Irish Houzz: A Woodland Retreat Stays in the Family
What was once a family home becomes a lakeside getaway when passed to the next generation
When Egon Walesch inherited this woodland cabin in Ireland, he was living and working in London, so he initially planned simply to restore it and let it out as a holiday home. However, as he worked on the restoration and redesign of the space, the location and the cabin itself began to weave their magic on him and he found himself wanting to spend more and more time in this rural Irish hideaway.
Two years after he started work on the project, Walesch has created a beautifully designed home that respects and reflects the spectacular surroundings. “The point of this project,” he says, “was to create somewhere to escape to – a peaceful haven.”
Two years after he started work on the project, Walesch has created a beautifully designed home that respects and reflects the spectacular surroundings. “The point of this project,” he says, “was to create somewhere to escape to – a peaceful haven.”
The cabin is approached via a winding road through the trees. “We did a little bit of landscaping from the drive to the cottage,” says Walesch, “but we wanted to retain the wild feel of a cabin in the woods, so we decided not to landscape it too heavily or create a formal garden.”
The exterior woodwork was in pretty good shape. “It just needed a little light repair work,” he says, part of which involved giving it a fresh coat of wood stain.
The exterior woodwork was in pretty good shape. “It just needed a little light repair work,” he says, part of which involved giving it a fresh coat of wood stain.
When it came to the interior, Walesch’s first priority was to open up the space to bring in more light. “For the previous few years, it had been rented out to fishermen using the lake,” he says. “And actually, it hadn’t had any major work done to it since it was built in the 1960s,” so it was due an overhaul. To brighten up the interior living space, Walesch removed the wall between the kitchen and sitting room, turning it into a large, multi-purpose area.
He also set to work maximising the incredible views. “The house has always been in a gorgeous location,” he says, “but I didn’t feel it made the most use of it. In the sitting room, for example, the window was high up, so when you sat in an armchair, you couldn’t see the lake. So the first thing we did was fit floor-to-ceiling doors in the living space and main bedroom.”
Besta media sideboard: Ikea; doors, frames, legs and handles: Superfront; hare lamp: Abigail Ahern
He also set to work maximising the incredible views. “The house has always been in a gorgeous location,” he says, “but I didn’t feel it made the most use of it. In the sitting room, for example, the window was high up, so when you sat in an armchair, you couldn’t see the lake. So the first thing we did was fit floor-to-ceiling doors in the living space and main bedroom.”
Besta media sideboard: Ikea; doors, frames, legs and handles: Superfront; hare lamp: Abigail Ahern
“During the build, we went over to Ireland as much as possible,” says Walesch. “But with us not being there full time, it was essential to get someone good to keep an eye on the project. Fortunately, we found a really great local builder, Liam Clancy, who was recommended by a family friend and just really got what we were trying to do. With a steer from us, he project-managed the work in our absence.”
Plank dining table: Ercol Originals; Eames DSR chairs: Nest; large wall print: Chloe Cheese; copper-finish candle holders: H&M Home
Plank dining table: Ercol Originals; Eames DSR chairs: Nest; large wall print: Chloe Cheese; copper-finish candle holders: H&M Home
“I’d describe the interior style as country with a twist,” says Walesch. “It was important to me that it referenced and reflected the wild and rural location, but I didn’t want it to be too twee.”
A window seat provides a nice spot to curl up with a book, while a wood-burning stove helps to keep the main living space cosy in the winter months.
A window seat provides a nice spot to curl up with a book, while a wood-burning stove helps to keep the main living space cosy in the winter months.
“Although the existing rooms were a good size, they felt a little claustrophobic, as the ceilings were quite low,” explains Walesch. So he decided to open up the ceilings right to the beams and clad both the walls and ceiling in shiplap.
“The project did grow as we went along,” admits Walesch. “The building didn’t have any insulation at all, so when we took the ceilings back to the beams, we also took the roof tiles off and added a layer of insulation at the same time, which was a fairly large job!”
Ercol vintage nest of Pebble tables: eBay
“The project did grow as we went along,” admits Walesch. “The building didn’t have any insulation at all, so when we took the ceilings back to the beams, we also took the roof tiles off and added a layer of insulation at the same time, which was a fairly large job!”
