt buyers — the gentleman farmer’sresidence is now down to €400,000 froman initial, €750,000.Set on a tree-lined acre site and

located just outside the village, it looksalmost like a child’s drawing —windows on either side of a simple,

curved door case and three bays on thefirst floor.However, the house is surprisingly

roomy and stretches out at the back tooffer good space and a modernarrangement in a fully renovated shell.The owners made sure there were

plenty of bathrooms when remodellingthe property and it offers fourbathrooms to four bedrooms.And they made sure to insulate and

re-point the thick stone walls and sandblast the exterior to bring the stone

back to life.They also replaced the old windows in

favour of new, double glazed sashes andhave re-floored, re-plumbed and rewiredthe building without compromising itscharacter. Buyers, however, should findit cosy and easy to manage andaccording to Nora Cohalan of agents,Godsil Cohalan, it’s sweet and wellmaintained inside.The house has a typical layout with

two formal rooms, a modern kitchendining room at the back, with old cast

iron stove and Canadian oak flooring,(which is used throughout the house), autility room and guest bathroom.On the upper level there are two large

suites facing south and a mainbathroom which services two furtherbedrooms.

VERDICT:With lots of privacy and justenough garden to cope with, TigDanushe offers period living in alocation easily accessible to Killarney,Kenmare, Cork city and Macroom town.

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10 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 11

Home energy boostThere are plenty of grants available for people to make their homes more energy efficient, as Kya deLongchamps discovers

Some 54% of men claim to making having their home adequately insulated compared to 43% of women who tend to notice a draught or cold spot.

R ECENTLY a survey of 500people was conducted by anindependent research agencyon behalf of Bord Gáis Energy

Home Team services. The resultsprovide a compelling snapshot of whathouseholders know about the potentialenergy savings available throughimprovements to their property, andtheir real behaviour and motivationswhen using and economising with theirutilities and appliances.What men and women really want?

62% of male respondents said they werefamiliar with energy efficiency schemescompared to 46% of females. Curiously,despite this greater awareness, a largerproportion of women appear to beenvironmentally motivated, 50%declaring they would make improve-ments principally to reduce their‘carbon footprint’ compared to 40% ofmen, who prioritise cost savings.Women appear to be more sensitive to

their immediate environment, with 54%of men having laid claim to makingtheir home adequately insulatedcompared to 43% of women who tend tonotice a draught or cold spot. Not to beoutdone, a whopping 74% of men wouldchampion having a home energy auditcarried out to save costs in the longrun. Knowledge really is power.Aware, but ready to act? Our wisdom

on grant-aided energy saving schemesseems to increase markedly with thecold, hard realities of a longer lifetimefighting utility bills, damp and thecruelty of a cold house. Those in the 18-34 age bracket are the least aware of thecurrent schemes (42%) while theawareness level of 35-54-year-olds is52%. An impressive 66% of over-55s areaware of current schemes.Mark Prentice, head of retail at Bord

Gáis Energy says that “two in everyfive people surveyed (43%) felt theirhomes were poorly insulated to dealwith such harsh weather. Those livingin urban areas were more concernedwith every second respondent (54%)feeling their home did not have properinsulation, compared to rural areaswhere 31% were of the same opinion”.The vast majority of respondents are

ready to put their money where theirconcerns are. If the survey does reflectnational attitudes, 24% of us are willingto stump up an extra €2,000 to top up a

Government-aided grant and an additional 38% would spendbetween €500 and €1,000.Mr Prentice goes on: “Poor roof and cavity wall insulation

were cited as the main reason people believe their home to bepoorly insulated and in fact these are two really simple andstraight-forward improvements.”The survey shows that 73% of people would consider home

insulation if and when they could afford it. It also seems thatnow fully aware of what’s on offer, over half (56%) said theywere likely to take part in energy efficiency schemes runthrough the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland websiteand their local councils.Where to now? For everything you need to know about

saving energy at home plus the application process for theSEAI grant-aided Better Energy Homes Schemes, log ontoseai.ie or call 1850 927 000. Low-income households and those

on the National Fuel Allowance may be eligible for WarmerHomes grant aid. Log onto www.seai.ie or call 1800 250 204.Well & Warm is also useful for those struggling with fuel bills.www.wellandwarm.ie.The utility companies in Ireland are pro-active in providing

customers with up-to-the-minute advice and even tailoredfinancial products for energy saving investments. The BordGáis Energy Home Team can manage the SEAI grantapproval process as part of the Better Home Bonus plan,which includes an attic and cavity wall insulation packagewith 0% interest-free payments up to 12 months. They alsosort out your SEAI grant so you only pay the total cost lessthe grant and take off a special discount.

■ www.bordgaisenergy.ie/hometeam

Theory and practise: Good habits at home?

NOW, having wittered on like an agedfishwife for years in the pages of this paper,I found the energy-saving practise area ofthe Bord Gáis Home Team survey uplifting.

It’s good to know, that whereas we might not alwaysbehave as well as we should, we do know how weshould be behaving to knock those bills on the headand lighten the load on our struggling little planet.The overall majority of respondents showed a

strong awareness of the different ways to reduceenergy consumption in their household.

● Switching off lights came top of the measures interms of awareness (94%)● Use of CFL bulbs (89%)● Not leaving appliances on standby (86%)● Keeping doors and windows closed (80%)● Only boiling the required amount of water in thekettle (80%)● Putting central heating on timer (76%)● Turning down heating thermostat by one degree(75%)● Buying A-rated appliances (75%)

● Closing curtains at night/opening during the dayto let sunlight in (65%)This is the theory and in some cases practise is a

lot less impressive. Only 58% of those surveyed saythey would actually buy an A-rated appliance(possibly due to the acknowledged extra expense);while 68% said they would not take the trouble toturn appliances off rather than leaving them onstandby. Considering this last casual neglect canleave a 50% bleed of electricity for the small troubleof pushing a switch, we clearly have a way to go.

PROPERTY HOME ECONOMICS

Location: Kinsale, CorkPrice: €375,000Size: Sq m 177 (1,900 sq ft)Bedrooms: 4BER rating: B2Broadband: Yes

Ship ahoy for appealing townhousesThese visually engaging homes have a Kinsale view. Tommy Barker reports

THERE’S only a dozen houseshere in Kinsale’s Admiral’sWalk, in two runs of terraces,and they’re both niche and

popular.The large townhouses’ design is

clever, and visually engaging, withsections stepped forward and back withsome hung-slate sections and balconiesto break up the run of joined-upfacades.Located up above the entrance to

Kinsale harbour, on the Cork side, thethree-storey No 12 is, handily, end ofterrace, with both a side yard and aback garden, and has four en suitebedrooms, one on the top floor, theother three are in the mid-level, and themaster bed to the back on the middlelevel has views down towards Kinsaletown from its raised balcony, lookingover and past its back garden.The ground level is open and bright,

with a 18’ by 12’ kitchen/dining room to

the front, and an 18’ by 17’ living roombehind, with wide bay window anddoors to the back garden. There’s also astudy, plus utility and a fifth WC.Pleasant-looking Admiral’s Walk was

built by the well-regarded JohnBuckley, and the front gardens aremore or less open and communal, withreserved storage areas. No 12’s reargardens are accessed via the study, orthe living room, opening to vies of theyacht club, for wanna-be admirals.

According to selling agent JohnnyO’Flynn of Sherry FitzGerald, No 12’sinterior “is second-to-none with the useof very attractive materials to includesolid hard wood flooring, qualitycarpeting, quality fitted kitchen withgranite worktops and natural yet warmtones throughout”.

VERDICT: There’s a nice floor plan tothese well-detailed Kinsale townhouses,now selling for €375,000 or so.

Location: Killeens, Ballymakeera, Co CorkPrice: €400,000Size: 214 sq ms (2,303 sq ft)Bedrooms: 4BER rating: PendingBroadband: Yes

Characterful period propertyThe house price has been cut to tempt buyers. Tommy Barker reports

I T’S the perfect period property —not too big, not too small, not tooold and yet, old enough.

Tig Danushe is a characterful neo-Georgian house near Ballymakeera, CoCork and it’s been halved in price totempt buyers — the gentleman farmer’sresidence is now down to €400,000 froman initial, €750,000.Set on a tree-lined acre site and

located just outside the village, it looksalmost like a child’s drawing —windows on either side of a simple,

curved door case and three bays on thefirst floor.However, the house is surprisingly

roomy and stretches out at the back tooffer good space and a modernarrangement in a fully renovated shell.The owners made sure there were

plenty of bathrooms when remodellingthe property and it offers fourbathrooms to four bedrooms.And they made sure to insulate and

re-point the thick stone walls and sandblast the exterior to bring the stone

back to life.They also replaced the old windows in

favour of new, double glazed sashes andhave re-floored, re-plumbed and rewiredthe building without compromising itscharacter. Buyers, however, should findit cosy and easy to manage andaccording to Nora Cohalan of agents,Godsil Cohalan, it’s sweet and wellmaintained inside.The house has a typical layout with

two formal rooms, a modern kitchendining room at the back, with old cast

iron stove and Canadian oak flooring,(which is used throughout the house), autility room and guest bathroom.On the upper level there are two large

suites facing south and a mainbathroom which services two furtherbedrooms.

VERDICT:With lots of privacy and justenough garden to cope with, TigDanushe offers period living in alocation easily accessible to Killarney,Kenmare, Cork city and Macroom town.

TERAPROOF:User:sueoconnorDate:05/01/2012Time:10:53:23Edition:07/01/2012PropertyXP0701Page:10 Zone:XP1

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10 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 11

INTERIORS INTERIORS

We take a detailed look atone aspect of the home every week ... IN COLOUR

Get the look withoutbreaking the bank

New huesCarol O’Callaghan says there’s nothing quite like a pot of paint for bringing a fresh new look to a room in your home

W ITH the Christmasdecorations packed awayand the evenings starting tobrighten, in just a few

weeks we’ll have the western sun fillingrooms with a lovely warm light in thelate afternoon. Of course, it will showup every speck of dust and square inchof paint yellowed from fires burningthroughout winter, and the urge to getout the paint brushes will kick in.There’s nothing quite like a pot of

paint for bringing a fresh new look to aroom and, for 2012, there seems to begenuine innovation in the huesavailable. Lighter pinks have developeda sophisticated take, bearing noresemblance to the pinks that dazzlelittle girls’ bedrooms. New fleshy pinkhues are fresh and clean, offering asubtle warmth that offsets beautifullyagainst pale wooden furniture, touchesof white and, rather surprisingly, black.Popular retro orange, green, and

mustard yellows have had a certaindullness and lacklustre but are nowvamped up as we tighten our embraceon the style of the 1950s, 60s and 70s.New versions have a significant depth

without being dark, and offer avibrancy that means they won’toverwhelm our rooms. The suggesteduse is to confine them to a single wall orcertainly on no more than two withwhite paint detailing to offset thecolour, or white furniture such as bookcases and side tables.Grey is probably the interiors

surprise of the last several years havingbecome such a popular interiors colourdespite all its associations withdreariness. Yet its new variations havebrought a sophistication to the shadethat is not without warmth and makes aperfect foil for bright colour elsewherein a room. It also helps to removeintensity and glare that can be off-putting to paint buyers who would likea splash of brightness.While all this talk of colour, do give

careful consideration to how they willactually translate on to the walls ofyour house, and the impact they willhave on the perception of space.Linking colours from one room to the

next is essential if you want to retain afeeling of spaciousness. It doesn’t meanevery room has to have the same colouron everything, but that some maincolours are repeated from one space to

the next. So, for example, the blue onyour dining room walls will be repeatedin cushions or a rug in your sittingroom.Equally important to the aesthetic

effect is to achieve a look that will standthe test of time — at least a few years —and is wallet-friendly. Repeating colourswill make your decorating budgetstretch further, and allow you to movefurniture and accessories from room toroom to give each space a fresh feel, andyou can be assured they’ll work justfine in their new location withouthaving to incur more spending.

