Protection from the elements is easy, says Cork hotelier who’s installed haute finishes in his oceanside home
Less than 25 kilometres from Cork city, overlooking the ocean and Ballycotton lighthouse, is a stylish home, made of modern materials that can withstand the elements.
There are almost 40,000 living within 100 metres of the coast, according to the 2016 census. Homes by the sea endure salt and damp conditions that inland homes do not.
Windows need consideration as regular timber cannot withstand the assault. Materials need to protect the property from the salt and battering that is part of the privilege of enjoying sea views.
The owners, Michael and Elaine O’Brien, who own two hotels in Ballycotton, the Garryvoe Beach Hotel and The Bayview, have learned a few professional tricks of the trade.
Michael is a builder. His parents bought the Garryvoe in 1963 and grew up with the art of hospitality, something he’s imbued this large four-bedroom, six-bathroom home with.
While it extends to about 500 square metres, it has public and residents-only areas and is knitted together by the use of a simple, textured palette.
On the exterior, there is stone, glass, zinc, and blackened timber in the Japanese style of Shou Sugi Ban and Consentino’s Dekton.
The large-format slabs of Dekton on the walls have been cut to differing widths, in a colour called Kira, which in this light appears as a warm pink sandstone.
The terraces are paved in Kovik, a tile with an outdoor option that Michael says has a great grip effect and is available in about 15 of the range’s 50 colours.
Inside, the dining room features rich cognac-coloured woods that doff a cap at the fishing village’s nautical past.
In the broken planning lounge, there is a freestanding chimney that houses a wood-burning stove, set on a plinth, off the ground.
It is surrounded by slabs of Kira, this time in a gloss finish.
The chimneybreast anchors the room and accommodates a large screen TV relatively unobtrusively, thanks to the use of a deep, purple-coloured paint on the dividing wall.
In this space, the Dekton colour choice brings out grey hues.
The bathroom shown is the family bathroom for residents only.
The mood is very much that of a haute hotel. Design and functionality in a hotel are important, he says of his choice of Dekton's Laurent here, a dark look streaked with bronze ore.
“It’s a really nice product that is really hard-wearing.”
He used the large formats, 3.3 metre by 4 metre sheets and cut everyone to suit the bathroom.
“The corners are mitred. There are no metal stops on the edges.”
There are twin, teardrop-shaped sinks with brass hardware that match the rim of the mirror.
The sinks are set on a plinth of a contrasting colour. It features Silestone's Calacatta Gold.
The manmade stone materials contrast with ribbed and rounded timber batons that bookend the sinks.
These conceal spotlights that pool onto the surface. The overall effect delivers a deep cocoon-like feel.
A free-standing bath, the same shape as the sinks, with floor-set hardware, allows you to literally soak up the atmosphere.
It is a space used by all the family, including their three small kids, who love the room.
“The three of them still fit inside the bath.”
Grey and gold look to the stone slabs and backlit mirrors and gentle spots illuminating the space.
The result is a really considered use of a modern material. It even protects the lookout post-like chimney stack on the flat roof.
