Design Challenge and Design Ideas

Working in collaboration with a Canadian Architecture firm, the brief for our Kerry Farmhouse project was to create a unique, but comfortable family home, which successfully merged the existing traditional Irish Farmhouse which had been in the family for generations, with the new contemporary annex which was added to serve the growing needs of our clients and their young family. The space would offer the very best of both modern, contemporary living for the family, whilst still retaining the character and charm of their previous home which they have loved through the years.

How the brief was fulfilled

Built in 1908 by our client’s great-grandparents, and within its walls, a storied history of their ancestry, never was it more important to retain a sense of home than it was in this Farmhouse nestled at the base of Slieve Nish, and overlooking Tralee Bay.
Architect John McKenna used the nearby farm buildings as his inspiration for the sharply contrasting contemporary annex extension, and Ashen & Cloud sought to expand upon this juxtaposition within its walls and throughout the interior design. What ensued was a design flow that carefully considered every element, every material and every object, and resulted in a true convergence of old meeting new.

The Interior Design sought to pull the farmhouse elements into the contemporary annex, and visa versa, resulting in a wonderful rhythm of character and interest throughout the home. In some cases, this was bold, with a sharp feature staircase penetrating from the new into the old.
Conversely, the old is represented in every part of the new annex, with heritage materials like brass, timber, stone, and traditional limewash paint application throughout, which serves to soften the new, and add warmth and charm, alongside the more raw and vintage pieces.

It was really important that this space felt like it was in the Irish Countryside, and so spaces were conditioned to homogeneously exist with the often moody and temper-mental Atlantic Coastline nearby.
Timber raftering & muted finishes combine to reduce the feeling of a “white-walled new build” and to better settle the space into the surrounding landscape, yet contemporary details like flush skirting and minimal architraving ensure that the spaces had a strong point of view for this time period too.
Lighting design was carefully considered to ensure each space had the correct mood – day or night, rain or shine, and storage areas were also seamlessly incorporated into all areas.