■ Next week we go all American rustic as wecheck into log-cabin style

■ Finding an unusualclock can be quite achallenge, especiallywhen the fashion beinginflicted on us is tohave the name of theshop where it is boughtemblazoned across itsface. For a perfectlyfunctional model butwith high designcontent and aconsiderable amount ofwit, check out this one.

Time Flies by Jenny Walsh(€26 from I Heart Design).

Colour co-ordinatedInject some colour with a few new accessories and see how youlike it before painting the walls.

Try a pair of retro blue andorange mugs with a cleverangled base to make balancingthem on your knees easy(€10.50 from Designist).

Try a popular 70scombination of tinted glassand the colour green withornamental fruit from NextInteriors (€26).

Grey, pale blue and pink finisheson Lisa Stickley’s Dotty Rosemugs bring some on-trendcolour into the kitchen (approx€7).

Comfortable furnishingsTextiles and soft furnishings are a lovely way of introducing colourand can extend a colour scheme from one room to the next.

Green on grey is an on-trendcombination in the Penney’sButterfly cushion (€6).

The Celina lampshade offers aburst of colour and will help tothrow a warm glow around theroom (€58 at Next Interiors).

Toile patterned tea-towels in pink,red and blue bring a touch ofcolour to kitchen surroundings(€13 for three at M&S).

Vibrancy and life are brought to retro colours in eco-friendly Mivvi lemon on walls and Spearmintand Milk Thistle green finishes on cupboards (from €36 per 2.5ltr at The Little Green PaintCompany, Cork).

Bright yellow can be an acquired taste. Try a hue like Babouche by Farrow & Ball which has thebrand’s characteristic flatness without losing its vibrancy. Team it with Pavilion on woodwork as arefreshing change from white gloss (€44 per 2.5ltr from Pat McDonnell Paints and Boulevard Interiors).

Burnt orange of the 1970s is back, diluted by a white feature wall and small-scale white table (€24.99). Contrast is provided by ametal floor-standing anglepoise lamp (€55) with the overall impact softened by subdued armchair upholstery (€349). From Ikea.

Left: Fleshy pink wall paint is teamed with a novel grey ceiling and floor colour. The addition of blond wood bar stools and colourblocking in black creates a fresh and sophisticated hot-meets-cool finish (Dulux paints approx. €26 per 2.5ltr at B&Q).Right: Grey and duck-egg paint colours hold their place in the decorating fashion stakes. Colortrend’s Historic Icehouse (€64.95 per5ltr) and Historic Parsons Stone (€24.95 per 1ltr) are a subtle take (from Colortrend Centres nationwide and Paintwell).

TERAPROOF:User:sueoconnorDate:05/01/2012Time:10:53:23Edition:07/01/2012PropertyXP0701Page:10 Zone:XP1

XP1 - V1 XP1 - V1

10 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 11

INTERIORS INTERIORS

We take a detailed look atone aspect of the home every week ... IN COLOUR

Get the look withoutbreaking the bank

New huesCarol O’Callaghan says there’s nothing quite like a pot of paint for bringing a fresh new look to a room in your home

W ITH the Christmasdecorations packed awayand the evenings starting tobrighten, in just a few

weeks we’ll have the western sun fillingrooms with a lovely warm light in thelate afternoon. Of course, it will showup every speck of dust and square inchof paint yellowed from fires burningthroughout winter, and the urge to getout the paint brushes will kick in.There’s nothing quite like a pot of

paint for bringing a fresh new look to aroom and, for 2012, there seems to begenuine innovation in the huesavailable. Lighter pinks have developeda sophisticated take, bearing noresemblance to the pinks that dazzlelittle girls’ bedrooms. New fleshy pinkhues are fresh and clean, offering asubtle warmth that offsets beautifullyagainst pale wooden furniture, touchesof white and, rather surprisingly, black.Popular retro orange, green, and

mustard yellows have had a certaindullness and lacklustre but are nowvamped up as we tighten our embraceon the style of the 1950s, 60s and 70s.New versions have a significant depth

without being dark, and offer avibrancy that means they won’toverwhelm our rooms. The suggesteduse is to confine them to a single wall orcertainly on no more than two withwhite paint detailing to offset thecolour, or white furniture such as bookcases and side tables.Grey is probably the interiors

surprise of the last several years havingbecome such a popular interiors colourdespite all its associations withdreariness. Yet its new variations havebrought a sophistication to the shadethat is not without warmth and makes aperfect foil for bright colour elsewherein a room. It also helps to removeintensity and glare that can be off-putting to paint buyers who would likea splash of brightness.While all this talk of colour, do give

careful consideration to how they willactually translate on to the walls ofyour house, and the impact they willhave on the perception of space.Linking colours from one room to the

next is essential if you want to retain afeeling of spaciousness. It doesn’t meanevery room has to have the same colouron everything, but that some maincolours are repeated from one space to

the next. So, for example, the blue onyour dining room walls will be repeatedin cushions or a rug in your sittingroom.Equally important to the aesthetic

effect is to achieve a look that will standthe test of time — at least a few years —and is wallet-friendly. Repeating colourswill make your decorating budgetstretch further, and allow you to movefurniture and accessories from room toroom to give each space a fresh feel, andyou can be assured they’ll work justfine in their new location withouthaving to incur more spending.

■ Next week we go all American rustic as wecheck into log-cabin style

■ Finding an unusualclock can be quite achallenge, especiallywhen the fashion beinginflicted on us is tohave the name of theshop where it is boughtemblazoned across itsface. For a perfectlyfunctional model butwith high designcontent and aconsiderable amount ofwit, check out this one.

Time Flies by Jenny Walsh(€26 from I Heart Design).

Colour co-ordinatedInject some colour with a few new accessories and see how youlike it before painting the walls.

Try a pair of retro blue andorange mugs with a cleverangled base to make balancingthem on your knees easy(€10.50 from Designist).

Try a popular 70scombination of tinted glassand the colour green withornamental fruit from NextInteriors (€26).

Grey, pale blue and pink finisheson Lisa Stickley’s Dotty Rosemugs bring some on-trendcolour into the kitchen (approx€7).

Comfortable furnishingsTextiles and soft furnishings are a lovely way of introducing colourand can extend a colour scheme from one room to the next.

Green on grey is an on-trendcombination in the Penney’sButterfly cushion (€6).

The Celina lampshade offers aburst of colour and will help tothrow a warm glow around theroom (€58 at Next Interiors).

Toile patterned tea-towels in pink,red and blue bring a touch ofcolour to kitchen surroundings(€13 for three at M&S).

Vibrancy and life are brought to retro colours in eco-friendly Mivvi lemon on walls and Spearmintand Milk Thistle green finishes on cupboards (from €36 per 2.5ltr at The Little Green PaintCompany, Cork).

Bright yellow can be an acquired taste. Try a hue like Babouche by Farrow & Ball which has thebrand’s characteristic flatness without losing its vibrancy. Team it with Pavilion on woodwork as arefreshing change from white gloss (€44 per 2.5ltr from Pat McDonnell Paints and Boulevard Interiors).

Burnt orange of the 1970s is back, diluted by a white feature wall and small-scale white table (€24.99). Contrast is provided by ametal floor-standing anglepoise lamp (€55) with the overall impact softened by subdued armchair upholstery (€349). From Ikea.

Left: Fleshy pink wall paint is teamed with a novel grey ceiling and floor colour. The addition of blond wood bar stools and colourblocking in black creates a fresh and sophisticated hot-meets-cool finish (Dulux paints approx. €26 per 2.5ltr at B&Q).Right: Grey and duck-egg paint colours hold their place in the decorating fashion stakes. Colortrend’s Historic Icehouse (€64.95 per5ltr) and Historic Parsons Stone (€24.95 per 1ltr) are a subtle take (from Colortrend Centres nationwide and Paintwell).

TERAPROOF:User:sueoconnorDate:05/01/2012Time:10:51:39Edition:07/01/2012PropertyXP0701Page:14 Zone:XP1

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14 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 15

DIY DIY

DIYTIPS

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

NEW WORLDCOMING TOYOUR HOMEElectronic and environmental changes are set to transformours homes in the future, Kya deLongchamps reports

CAN you imagine how anyone in1962 would have reacted if youtold them that in 2012 we wouldhappily fish out the

biodegradable and recyclable wastefrom our rubbish and stuff our wallswith sheep’s wool? It would haveseemed the hippy ravings brought on byinhaling too much flower power. Still, in50 years time, (the year in which thecartoon Jetsons are actually set), ourhomes are likely to be all butunrecognisable. Here’s just a teasingglimpse of that new world to come.

ULTIMATE RECYCLING

Those of a more sensitive emotionalnature might want to put down theircereal spoons, right about — now. In2062, good drinking water is likely to bea relatively expensive resource. You’llthink nothing of strolling off to thebathroom to stand over your ownfiltering/squatting toilet with a handygrip handle to take a good aim. Thewaste is a valuable householdcommodity and will be conducted withjust 1 litre of flushing water to amethane producing ‘digester’. Added toother degradable rubbish and effluent,your contribution will help power lightsand appliances, and cool water to chillthe must-have alterative fridge — a Bio-larder, chock full of fresh and pottedvegetables and fruit.That very loo, derived from Sulabh

Foundation in India, has been takenfrom the drawing board by PhilipsDesign, and included in theirfascinating Microbal Home ProbeProject. The Probe is a curiously starkbut lovely interior with a symbiotic lifeof its own.If you need an exciting incentive for

performing demi-pliats in the bathroom,Philip’s scientists point out thatsquatting is physically better for thehind end of a human being, with far lesscolon cancers in countries where astanding posture is the norm. We havealready started filtering, processing andrecycling waste at home in ourcomposters and brown bins — why not?

