Spacious and elegant home has a touch of class

THERE’S a great sense of space in No 65 Fernwalk — a big house on a big site, it’s a well-designed property with all rooms fanning out from a long, central corridor.

The staircase hallway is also unusual: it’s tucked into a small gable to the front of the house which frees up the rest of the space, making it more user-friendly.

The double benefit is that it also allows more room upstairs, where five good bedrooms are accessed off a central corridor.

The main living room is a decent rectangle, with double doors from the hallway adding to the sense of space. A gracious room, it’s finished with pale soft furnishings and a white, Italian marble fireplace.

This is the home of a good housekeeper and gardener, as the property is pristine, inside and out. More than that, it has a bright, comfortable feel with an easy run of rooms.

There is a formal lounge, as well as a dining room with hatch to the kitchen/diner. A square room, it comes with units on all four walls and has a big, central island which doubles as a breakfast bar.

On the opposite side of the corridor, there’s the family living room which opens into a big, sunny conservatory. This is set right into the garden, but is only an appetiser for what’s beyond — a decking complex that’s set over two levels and painted a striking blue.

The garden is all nooks and crannies with trees, shrubs and herbaceous borders offering a master class in what can be done with a simple rectangle of ground.

There are at least three different seated areas in this one garden, all with their own aspect.

Then there’s the hot tub, a feature that is becoming increasingly prevalent in upper-level house sales. In this case, it is set under an abundantly-covered pergola and has maximum privacy, even from the house.

And despite the planting, there’s still enough lawn for a children’s play area, which doesn’t jar with the high-level garden.

No 65 is finished to a tee and is on the market at €820,000 through Sherry FitzGerald.

It has four reception rooms, a kitchen/diner, three bathrooms, five bedrooms and master with walk-in wardrobe. Located off the Ballincollig bypass, at Killumney, it’s within a 20-minute commute of Cork city and five minutes from Ballincollig.