Splash the cash and dive in for lovely Bayswater

Rose Martin says this property at Currabinny, Co Cork, ticks all the right boxes.

BAYSWATER: the name might sound like the aspirational, aping-one’s-betters monikers of the Tiger years, but in fact, it’s a descriptive term.

Because this enclave of houses at Currabinny, Co Cork, that bear the name are plonked right on the waterfront.

And the tidal estuary sees water twice a day — the rest of the time there are miles of mud flats to gaze upon and a narrow channel wending its way to Crosshaven.

The sublime location is part of the reason these homes made top dollar in the run up to the boom. They were finished in 2002 and at that stage were at the million mark — as an example, the final property, a two-bed gate lodge, was pitched at €350,000 in 2003.

Since then, the market has retracted considerably, so much so that a new sale here, no 6 Bayswater, is pitched at €880,000 through Ann O’Mahony of Sherry FitzGerald.

Built by Bride View Homes to a design by Hogan and Associates, these houses sum up the change in expectations coming into the noughties — large, multi-bedroomed units aimed at growing families who wanted a bit more room than the previous decade’s desires.

Bayswater was aimed at another sub-group again — those who wanted large sites with plenty of privacy in a location that’s rural but within commuting distance of Cork city.

And in that sense, these houses hit their target, with only one resale in a decade.

No 6 is the latest and has a number of attributes, not least the half acre of southfacing gardens, the more than adequate, 4,200 sq ft of internal space, (the detached garage is another 800 sq ft, the size of a standard town house), and that prized shore frontage.

This is an development out on its own: beyond the ribbon stream of houses from Carrigaline, but not quite in Currabinny, so it has a very low density green environment.

The houses are now so long in place that gardens are mature and hedgerows provide impenetrable privacy screens.

In the case of no 6 it’s also end of row and has a boundary of high trees on the eastern side with long views down the Carrigaline estuary.

The original design of no 6 was changed at the build stage by its vendors with the result that the interior is quite different in layout.

And quite grand — starting with the large and impressive foyer which is accessed off a smaller entrance hallway. Full height over three storeys, the staircase is galleried all the way and because of roof windows, light pours down through every floor.

The interior treatment is very country house and the detail is faultless: a mix of quality mahogany joinery mahogany and white painted stairs and balusters. Waist height, classic panelling runs all the way through the foyer and into the formal living room.

This space also has an antique fireplace facing the main door and flooring is cream marble with delicate, French-style furniture in an alcove for accent, (the Christmas tree slots in nicely in season, says the owner, who’s also an interior designer).

The decor is very light and very feminine and furniture is mainly sourced through Boulevard interiors, with bespoke units by Coolmore House of Furniture and other pieces from Betty’s of Douglas.

The finish is impeccable and it’s what lifts this house way above standard: there isn’t a room that hasn’t been finished or styled to the nth term with no expense spared and that includes marble tiles and worktops in the bathrooms, silk and linen drapes in the main rooms, a hand-built kitchen on a grand scale and bespoke doors and windows with quality, wide plank flooring.

And the Bayswater houses were some of the first in the county to have underfloor heating fitted on all levels, (run off oil), with a large capacity, hot water system for the many bathrooms.

For all that it’s a big house, is a very welcoming and warm family home, with double doors leading to most of the main living rooms, a feature that allows open plan living, but with the option of closing off areas of the house when necessary.

The first room off the foyer is the study, which unlike others, has a large space and comes with a bay window overlooking the front garden. On the opposite side is the very feminine, family room with a huge, ornamental mirror that takes up almost one wall and a highly carved white chimney piece. Lavish curtains in linen from Hazelhurst interiors line the box bay window.

The main living room, (the formal one), is more pared down with large sofas, wide plank walnut flooring, a carved white marble fireplace, (half the price in Douglas Woollen Mills of similar products in Dublin, the owner says) and white painted panelling.

Best of all are the views straight through to the water — the one alluring feature of this house. And the double doors on the southern end lead out to a wraparound and generous deck that’s also focussed southwards.

Beyond the formal living room is the entrance to the kitchen and it is the house’s piece de resistance, a hand-painted work of joiner’s art with traditional lines and a sound ergonomic layout.

The central island has heft of wooden worktop and the cooking centre is an eight-burner, Rangemaster stove set into its own inglenook.

Units run along three sides with a high pantry unit on the internal wall and an integrated window seat on the eastern end, just under a window. The panelling allows a narrow niche for bits and bobs, and again the look is very soft with lots of cream, litchen green and raspberry: flooring is in wide plank oak.

The most sought-after piece in the kitchen was the double pendant light over the island unit — the owner wanted just the right fitting and finally found it — in Boulevard Interiors.

Around the corner from the kitchen is an informal living and dining space with cast iron fireplace that’s great in winter, the owner says. The dining end of the room opens out through double doors to the wide deck, which runs from east to west and has enough space for a large outdoor dining table and steamer chairs.

Lastly on the ground floor there’s a comprehensive utility, also fully fitted in the same style as the kitchen and a gorgeous guest bathroom to manor house standard, tucked beside the stairs.

Overhead and around the gallery, is an informal library area, with occasional furniture and lit from overhead.

All four bedrooms are ranged around stairwell and each room has its own theme. The guest suite is a very impressive en suite room, that is, until the viewer comes to the master bedroom.

This is a tick box arrangement of rooms, a proper suite that faces full south and incorporates a long, first floor balcony. Starting with the bedroom area there’s a very French, boudoir feel with off-white furniture and duck egg blue soft furnishings and double doors to the balcony. There’s an open plan connection to the large, dressing room. The idea, the owner says, was to recreate the impression of a small boutique, so clothes are stored on display in artful, hand-built units and decoration includes bags and hat boxes overhead, with shoes on show on the lower level storage space.

It’s a bright girly room, which succeeds in creating the impression of being in one’s own, private clothes shop.

The adjoining bathroom doesn’t disappoint either and it comes with hand-built units in cream with marble worktop, stand alone shower unit, a sit-to, vanity unit and again, plenty of storage.

The main bathroom is along similar lines, only larger and incorporates Jacuzzi bath with a double vanity unit in walnut by Coolmore with integrated mirrors and lighting.

Then, there are the themed bedrooms, for a boy and girl and a Jack and Jill bathroom that’s unstinting in the finish.

But that’s not all, there’s the third floor space accessed via full staircase, and here there are two separate rooms, one of which is a large den area that can be used for any purpose — it’s a teenagers’ hangout at the moment, and a large, walk-in storage space.

And the attention to the design extends all the way out to the gardens, from the large deck, long back garden, superb herbaceous borders and massed planting of trees.

And then there’s the double height garage to play around with: an ideal place for a home office/ granny flat or just a simple storage space. It’s all there, every tick box element in a package that’s pitched at less than half the original cost. One to see.

www.sherryfitz.ie.