DECORATING WITH BEES ANDBACTERIA

Among the prettier ingredients in theProbe home is the Urban Beehive, amesmerising golden glass enclosurewith an entry way pierced through anoutside wall. Bees produce honey rightin our kitchens where it’s siphoned offby tap from a stacked sculpture of

glistening combs. Ambient lighting inthe Probe room is produced bybioluminescent bacteria or proteins,feasting on methane and compostedwaste drawn down from the homedigester, and enclosed in a curtain oforganically styled glass bubbles. ThePhilips Probe project shows just how farwe may boldly go in years to come, witha pared back interior landscape ofworking pieces that are not onlymesmeric to look at but perform a dailydevotion to our well being.If you can stand to look our potential

future square in the eye examine theentire workings of this revolutionarythinking at Philip’s design websitewww.design.philips.com.

THE CONNECTED HOMEThe information age that we’ve

enjoyed in our home PCs, the Internetand through the wonders of the supermobile telephone, will drive otherchanges. Tomorrow’s house will only bepassive in the sense of requiring verylittle heating. Far from a pile of bricksjust enclosing furniture, your house willbe completely, electronically ‘connected’awakening as a domestic network — asort of huge personal computercontrolled by you.This network will be an exaggeration

of the wireless technology currentlyallowing our phones, television and PCsto chat and exchange entertainmentcontent. Have you already emailed ortexted a picture straight to a digitalphoto-frame overseas? The steady humof home automation can extend easily toturning appliances on or off, tuning theheating, dimming lights by night, andchecking our security from where everwe are. What’s already available in themulti-million euro houses will trickledown to us mere mortals over time asthe technology becomes affordable.By 2062, your house is quite likely to

be a bit opinionated, honing yourbehaviour around the house to answernew standards in sustainable living.Independent thought from smartcircuitiery has to be paid for, but giventhe perfection of photovoltaic systemsyou can sell some home grown powerback to Electricity Ireland to pay for itall.Norwegian company EnSol AS has

already created a unique patentedtransparent film which can be coatedonto window glass so that windows inbuildings act as power generators.It’s likely to be available as early as2016.

WIRELESS HOUSEKEEPING FROMTHE CES

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES)is held in Las Vegas, Nevada in Januaryevery year. It’s geek-central and a must-see not only for electronic buffs butincreasingly important for anyone keento explore cutting edge homeautomation. The Americans are asfascinated by convenience as ecologicalconcerns and the first thing thatinterests many people is losing wiringthat entangles much of our homes.

Fulton Innovations, from Michigan,caused real excitement with theireCoupled Wireless technology at theCES 2011. Ordinary surfaces around thehouse, from kitchen counters to livingroom tables, become instant powersources that can heat food throughcool-to-touch induction coils, or chargeor run any appliance laid down onthem. With ‘Smart’ cabinets usingeCoupled packaging, food is scanned asit goes into storage, recording itspotential for family menus, its level offullness and its ‘use-by’ date. Expect to

be ticked off by text if an open packet ofsultanas is about to turn to pebbles.www.ecoupled.com. Some intelligentappliances such as LG fridges havealready started this sort of electronichousekeeping with polite suggestions ofmenu plans from the ingredients youtell it is inside its cavity. www.lg.co.uk.

CONTROL OR CONTROLLED?

Remember the talking BMWs, who gottheir fan belts in a twist if you held thedoor open too long or didn’t instantly

seize the seatbelt? That hectoringFräulein was quietly withdrawn. I’mlocked in combat with my Whirlpool‘hydro-sensor’ dryer, a mere blip offuzzy logic by the standards of 2062. Itpunishes me with damp undergarmentsif I try a quick toss and don’t fill her toregulatory watt respectful loads of 5kg.Will a computerised dictate of the IrishGovernment some day trill up throughmy lint-collector — “Citizen! Yourknickers are dried according to EPAstandards, remove themimmediately”.

How to make a Cardboard ClockWHAT YOU NEED:

■ The bottom section of a shoebox

■ A sheet of cardboard or alternative ‘face'

■ A clock mechanism. If you don’t want to gut a clock, try ebay.ie for a cheap,battery-fed Quartz mechanism with detachable hands

■ A craft knife and cutting surface

■ Craft glue

■ A compass to mark the face

■ A pencil to trace out your design

1 Draw out a template for the front of your clock. It will be fixed to theshoebox base for support, also giving it depth.

2 Ensuring it’s square (or not if you want funky), cut out the design withyour knife.

3 Mark the centre of the dial and mark a hole position to take the spindle ofthe hands.

4 Glue your clock face to the supporting shoebox. Make a hole for thehands.

5 Attach the clock mechanism to the inside of thebox.

6 Reattach the hands and mechanism together on the clockfront.

7 Decorate or leave as simple browncardboard.

■ Go Further: Use the front cover of an attractive but redundant hard coverbook as your clock face. Hang your volume on the wall.

Q. I am hoping to get my living roomre-painted this spring. Is grey still apopular colour and what can I do toco-ordinate it perfectly with myexisting suite?

A. The right grey is a restful, versatilecolour. According to Crown paintcolourists in discussion with the highlyread Trend Bible(www.trendbible.co.uk) it remains anunderpinning for intense colourchoices even this year’s searing acidbrights. Paint up a large piece oflining paper or card and place itaround the room to ensure a goodmarriage. Don’t trust a fleck of paint ona card.

Q. I have a very small budget toupdate my master bathroom andimprove the storage. It’s a biggishroom but a bit stark. What would beon trend for a ‘look’ this year.

A. A blend of sophisticated bathroomware with natural finishes for doors andsupports in storage pieces, wood aboveall else continues into 2012. Honestmaterials soften that clinical edge.Repurpose free-standing wood storage(sand, stain and seal), leave the warealone and look for well engineered tapsto be on trend for water savings.

Q. I would like to invest in some Irishfurniture, really up-to-the-minutenew work. Where do I start to findthe right person?

A. Online you can look through thedesigners featured at The Irish FurnitureDesigners Network www.irish-designers.com. You can find acraftsperson and their work at TheCrafts Council of Ireland. www.ccoi.ieand finally I would encourage you toattend all the arts and crafts showsavailable. You may find the nexttalented maker at a graduation show.

Cyclical, minimal and some might argue a domestic work of environmental art, The Microbal Homefrom Philips Design, including the bio-digester island, living larder, urban beehive, paternoster up-cycler and bio-lighting.

The Urban Beehive: Creating a bridge to the wider environment thismesmeric Urban Beehive is attached to an outside wall, the honey righton tap in the kitchen. Philips Probe Microbal Home Project.

This Paternoster waste up-cycler utilises the properties of fungi that have powerful enzymes anddecomposing power right in our kitchens. A mycelium attached during production to plastics we use inpackaging, would decompose and metabolise them in this elegant wrecking machine. Philips DesignProbe Microbal Home Project.

Top: A glass, charging surfacedesigned by Joel Berman usingeCoupled technology fromFulton Innovations. Surfaces allover the house will soon serveas power points for wirelesslypowering everything from ablender to a laptop computer.www.ecoupled.com

Left: A blender that can runwithout wires sits on aneCoupled surface. Cooking onthese surfaces can includeinduction coils that are cold totouch, making them super safe.Technology by FultonInnovations.www.ecoupled.com

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14 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 15

DIY DIY

DIYTIPS

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

NEW WORLDCOMING TOYOUR HOMEElectronic and environmental changes are set to transformours homes in the future, Kya deLongchamps reports

CAN you imagine how anyone in1962 would have reacted if youtold them that in 2012 we wouldhappily fish out the

biodegradable and recyclable wastefrom our rubbish and stuff our wallswith sheep’s wool? It would haveseemed the hippy ravings brought on byinhaling too much flower power. Still, in50 years time, (the year in which thecartoon Jetsons are actually set), ourhomes are likely to be all butunrecognisable. Here’s just a teasingglimpse of that new world to come.

ULTIMATE RECYCLING

Those of a more sensitive emotionalnature might want to put down theircereal spoons, right about — now. In2062, good drinking water is likely to bea relatively expensive resource. You’llthink nothing of strolling off to thebathroom to stand over your ownfiltering/squatting toilet with a handygrip handle to take a good aim. Thewaste is a valuable householdcommodity and will be conducted withjust 1 litre of flushing water to amethane producing ‘digester’. Added toother degradable rubbish and effluent,your contribution will help power lightsand appliances, and cool water to chillthe must-have alterative fridge — a Bio-larder, chock full of fresh and pottedvegetables and fruit.That very loo, derived from Sulabh

Foundation in India, has been takenfrom the drawing board by PhilipsDesign, and included in theirfascinating Microbal Home ProbeProject. The Probe is a curiously starkbut lovely interior with a symbiotic lifeof its own.If you need an exciting incentive for

performing demi-pliats in the bathroom,Philip’s scientists point out thatsquatting is physically better for thehind end of a human being, with far lesscolon cancers in countries where astanding posture is the norm. We havealready started filtering, processing andrecycling waste at home in ourcomposters and brown bins — why not?

DECORATING WITH BEES ANDBACTERIA

Among the prettier ingredients in theProbe home is the Urban Beehive, amesmerising golden glass enclosurewith an entry way pierced through anoutside wall. Bees produce honey rightin our kitchens where it’s siphoned offby tap from a stacked sculpture of

glistening combs. Ambient lighting inthe Probe room is produced bybioluminescent bacteria or proteins,feasting on methane and compostedwaste drawn down from the homedigester, and enclosed in a curtain oforganically styled glass bubbles. ThePhilips Probe project shows just how farwe may boldly go in years to come, witha pared back interior landscape ofworking pieces that are not onlymesmeric to look at but perform a dailydevotion to our well being.If you can stand to look our potential

future square in the eye examine theentire workings of this revolutionarythinking at Philip’s design websitewww.design.philips.com.

