Farmhouse-style outside - contemporary cool inside

CO WEXFORD: €950,000A spacious five-bedroom house in the seaside village of Kilmore Quay has clean contempoary interior behind its traditional farmhouse facade, writes Bernice Harrison

LIKE MANY self-builders, Colm and Sadhbh Sweeney's house turned out quite differently from their original plans - at least from the outside.

When they bought the site at Killag Cross in Kilmore Quay - complete with a small old cottage - they originally intended replacing it with a very contemporary designed house but the planners in Co Wexford had different ideas.

"They wanted something more traditional," says Sadhbh, a busy mother of two young children who has spent the past five years managing the popular Wooden House Hotel in the centre of Kilmore Quay.

The planners were clear with the couple from the start that only something more in keeping with the style of houses dotting the countryside around the busy fishing village and marina would be acceptable.

So the couple built what looks from the outside like a traditional two-storey farmhouse - albeit a very large one.

This detached house has five bedrooms and five bathrooms over 279sq m (3,000sq ft) of space.

Inside, it's quite a different story with cool contemporary touches everywhere, from the sleek remote control two-metre wide gas fire in the livingroom to the high gloss units in the kitchen.

"I think many people like a modern look but are afraid to go for it," says Sadhbh, who has just completed her diploma in interior design and is planning a career change as well as a house move.

Three of the five bedrooms have en suites, the main bedroom goes one step further having separate his and hers wet rooms as well as a dressingroom. There's also a fully tiled large family bathroom with twin sinks, a shower and a free standing bath.

In the kitchen, Sadhbh chose a mixture of walnut (there's walnut flooring in most rooms in the house), granite, stainless steel and high gloss finishes to create a bright modern look. There's also a utility room and a small study.

The couple are moving for work and family reasons. Colm, a self-employed carpenter who did most of the work on the house, has gotten work near his home town in Co Down and his parents have given the couple a site adjacent to their property. So the children will have the chance to get to know their grandparents a bit better, Sadhbh can work on starting a new career and they can start building again.

The house is on three-quarters of an acre, close to Burrow Beach and minutes from Kilmore Quay. It is for sale for €950,000 through ERA Byrne Auctioneers in New Ross.

Killag Cross, Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford

Five-bedroom family house with over 279sq m (3,000sq ft) of space on three-quarters of an acre. The interior has cool contemporary touches everywhere

Agent: ERA Byrne Auctioneers in New Ross