A blend of Scandinavian architecture, Japanese simplicity, and Polish folk, Kasha Connolly’s kitchen is where she first confects all her recipes.
Polish-born Kasha Connolly met her husband John when she signed up for a hike in the Burren.
They bonded over their love of the outdoors. Food was common ground.
John ran a café along with his hiking business. She’s from a family of bakers.
The couple set up Hazel Mountain Chocolate, a small-batch bean-to-bar chocolate factory, 11 years ago.
It attracts over 100,000 customers annually to the café, shop, and factory. Irs eponymous cookbook features a mix of cake and savoury recipes. There are tours of the factory, truffle tastings, and an on-site chocolatier produces truffles daily in their shop on Middle Street, Galway city.
The couple had hired Jon Eliason of Eliason Studio in Sweden to design the factory and cafe, as well as plans for their home.
The firm had worked with big brand names such as Ikea, Sagaform, and Villeroy & Boch, and so brought an international flavour to the interior and exterior.
The house, Halka Lodge, boasts a living grass roof, which helps it to blend into the surroundings.
The living space is open-plan.
“Cooking and baking are at the heart of my life. I’ve published three cookbooks, and I often spend hours in the kitchen baking, cooking, and testing new recipes.”
Having ample counter space was essential. Jon designed a large central island that she says has become the heart of the kitchen.
A large window frames a view of the Burren's karst landscape. To reflect the surrounding nature inside, she selected Frogmore, a muted shade that makes the space feel fresh and alive.
The water-based colour is from Ralston Paints low VOC Bio series, and is available through Pat McDonnell Paints.
"In the kitchen itself, I wanted the space to include a touch of retro Polish folk influence," she explains. This can be seen in the reeded glass detailing on the cabinetry, and in the decorative ceramics, Boleslawiec pottery that are on cupboard shelves and on the dining table.
The units feature a tactile mix of push-open drawers, including a hands-free bin that opens with the touch of a knee, pull-outs, and classic cupboards. Cummins Kitchens in Gort fabricated the design.
The kitchen also forms as a backdrop to her travel and cooking series, Food for Stories, which can be viewed on YouTube or Instagram.
In the episodes, she cooks at home and then brings the dishes across the yard to the chocolate factory, where she shares the meal with visitors from all around the globe in exchange for their life stories.
The food is made from many locally produced ingredients, and the producers also feature in the show.
Autumn is evident in the pops of russet-coloured gourds, squashes, and pumpkins that sit on shelves and windowsills.
On the dining table is a large platter filled with pinecones with a decorative giant acorn at its centre.
There’s a sense of practicality to the place. This is not a show kitchen or a show house.
It functions as a home, she says.
In the living area, the focal point is the Swedish-style tiled stove. Laois Stoves and Stone stock a similar design. There is limed oak flooring underfoot, and you can just see a blonde oak sideboard.
Try the Jut range from Fritz Hansen’s Skagerak for something similarly proportioned.
For more, visit Hazel Mountain Chocolate