THE CONNECTED HOMEThe information age that we’ve

enjoyed in our home PCs, the Internetand through the wonders of the supermobile telephone, will drive otherchanges. Tomorrow’s house will only bepassive in the sense of requiring verylittle heating. Far from a pile of bricksjust enclosing furniture, your house willbe completely, electronically ‘connected’awakening as a domestic network — asort of huge personal computercontrolled by you.This network will be an exaggeration

of the wireless technology currentlyallowing our phones, television and PCsto chat and exchange entertainmentcontent. Have you already emailed ortexted a picture straight to a digitalphoto-frame overseas? The steady humof home automation can extend easily toturning appliances on or off, tuning theheating, dimming lights by night, andchecking our security from where everwe are. What’s already available in themulti-million euro houses will trickledown to us mere mortals over time asthe technology becomes affordable.By 2062, your house is quite likely to

be a bit opinionated, honing yourbehaviour around the house to answernew standards in sustainable living.Independent thought from smartcircuitiery has to be paid for, but giventhe perfection of photovoltaic systemsyou can sell some home grown powerback to Electricity Ireland to pay for itall.Norwegian company EnSol AS has

already created a unique patentedtransparent film which can be coatedonto window glass so that windows inbuildings act as power generators.It’s likely to be available as early as2016.

WIRELESS HOUSEKEEPING FROMTHE CES

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES)is held in Las Vegas, Nevada in Januaryevery year. It’s geek-central and a must-see not only for electronic buffs butincreasingly important for anyone keento explore cutting edge homeautomation. The Americans are asfascinated by convenience as ecologicalconcerns and the first thing thatinterests many people is losing wiringthat entangles much of our homes.

Fulton Innovations, from Michigan,caused real excitement with theireCoupled Wireless technology at theCES 2011. Ordinary surfaces around thehouse, from kitchen counters to livingroom tables, become instant powersources that can heat food throughcool-to-touch induction coils, or chargeor run any appliance laid down onthem. With ‘Smart’ cabinets usingeCoupled packaging, food is scanned asit goes into storage, recording itspotential for family menus, its level offullness and its ‘use-by’ date. Expect to

be ticked off by text if an open packet ofsultanas is about to turn to pebbles.www.ecoupled.com. Some intelligentappliances such as LG fridges havealready started this sort of electronichousekeeping with polite suggestions ofmenu plans from the ingredients youtell it is inside its cavity. www.lg.co.uk.

CONTROL OR CONTROLLED?

Remember the talking BMWs, who gottheir fan belts in a twist if you held thedoor open too long or didn’t instantly

seize the seatbelt? That hectoringFräulein was quietly withdrawn. I’mlocked in combat with my Whirlpool‘hydro-sensor’ dryer, a mere blip offuzzy logic by the standards of 2062. Itpunishes me with damp undergarmentsif I try a quick toss and don’t fill her toregulatory watt respectful loads of 5kg.Will a computerised dictate of the IrishGovernment some day trill up throughmy lint-collector — “Citizen! Yourknickers are dried according to EPAstandards, remove themimmediately”.

How to make a Cardboard ClockWHAT YOU NEED:

■ The bottom section of a shoebox

■ A sheet of cardboard or alternative ‘face'

■ A clock mechanism. If you don’t want to gut a clock, try ebay.ie for a cheap,battery-fed Quartz mechanism with detachable hands

■ A craft knife and cutting surface

■ Craft glue

■ A compass to mark the face

■ A pencil to trace out your design

1 Draw out a template for the front of your clock. It will be fixed to theshoebox base for support, also giving it depth.

2 Ensuring it’s square (or not if you want funky), cut out the design withyour knife.

3 Mark the centre of the dial and mark a hole position to take the spindle ofthe hands.

4 Glue your clock face to the supporting shoebox. Make a hole for thehands.

5 Attach the clock mechanism to the inside of thebox.

6 Reattach the hands and mechanism together on the clockfront.

7 Decorate or leave as simple browncardboard.

■ Go Further: Use the front cover of an attractive but redundant hard coverbook as your clock face. Hang your volume on the wall.

Q. I am hoping to get my living roomre-painted this spring. Is grey still apopular colour and what can I do toco-ordinate it perfectly with myexisting suite?

A. The right grey is a restful, versatilecolour. According to Crown paintcolourists in discussion with the highlyread Trend Bible(www.trendbible.co.uk) it remains anunderpinning for intense colourchoices even this year’s searing acidbrights. Paint up a large piece oflining paper or card and place itaround the room to ensure a goodmarriage. Don’t trust a fleck of paint ona card.

Q. I have a very small budget toupdate my master bathroom andimprove the storage. It’s a biggishroom but a bit stark. What would beon trend for a ‘look’ this year.

A. A blend of sophisticated bathroomware with natural finishes for doors andsupports in storage pieces, wood aboveall else continues into 2012. Honestmaterials soften that clinical edge.Repurpose free-standing wood storage(sand, stain and seal), leave the warealone and look for well engineered tapsto be on trend for water savings.

Q. I would like to invest in some Irishfurniture, really up-to-the-minutenew work. Where do I start to findthe right person?

A. Online you can look through thedesigners featured at The Irish FurnitureDesigners Network www.irish-designers.com. You can find acraftsperson and their work at TheCrafts Council of Ireland. www.ccoi.ieand finally I would encourage you toattend all the arts and crafts showsavailable. You may find the nexttalented maker at a graduation show.

Cyclical, minimal and some might argue a domestic work of environmental art, The Microbal Homefrom Philips Design, including the bio-digester island, living larder, urban beehive, paternoster up-cycler and bio-lighting.

The Urban Beehive: Creating a bridge to the wider environment thismesmeric Urban Beehive is attached to an outside wall, the honey righton tap in the kitchen. Philips Probe Microbal Home Project.

This Paternoster waste up-cycler utilises the properties of fungi that have powerful enzymes anddecomposing power right in our kitchens. A mycelium attached during production to plastics we use inpackaging, would decompose and metabolise them in this elegant wrecking machine. Philips DesignProbe Microbal Home Project.

Top: A glass, charging surfacedesigned by Joel Berman usingeCoupled technology fromFulton Innovations. Surfaces allover the house will soon serveas power points for wirelesslypowering everything from ablender to a laptop computer.www.ecoupled.com

Left: A blender that can runwithout wires sits on aneCoupled surface. Cooking onthese surfaces can includeinduction coils that are cold totouch, making them super safe.Technology by FultonInnovations.www.ecoupled.com

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16 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 17

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

Interior designerMarion Ormond of Ken Jackson Interiors,Marina Commercial Park, Centre Park Road, Cork City,answers your questions. Email: interiors@examiner.ie

ASK THE

DESIGNERQ My six-year-old apartment

is starting to look a bit jaded— what are some of the keytrends for 2012?

A. In the current climate, moderninterior design is all about finding newcomfort in old rooms. 2012 will see therise of simple, sophisticated elegance athome. Cosy browns, creams, golds,greens and yellows are among the topcolour trends for spring. Large wallmirrors, mirrored furniture andbeautiful wallpaper with Swarovskicrystals that reflect more light into theroom will also be big. Luxuriousfabrics, such as silk, velvet and woolwill be contrasted against naturalstone, metal and wood surfaces. In theinterior design world, the trend is beingknown as ‘Liberation’ think gender-neutral homes that are comfortable butexotic.

Q. I just bought my first home,before Christmas — do you have anyhelpful hints for bagging a bargainon furniture in the sales?

A. You can make big savings onfurniture in the January sales — butlike anything else, never go shoppingfor big ticket items on impulse. Start bymaking a list of the items you need andestablishing a budget. Be sure that it’s agenuine sale rather than just agimmick. With furniture you seeblowout sales all the time — so watchfor sample or clearance sales, instead.Familiarise yourself with the real valueof the item, shop around and don’t beafraid to haggle, even if the piece isalready on sale. Remember to ask aboutthe warranty, tax and delivery charges.

Q. I’ve read that ‘tufted’ furniturewill be big in 2012 — but what is itexactly?

A. Tufting is when the upholstery on apiece of furniture is threaded andsecured with a knot or button — creatingdense clusters in the fabric. In the olddays, it was used to secure cushions tothe seat and back of chairs, but,nowadays, is more ornamental.Tufting has been making a comebackin recent years, but I predict it will behuge in 2012. Although a vintagetechnique, it looks great on modernpieces — watch for tufted headboards,sofas and arm chairs. Some advantagesare that it’s comfortable and adds dramato textiles, like leather, by castingshadows. However, deep tufting can be alittle trickier to clean than plainupholstery.

Q. One of my New Year’s resolutionsis to be more punctual — but howmany clocks is too many to have inmy home?

A. Between TVs, microwaves, mobilephones and computers, we’resurrounded by devices that tell the time– yet still run late! Most homes have awall clock in the kitchen, wall or mantleclock in the living room, table clock oreven grandfather clock in the hallwayand alarm clock in each bedroom. But tohelp keep your New Year’s resolution,you might want to consider a bathroomclock too. You don’t need a clock in everyroom — just close enough to take a quickglance at. Before choosing a clock,remember to consider the size and décorof the room.

Left and top:tuftedheadboards;above a Fjordchair €839 fromMarks & Spencer;left interiordesign trends for2012.

1 Provenance Interiors

In this site, click on the icon toview the brochure of this store. For arustic French look, check out thebookcases in wax-colour finishes,which come in a range of 12 colours.The site features cabinets harkingback to a country-style kitchen, sideboards perfect for your inheritedcrockery, or kitchen centres to bringcontemporary style to your home. Ithas a selection of bars to add somecharacter to a room used forentertaining. Bathroom and bedroomfurniture also feature, rounding out aEuropean look to your home.

■ www.provenanceinteriors.ie

2 Aoki Interiors

I have been waiting for this siteto open for business before featuringit on these pages. It was worth thewait. Jam-packed with products andeasy to navigate, this site is home toan interior design service, but alsostocks fabulous items for the home.Each element in pictures is detailedwith just a click, offering informationin a simple-to-find format. It has asection on projects that providesadvice, tips, and before-and-afterpictures for those looking for adviceon similar ventures in their ownhome.

■ www.aokiinteriors.ie

3 Jennifer Slattery textiles

For a talking point around thedinner table, these linens are just thetrick. Guests at a dinner party mayhave to do a double take for theircutlery with this illusion, as illustratedon the right. This designer featuresdigital-printed imagery andembroidery on tableware, cushionsand throws. Her ‘Tea Party’ tablerunner received first prize in thedigital print category at the RDSNational Craft Competition. Gloriouscushions are made from wool, tweedand silk, while the luxurious throwsare works of art.

■ www.jenniferslatterytextiles.com Pass the fork: Linen from Jennifer Slattery Textiles.

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TERAPROOF:User:NOELCAMPIONDate:05/01/2012Time:13:22:40Edition:07/01/2012PropertyXP0701Page:16 Zone:XP1

XP1 - V1 XP1 - V1

16 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 17

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

Interior designerMarion Ormond of Ken Jackson Interiors,Marina Commercial Park, Centre Park Road, Cork City,answers your questions. Email: interiors@examiner.ie

ASK THE

DESIGNERQ My six-year-old apartment

is starting to look a bit jaded— what are some of the keytrends for 2012?

