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KATHERINE MURPHY IS the owner of lifestyle store Nest in Kenmare and also runs An Síbín Restaurant & Wine Bar in Lauragh, Co. Kerry. Having worked in hospitality and in retail for decades, she knows well how to create cosy and inviting spaces. Here she tells Ruth O’Connor about Foley’s Orchard Cottage – a former lowly dwelling turned inviting blend of the contemporary and the traditional.
“The cottage was originally more or less a shed. It would have been built in the late 19th Century or before,” says Katherine of the bijou Kerry cottage. “We pretty much ignored it for years until the gable end collapsed and I was put in the position of making a decision about whether to restore it or not. Someone suggested turning it back into a small dwelling which it had been originally – up until sometime in the 1970s two brothers had lived in it in what was very basic accommodation. It had then fallen into ruin. When it was put to me to turn it back into a small dwelling I thought I’d go for it.”
Now fully rebuilt, the cottage is named after the two brothers who once lived there. “It’s called Foley’s Orchard Cottage – I wanted to reference the people who lived there before rather than calling it something like ‘Hazel View’. I wanted to maintain that connection to the past,” says Katherine. “The place has a particular atmosphere. I feel that places and houses tend to have either a good or bad atmosphere and this place has a good atmosphere . When you stand at the door you feel grounded – there’s very little in the cottage but there’s everything you need – there’s something beautifully basic about it.”
The cottage interior was newly built with a nod to the original. “When trying to rebuild we realised that there were no foundations so the whole thing had to be rebuilt properly. All the stone was kept and repurposed in the re-build. The interior of it was newly built but I used polished concrete throughout to give the same ambience as a slate floor,” says Katherine who also employed the services of a carpenter friend of hers to build the simple but beautiful kitchen.
The garden joins the cottage to another house on the property nearby – all set against the backdrops of the mountains beyond. “I think retaining the natural local stone in the cottage, with the help of local craftsman Tommy Noonan, was important. I think sometimes a design can fall down if people use imported stone that looks out of keeping with the surrounding landscape,” says Katherine. “The stones from the cottage against the backdrop of the mountains means the cottage sits better in the landscape and the whole thing looks more natural.”
When it comes to her design ideas she tells me that she keeps all her interior design ideas in a scrapbook rather than using platforms such as Pinterest. “I do things the old fashioned way,” she says. “It’s a little bit like an interior designer creating a moodboard. When I look back at my scrapbooks I realise that I have managed to achieve exactly what I wanted. I find that a scrapbook is more tactile than an online moodboard and I can get a better sense of what I want to achieve.”
In terms of advice for people hoping to take on a similar project Katherine says that it is important to be able to articulate clearly to tradespeople what it is that you want and to stand your ground when it comes to decision making.
“A builder might tell you you can’t do something but ultimately you have to be brave enough to stand your ground and to hold on to the ideas you have. Many builders are great but some just want to make the job as easy as possible for themselves so you sometimes have to stand your ground and not back down where possible. You usually have only one shot at something so it’s important to get it right. It will also potentially mean that you end up with something more individual and personal.”
Local craftsman Oliver Holbein of local business Holbein Carpentry and Joinery built the beautiful oak staircase in the cottage. “Oliver grew up in Kenmare and is immensely talented and successful. I love working with him because he really listens to his clients. He’s inundated with work but the most beautiful work in Kenmare is done by him – joinery is in his blood. The windows are by Munster Joinery who I also found great to work with,” says Katherine.
As the owner of Nest it’s no surprise that Katherine has some great homewares on her radar – think lobsters from Studioroof Wall Art available at her shop in Kenmare, as well as locally-made St. Brigid’s crosses, little bee espresso mugs made in Scotland by Chloe Gardner Art, fish-shaped glug jugs made in Stoke on Trent in the UK, beautiful earthy glazed pottery items from Dexam, colourful tea towels by Scion Living and rainbow-hued ceramic olive oil bottles made in Puglia, Italy.
The home owner favours a pared back minimalist style but that’s not to say that there is a dearth of personality here. The cottage sees a blend of antique pine furniture with some mid-Century pieces. “I think there is something of a similarity between modern Scandinavian design and Irish pieces like the traditional súgán chair. The one thing to consider is that the decor doesn’t end up looking cold – that’s easy to resolve in Ireland with the addition of some of our good quality woollen throws or blankets from Donegal (I love McNutt) and with sheepskin rugs.”
Katherine recently purchased a Markey Robinson (1918 – 1999) painting of a vase of flowers done on wallpaper and is also a fan of Sarah Walker’s work. “He is one of my favourite Irish artists,” she says. “I love his primitive style.” She is also a fan of young Irish artist Rachel Smith and has some of her artwork in An Síbín as well as for sale in Nest. Several prints by Superfolk also appear throughout the Foley’s Orchard Cottage as well as An Síbín including their beautiful dandelion, gorse, beech and rowan prints.
“I think the Park Hotel is a great example of how art can transform a space. The new owner Bryan Meehan has totally transformed the place with the introduction of some extraordinary contemporary art – a good piece of art can transform a room.”
Address Book:
Visit Nest online at nestkenmare.ie and on Instagram.
Visit An Síbín Restaurant & Wine Bar on Instagram.
Want to visit Foley’s Orchard Cottage for yourself? You can book Foley’s Orchard Cottage here.
House and portrait photography by Lynda Kenny. Visual Feasts.
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