Large apartment has family appeal

No 29 The Seasons in Carrigaline is central and well designed, Rose Martin reports.

APARTMENTS and families? No, no, the two don’t mix, we are told. But perhaps that’s not necessarily so — well designed units can provide that village mix that planners and consultants brayed about during the boom.

Apartments have had a bad press — many units were designed on the cheap, had poor management and were poorly let. And multiple units don’t work where the rules are ignored — they are only suited to high density living, cities and towns, and they have to be well designed and, more importantly, well constructed.

Degraded apartment blocks only confirm the perception that apartments are somehow less than a home, a convenient stop-gap rather than a place of permanent comfort.

Thankfully, there are exceptions, like this three-bed unit at The Seasons in Carrigaline, Co Cork.

Built by Bride View Developments and placed on the edge of Carrigaline’s town centre, it’s a low density scheme in a mature area with high trees and good landscaping.

No 29 here is a new market entrant with Jeremy Murphy and Associates and is a fine, family home — designed as such. It’s handy, central and great for commuting, but it’s the layout that appealed to the family of three who purchased the house in the first place.

With teenagers who needed to be everywhere at all hours and usually at the same time, the buyer plumped for the most convenient option — a town centre apartment.

It may sound odd, she says, but it suited them beautifully for that intense five-year period when parents are constantly on the go.

Now the children are independent, the vendor is moving closer to the sea and is leaving behind a highly-designed, cool, clean penthouse of exactly 1,313 square feet.

That’s about the size of a large three-bed or four bed semi, Jeremy Murphy points out, and in this case the sale includes a high level of fit out, he adds.

Because it’s an apartment and needed to be utilitarian to the nth degree, the family left all their old furniture behind. Instead, the owner decided on what she calls “quiet furniture” to meet its needs.

That is, capacious, clean storage space that doesn’t shout, but blends into the open-plan nature of the penthouse. And because there’s no clutter it heightens the sense of light and space.

The main living room has seven windows alone, and views differ depending on aspect — the owner says they “borrow” other people’s gardens. And she’s right: Up in this eyerie you have long countryside views and up close, mature gardens all round, including the enclosed lawn that comes with the scheme. (This was one of the reasons The Seasons was chosen, they had to have a garden too.)

The owner worked with interior designer Suzi von Mensenkampff of In Blue Interiors to realise the ergonomic style she carried round in her head and the result is impressive.

The kitchen area has cool aqua marine touches and a defined, casual dining area close to the balcony, while for forma dining, there’s a Meadows and Byrne glass table with bespoke Kabuki silver chairs.

The couch is curved for ease of movement and the focal point of the room is a TV and shelving unit created by Chris Keating of House of Design, which brings the room together.

Three double bedrooms are set around a central corridor, (which includes the entrance hallway) and one is en suite, while all rooms come with built-in storage with some clever touches from Keating and von Mensenkampff.

The penthouse has two good store rooms, a separate hot press and closet and flooring is a mix of good porcelain and oak with carpet in certain rooms. Ceiling height is higher than average.

VERDICT: This is a one-off, a bright, generous home that combines the clean layout of an apartment with the comforts of home. An alternative to the usual, it’s well worth a viewing.