A MARVELLOUS HOME IN SANDYMOUNT

“ I’m CRAZY abour ART.”

A Marvellous home in

SANDYMOUNT

Accountant turned Interior Designer Kerry Hiddleston lives in a delightful home in Sandymount with her husband Patrick O’Grady and their four young children Will, Vivienne, Harley & James. Ms Hiddleston decided to make the transition to interior design whilst on maternity leave and hasn’t looked back. Her focus on understanding the client’s needs and delivering a beautiful and practical space with wow factor. She often works on family homes and as a mother of young children understands the needs of parents to provide spaces that work for all the family and that they can be proud of. Here, Ms Hiddleston talks to this publication about her marvellous family home. “We lived in a flat in Sandymount and Pat saw this. It was very higgledy piggeldy, with lots of little extensions and in a terrible state,’’ explained Kerry Hiddleston. “We bought the house and continued to live in the apartment until baby number two was on the way and then we decided to make the house a home. The house was a 150 years old, but it had no original features - the 1970s hadn’t been kind to it. There was nothing to keep, so we knocked everything except the front wall and a side wall. “The roof was fine and we added the kitchen extension. We’re very lucky, it’s more like a new-build,’’ enthused Ms Hiddleston.

CONTACT LIST

Originally, Kerry wanted a white box, but then she decided to add some curves for interest, including a curved wall in the living room and a curved stairs, and the builders obliged in every way. She also wanted a wall of glass in the new kitchen and light wherever possible. The house now has a large open-plan, kitchen/dining/ living space and a study on the ground floor, while upstairs there are four bedrooms, one en suite.

“In terms of the interior of the house, I am crazy about art and there are some things that I will spend money on and there are some things that I won’t spend money on! For instance, I found the green chesterfield sofas on Done Deal and I bought them off a farmer in Meath for little or nothing,’’ revealed a laughing Kerry. “Our hall is dark blue and that is because I bought a really nice seascape that I absoultely adore and I thought that if the hall was blue that it would be interesting to arrive in through the front door to a dark space before moving on to a light filled space and that the dark blue would make the painting really pop. “Similarily the green room is quite dramatic but that colour was picked because green is a relaxing colour and it is a reading room. I also bought another amazing painting that has gorgeous shades of red, green and blue in it and I thought the green would really make that painting stand out. “Our home is very much a convivial space and it is somewhere that you want people to enjoy being in rather than having them thinking that they have to stand on ceremony,’’ she added.

As to Kerry’s overall thoughts on her home?

“We love our home because it works for us and it functions really well for our family. There is a spare room upstairs that we haven’t done any work on yet but it will be tackled! My favourite space in the house would definitely be the front room because it is a reading room and I love reading, there isn’t a television in there so the kids tend to leave me alone when I’m in there! “I loved renovating the house and we had a really sound builder working with us. The process wasn’t stressful, it was really enjoyable,’’ concluded Kerry Hiddleston.

INTERIOR DESIGN: Kerry Hiddleston,

Hiddleston Interior Design 086-9582195 www.hiddlestoninteriordesign.com kerry.hiddleston@gmail.com

KITCHEN UNITS: Robert Mooney Furniture,

6 Druids Court Industrial Estate, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow - A63 FY90 01-2871397 - 086-2546174 www.robertmooneyfurniture.ie info@robertmooneyfurniture.ie

BUILDER: Daren Mollloy,

Spring Construction LTD, Unit 5 Crag Crescent, Clondalkin Business Park, Dublin 22 01-4572525 - 087-9967563 www.springcon.ie - dmolloy@springcon.ie

CABINETRY:John Stewart,

Cófra Kitchens, 25 Northlink Retail Park, Coes Road, Dundalk, Co. Louth 042-9351599 - 087-2223399 www.cofrakitchens.com - info@cofrakitchens.com

Inconversationwith JOE LAVELLE of Podology Ltd. by Emer Kelly

“P odology is a family run business. We started off with just one style of Pod and have progressi- vely added to the range over the years. We currently have eight beautiful designs to choose from, so there is a style to suit every garden no matter how small or how large your garden is. We install the pods all over Ireland, North and South and can assist people in selecting the Pod that most suits their needs,” said Managing Director Joe Lavelle. The styles of Pods are: The Wheel Bench, The Rotating Seater, The Rotating Lounger, The Oval Pod, The Summerhouse, The Deluxe Summerhouse, The Grande Deluxe and The Grande Deluxe Chic. Five of the designs require a power supply as they have heating and lighting installed. Blue tooth is also standard on the larger models. “The Pods are very popular. They allow people to extend the amount of time they spend in their garden comfortably and are used for simply relaxation, entertaining and dining with family and friends and even for study. In more recent times the Pods are being used as a home office by people who were forced to work from home due to Covid – 19. This has opened up a new avenue for Podology, as Companies are seeing the benefits of providing a cost- effective office space for their staff in their own garden, which takes them away from the hectic and noisy atmosphere of the family home. At the weekends and evenings, the Pod can be turned into a chill out space for the family.” Added Mr. Lavelle. Each stylish Pod, is crafted from treated and laminated Norwegian spruce, stainless steel and tinted polycarbonate. The Garden Pods are carefully constructed on site, they come with a 10-year guarantee and best of all don’t require planning permission.

