Houzz Tour: Stunning Views and Starry Nights in an Irish Cottage
A traditional farmer’s home overlooking a remote lake gets a simple update and a wood-patterned concrete addition
There’s a definite magic about some places, and the remote lakeside spot of Treangarriv in Ireland’s County Kerry — a wilderness of rolling green farmland and majestic mountains — is, without a doubt, one of those enchanting locations.
Brian Spain has been drawn to the area ever since he was a child. “As a boy, I spent every Easter and every August in Dooks, which is the beach close to Treangarriv,” he says. “There are several generations of our extended family who’ve all made this special place their second home. I’d had the idea to buy an old cottage on an acre or two as a restoration project for a long time.”
Brian Spain has been drawn to the area ever since he was a child. “As a boy, I spent every Easter and every August in Dooks, which is the beach close to Treangarriv,” he says. “There are several generations of our extended family who’ve all made this special place their second home. I’d had the idea to buy an old cottage on an acre or two as a restoration project for a long time.”
According to census records, “the population living on this part of the mountain was 52 until the 1950s, when some of the families started to move away,” Spain says. “The last man ever to leave the hill continued to reside in an original cottage with no running water or electricity. He lived into his 70s as he had as a boy, in a simple cottage living a simple cottage life.”
Spain heard about the cottage from some locals and bought it from the widow of a German-American man, who had also been beguiled by the magic of the place.
It has been renamed Lost Cottage and, like the other vernacular buildings, is made entirely from local materials. It has stone-and-dirt walls, a thatched roof and a wide door so that animals could be brought inside. (This was once a winter refuge for a herd of mountain goats.)
Spain heard about the cottage from some locals and bought it from the widow of a German-American man, who had also been beguiled by the magic of the place.
It has been renamed Lost Cottage and, like the other vernacular buildings, is made entirely from local materials. It has stone-and-dirt walls, a thatched roof and a wide door so that animals could be brought inside. (This was once a winter refuge for a herd of mountain goats.)
The cottage has been painstakingly renovated. “The walls were intact but with no render on them,” Spain recalls. “The floor was mud, and the roof was dried moss and thatch with a corrugated metal covering on top, which had rusted through.”
To retain the authenticity of the property, Spain used beams of larch foraged from the forest behind the cottage, along with lime-plastered walls, wooden sash windows and furnishings crafted from local Douglas fir.
“I’ve created and renovated pubs and so would source old bars, flooring, tiles and bric-a-brac,” he says. “But I’m in no way a craftsman — I helped to rebuild the cottage, but all of the craft work was done by talented individuals.”
To retain the authenticity of the property, Spain used beams of larch foraged from the forest behind the cottage, along with lime-plastered walls, wooden sash windows and furnishings crafted from local Douglas fir.
“I’ve created and renovated pubs and so would source old bars, flooring, tiles and bric-a-brac,” he says. “But I’m in no way a craftsman — I helped to rebuild the cottage, but all of the craft work was done by talented individuals.”
Inspired by designer John Pawson’s pared-down, almost monasterial style, the interior of Lost Cottage has a simple, stripped-back vibe that doesn’t compete with the fantastic views and intense silence of the 85 private acres on which it’s set.
“There’s so much going on outside the cottage — an ever-changing landscape of [almost 40 square miles] — that the interior needed to be comfortable, cozy and uncluttered, using a simple palette of natural materials,” Spain says.
The kitchen, made by Spain’s friend Terence Murphy, is decked out with all the essentials and some special items, such as the French bistro fridge. “I own pubs in France and sourced it there,” he says. “It’s now used as the larder.”
“There’s so much going on outside the cottage — an ever-changing landscape of [almost 40 square miles] — that the interior needed to be comfortable, cozy and uncluttered, using a simple palette of natural materials,” Spain says.
The kitchen, made by Spain’s friend Terence Murphy, is decked out with all the essentials and some special items, such as the French bistro fridge. “I own pubs in France and sourced it there,” he says. “It’s now used as the larder.”
Most of the fixtures and furnishings, including the green sofas, were made to Spain’s design by Murphy.
“The idea was to have low-sided sofas so as not to block the light and view from the kitchen gable windows,” Spain says. “They can also be used as extra beds when needed.”
“The idea was to have low-sided sofas so as not to block the light and view from the kitchen gable windows,” Spain says. “They can also be used as extra beds when needed.”
The raw beauty of the larch beams and the rough walls creates an authentic space.
