Where rustic meets modern
Interior designer Eavan English has peppered her renovated family farmhouse with mementoes from the past for a look that marries modern finishes with meaningful accessories, explains Marie Kelly.
Eavan English describes the renovation of her generational family farmhouse as “a bit like a wedding; you know, ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’”. Originally home to her three grand-aunts, Eily, Annie and Nora, English’s own home was just a field away and she spent many afternoons after school hanging out in the traditional stone-built property. “Eily ran the house and Annie and Nora managed the dairy herd and greyhounds,” she recalls. “Those memories brought an added layer of emotion to the project so it was important that the interior scheme created space for family mementos,” English explains. She was also keen to incorporate items gifted to her from friends and locals who’d known her since she was a child.
The building started out as a village pub and was just 70 sq m. “My relatives got rid of the pub and built on a 70 sq m two-storey extension in the 1950s or 60s, doubling the footprint of the house,” explains English, who is an interior designer and founder of Eedi Studio in Kanturk, Co Cork. “When I bought the house from my cousin in 2017, it was in a dreadful condition. I had to gut the property, replace the roof and rebuild the extension. I also relocated the staircase as it dissected the upstairs in two. By repositioning it, I created a greater sense of movement through all parts of the property, which is useful because I absentmindedly walk laps when I’m on the phone,” she admits.
English’s intention was to modernise the house without losing sight of its past so the design scheme was anchored by durable, breathable materials: cork insulation, lime plaster, polished concrete and exposed brick. “I wanted to stay true to the integrity of the original building,” explains English, “and create a harmonious thread of materials through the house.” This naturally informed the colour palette, which is a warm tapestry of biscuit, beige and oatmeal, allowing a celebration of the bones of the house as much as the modern finishes. The only exception was the kitchen where English introduced some depth of colour. “I chose Farrow & Ball’s Carriage Green for the kitchen cabinets, which were custom-made by John Glennon Kitchens in Westmeath, and Colourtrend’s Stairway to Heaven for the walls.”
Only the back wall in the kitchen and the wall behind the sofa in the living room have modern acrylic paint finishes. “This was a bit of a compromise,” English explains, “but I wanted these specific colours in these locations and in the end I decided they wouldn’t affect the integrity of these two particular walls as they are new blockwork partitions.” The entrance hallway, stairwell and the entire upstairs are painted with natural mineral paints from Keim Paints sourced through McConnells Coatings in Dublin. All of the wood used in the house was finished with Rubio Monocoat oils or precolour, both of which are zero-VOC products, available from NAA in Ballymount, Dublin. “There’s no varnish or lacquer used, even on the tables I restored myself,” English reveals. “The attributes of these finishes may be unseen, but in my mind they are really felt,” she adds.
The cocooning shade of inky blue in the kitchen created an ideal backdrop for a pair of ceramic vases which take pride of place on the open shelves. “My grand-aunts often went to auctions and they bought the vases at some large house where the contents were being sold off. There’s not much left of them here except these two vases,” English says. “Displaying them invites back precious memories.” English picked up the terrazzo tiles, which act as a splashback, on Done Deal and instructed the tiler not to create a grout joint so that she could achieve a smooth, seamless finish.
There’s a mix of farmyard materials in the house, like the steel painted balustrade upstairs; they honour the history of the original building.
The kitchen is a wonderful example of how well contemporary design can combine with vintage and thrift-shop finds when handled sensitively. The pendant light that hangs over the island was gifted to English by the owner of the local electrical shop. The counter stools are from Audo Copenhagen, while the kitchen table is an upcycled card table, which English stripped and stained. It was gifted to her by her mum’s friend and the rattan chairs were a present from her dad’s cousin who lives just a few miles away. “The chairs are very comfortable and they’re quite like Vincent Sheppard dining chairs,” she says. The artwork above is an original pencil drawing which she spotted in Salvagem on MacCurtain Street in Cork.
The vintage-meets-modern theme continues in the living room where a generously sized Audo Copenhagen sofa, made more luxurious with oversized cushions from Dunnes Stores’ Considered collection, is partnered with a rosewood frame sofa found in a junkyard. “I picked up a pair of these in Gibson’s salvage yard on South Circular Road in Dublin for €100, then I had grey wool seat cushions made for them by an upholsterer,” English says. Scatter cushions adorned with tapestries of Picasso’s abstract paintings create a quirky contrast with the old-fashioned formality of the settee. The sheepskin chair is also from Audo Copenhagen and creates a thematic link with the house’s humble origins. “There’s a mix of farmyard materials in the house,” English explains, “like the steel painted balustrade upstairs; they honour the history of the original building.”
The exposed stone wall in the living room is the boldest expression of this. “I love the quality of the stonework; they really were master builders in those days.” English referenced the tan-coloured stones in the polished concrete floor when choosing the paint colour for the wall behind the sofa, settling on Colourtrend’s Camel Train. She decided to leave the open doorway in the living room as it was. “I had thought I’d resolve the opening, but since I’ve been living here I haven’t felt the need. The space doesn’t feel too open or exposed. In fact, I rarely close any doors.”
A sliding door was cleverly built into the bespoke bookshelves in the dining room – also made by John Glennon – so it can be partitioned from the kitchen if necessary. Beautifully styled with a mix of family photographs (five generations of her family are represented here), holiday finds, gifted items and pieces from design companies she works with, the bookshelves showcase a characterful curation that doesn’t appear contrived or overly-styled. “Choose things you like and pieces that give you joy,” she advises. “Work to your own personality when styling shelves.”
The dining table was another thrift-shop find. “My mum paid €50 for it in a charity shop in Skibbereen. It was orange and covered in scratches so I stripped and stained it.” The mid-century bouclé chairs were bought in Dublin about 15 years ago when English was renting there. She advises homeowners to invest money in key materials and surfaces such as floors and worktops because, “Quality materials are more forgiving so you don’t have to be too precious with them.”
Beyond that, she suggests buying inexpensive loose pieces and splashing out on just one or two more pricey items to elevate the look. With its sculptural silhouette, the Colin King Interconnect candle holder in the centre of the dining table does exactly that. Like the house itself, they’re the perfect marriage of traditional and modern.
This article was originally published in The Sunday Times Ireland, November 2024