Architect transforms council cottage into €520,000 home with garden recording studio

Willow Cottage in Midleton is a harmonious blend of old and new

Sun, 10 Jul, 2022 - 09:10

Catherine Shanahan Pictures: Jim Coughlan and Diane Cusack

Midleton, East Cork
€520,000
Size	211 sq m (2271 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2
BER	C2

You would be hard pushed to find any bum notes at Willow Cottage, with the exception of what might occasionally emanate from the recording studio in the garden.

A harmonious blend of original early-1900s cottage, and contemporary extension, designed by a brother of one of the owners, architect Paul Horgan of Horgan Carroll in Midleton, Willow Cottage chimes beautifully with its surroundings.

The house was considerably smaller when the couple bought it 20 years ago, even though the kitchen had already been extended, as well as the bathroom. It had also been modernised and refurbished.

Initially, the only significant change the pair made after buying it in 2002 was to turn what was a three-bed into a two-bed.

“Two of the bedrooms were smaller than a box room, so we took out a wall and made two decent bedrooms instead, but the long-term plan was to eventually extend it further,” the woman of the house says.

They set about doing so in 2008, with a baby on the way. Paul drew up the design and the man of the house took on the job of project manager.

“We got everyone in [builders, electricians, plumbers] ourselves.

“The roof was taken off the old cottage when I was eight months pregnant. The work took about 12 months and our daughter was born right at the end. We still weren’t moved into the extension but at least we were back living in the house,” she says.

The cottage, formerly a county council property, was “unrecognisable compared to when we had bought it”, the woman says.

For sure it’s transformed, nearly three times the size of what it was (from 800 sq ft to 2271 sq ft) and it gained a two-storey wing in the process, linked by a corridor/hallway to the original build.

The front door leads into the hallway which has a glazed wall along one side looking out towards the front lawn.

It’s a quirky, triangular shape, tapered where it meets the original cottage and fanning out at the opposite end to accommodate a staircase that leads to a mezzanine over the main sitting room - which is the extension centrepiece.

Architectural features abound here: a huge glazed wall rises high into a vault up past the mezzanine. In the centre of this wall is the chimney breast, with raised inset stove. Two sets of French doors on the adjoining wall lead outside and in the opposite wall is a full-length picture window. The impression is of height, light and space, in this thoroughly modern cedar-clad addition to Willow Cottage.

The other feature room on the ground floor of the new wing is the main bedroom, where two floor-to-ceiling windows are used to
stunning effect.

A walk-in wardrobe, with one wall entirely of glass, is big enough for use as a nursery.

There’s an ensuite too, while the main bathroom, with gorgeous saffron clawfoot bath, separate shower area and fabulous clerestory windows, is in the older part of the house.

Two of the bedrooms remain in the original cottage. The fourth bedroom is on the first floor of the extension.

The older bedrooms have the lovely, curved timber-panelled roofs of the original cottage as does a snug family room in the older building.

A pretty, country-style kitchen diner at the far end of the old house has French doors to a south-facing slate patio.

There are some nice external touches too, with steps and terraces at various points around the house which stands on half an acre. Large gardens front and rear (the rear is enclosed) are mainly laid to lawn, with boundaries ringed by a good selection of nicely-matured trees and shrubs.

One feature not found in most homes, which makes it a unique selling point, is the recording studio in the garden.

“My husband made it into a recording studio. Music is his thing and he produces records.

“The studio has a sound booth and office and it’s acoustically set up for people recording vocals,” the woman-of-the-house says.

A new owner can retain it as a studio or put it to other uses such as home gym/home office/playroom/teen den.

Miah McGrath of McCarthy & McGrath Auctioneers is handling the sale of Willow Cottage. The guide price is €520,000 and he says the four-bed is “an exceptional family home”, with “rolling countryside views”.

“It’s a cracking mix of old and new, they got the blend just right and the end product is a really warm livable family home. Some modern builds can be a bit clinical, but this has it all,” Mr McGrath says.

“We will see good interest from families who want to come out of town and from those looking to relocate to the area who are in search of a quality property,” the agent says.

The quality is obvious. The location is good too, about 1km from Lisgoold village and 5km from Midleton town.

VERDICT: Eye-catching design features are the hallmark of this quality, light-filled home. On a generous site, it’s ideal for rearing a family. Wanna-be music producers will love the recording studio.