A. In the current climate, moderninterior design is all about finding newcomfort in old rooms. 2012 will see therise of simple, sophisticated elegance athome. Cosy browns, creams, golds,greens and yellows are among the topcolour trends for spring. Large wallmirrors, mirrored furniture andbeautiful wallpaper with Swarovskicrystals that reflect more light into theroom will also be big. Luxuriousfabrics, such as silk, velvet and woolwill be contrasted against naturalstone, metal and wood surfaces. In theinterior design world, the trend is beingknown as ‘Liberation’ think gender-neutral homes that are comfortable butexotic.

Q. I just bought my first home,before Christmas — do you have anyhelpful hints for bagging a bargainon furniture in the sales?

A. You can make big savings onfurniture in the January sales — butlike anything else, never go shoppingfor big ticket items on impulse. Start bymaking a list of the items you need andestablishing a budget. Be sure that it’s agenuine sale rather than just agimmick. With furniture you seeblowout sales all the time — so watchfor sample or clearance sales, instead.Familiarise yourself with the real valueof the item, shop around and don’t beafraid to haggle, even if the piece isalready on sale. Remember to ask aboutthe warranty, tax and delivery charges.

Q. I’ve read that ‘tufted’ furniturewill be big in 2012 — but what is itexactly?

A. Tufting is when the upholstery on apiece of furniture is threaded andsecured with a knot or button — creatingdense clusters in the fabric. In the olddays, it was used to secure cushions tothe seat and back of chairs, but,nowadays, is more ornamental.Tufting has been making a comebackin recent years, but I predict it will behuge in 2012. Although a vintagetechnique, it looks great on modernpieces — watch for tufted headboards,sofas and arm chairs. Some advantagesare that it’s comfortable and adds dramato textiles, like leather, by castingshadows. However, deep tufting can be alittle trickier to clean than plainupholstery.

Q. One of my New Year’s resolutionsis to be more punctual — but howmany clocks is too many to have inmy home?

A. Between TVs, microwaves, mobilephones and computers, we’resurrounded by devices that tell the time– yet still run late! Most homes have awall clock in the kitchen, wall or mantleclock in the living room, table clock oreven grandfather clock in the hallwayand alarm clock in each bedroom. But tohelp keep your New Year’s resolution,you might want to consider a bathroomclock too. You don’t need a clock in everyroom — just close enough to take a quickglance at. Before choosing a clock,remember to consider the size and décorof the room.

Left and top:tuftedheadboards;above a Fjordchair €839 fromMarks & Spencer;left interiordesign trends for2012.

1 Provenance Interiors

In this site, click on the icon toview the brochure of this store. For arustic French look, check out thebookcases in wax-colour finishes,which come in a range of 12 colours.The site features cabinets harkingback to a country-style kitchen, sideboards perfect for your inheritedcrockery, or kitchen centres to bringcontemporary style to your home. Ithas a selection of bars to add somecharacter to a room used forentertaining. Bathroom and bedroomfurniture also feature, rounding out aEuropean look to your home.

■ www.provenanceinteriors.ie

2 Aoki Interiors

I have been waiting for this siteto open for business before featuringit on these pages. It was worth thewait. Jam-packed with products andeasy to navigate, this site is home toan interior design service, but alsostocks fabulous items for the home.Each element in pictures is detailedwith just a click, offering informationin a simple-to-find format. It has asection on projects that providesadvice, tips, and before-and-afterpictures for those looking for adviceon similar ventures in their ownhome.

■ www.aokiinteriors.ie

3 Jennifer Slattery textiles

For a talking point around thedinner table, these linens are just thetrick. Guests at a dinner party mayhave to do a double take for theircutlery with this illusion, as illustratedon the right. This designer featuresdigital-printed imagery andembroidery on tableware, cushionsand throws. Her ‘Tea Party’ tablerunner received first prize in thedigital print category at the RDSNational Craft Competition. Gloriouscushions are made from wool, tweedand silk, while the luxurious throwsare works of art.

■ www.jenniferslatterytextiles.com Pass the fork: Linen from Jennifer Slattery Textiles.

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

��� � ���� �������� ���� ����

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

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

TERAPROOF:User:sueoconnorDate:05/01/2012Time:13:14:47Edition:07/01/2012PropertyXP0701Page:18 Zone:XP1

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18 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 19

WISH LISTGather up your vouchers and Christmas moneygifts and head for the sales to indulge your NewYear’s wish list says Carol O’Callaghan

A low-hanging piece of contemporary lighting looks fabulousabove the dining table (Cocoon light from M&S, €149).

Make the onion chopping a little easier with amezzaluna chopper and board (from the Jamie OliverCollection at Debenhams, €33).

Help the New Year’s resolution to shift those pounds andstart grilling (24” cast iron grill pan from Heatons, €25).

Contemporary finish meets retro structure in the Milton media unit from M&S (approx €399).

Graphic prints are a popular feature on cushion fabric likeWolfgang in the Woods (from Garrendenny Lane Interiors, €59.99).

The toast rack harks back to the days before webreakfasted on the run. This one from Debenhams is acute take on an old favourite (€10).

Howard Keith swivel chair high quality furniture retailed by Healsand Harrods in the 1970s reduced from €450 to €250 onwww.originalcompulsivedesign.blogspot.com.

Yukari Sweeney’s Time for Tea pot has cleverlyintegrated two cups which double up as a lid andmake storage easy (€27).

After a glut of turkey and ham, a lovely Moroccan lamb and cous-cous tagineis a refreshing change (from Argos €27.99).

The 1930s anglepoise floor-lamp design is given a contemporarytouch with a purple finish (€149 at Aoki Interiors).

A sturdy ceramic bowl is perfect for whipping up cream for mince pies or preparinggravy to accompany the turkey (blue pouring bowl from Argos €13.99).

Check out the funky Fanny Geante lamp, astatement-piece accessory for a contemporaryinterior (from Objekt €185).

For a very contemporary take on traditional kitchen tins, checkout Ben de Lisi’s latest designs (from €10).

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18 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 19

WISH LISTGather up your vouchers and Christmas moneygifts and head for the sales to indulge your NewYear’s wish list says Carol O’Callaghan

A low-hanging piece of contemporary lighting looks fabulousabove the dining table (Cocoon light from M&S, €149).

Make the onion chopping a little easier with amezzaluna chopper and board (from the Jamie OliverCollection at Debenhams, €33).

Help the New Year’s resolution to shift those pounds andstart grilling (24” cast iron grill pan from Heatons, €25).

Contemporary finish meets retro structure in the Milton media unit from M&S (approx €399).

Graphic prints are a popular feature on cushion fabric likeWolfgang in the Woods (from Garrendenny Lane Interiors, €59.99).

The toast rack harks back to the days before webreakfasted on the run. This one from Debenhams is acute take on an old favourite (€10).

Howard Keith swivel chair high quality furniture retailed by Healsand Harrods in the 1970s reduced from €450 to €250 onwww.originalcompulsivedesign.blogspot.com.

Yukari Sweeney’s Time for Tea pot has cleverlyintegrated two cups which double up as a lid andmake storage easy (€27).

After a glut of turkey and ham, a lovely Moroccan lamb and cous-cous tagineis a refreshing change (from Argos €27.99).

The 1930s anglepoise floor-lamp design is given a contemporarytouch with a purple finish (€149 at Aoki Interiors).

A sturdy ceramic bowl is perfect for whipping up cream for mince pies or preparinggravy to accompany the turkey (blue pouring bowl from Argos €13.99).

Check out the funky Fanny Geante lamp, astatement-piece accessory for a contemporaryinterior (from Objekt €185).

For a very contemporary take on traditional kitchen tins, checkout Ben de Lisi’s latest designs (from €10).

TERAPROOF:User:NOELCAMPIONDate:05/01/2012Time:13:21:58Edition:07/01/2012PropertyXP0701Page:20 Zone:XP1

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20 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 21

Wintergardens inthe makingAndrew Farrelly, head gardener atBallintubbert, Co Laois, gives top tipsfor the new year garden

WORK FOR THE WEEK by Charlie Wilkins

by Charlie Wilkins

GARDENNOTES■ It has been said you have to be

careful what you admire on agarden visit for the owner may digup a piece for you more quicklythan you can write down its name.At least that has been myexperience, and it could be yours ifyou join a gardening club or societythis month of January. There arenumerous gardening societies andclubs dedicated to nurturing andpromoting gardening, and all arekeen to share their knowledge andlove of garden plants with you — ifyou let them.Each week, this column contains along list of club meetings (shorterthis week due to seasonalfestivities) and all invite newmembers to join. Apart from thehuge number of flower arrangingclubs scattered through everycounty there’s the Cork GardenClub, the Irish Garden Plant Societyand the Alpine/Hardy Plant Societywho cater for male and femalegrowers of plants and vegetables,and new members are alwayswelcome.Meeting times and places are setout here, weekly, so see what’s onin your area and come along for asingle night if only to see how theproceedings go. You may findyourself making new friends,learning about desirable plants andvisiting gardens not generally opento the public.

■ Cork Garden Club, Ashton School,Blackrock Road will hold their firstmeeting of the spring season onThursday next at 8pm. Followingthe AGM, a talk on sundials will begiven by Cormac Lalor and all arewelcome to attend.

■ Clonakilty Flower Club welcomeseveryone to their meeting thisMonday in the Fernhill House Hotelat 8pm. Mary, from An Tobairín inBandon, will give a talk on healthfood.

■ Bantry Flower and Garden Club willhold their first meeting of the newseason this Monday in theWestlodge Hotel, Bantry, beginningat 8pm. All members are requestedto attend as the evening willinclude the AGM. Following this atalk on gardening will be given byMike O’Donovan. Admission fornon-members is €7 and everyone iswelcome.

■ The horticultural experts at GriffinsGarden Centre in Dripsey, Co Cork,will be giving talks on getting yourgarden ready for spring, followedby a gourmet lunch on Monday,Wednesday, and Friday of nextweek at 12 noon. Full details from7334286.

■ Kinsale Flower and Garden Club willhost Noel Power to speak onbeekeeping and honey flora at theirmeeting this Thursday, January 12,in St Multose Hall at 8pm. Newmembers and visitors are verywelcome.

Jasmine’s not just for winterThe winter jasmine: It grows, totally neglected, up against a cold, shady wall facing into the east light with a determination that equals the bitingwinds.

Good enoughto eat...Brusselssprouts

MANY people see winter as a time to ignoretheir garden, but there are plenty of thingsyou can be doing through the wintermonths to ensure that you continue to enjoy

the pleasures of gardening all year round and thatyou’re ready for the year ahead.

