Houzz Tours
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Houzz Tour: A New England Look for a Contemporary Irish Home
This brand-new house has been given tons of character with smart joinery, striking fittings and a movie-inspired theme
Gail Wall Morris was delighted when her client gave her a very specific brief for this special project on the Irish coast: ‘Make it look like The Hamptons beach house in the Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton film, Something’s Gotta Give.’
‘It was lovely to have such a strong request!’ says Wall Morris. ‘I find when clients can give you good feedback on what they want, it becomes a great relationship. The homeowner was really into the design and the process, and we were on the same page throughout, so it was a wonderful project. Every month or so we’d go back and have another look at the film.’
‘It was lovely to have such a strong request!’ says Wall Morris. ‘I find when clients can give you good feedback on what they want, it becomes a great relationship. The homeowner was really into the design and the process, and we were on the same page throughout, so it was a wonderful project. Every month or so we’d go back and have another look at the film.’
On top of the owner’s Something’s Gotta Give film set request, Wall Morris’s main design challenge was to create cosiness and intimacy within the double-height, open-plan space. ‘We did this by using clever lighting and creating built-ins to define areas,’ she explains. ‘Layer upon layer of detail is built up through the use of beading, panelling and shelving, as well as devices such as window seats, cabinets and desks. The clean-lined character is classic in style, with hints of New England.’
From first discussions to the fitting process, this project took Wall Morris a year to complete. ‘Near the end, I had lots of site visits. The joiners I used from Teamwoodcraft are amazing. They did all the panelling, the staircase, all the detail. They followed my drawings beautifully. It was a great team effort.’
Black granite worktop, Artefaction.
Find more wonderful ways with wood panelling
From first discussions to the fitting process, this project took Wall Morris a year to complete. ‘Near the end, I had lots of site visits. The joiners I used from Teamwoodcraft are amazing. They did all the panelling, the staircase, all the detail. They followed my drawings beautifully. It was a great team effort.’
Black granite worktop, Artefaction.
Find more wonderful ways with wood panelling
To zone off the kitchen, dining room and living room areas of this large room, Wall Morris used various kinds of joinery. ‘Around the kitchen we built alcoves to separate the lower areas from the upper areas of the room. The upper areas have random-width panelling – an idea borrowed from Something’s Gotta Give.
‘In the dining area, we used a group of pendant lights to act as a screen for that area. The separate rugs also help.’
Custom-made fireplace, Artefaction.
‘In the dining area, we used a group of pendant lights to act as a screen for that area. The separate rugs also help.’
Custom-made fireplace, Artefaction.
The built-ins and panelling are designed to create a seamless link from the interior doors to the wall panelling to the staircase and even to the vanity unit in the bathroom.
‘I’m so proud of the joinery,’ says Wall Morris. ‘I wanted to create a layer of luxury and character through the built-ins and panelling. As you can see here, it helps ground spaces, centre seating arrangements and frame the walls to centre wall lights, paintings or a piece of furniture. Also, the upper wall panelling in the double-height space helped us balance the very high, 5.5m vaulted ceiling.’
Wall Morris and her client chose a layered neutral colour palette. ‘I like to use a tone-on-tone colour scheme,’ she says.
Panelling painted in Off White and Old White; walls painted in Light Gray, all Farrow & Ball.
Wall Morris and her client chose a layered neutral colour palette. ‘I like to use a tone-on-tone colour scheme,’ she says.
Panelling painted in Off White and Old White; walls painted in Light Gray, all Farrow & Ball.
In the hall, Wall Morris changed the colours slightly.
Woodwork painted in Tunsgate Green, Farrow & Ball. Wall painted in Inviting Gesture 0393, Colortrend.
Find out how to get the perfect finish with paint
Woodwork painted in Tunsgate Green, Farrow & Ball. Wall painted in Inviting Gesture 0393, Colortrend.
Find out how to get the perfect finish with paint
‘My client and I share a love of dark wood floors,’ continues Wall Morris, ‘and the contrast of them really sets off a tonal scheme like this. It gives you the base to mix in a second timber if you want, as we did with the furniture, and glass and metal finishes work really well against it. In fact, anything natural works. Then you can also add an accent colour if you wish. That’s my general approach to a colour scheme.’
Timber flooring, Trunk.
Timber flooring, Trunk.
The house is in a remote part of the country, so organising and coordinating was a challenge. Wall Morris’s client also hired a project manager to help with this.
The study is just off the hall on the ground floor. ‘This room is a really lovely scale,’ says Wall Morris. ‘Coming out of the double-height space, it’s lovely to step into this small room, which has a dual-aspect feel to it – the views are beautiful.’
