Extension blends 21st century with the olde world

An impressive glass add-on doesn’t look out of place in this Christmassy house.

HAS the country been Bannified? The ticking-over business during the recession — and a lifeline for building trades— was the spread of extensions.

And not the tack-ons of yore with their small windows, cold breeze blocks and darkened inner rooms, oh no. The 21st century version offers good value, lower costs and higher insulation. Box architecture has been around for a while, but during the recession the cedar and glass palaces that have become the stock in trade of Room to Improve’s Dermot Bannon, came into their own.

Neat, clean and less disruptive to install, timber-framed, flat-roof extension had been pioneered by a number of firms before TV took hold, because new materials, quality windows and high insulation allowed warm, glazed rooms in an Irish setting.

And this uncompromising modern design doesn’t look out of place in an old house either — the mantra of Dermot Bannon of adding truthfully new to old and eschewing pastiche is borne out in this Christmassy house near Kinsale, Co Cork, where a spanking new extension sits alongside a centuries old stone dwelling.

Facing directly out to sea in a south-westerly direction, its new two-storey addition was built specifically to take in the panoramic views, but without compromising the integrity of the lovely, old stone house.

And it succeeds magnificently. Once part of Rathmore House and its demesne, the old part of the house had been substantially refurbished and extended in the early eighties. Then, it comprised two tumbledown cottages which became a soignee, 2,000 odd square foot residence with a Gothic aesthetic that needed freshening.

Enter its chatelaine, who, with an natural instinct for design organised the entire affair.Fast forward a year or so and this seaside home is now finished its second iteration — just in time for Christmas.

And because this is a time when all the best elements of the old house work in concert, there’s a striking counterpoint in the smooth, spacious lines of the new and the perfect Christmas card looks of the old.

And the finished project is an example of how well a modern extension works with an old house — low ceilings, small windows and a cosy, almost subterranean feel moving smoothly into a great box of light.

Old small paned windows sit side by side with high-tech, Rational sliders that move at the touch of a finger, and capture painterly views of the land and sea beyond.

Reading this house isn’t a simple affair, it’s a complicated arrangement of steep gables old stone and quiet corners — and that’s just outside; inside, it has a floor plan all of its own — the quirky style all part of the charm of a building that’s been around for centuries, but is still willing to change.

Put simply, the main spine of the house has been punched out to create two stepped boxes on the south-western elevation following the lines of an old courtyard area, but adding great volume to what is, essentially, a 19th century space.

This new glazed area sits within the house connecting the renovated sitting room and kitchen in an axis and creating a dining/ living space that hogs light and opens directly onto the garden.

Marking the division between the new room and truly olde world sitting room is a stout, Chesterfield sofa, formerly chef Keith Floyd’s, which has now been transformed by upholsterer Sean O’Brien of Kinsale into an impressive, crushed lime velvet piece of theatre.

It faces the open fireplace with blazing log basket and brick lining and the surround is a mahogany firepiece painted in matt Little Greene paint. An old marble side table and overhead mirror on the opposite wall form a complementary trio in Portland Stone Dark and the mantel is festooned with decorations picked up in Dunne’s, Murphy’s in Kinsale.

The new extension is so big, it almost dwarfs the 10-seater table which is fully decorated in classic reds and natural linens in a layered arrangement. Most of the items were sourced from Boulevard Interiors and TK Maxx, with decorative, bone-handled cutlery adding the Victorian Christmas touch. Red stemware add a glow to tea lights on the dining table, (they come into

their own at dusk) and tall candelabra add dramatic focus to the large room. Antique and vintage furniture, picked up here and there, unite old and new beautifully and are cheap, clever ways to decorate on a budget. Check out local auctions for similar.

The easy standout element, apart from the tree, is the occasional table covered in pine branches and holly and set with a large bowl in which a poinsettia sits surrounded by pine cones. Simple, inexpensive and a very festive display. Add tea lights in holders, or battery operated led lights and you have a really nice focal point in a room. A similar arrangement is at the front door, only this time the pot is covered by a bright red garland. One to copy. Also, the window edges are simple dressed with holly and artificial berries, the green way to go as female holly plants are endangered from reckless picking in the wild.

The window sills are a revelation — Christmas tree boughs laid out with fruit and the odd angel, while tea lights in heart and star shaped holders are lit at dusk. One lovely touch is a satsuma wrapped in ribbon — so simple, so effective.

The old stone walls were cut through completely to connect the new with the old and new mahogany flooring runs though both rooms. This was specially cut in wide plank format by O’Riordan Joinery in Cork city and was laid and finished in a soft matt sheen by flooring specialist, Peter Farrell.

The Rational windows, used throughout the house are in a soft, cream Ral colour and in the old house, new shuttering was made and painted to match. The sliding doors on the ground floor are replicated overhead, where a smaller, box projection runs straight out to form a dazzlingly bright sitting room with breathtaking views.

This smaller box on top of a bigger box allows room for a balcony and the width of the lower projections extends further out to create a covered barbeque area on the ground floor, while cleverly allowing more space overhead for a separate balcony for the master bedroom.

The design is bright, modern, but with its silvering cedar cladding set against natural roof slates and the high pitch of the old building, it all looks so right.

Throw in Christmas lights and a crisp dry gloaming and you have one of the most inviting spaces from the outside — like a ship making its way through the dark night.

And there are lots of these extra design features that lift this house above average — courtesy of the owner’s design flair.

The first floor sitting room, with its standalone stone fireplace and acres of cream carpeted space, is luxurious and very feminine, while it also joins directly to the equally spacious, master bedroom.

Then, there’s a cut-out mezzanine to the kitchen below, contemporising the space immediately, while on the opposite side of the room, there’s an intimate dining area.

Grouped around the b lazing fire in the centre is a simple suite of loose linen covers, offset by grey cushions, (from Granny’s Bottom Drawer in Kinsale) and grey, hand painted bookshelves saved from the skip. All very simple, all very easy to replicate.

With a commanding view of Kinsale harbour it’s the perfect summer room in contrast to the cosy, womb-like living room below. In this way, the house offers a space for all seasons, snug in winter and high and bright for summer.

The living room connects directly to the master bedroom, with its own massive sliding doors, balcony and generous space with vintage and antique furniture and paintings by Cork artist, Jesse de la Cour.

Here, there’s a clever, interconnecting curved wall arrangement in the approach to the en suite bathroom and dressing room — no doors.

Both rooms are hidden behind a false wall and the chic, streamlined shower blends with an old, painted table, with basin atop, in a rich but comfortable mash-up of styles.

There’s lots of this about — an individual approach to decorating that marries sumptuous marble bathroom, antique bath and old furniture with found and painted items to create a very individual, but very considered home.

And everywhere there are candles — large pillars, small votives, scented, plain and tea light, they lift the winter darkness outside and in creating an inviting atmosphere

Tons of insulation as part of the overhaul means this house is as warm as toast too — and new, retro radiators sit quietly against the grey, pointed Kinsale stone walls.

The Gothic features here are made for Christmas from the glow of candles and lamplight, to the scent of an open log fire; to the cosy snug, where painted furniture and a big old table are transformed into a hidey hole for laughter and confidences; to the sleek, modern limestone kitchen and the crisp plaster curve of the mezzanine; mirrored in the rise of the mahogany staircase.

This house is a joy to view and visit, and shows just how good old and new can be, on their own and working in harmony to provide the perfect environment to meet domestic needs.

VERDICT: With this Gothic wonder and 21st century box architecture, the lucky owner has a house for all seasons — and it shines at Christmas.