Hannah Stephenson consigns the image ofsoggy sprouts to the past and says thesecancer-busting veggies are very easy to grow

THE old image of overcooked sprouts withChristmas dinner has long since been usurpedby their healthy-eating, cancer-bustingproperties and delicious flavour when cooked

al dente with crispy lardons or chestnuts.They’re also really easy to grow. Sow the seeds

indoors in February or March for early types and inan outdoor seedbed in April for later croppingvarieties.The seedlings need to be transplanted into very firm

soil in holes made with a dibber, then firmed in withyour heel. Space them 60cm (2ft) apart in smallgardens, or slightly further apart on larger plots andwater them in well.Support the plants with stakes, water them in dry

spells and feed them with general purpose fertiliser inearly August. You can start picking them when theyare large enough to use and if you want a big batchover Christmas, pull up a whole plant. Good varietiesinclude ‘Trafalgar’ and ‘Falstaff ’.

1 Make leaf mould: Rake and bag or stack fallen leavesthen wait at least 18 months until you have black,crumbly soil. Keep it separate from your compost heapas it’s slow to break down. Leaf mould makes superbmulch for weed suppression and water conservation.

2 Cut back any frost-damaged perennials to soil leveland compost the leaves. Take this opportunity to liftand divide congested clumps of plants, dig outperennial weeds and mulch well for winter.

3 Rake up twigs and fallen leaves, leave some seedheads, woody material (fennel) for the birds andinsects. Many seed heads look beautiful in frost andsnow, so don’t be too thorough in your cutting at thisstage. While the garden’s quiet, construct fences, pathsand raised beds. Repair damaged woodwork and paintwhere possible.

4 Harvest your kale, leeks, cabbages and Brusselssprouts. Turn over ground on dry days when the soil isnot waterlogged or frozen.

5 Turn your compost heap to let fresh air in, which willhelp turn your waste to compost. Cover withcardboard, newspapers or old carpet to keep the heatin.

IN THE GARDEN IN THE GARDEN

W INTER: It was warmenough one afternoon lastweek for a stroll aroundthe garden, and in one of

my favourite stopping places I watcheda cloud of midges, out of their wintersleep, dancing in the still, sunlit air.On a west-facing ivy-clad wall, large

pregnant blue-bottles were sunningthemselves on the variegated leaves,having supped on the dark juicyberries. Is this where these dipterouscreatures overwinter? It makes mewonder.The small, round, unfamiliar sun, flat

as a sovereign thrown on a grey silktablecloth, shone from a denim-blue skyand in a moment of relaxation I couldhave sworn it was April. Nearby, ashoot of fuchsia, a scrap of campanulaand a late rose bloomed.Things are still growing, while

underground the activity is reachinghectic proportions. Winter is indeed acontemplative season full of mysteryand silent growth, but that dramatic (if

fleeting) change from the bleakness ofthe ground and the emptiness of thetrees to one of great expectations raisedmy hopes and inner spirits.Like all gardeners, I tire of tasting

the endless grey skies and barren soil.However, the equinox has now passedand I rejoice in the knowledge thatlight and warmth will soon be fillingmore and more of each passing day. Myenthusiasm rekindled, I moved inside.

CAMELLIAS: The most joyousflowering of the next few months willbe from camellias, and already theblush pink and shell white blooms of apot-grown Sasanqua ‘Lucinda’ aregiving a welcome mid-winter lift.To think that two years ago this wasalmost ‘thrown at me’ at a well-knowngarden centre (because it was such aslow seller) beggars belief.In another few days the very lovelysingle red Sasanqua Camellia ‘Yuletide’will be in full bloom, also adding to thegeneral post-Christmas garden scene.

If these are not available locally orindeed within your county doremember that these Sasanqua formscan be ordered from Britain through‘The Plant Finder’. Just Google ‘plantfinder’ into your computer and followthe drop- down menu, The plants willbe sent to your home via parcel post.There are no restrictions (or extrapayments to be made) on importedplants ordered from member states ofthe EU. The only drawback to all this isthe rather high exchange rate forsterling.

STAKES AND SUPPORTS: Remove alltemporary plant supports such as thoseused for runner beans and sweet pea.This is the last call for storing thesefrom damaging weather. Clean thembefore storing somewhere dry.Link Stakes, those green, plastic-coatedplant supports, need no attention apartfrom a quick rub down to remove dirt.Bamboo canes can be dipped inpreservative and brought under cover.

CONIFERS: A prolonged spell of bitingeast winds can desiccate the foliage ofall plants but in particular youngconifers, after which they die.Thousands die under such conditionsevery year. Normally, these windsarrive in late January and on intospring but it would be good husbandry,if not common sense, to protect newly-planted stock long before then.A screen of clear polythene, or betterstill a length of Mypex fixed to a ring ofcanes around each specimen, willprevent this kind of damage.The same principle can be used toprotect new evergreen hedges. Mypexis sold at garden centres, where it isused extensively to shelter and protectyoung plants in open beds from dryingwinds and extreme cold.Let’s hope the exercise will provepointless (it may, after all, continue tobe a mild winter and spring) but don’twant to run the risk of squandering aseason (or good plants) for the sake of amodicum of work.

6 Choose a dry day to tackle that south-facing wall,prune out old wood and tie in new shoots, repair orrenew trellis and support wires.

7 On the cold and wet days, clear out your potting shedand greenhouse, clean pots and sterilise sowing trays,sit back with your seed catalogues to plan for theexciting new year in your garden.

8 Take time to assess your garden for further winterplanting, find space for carex, dogwood and otherwinter features — much can be done with appropriateplanting to make your winter garden more interestingand colourful.

■ The garden in Ballintubbert in Co Laois has been restoredover the past 10 years and was opened to the public lastyear. It was originally home to poet C Day Lewis (father ofDaniel Day Lewis and poet laureate) who was born in thehouse in 1904 and the actors John Hurt and SebastianShaw. The settlement at Ballintubbert dates back to 1540with the new garden having 14 acres of landscape arrangedaround a Georgian House.

■ www.ballintubbert.com

EVEN on the coldest daysof winter there is alwayssomething in the gardenthat will lift the spirits.

With no weeding, staking,pricking out, or watering to bedone, we can all take time toreally look at whatever pluckyplants are flowering.Here, behind the bungalow I can

see a few miniature posies ofViburnum, delicate hardycyclamen and, most captivating ofall, an early Lenten rose. Buttoday my eyes peep further intothe gloom and settle in a nearbygarden where a specimen ofwinter Jasmine has me drooling.It grows, totally neglected, upagainst a cold, shady wall facinginto the east light with adetermination that equals thebiting winds that blow in fromthat quarter.Here’s a shrub of perfectly

mounded proportions which everywinter plot should boast for itcovers itself in summer with smallgreen leaves and at this time ofyear, masses of star-shaped butteryellow blooms. I grew it toperfection once, but why, oh whydid I ever tear it out? Was itbecause of familiarity? It’s hard tounderstand now how a cheap,easily sourced, and totallyobliging reliable plant could berooted out and forgotten.I may today be the only garden

writer in the country without a

specimen of Jasmine nudiflorumbut even given my omission, whydon’t I see it more often? Inanother six weeks or so everysquare yard of what passes for agarden will have foamingForsythia to boast of, but fromNovember to March not a jasmine,bar my neighbours, do I see. I usedto love the way it spilled andarched forward from its plantingstation in the carport, how itrooted of its own accord if allowedtip the soil, and how it bloomedfrom autumn right through tospring. During winter, theslightest rise in temperaturewould tempt its red-tinted buds toopen to whatever insects were outon the wing. And they wereproduced in such numbers thatwhen a hard frost put an end tothe display a new crop was alwaysready. The one attribute this plantloses out on is perfume. A blade ofgrass, a snowflake, an autumn leafhas more scent than nudiflorum,but even so, do not despise theordinariness of this winterwonder. It is a dependablestandby, an easy-to-please, grow-anywhere climber of modestdrooping nature. Use it as a tightlyclipped feature around your porchor allow it cascade as a goldenwaterfall in whichever part of thegarden you choose.Use it in formal fashion (up the

walls and around the windows ofhouses) if you so desire, or grow it

in a sprawling tangle likeI did. Either way, it isbeautiful and needsabsolutely nothing. Nospecial diet, no sprays,not even sunshine. For allthat, it needs one little bitof important culturalattention.When the long, whippy

growths of this mostobliging plant havefinished blooming inMarch it should be cut

back really hard so thatfresh shoots areimmediately encouraged.These will be the ones tocarry the blooms thefollowing winter andspring. As you reduce itsbulk, look for shoots,which have layered intothe ground.Give a few to friends,

then, the chances are I’llsee a lot more of it as Itravel around.

JANUARY SALE

50% OFFOpen 7 days at Carrigrohane Road,Cork.Any enquiries please call 021 -4933433

all clearance items

TERAPROOF:User:NOELCAMPIONDate:05/01/2012Time:13:21:58Edition:07/01/2012PropertyXP0701Page:20 Zone:XP1

XP1 - V1 XP1 - V1

20 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 21

Wintergardens inthe makingAndrew Farrelly, head gardener atBallintubbert, Co Laois, gives top tipsfor the new year garden

WORK FOR THE WEEK by Charlie Wilkins

by Charlie Wilkins

GARDENNOTES■ It has been said you have to be

careful what you admire on agarden visit for the owner may digup a piece for you more quicklythan you can write down its name.At least that has been myexperience, and it could be yours ifyou join a gardening club or societythis month of January. There arenumerous gardening societies andclubs dedicated to nurturing andpromoting gardening, and all arekeen to share their knowledge andlove of garden plants with you — ifyou let them.Each week, this column contains along list of club meetings (shorterthis week due to seasonalfestivities) and all invite newmembers to join. Apart from thehuge number of flower arrangingclubs scattered through everycounty there’s the Cork GardenClub, the Irish Garden Plant Societyand the Alpine/Hardy Plant Societywho cater for male and femalegrowers of plants and vegetables,and new members are alwayswelcome.Meeting times and places are setout here, weekly, so see what’s onin your area and come along for asingle night if only to see how theproceedings go. You may findyourself making new friends,learning about desirable plants andvisiting gardens not generally opento the public.

■ Cork Garden Club, Ashton School,Blackrock Road will hold their firstmeeting of the spring season onThursday next at 8pm. Followingthe AGM, a talk on sundials will begiven by Cormac Lalor and all arewelcome to attend.

■ Clonakilty Flower Club welcomeseveryone to their meeting thisMonday in the Fernhill House Hotelat 8pm. Mary, from An Tobairín inBandon, will give a talk on healthfood.

