It all stacks up at a hot looking Chimneys

FUEL is an anagram of flue — and the house Chimneys is sorted on both scores. Called after the number of chimneys in this updated traditional west Cork residence, it is quite a spread of place to call home, as it hits the early 2011 property market.

Its energetic owners David and Jane Moore have a mix of hands-on skills and talents, and have spent the last decade or two doing-up houses in Britain, and more latterly in west Cork, where they’ve a few renovations under their belts. But Chimneys is no sterile predictable maker-over, it has got character and scope in abundance, all on five acres of productive and pleasurable land and paddocks, with stables.

Located four miles from Ballydehob at Cooranuller, the mix includes the long, main three-bed residence with enhanced original features and quirks, a self-contained living area with play room, sitting room and en suite bedroom, while across a courtyard is a separate, detached stone guest cottage, completed externally but needing inside fitting out and finishing. There’s a 27’ by 9’ gym/games room with feature arched gable window, and a garage with work benches that, clearly, have earned their spurs.

That’s all for people, family and friends’ use: for horses there’s a wood-faced purpose-built stable with five boxes, a 80’ by 70’ arena, tack room, detached studio and a wooden playhouse, and the fact there’s five acres on which to graze makes Chimneys a place for equestrian pursuits, self-sufficiency or working from home.

There’s orchards, a 48’ polytunnel, which the Moores have used to provide “strawberries, grapes, aubergines, courgettes and peppers. Even tomatoes were still being harvested at Christmas.! It is also used to raise hundreds of seedlings which are grown on and sold at one of the farmers’ markets. This, together with the external vegetable garden, produces as many vegetables as you would ever need,” notes David Moore.

He’s got a background in the motor trade and trained as a plumber, and here at Chimneys he’s tackled all of the plumbing and heating, re-lining chimneys with new flues for safety’s sake, and the couple also opened up the main 21’ by 15’ living room’s inglenook fireplace, and installed the a large Hunter stove. Waterford Stanley stoves also feature in the dining and sitting rooms.

Natural materials were used naturally in this house upgrade, by both the current and previous owners, and there’s an easy mix between some feature exposed stone and rough plaster, and in places stone juts out from the walls just to catch the eye, or hold a candle or small art work.

On the stairs, a few cheery green glass bottles are set end-on in the wall to allow a little light filtering, and the stairs has an almost Greek-like gleaming white plastered balluster.

Bathrooms’ quality is high (the beam-ceilinged master bedroom is en suite,) and there’s a sort of ethnic chic look to the main family bathroom in particular, while the self-contained living/teenagers suite’s bathroom has a roll-top, claw foot bath.

Some of the main living spaces have exposed ceiling beams, while the 27’ by 10’ kitchen is effectively a lean-to on the gable, with sloping ceilings with Veluxes, cheery red range cooker and the Belfast sink is set in a walnut worktop, and units are in oak. The main courtyard entrance is a large, bright and extensively glazed 21’ by 10’ hall/porch with part-raised ceiling. A beguiling lifestyle property mix, Chimneys is freshly on the market with Ballydehob agent Martin Swanton, who guides it at €650,000, and says viewers should take time to savour its attractions.