Transforming around Ireland

gardens

“The true beauty of the Garden pod lies in its flexibility. Unlike a conventional conservatory or sunroom, the garden pod can be fitted in any part of your garden which is ideal for that little sun trap in your garden. Even better, this flexibility means you can take the Pod with you if you move house,” enthused Joe. Because there is no requirement for planning, commercially the Pods have become a viable solution for many companies who have unused space either outdoors or indoors. The Pods are being used as, Marketing Suites, breakout areas, meet and greet areas, training and interviewing areas and for a host of other activities. Hotels, Restaurants and Gastro Pubs are also expressing an interest as the Pods can be used to enable social distancing and have the potential to create an extra stream of revenue. The Pods are ideal for dining, coffee, business meetings, network meetings to name just a few. Many of the Pods can be customised with Audio Visual, Air conditioning, Company Branding etc. Extend your outdoor seating, extends your outdoor season, especially as you have heating. Podology Garden Pods are Architectural by design, Contemporary by nature. With their curved shape they are more aesthetically pleasing to the eye rather than having a big square box in your garden. The foot print of most garden Pods is no larger than a standard patio set therefore they take up very little space in your garden.

As to the future of Podology?

“Going forward we’re going to continue doing what we’re doing in terms of fitting pods all over the country. We are also working alongside Capital Credit Union where if you want to buy a Podology Garden Pod, Capital Credit Union will provide you with the finance at a very competitive rate. “In the last year, we have added the Oval Pod to the collection and the Grande Deluxe Chic has now been added. For future development keep an eye on our website www.podology.ie as well as on our social media - Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Podology is most definitely open for business and we’re busier than ever,” concluded Joe Lavelle.

www.podology.ie - info@podology.ie Ph: 01 412 4029 /086 8118928

Inconversationwith Karina Szmurlo

by Emer Kelly

“W K Composites is based in Slane, County Meath. They specialise in the design and production of custom fibreglass products.

The professional team has 15 years of comprehensive experience in the field of composites.

WK Composites activity includes the design and production of plugs, moulds and the production of composite elements. They also have a relationship with a company that supports CNC, with which WK Composites can take the technical drawing to the finished part.

Their products ensure full traceability of all materials and components used.

They are currently the main GRP supplier for international minibus conversions EVM and EVM Direct. The company’s mission is to manufacture fibreglass products with highest care for quality and safety of use. WK

Composites also strive to maintain the best standards cooperation with clients and contractors. Their team is constantly evolving, both in terms of new solutions and laminate production technology to meet the needs of the market and meet the expectations for each individual customer.

The production of fibreglass elements is their passion. You can make virtually anything from laminate due to its unusual properties. A great example of using these possibilities is the manufacture of of elements such as hulls and decks of sailing boats and motors, yachts, windmills with current turbines, GRP vehicle body elements, sanitary fittings, swimming pools, cabins, tanks, buildings, window sills and exterior decorative elements.

The story WK Composites

of

The benefits of GRP materials include; resistance to UV radiation, no corrosion reaction, water resistance, no oxidizing effect, resistance to most chemicals, high resistance to mechanical damage, 75% lighter than steel equivalants, easy to repair if any damage occurs, high impact resistance and design flexability.

“Since 2017 we are running a family business, a composites company based in Grangegeeth, Slane, Co.Meath. Our company operates under the name of WK Composites Ltd our small team have over 15 years of experience working in the industry,’’ said Karina Szmurlo of WK Composites. We have experience in tooling plugs and moulds and parts production.Our knowledge of processes and materials has grown over many years in the composites industry. Our services include plug and mould design and manufacture as well as composite part production. “Our products are designed with the help of modern technology used all over the world. Our products are guaranteed to be top quality. We do our best to satisfy our clients,’’ added Ms Szmurlo. Some of our products include shower trays, leakproof shower pods, waterproof wall panels, baths, sinks and disability aids. “When it comes to motorsport, bus and coach, our offer includes the production of parts for the automotive sector - Motorsport, bus and Coach. WK Composites manufactures fibreglass auto panels, GRP body panels and fibreglass body kits to any specification and tolerance,’’ she enthused. We can reproduce parts of passenger cars, vans and racing cars to the exact required tolerances and specifications. From new models to replacement GRP body panels for existing cars. “The GRP composites we use make it possible to produce fibreglass car panels, GRP body panels and fibreglass body kits according to your budget. Due to more than 15 years of experience in the field of production of components from GRP composites, we have extensive knowledge and experience, thanks to which we provide our clients with our high-quality services,” concluded Karina Szmurlo.

A SKINNY GEM in the HEART of Kinsale

BEFORE

Extending and refurbishing by Conneely Wessels Architects

Words: Emer Kelly Pics: Lizette Conneely and Irish Examiner