■ Bantry Flower and Garden Club willhold their first meeting of the newseason this Monday in theWestlodge Hotel, Bantry, beginningat 8pm. All members are requestedto attend as the evening willinclude the AGM. Following this atalk on gardening will be given byMike O’Donovan. Admission fornon-members is €7 and everyone iswelcome.

■ The horticultural experts at GriffinsGarden Centre in Dripsey, Co Cork,will be giving talks on getting yourgarden ready for spring, followedby a gourmet lunch on Monday,Wednesday, and Friday of nextweek at 12 noon. Full details from7334286.

■ Kinsale Flower and Garden Club willhost Noel Power to speak onbeekeeping and honey flora at theirmeeting this Thursday, January 12,in St Multose Hall at 8pm. Newmembers and visitors are verywelcome.

Jasmine’s not just for winterThe winter jasmine: It grows, totally neglected, up against a cold, shady wall facing into the east light with a determination that equals the bitingwinds.

Good enoughto eat...Brusselssprouts

MANY people see winter as a time to ignoretheir garden, but there are plenty of thingsyou can be doing through the wintermonths to ensure that you continue to enjoy

the pleasures of gardening all year round and thatyou’re ready for the year ahead.

Hannah Stephenson consigns the image ofsoggy sprouts to the past and says thesecancer-busting veggies are very easy to grow

THE old image of overcooked sprouts withChristmas dinner has long since been usurpedby their healthy-eating, cancer-bustingproperties and delicious flavour when cooked

al dente with crispy lardons or chestnuts.They’re also really easy to grow. Sow the seeds

indoors in February or March for early types and inan outdoor seedbed in April for later croppingvarieties.The seedlings need to be transplanted into very firm

soil in holes made with a dibber, then firmed in withyour heel. Space them 60cm (2ft) apart in smallgardens, or slightly further apart on larger plots andwater them in well.Support the plants with stakes, water them in dry

spells and feed them with general purpose fertiliser inearly August. You can start picking them when theyare large enough to use and if you want a big batchover Christmas, pull up a whole plant. Good varietiesinclude ‘Trafalgar’ and ‘Falstaff ’.

1 Make leaf mould: Rake and bag or stack fallen leavesthen wait at least 18 months until you have black,crumbly soil. Keep it separate from your compost heapas it’s slow to break down. Leaf mould makes superbmulch for weed suppression and water conservation.

2 Cut back any frost-damaged perennials to soil leveland compost the leaves. Take this opportunity to liftand divide congested clumps of plants, dig outperennial weeds and mulch well for winter.

3 Rake up twigs and fallen leaves, leave some seedheads, woody material (fennel) for the birds andinsects. Many seed heads look beautiful in frost andsnow, so don’t be too thorough in your cutting at thisstage. While the garden’s quiet, construct fences, pathsand raised beds. Repair damaged woodwork and paintwhere possible.

4 Harvest your kale, leeks, cabbages and Brusselssprouts. Turn over ground on dry days when the soil isnot waterlogged or frozen.

5 Turn your compost heap to let fresh air in, which willhelp turn your waste to compost. Cover withcardboard, newspapers or old carpet to keep the heatin.

IN THE GARDEN IN THE GARDEN

W INTER: It was warmenough one afternoon lastweek for a stroll aroundthe garden, and in one of

my favourite stopping places I watcheda cloud of midges, out of their wintersleep, dancing in the still, sunlit air.On a west-facing ivy-clad wall, large

pregnant blue-bottles were sunningthemselves on the variegated leaves,having supped on the dark juicyberries. Is this where these dipterouscreatures overwinter? It makes mewonder.The small, round, unfamiliar sun, flat

as a sovereign thrown on a grey silktablecloth, shone from a denim-blue skyand in a moment of relaxation I couldhave sworn it was April. Nearby, ashoot of fuchsia, a scrap of campanulaand a late rose bloomed.Things are still growing, while

underground the activity is reachinghectic proportions. Winter is indeed acontemplative season full of mysteryand silent growth, but that dramatic (if

fleeting) change from the bleakness ofthe ground and the emptiness of thetrees to one of great expectations raisedmy hopes and inner spirits.Like all gardeners, I tire of tasting

the endless grey skies and barren soil.However, the equinox has now passedand I rejoice in the knowledge thatlight and warmth will soon be fillingmore and more of each passing day. Myenthusiasm rekindled, I moved inside.

CAMELLIAS: The most joyousflowering of the next few months willbe from camellias, and already theblush pink and shell white blooms of apot-grown Sasanqua ‘Lucinda’ aregiving a welcome mid-winter lift.To think that two years ago this wasalmost ‘thrown at me’ at a well-knowngarden centre (because it was such aslow seller) beggars belief.In another few days the very lovelysingle red Sasanqua Camellia ‘Yuletide’will be in full bloom, also adding to thegeneral post-Christmas garden scene.

If these are not available locally orindeed within your county doremember that these Sasanqua formscan be ordered from Britain through‘The Plant Finder’. Just Google ‘plantfinder’ into your computer and followthe drop- down menu, The plants willbe sent to your home via parcel post.There are no restrictions (or extrapayments to be made) on importedplants ordered from member states ofthe EU. The only drawback to all this isthe rather high exchange rate forsterling.

STAKES AND SUPPORTS: Remove alltemporary plant supports such as thoseused for runner beans and sweet pea.This is the last call for storing thesefrom damaging weather. Clean thembefore storing somewhere dry.Link Stakes, those green, plastic-coatedplant supports, need no attention apartfrom a quick rub down to remove dirt.Bamboo canes can be dipped inpreservative and brought under cover.

CONIFERS: A prolonged spell of bitingeast winds can desiccate the foliage ofall plants but in particular youngconifers, after which they die.Thousands die under such conditionsevery year. Normally, these windsarrive in late January and on intospring but it would be good husbandry,if not common sense, to protect newly-planted stock long before then.A screen of clear polythene, or betterstill a length of Mypex fixed to a ring ofcanes around each specimen, willprevent this kind of damage.The same principle can be used toprotect new evergreen hedges. Mypexis sold at garden centres, where it isused extensively to shelter and protectyoung plants in open beds from dryingwinds and extreme cold.Let’s hope the exercise will provepointless (it may, after all, continue tobe a mild winter and spring) but don’twant to run the risk of squandering aseason (or good plants) for the sake of amodicum of work.

6 Choose a dry day to tackle that south-facing wall,prune out old wood and tie in new shoots, repair orrenew trellis and support wires.

7 On the cold and wet days, clear out your potting shedand greenhouse, clean pots and sterilise sowing trays,sit back with your seed catalogues to plan for theexciting new year in your garden.

8 Take time to assess your garden for further winterplanting, find space for carex, dogwood and otherwinter features — much can be done with appropriateplanting to make your winter garden more interestingand colourful.

■ The garden in Ballintubbert in Co Laois has been restoredover the past 10 years and was opened to the public lastyear. It was originally home to poet C Day Lewis (father ofDaniel Day Lewis and poet laureate) who was born in thehouse in 1904 and the actors John Hurt and SebastianShaw. The settlement at Ballintubbert dates back to 1540with the new garden having 14 acres of landscape arrangedaround a Georgian House.

■ www.ballintubbert.com

EVEN on the coldest daysof winter there is alwayssomething in the gardenthat will lift the spirits.

With no weeding, staking,pricking out, or watering to bedone, we can all take time toreally look at whatever pluckyplants are flowering.Here, behind the bungalow I can

see a few miniature posies ofViburnum, delicate hardycyclamen and, most captivating ofall, an early Lenten rose. Buttoday my eyes peep further intothe gloom and settle in a nearbygarden where a specimen ofwinter Jasmine has me drooling.It grows, totally neglected, upagainst a cold, shady wall facinginto the east light with adetermination that equals thebiting winds that blow in fromthat quarter.Here’s a shrub of perfectly

mounded proportions which everywinter plot should boast for itcovers itself in summer with smallgreen leaves and at this time ofyear, masses of star-shaped butteryellow blooms. I grew it toperfection once, but why, oh whydid I ever tear it out? Was itbecause of familiarity? It’s hard tounderstand now how a cheap,easily sourced, and totallyobliging reliable plant could berooted out and forgotten.I may today be the only garden

writer in the country without a

specimen of Jasmine nudiflorumbut even given my omission, whydon’t I see it more often? Inanother six weeks or so everysquare yard of what passes for agarden will have foamingForsythia to boast of, but fromNovember to March not a jasmine,bar my neighbours, do I see. I usedto love the way it spilled andarched forward from its plantingstation in the carport, how itrooted of its own accord if allowedtip the soil, and how it bloomedfrom autumn right through tospring. During winter, theslightest rise in temperaturewould tempt its red-tinted buds toopen to whatever insects were outon the wing. And they wereproduced in such numbers thatwhen a hard frost put an end tothe display a new crop was alwaysready. The one attribute this plantloses out on is perfume. A blade ofgrass, a snowflake, an autumn leafhas more scent than nudiflorum,but even so, do not despise theordinariness of this winterwonder. It is a dependablestandby, an easy-to-please, grow-anywhere climber of modestdrooping nature. Use it as a tightlyclipped feature around your porchor allow it cascade as a goldenwaterfall in whichever part of thegarden you choose.Use it in formal fashion (up the

walls and around the windows ofhouses) if you so desire, or grow it

in a sprawling tangle likeI did. Either way, it isbeautiful and needsabsolutely nothing. Nospecial diet, no sprays,not even sunshine. For allthat, it needs one little bitof important culturalattention.When the long, whippy

growths of this mostobliging plant havefinished blooming inMarch it should be cut

back really hard so thatfresh shoots areimmediately encouraged.These will be the ones tocarry the blooms thefollowing winter andspring. As you reduce itsbulk, look for shoots,which have layered intothe ground.Give a few to friends,

then, the chances are I’llsee a lot more of it as Itravel around.

JANUARY SALE

50% OFFOpen 7 days at Carrigrohane Road,Cork.Any enquiries please call 021 -4933433

all clearance items

TERAPROOF:User:NOELCAMPIONDate:05/01/2012Time:13:22:15Edition:07/01/2012PropertyXP0701Page:22 Zone:XP1

XP1 - V1 XP1 - V1

22 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 23

ANTIQUES & FINE ART ADVERTISING

IN BRIEF

Top: Golden Pastures at the Point of Sunset by Arthur Maderson. Left, Shell in Eyeries by Val Byrne. Right, Summer Show by Mark O’Neill.These paintings are in Dolan’s auction at the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork on Sunday, January 22.

Republicanhistory in thespotlight

Left: The Doge’s Palace and Piazzetta, Venice, c.1840, and aboveGreat Yarmouth Harbour, Norfolk, c 1840, both by Joseph MallordWilliam Turner (1775-1851) from the annual Turner exhibition nowon at the National Gallery of Ireland.