“There was no water or electricity when I first bought the property, but my neighbor, who was born and raised in a nearby cottage, showed me the spring they used to get cold water to make butter before electricity arrived in the valley,” Spain says. “I’ve used this spring as the water source.”
The dining table is crafted from large sandblasted Douglas fir planks that had been used in the form work, or mold, of the new cottage addition.
“There was no water or electricity when I first bought the property, but my neighbor, who was born and raised in a nearby cottage, showed me the spring they used to get cold water to make butter before electricity arrived in the valley,” Spain says. “I’ve used this spring as the water source.”
The dining table is crafted from large sandblasted Douglas fir planks that had been used in the form work, or mold, of the new cottage addition.
Three handblown glass lanterns, bought in Japan, hang from a suspended branch found in the garden.
The twin bedroom lies behind the cottage sitting room. “The beds are just regular single beds from the local furniture store, with handmade headboards using the sandblasted Douglas fir planks,” Spain says. “The floor is polished concrete, inlaid with some of the original salvaged flagstones.”
Harmonious green and yellow tones create a restful ambiance in the guest bedroom.
The original cottage leads into the newly built walk-through bathroom and on to the master bedroom.
“In the original plan, the extension was to be two buildings joined by a hallway,” Spain says. “In the end, due to planning restrictions, we decided to only proceed with the bedroom block and to repurpose the hall as the bathroom. It gives the cottage an unusual layout, but one that works.”
“In the original plan, the extension was to be two buildings joined by a hallway,” Spain says. “In the end, due to planning restrictions, we decided to only proceed with the bedroom block and to repurpose the hall as the bathroom. It gives the cottage an unusual layout, but one that works.”
Sleek and minimalist, the connecting bathroom has a glass roof so that bathers can stargaze from the sunken tub — a standout feature, especially as the house is set in Ireland’s first International Dark Sky Reserve.
“The walls of the extension are all rendered in lime plaster, and the render comes in over the sides of the bath,” Spain says.
Bathtub: Bette
“The walls of the extension are all rendered in lime plaster, and the render comes in over the sides of the bath,” Spain says.
Bathtub: Bette
The concrete addition is designed to mirror the old cottage beside it. Spain used wood grain-patterned oxidized concrete to blend it with the landscape.
“The extension is built in the vernacular, copying the proportions of the original cottage,” he says. “It’s a poured-concrete structure, including the roof. I bought three Douglas fir trees and had them milled into long, wide planks. These were then sandblasted and used for the form work.
“Once the concrete had set, the form work was removed, leaving a concrete surface with the imprint of the Douglas fir. The wood-grain finish was then oxidized to create a rust color.”
“The extension is built in the vernacular, copying the proportions of the original cottage,” he says. “It’s a poured-concrete structure, including the roof. I bought three Douglas fir trees and had them milled into long, wide planks. These were then sandblasted and used for the form work.
“Once the concrete had set, the form work was removed, leaving a concrete surface with the imprint of the Douglas fir. The wood-grain finish was then oxidized to create a rust color.”
Sweeping views of Caragh Lake and the surrounding countryside can be enjoyed from the minimalist whitewashed master bedroom — the perfect spot to watch the sun rising.
Getty the Goat was a tongue-in-cheek birthday present from one of Spain’s relatives.
Getty the Goat was a tongue-in-cheek birthday present from one of Spain’s relatives.
The seamless architecture of the new poured-concrete addition has a beautiful modern-rustic ambiance, with a big, comfortable bed to take in the spectacular view.
Breathtaking countryside surrounds the cottage. “There’s nobody, other than my farmer neighbor, living near the cottage, and the closest village is on the other side of the mountain,” Spain says. “It’s [about 5½ miles] by car and [about 2½ miles] on foot, and both routes have amazing views over Dingle Bay.”
Lost Cottage is a refuge from busy city life and a simple yet stylish hideaway from which to enjoy the ever-changing elements.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Lost Cottage is a refuge from busy city life and a simple yet stylish hideaway from which to enjoy the ever-changing elements.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Brian Spain, owner of Coolin gastropub in Hossegor, France
Location: Treangarriv, Ireland
Size: Two bedrooms, two bathrooms
Designer-builder: Terence Murphy of Goodform
Spain’s dream of finding a house to restore in Treangarriv finally came true when four hill farmer’s cottages came up for sale. “The cottages predate the first Ordnance Survey mapping of the area in 1820, but by how much, it’s difficult to tell,” says Spain, who was born and raised in Ireland and went to college in Dublin.