Soft look at Brightwater

Rose Martin says this detached family home is a walk-in purchase.

THIS is a girly house – but a straight out of a magazine, girly house.

No 124 Brightwater is warm, soothing and very comfortable. The scent of essential oils, along with interest and order, (the two aren’t mutually incompatible) make it a homely home.

Tones of cream, soft jade and cappuccino are used to good effect, and the furnishings in white linen are a testament to the house-keeping skills of the vendor. But this is not a precious house, it’s a busy family home which has all the signs of occupation, but little hard wear.

The look is soft and continuous, one room running into another, and there isn’t a jarring note in the whole scheme.

The only break with calm colour is in the little sitting room to the front where a burst of raspberry, in couch and chintzy armchair, add a nice counterpoint to the neutral background.

A detached house, with just under 1,800 square feet of space, this Crosshaven home is towards the back of the new estate and overlooks a green, with a circle of similar houses around.

The bay is just down the road, and in terms of easy living, this village has the perfect mix of fresh sea air, a small community and fast access to Cork city.

Buying into Brightwater, (where new scheme, Drake’s Point climbs up the hill behind), gives a more holistic edge to estate living. Yes, you have the urban attributes, but also a greater sense of community and character. And there are walks and amenities galore, with a range of beaches on the doorstep.

At 124, you have all the extras wrapped up in a detached, four-bed house with a good range of living rooms. There’s a full length drawing room, with double doors to a deck at the rear, the snug sitting room and an impressive marble-tiled hallway with closet and guest loo.

The kitchen, a new installation, is a gem: a subtle, shaker cream with a big, underset sink and oak worktop and a cream gas and electric Aga, that looks and feels like it’s been there for years. This is an eat-in room with a fine utility that houses the double fridge, pantry and white goods, all tidied away behind built-in units.

In the back garden, (which has a gap looking straight out onto fields, the trampoline is inset into the ground for safety, (and can be removed, or left, depending on the new owners).

The good square hallway allows for a similar landing upstairs, opening onto four double bedrooms. There are quaint touches, like brass beds and quilted counterpanes, and the master suite is soft, comfortable and ensuite with walk-in wardrobe.

In a reverse of the current trend, the main bathroom has a classic suite with some nice touches.

All in all, no 124 Brightwater is a walk-in buy– and a good one at that.

Johnny O’Flynn of Sherry FitzGerald is the selling agent.