Two storybook homes called Toad Hall have come to the market. If you had to choose, which of the two would you rather live in, and would you change its name? And what are the implications of making that change?
Few outside of fans of the book, The Wind in the Willows, will know of Toad Hall, the storied residence of Mr Toad, the chief protagonist in the children’s novel by British author Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908.
For those that don’t, the story tracks the adventures of four animal friends, Mole, Ratty, Badger and Mr Toad, the only one of the four to have a title. He is also considered impulsive and is obsessed with the new tech of the day, the motorcar.
Part morality tale, it demonstrates that true friendship, loyalty, and the comforts of home are worth more than any adventure.
In the story, Toad Hall, Mr Toad's residence, is described as a "handsome, dignified old house of mellowed red brick, with well-kept lawns reaching down to the water's edge", and its owner, Mr Toad, as a wealthy, narcissistic, reckless fop.
It is unusual to see a home so monikered in Ireland. There are many properties that are named Rose Cottage, The White Houses or Dunraven, for the party people hanging up their dancing shoes.
When people choose a name for a home, they are bestowing upon it a certain vibrational energy, says Edel Cleary, interior designer and Feng Shui practitioner who has also authored a book on the subject.
“Immediately, it begins to shape the story of a space. This may evoke a particular memory or, as in this case, a childhood story, mythology or even have cultural reference. It can be very interesting to pull this apart and examine what is drawing them to a particular name.
“As with every aspect of the decor of their homes, this can be deeply personal and speak to our personal memories of ‘home’ and their sense of comfort and belonging."
This chimes with the storyline of the book. In it, Mr Toad is simply calling his property after his own name.
If you had to choose, which of the two would you rather live in, and would you change the name?
Address: Toad Hall, Coolfore, Monasterboice, Drogheda, Co. Louth, A92 NN12
Asking price: €575,000
Agent: Quillsen
Built in 1996, this four-bedroom, two-bathroom detached property, a couple of kilometres from Drogheda, has many of the flourishes of the storybook house.
Extending to 154 square metres, the C2 BER-rated residence has a turreted tower at its centre and tall chimneystacks that evoke the amphibian’s residence.
The house opens into a large hall and has a dual aspect kitchen that opens out to the back garden through a half door.
Adjoining it is a separate dining room that could be opened to the kitchen to create a more open plan space that many families covet.
Across the hall is a bright and well-balanced living room which enjoys a box bay window at the front.
There is one double bedroom at this level and a bathroom.
Upstairs, there are three more bedrooms, a home office and the family bathroom.
The garden and grounds extend to just over 0.5 of an acre.
Address: Toad Hall, Colla, Schull, Co Cork, P81 X821
Asking price: €650,000
Agent: Charles McCarthy Auctioneers
Fans of boating, fishing or sea swimming will love how proximate this dormer bungalow is to Colla pier.
Less than a five-minute walk away,y it gives you a place to escape terra firma and adventure in the big blue.
The C1 BER-rated three-bedroom, two-bathroom house features local quarried stone from Comhoola near Bantry.
It is sizeable, extending to 149 square metres across its two floors.
It has a good-sized porch, which then opens into the hall.
An open-plan kitchen cum living room is to the left. It has an Indian sandstone floor and a kitchen stained a spring green colour.
The living area looks towards the water and is warmed by a wood-burning stove.
A utility room and a guest W.C. lead off it.
The first of its three double bedrooms is across the hall.
It has an ensuite bathroom.
Upstairs, there are two more bedrooms with one having windows in the gable and an open fire.
The house has a stone-paved patio and is set on 0.3 acres.
What if you want to change the name?
It is interesting that when people buy a home that has already been named, they choose to keep that name, Healy notes.
"Some will do this without thinking, and others will have been attracted to the 'story' they tell themselves about the home, based to some degree on the name and the ambience this creates."
Feng shui also looks at the vibrational energy of the space, its atmosphere, she explains. "This builds up over time due to all of the experiences on the land and within the built space.
"This is residual energy, often called predecessor energy and can feel like stepping into someone else's shoes. Keeping the name of the house holds on to this vibration, and this may well be intentional on their part."
Only the new occupant can decide whether this resonates with them.
"If not, a name change - not unlike a christening - can reset the energy with intention."
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