Glanmire: Where the living is EZ
61 The Paddocks, Glyntown, Glanmire.
WHETHER you like simple and understated or extravagant and flamboyant, the chances are the owner of this home has catered to your tastes.
His stores, which began in Blarney Street in Cork more than 30 years ago and are now dotted around the country, are showrooms for home decor at its best: how to weave a space together with graceful bird motifs, how to add glam with a cocktail trolley or light-catching metallics, how layering up with different textures can elevate plain cosy to the heights of Scandinavian hygge.
Gavin White, director of leading home furnishings brand, EZ Living Interiors, and his wife Shona are selling their own stylish, modern home in Glanmire and looking forward to the challenge of revamping a beautiful old property on the Blackrock Road, where Gavin concedes “there will be no shortage of furniture”.
The decision to move came about during discussions to extend 61 The Paddocks, a 2,300 sq ft home in a small development of different house types in Glyntown, Glanmire.
“We had got the place repainted and we’d got new furniture in and we were humming and hawing about doing an extension and the cost of that extension.
“We had to decide whether No 61 was going to be our forever home, or whether to take the plunge and move to Blackrock where my wife’s parents live. In the end, we decided to take the plunge,” Gavin says.
And so they bought Glanleam, an elegant olde-world home that featured as House of the Week in these very Property pages in September just gone.
Anyone who has ever walked “The Line” under the Blackrock road will be familiar with this charming residence, which dates back over a century, and which was home to the Hyland family, (of Barry & Hyland shoeshop on Patrick St) for the best part of 80 years.
It was on the market, pre-crash in 2008 for €1.2m but returned to market this year for about half that price - guiding at €650,000, albeit in need of some investment.
The fact that it does need work is what appealed to the Whites.
“It’s exactly what we wanted. Something we could take apart and make our own and we are delighted with it and the 35m long rear garden. It’s stunning.
“It will be a big project but we have a builder and engineer on board and we are hoping to have an architect in the New Year,” Gavin says.
He will however have some regrets about leaving The Paddocks, which he describes as “a quiet park, about 10 houses, with lovely neighbours.
There’ll also be a touch of nostalgia about leaving the home they bought when they moved from Dublin to Cork four years ago and into which they welcomed their little girl, Lilah.
“My wife was pregnant and we bought quickly, on a whim. But it worked out really well.
“It’s a great house with great rooms in a great location.
“Our little girl goes to nearby Karen's Playschool which is about five minutes away and there’s loads of retail in the area - Lidl, Aldi, Supervalu.
“And there’s good connectivity - the bus stop for the 221 into the city is about 30 seconds from our front door and it’s every 30 minutes. We literally stopped driving to town - it’s not worth it by the time you get parking - but with the bus, it’s exactly 20 minutes in,” Gavin adds.
The house, guiding at €545,000, has served them well. A terrific balance of living and sleeping accommodation, it has at its heart a high-spec kitchen with plenty room for dining at a very generous island unit. Alternatively, you can pass under a flat archway and dine in the sun, as the formal dining table is in a bow-shaped high-ceiling sunroom, which juts out nicely onto the back patio and landscaped rear garden.Â
A couple of flagship EZ Living pieces are dotted about the house, including family favourites such the Armour Teal Velvet Sofa, the Trento Oak Writing Desk and the Ariel Bedframe. There's also some eye-catching paintings, thanks to Shona's talented sister (www.kadyberry.com).
Aside from the generous open-plan kitchen/sunroom/dining area, there’s a large living room with bay window to the front of the property, and a generous playroom to the rear, also with French doors to the patio.
A ground-floor bedroom has made way for a gym during lockdown, as regular gym visits have been knocked on the head by Covid-19.
Upstairs, the spacious main bedroom is ensuite and has the additional bonus of a walk-in wardrobe. The two remaining bedrooms are also doubles.
Outdoors is as well-cared for as in, with lots of nice planting and mature shrubs.Â
Selling agent Joe Organ of Joe Organ Auctioneers says there’s been great interest in No 61 since it went on line - with more than 5,000 views in the first week.
“The spec and finish are top class,” Mr Organ says “it’s ideal for someone looking for a high-spec detached house in the centre of Glanmire.” He expects the interest to come from families looking to trade up.
“It’s a great location, close to all the amenities and with easy access to the motorway.”Â
: An EZ choice for anyone looking to trade up in Glanmire.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