‘So many people ask me where this large clock came from,’ says Wall Morris. ‘It’s my client’s, from the States, and I’ve been unable to track an identical design down, but there are plenty of similar options out there.’
In the main en suite bathroom, the freestanding tub was painted the same colour as the grey used in the master bedroom.
Bath painted in Blue Gray, Farrow & Ball.
Bath painted in Blue Gray, Farrow & Ball.
As you enter the en suite, there’s a walk-in shower and loo on your left, and this vanity unit on your right.
‘We used the same panelling style for the vanity unit, and incorporated a leg detail to make it look more like furniture,’ the designer explains. ‘It also has a panel behind the legs, so nothing can fall under there and it’s easy to clean.’
Lighting, Visual Comfort & Co.
‘We used the same panelling style for the vanity unit, and incorporated a leg detail to make it look more like furniture,’ the designer explains. ‘It also has a panel behind the legs, so nothing can fall under there and it’s easy to clean.’
Lighting, Visual Comfort & Co.
Panelling continues in the master bedroom, with banding and beading detail on the ceiling and walls. This room was deliberately kept simple – just a place to sleep, with a chair in which to sit and read in the corner.
There’s also a small dressing area off this room.
Barbara Barry Simple 5 Light Hanging Shade in Soft Silver, Visual Comfort & Co.
There’s also a small dressing area off this room.
Barbara Barry Simple 5 Light Hanging Shade in Soft Silver, Visual Comfort & Co.
The two external-wall porthole windows – one seen here beyond the round landing window and one shown in the first image in the kitchen – had already been fitted when Wall Morris started on the job.
‘We echoed these in the porthole window at the end of this dormer-level corridor, which overlooks the kitchen on the inside wall [seen in the second kitchen image]. This one wasn’t originally a circle, but we ended up building the joinery that way so there’s consistency throughout the house. When we came up with it, it was definitely a, “Why didn’t we think of this before?” moment!’
‘We echoed these in the porthole window at the end of this dormer-level corridor, which overlooks the kitchen on the inside wall [seen in the second kitchen image]. This one wasn’t originally a circle, but we ended up building the joinery that way so there’s consistency throughout the house. When we came up with it, it was definitely a, “Why didn’t we think of this before?” moment!’
This is the view down the dormer-level corridor in the other direction. The ceiling here is quite low, and Wall Morris decided to clad it entirely to make a feature of it.
This bathroom is one of a further two in the dormer part of the house, and has amazing views. Wall Morris continued the tonal theme with the selection of tiles and stone in here.
‘The upstairs of the property is carpeted, so we felt it was nice to have dark wood vanity units for contrast to echo the wooden floor downstairs,’ she explains.
Vanity unit, Artefaction.
‘The upstairs of the property is carpeted, so we felt it was nice to have dark wood vanity units for contrast to echo the wooden floor downstairs,’ she explains.
Vanity unit, Artefaction.
All the built-in wardrobes in this dormer bedroom have bifold doors for fuss-free access.
The roof windows in here were painted in the same colour as the walls to make them look like a part of the main joinery.
So what’s the verdict on the house? ‘The owner loves it and we’re still in touch,’ says Wall Morris. ‘We have a mutual fondness for this house. I worked in the States for 10 years and this was the first job I had on my return to Ireland where I was given the opportunity to completely do my own thing with the joinery! It was a dream project.’
TELL US…
What do you think of the mix of new build and traditional panelling in this Irish coastal home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
So what’s the verdict on the house? ‘The owner loves it and we’re still in touch,’ says Wall Morris. ‘We have a mutual fondness for this house. I worked in the States for 10 years and this was the first job I had on my return to Ireland where I was given the opportunity to completely do my own thing with the joinery! It was a dream project.’
TELL US…
What do you think of the mix of new build and traditional panelling in this Irish coastal home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here A young professional
Location Southern Ireland
Property An L-shaped, detached new build – double-height in places and single storey with a dormer level in others
Size 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Designer Gail Wall Morris of Wall Morris Design
When Gail Wall Morris got involved in this project, the house was already under construction, and it was quite an intense start, as the Planning Permission was on the brink of running out. ‘I’m based three hours away from this property,’ says Wall Morris, ‘so all our design meetings took place on the phone or via email. But we got to know each other really well and it was great fun to work on.
‘I got involved just in time,’ she continues. ‘The block work was up already and we had to make a few changes so everything lined up for all the joinery we were planning. A whole level of plasterboard, alcove and ceiling covers went on later.’
This home is heavily panelled to bring personality and detail to what was originally a big, empty space.
Lighting, Hicken Lighting. Joinery, Teamwoodcraft. All furniture, client’s own and shipped from the US.