From blueprint to dream home — a draughtsman's €850k labour of love in Leamlara

This stunning Leamlara home, designed by its owner, features vaulted ceilings, bespoke finishes, and countryside views — just 15 minutes from the city

Night time beacon at Ballyvatta, Leamlara

 

Leamlara, Co Cork
€850,000
Size	412 sq m (4435 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3
BER	C3

A CHAP skilled at turning concepts in to blueprints, and with the technical nous to design his own home, gave free reign to his creativity when drawing up plans for this distinctive Leamlara property.

Draughtsman Kevin O’Riordan had a store of knowledge by the time he and his wife, Linda, got down to researching the kind of home they would like.

They built the house in Ballyvatta while the Celtic Tiger was still rumbling and didn’t scrimp on any of the materials.

The warm, earthy hues of Ballydesmond stone are everywhere.

“It took 14 truckloads of stone in total, and it took two stonemasons six weeks to build the fireplace,” Kevin says.

The masons did a remarkable job. 

The stone chimney breast sweeps up through two floors into the vaulted, double-height ceiling. 

It’s outdone only by the showstopping glazed wall of windows that rises into the vault, delivering stunning countryside views.

“When you come here first, you think it’s remote, but, actually, we’re only 10 minutes from Glounthaune and 15 minutes from Midleton, and Watergrasshill village is a three-minute spin,” Kevin says.

Their home, named Suaimhneas (Tranquility), has a touch of west coast US about the interior. The entire ground floor is largely open plan and steps down through three levels.

 The towering chimney breast acts as a divider between the dining area and lounge and has a double-aspect gas fire. 

The kitchen, with cherry timber units and granite worktops, is off to one side. 

Italian Travertine flooring runs throughout the ground floor. Underfloor heating runs through the house, as the upstairs floors are also concrete.

Much of the internal work is bespoke (eg, the impressive, handmade, solid-walnut stairs, which leads to a mezzanine lounge, with terrific light levels).

Three of four bedrooms are upstairs, with en-suite bath and separate shower and ‘his’ and ‘her’ walk-in wardrobes in the main. 

There’s a downstairs bedroom and the option of turning a study in to a fifth. As Suaimhneas is set on 1.7 acres (mainly lawn), the couple had plenty of space to create patio areas.

 The main one is accessed off the large lounge and also the utility room. There are no less than four sets of patio doors to different seating areas.

One of the most impressive details is the time it took to build the house. Given its huge size — c 4,500 sq ft, with plenty of room to entertain 20 at Christmas dinner — it’s no mean feat that it was done and dusted in 18 months.

“We started work on March 1, 2005 and we moved in on September 1, 2006,” says Kevin, who project-managed the build. Twenty years later, and as they spend more time overseas, the couple are downsizing and selling up.

Ed O’Donovan, of Sherry FitzGerald O’Donovan, says it’s a “magnificent property”, with “incredible attention to detail” and “an abundance of living space”.

He’s seeing good interest from house hunters looking to move out of Cork City to the countryside, yet less than 15 minutes from the Jack Lynch Tunnel. The house comes with a double garage. Mr O’Donovan’s price for this striking home is €850,000.

VERDICT: A home that cuts quite a dash with great attention to detail and high-end finishes.