DONERAILE AUCTIONAuctioneer Aidan Foleywill have his first auctionof 2012 at the OldSchoolhouse, Doneraile,Co Cork, on Saturday,January 14, at 1pm.................................................................

ART SALEThere will be an Irish artsale at Rochestown ParkHotel in Cork on Sunday,January 22. The Galway-based Dolan’s art auctionhouse will conduct thisannual sale, which isnormally very popular. Itfeatures a wide variety ofcontemporary and youngemerging Irish artists.Prices are reasonable.There will be around 250lots on offer and most ofthem have no reserves.Viewing gets underway at10am on Friday, January20.................................................................

ANTIQUE FAIRThe opening fair of 2012by Hibernian AntiqueFairs is at the NewparkHotel in Kilkennytomorrow. It will feature aselection of furniture, Irishart, glass, porcelain, coins,books and collectibles.................................................................

TAYLOR SALEThe sale of the ElizabethTaylor Collections willprovide a talking point formany years to come.Auctioneers Christie’shad reckoned that herjewellery wouldmake more than $30million (€23.35m). In factthe combined total fortwo sales of 269 jewelsamounted to$137,235,675. Christie’swill offer Old Masterpaintings from theTaylor Collections in NewYork at the end ofJanuary and other worksfrom her paintingcollections will besold at Christie’sImpressionist and ModernArt sales in London nextmonth.................................................................

NEW YORK SHOWIn New York the WinterAntiques Show, a globalpremier showcase for fineantiques knowncolloquially as theArmoury Show, takesplace this year fromJanuary 20-19 at the ParkAvenue Armoury at 67thSt in Manhattan.

................................................................

FURNITURE DISPLAYIn Dublin a newexhibition displays someof the National Museumof Ireland’s furniturecollection in a series ofroom settings at theMuseum of DecorativeArts at Collins Barracks.There is a 17th centurybedroom with a rareFlemish stand-bed, oakchests and panelling, arefined Georgian diningroom and the exuberantstyle of a 19th centurymusic room. The musicroom showcases aneccentric Irish invention:the idiophone or musicalglasses. The 20th centurygallery looks at Irishmodernism, displayingvarious designmovements from 1900 tothe present. On displayare various arts and craftspieces of furniture comingfrom the Kilkennywoodworker’s colony, ArtNouveau chairs purchasedat the Paris exhibition of1900, an Irish Art Decobedroom, and thethoroughly moderniststyle of a 1950s livingroom. It also displays thework of some of Ireland’sbest contemporaryfurniture designers;Joseph Walsh, NestFurniture Design, JohnLee, and Zelouf and Bell.A block screen inspired byEileen Gray and createdby Sasha Sykes highlightsSykes’ unique styleencapsulating layers offlowers, ferns, ivy, beetles,and butterflies in acrylic.

Turner in the ambient lightBritish watercolour master’s exhibition is on through January, says Des O’Sullivan

A LIGHT in theDarkness is thetitle of this year’sannual Turner

exhibition at the NationalGallery of Ireland inDublin until January 31.The gallery’s collection ofTurner Watercolours areonly displayed in Januarywhen the ambient light is

at its most gentle. JosephMallord William Turner(1775-1851), a renownedpainter of the effects oflight long beforeImpressionism, isregarded as one of thegreatest masters of theBritish watercolour.The watercolours from

the Vaughan Bequest,

which came to the galleryin 1900, feature manyworks painted during hisEuropean travels. HenryVaughan was an Englishcollector and his bequestconstituted 31watercolours. The galleryhas added to thecollection over the yearsand now holds 36 works

by Turner in pristinecondition. This year theexhibition iscomplemented by adisplay of silhouettes andminiatures from the MaryA McNeill Bequest (1985),which includes works byJohn Comerford, RichardCrosse, Henry Bone andNathaniel Hone the Elder.

A SIGNED card from Ballykinlar Camp, CoDown, dating from 1921 is one of the moreunusual lots at the sale at Kerry AuctionRooms in Tralee next Tuesday at noon.

During the War of Independence Ballykinlar heldmore than 2,000 Republican prisoners.They organised their own theatre companies,

classes and craft groups in a camp which wasreferred to as the university. The decorative handdrawn card is signed by four prisoners on one sidewith a hand-drawn poem on the reverse.The sale features Victorian and Edwardian

cabinets, sets of chairs, a Regency chaise longue,occasional furniture and items suitable forrestoration. There is Irish and English silver aswell as European art, coins, medals, books andcollectibles. There are as well over 400 lots of chinaand pottery.Viewing is from 11am to 6pm today; from noon to

6pm tomorrow; 11am to 9pm on Monday and from9am on Tuesday.

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(approx 6miles outside Bantry, next to Willie Pa’s Rest.)

Showroom: Colomane, Bantry.

www.portas.ie

Interior Doors, from old to new!

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We renovate & modernise your existing:Interior Doors, Entrance Doors & Staircases

Before

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ANTIQUE AUCTIONAND TAG SALE

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22 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 07.01.2012 23

ANTIQUES & FINE ART ADVERTISING

IN BRIEF

Top: Golden Pastures at the Point of Sunset by Arthur Maderson. Left, Shell in Eyeries by Val Byrne. Right, Summer Show by Mark O’Neill.These paintings are in Dolan’s auction at the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork on Sunday, January 22.

Republicanhistory in thespotlight

Left: The Doge’s Palace and Piazzetta, Venice, c.1840, and aboveGreat Yarmouth Harbour, Norfolk, c 1840, both by Joseph MallordWilliam Turner (1775-1851) from the annual Turner exhibition nowon at the National Gallery of Ireland.

DONERAILE AUCTIONAuctioneer Aidan Foleywill have his first auctionof 2012 at the OldSchoolhouse, Doneraile,Co Cork, on Saturday,January 14, at 1pm.................................................................

ART SALEThere will be an Irish artsale at Rochestown ParkHotel in Cork on Sunday,January 22. The Galway-based Dolan’s art auctionhouse will conduct thisannual sale, which isnormally very popular. Itfeatures a wide variety ofcontemporary and youngemerging Irish artists.Prices are reasonable.There will be around 250lots on offer and most ofthem have no reserves.Viewing gets underway at10am on Friday, January20.................................................................

ANTIQUE FAIRThe opening fair of 2012by Hibernian AntiqueFairs is at the NewparkHotel in Kilkennytomorrow. It will feature aselection of furniture, Irishart, glass, porcelain, coins,books and collectibles.................................................................

TAYLOR SALEThe sale of the ElizabethTaylor Collections willprovide a talking point formany years to come.Auctioneers Christie’shad reckoned that herjewellery wouldmake more than $30million (€23.35m). In factthe combined total fortwo sales of 269 jewelsamounted to$137,235,675. Christie’swill offer Old Masterpaintings from theTaylor Collections in NewYork at the end ofJanuary and other worksfrom her paintingcollections will besold at Christie’sImpressionist and ModernArt sales in London nextmonth.................................................................

NEW YORK SHOWIn New York the WinterAntiques Show, a globalpremier showcase for fineantiques knowncolloquially as theArmoury Show, takesplace this year fromJanuary 20-19 at the ParkAvenue Armoury at 67thSt in Manhattan.

................................................................

FURNITURE DISPLAYIn Dublin a newexhibition displays someof the National Museumof Ireland’s furniturecollection in a series ofroom settings at theMuseum of DecorativeArts at Collins Barracks.There is a 17th centurybedroom with a rareFlemish stand-bed, oakchests and panelling, arefined Georgian diningroom and the exuberantstyle of a 19th centurymusic room. The musicroom showcases aneccentric Irish invention:the idiophone or musicalglasses. The 20th centurygallery looks at Irishmodernism, displayingvarious designmovements from 1900 tothe present. On displayare various arts and craftspieces of furniture comingfrom the Kilkennywoodworker’s colony, ArtNouveau chairs purchasedat the Paris exhibition of1900, an Irish Art Decobedroom, and thethoroughly moderniststyle of a 1950s livingroom. It also displays thework of some of Ireland’sbest contemporaryfurniture designers;Joseph Walsh, NestFurniture Design, JohnLee, and Zelouf and Bell.A block screen inspired byEileen Gray and createdby Sasha Sykes highlightsSykes’ unique styleencapsulating layers offlowers, ferns, ivy, beetles,and butterflies in acrylic.

Turner in the ambient lightBritish watercolour master’s exhibition is on through January, says Des O’Sullivan

A LIGHT in theDarkness is thetitle of this year’sannual Turner

exhibition at the NationalGallery of Ireland inDublin until January 31.The gallery’s collection ofTurner Watercolours areonly displayed in Januarywhen the ambient light is

at its most gentle. JosephMallord William Turner(1775-1851), a renownedpainter of the effects oflight long beforeImpressionism, isregarded as one of thegreatest masters of theBritish watercolour.The watercolours from

the Vaughan Bequest,

which came to the galleryin 1900, feature manyworks painted during hisEuropean travels. HenryVaughan was an Englishcollector and his bequestconstituted 31watercolours. The galleryhas added to thecollection over the yearsand now holds 36 works

by Turner in pristinecondition. This year theexhibition iscomplemented by adisplay of silhouettes andminiatures from the MaryA McNeill Bequest (1985),which includes works byJohn Comerford, RichardCrosse, Henry Bone andNathaniel Hone the Elder.

A SIGNED card from Ballykinlar Camp, CoDown, dating from 1921 is one of the moreunusual lots at the sale at Kerry AuctionRooms in Tralee next Tuesday at noon.

During the War of Independence Ballykinlar heldmore than 2,000 Republican prisoners.They organised their own theatre companies,

classes and craft groups in a camp which wasreferred to as the university. The decorative handdrawn card is signed by four prisoners on one sidewith a hand-drawn poem on the reverse.The sale features Victorian and Edwardian

cabinets, sets of chairs, a Regency chaise longue,occasional furniture and items suitable forrestoration. There is Irish and English silver aswell as European art, coins, medals, books andcollectibles. There are as well over 400 lots of chinaand pottery.Viewing is from 11am to 6pm today; from noon to

6pm tomorrow; 11am to 9pm on Monday and from9am on Tuesday.

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(approx 6miles outside Bantry, next to Willie Pa’s Rest.)

Showroom: Colomane, Bantry.

www.portas.ie

Interior Doors, from old to new!

After

We renovate & modernise your existing:Interior Doors, Entrance Doors & Staircases

Before

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WOODWARDS AUCTION ROOMS26 COOK ST CORK∙021-4273327 ∙www.woodward.ie

ANTIQUE AUCTIONAND TAG SALE

ITEMS NOW INVITED FOR INCLUSION

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