Ercol vintage nest of Pebble tables: eBay
It was important to Walesch that the restoration was sympathetic to the cabin’s history. Because it was built in the mid-’60s, he says, “it just made sense to decorate it with mid-century pieces. It was also important to me that the cabin maintained a link to my parents,” he adds, “so there are certain things that remind me of them.”
Bespoke kitchen units and island: Jim Kelly; painted in ‘Down Pipe‘: Farrow & Ball; brass cabinet handles: Superfront; washing machine, oven, induction stovetop, extractor fan: Miele
Bespoke kitchen units and island: Jim Kelly; painted in ‘Down Pipe‘: Farrow & Ball; brass cabinet handles: Superfront; washing machine, oven, induction stovetop, extractor fan: Miele
Soft green tones are peppered throughout the interior, along with natural textures and soft textiles. “The point of this project was to create somewhere to escape to,” says Walesch, “and we wanted to design a home that was as beautiful and relaxing as the countryside outdoors.”
“With the rural location in mind, we kept the design quite pared-back and used lots of wood,” Walesch explains. The floorboards were repaired, then sanded and treated with white oil, while a woodland wallpaper in the master bedroom mirrors the landscape outside.
Humbert throw: Missoni; ‘Woods’ wallpaper: Cole & Son
Humbert throw: Missoni; ‘Woods’ wallpaper: Cole & Son
Because of the small proportions of the building, the space has to be hard-working and multi-functional. In the master bedroom, for example, an orange bureau doubles up as a home office, albeit one with a beautifully distracting view of the lake!
Linen curtains: H&M Home; orange desk lamp: Habitat
Linen curtains: H&M Home; orange desk lamp: Habitat
The cabin provides the perfect contrast to the hustle and bustle of the couple’s London life. “We designed it as somewhere beautiful to relax and read; a place where we don’t have to watch the clock,” says Walesch.
Customised Tarva chest of drawers: Ikea
Customised Tarva chest of drawers: Ikea
The new master bathroom has an incredible lake view, and the soaring ceiling and large skylight help to draw down as much light as possible into the space. Shiplap cladding and fisherman-style wall lights give the space a subtle coastal feel.
Vintage washstand: eBay
Vintage washstand: eBay
Both bedrooms originally had ensuite bathrooms, but they were quite small and cramped, so Walesch removed the bathrooms, making the two bedrooms larger. He then added a small extension at the back to house two new bathrooms.
A walk-in shower in the second bathroom makes the most of the high ceiling, with a beautiful copper showerhead positioned right under the skylight. Walesch chose waterproof plaster as an alternative to tiles, and a slim drainage vent ensures the water neatly drains away without the need for a shower tray. Both bathrooms also have underfloor heating for toasty toes in all weathers.
The cabin did already have a small deck, but in order to maximise the views, Walesch had a larger deck built to fit a table and chairs, and this wraps around the lake side of the property, so the living room and master bedroom open out on to it.
A floor plan of the finished project shows the new deck and the bathrooms extension.
This is the original floor plan.
“When we first started planning the works, we imagined letting the property out,” says Walesch. “But when we realised that actually we might spend a fair amount of time in it, the restoration became more personal and we found we were investing lots of time into ensuring everything was finished to our own taste and standards.”
The resulting project is a beautifully designed home that respects and harnesses the beauty of the spectacular surroundings. “Sometimes I stay for a couple of weeks and work here,” says Walesch, “and it’s becoming a base for us in Ireland to enable us to take on more design projects here.”
The resulting project is a beautifully designed home that respects and harnesses the beauty of the spectacular surroundings. “Sometimes I stay for a couple of weeks and work here,” says Walesch, “and it’s becoming a base for us in Ireland to enable us to take on more design projects here.”
TELL US
What do you think of this lakeside cabin? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
What do you think of this lakeside cabin? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here: Egon Walesch, an interior designer, and Richard Goodwin, a management consultant
Property: A 1960s bungalow
Size: 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Location: County Westmeath, Ireland
This characterful lakeside cottage has been in Walesch’s family for many years. His parents bought it in the mid 1970s and rented it out, along with a small clutch of chalets on the lake. Then, in the ’80s, Walesch and his parents moved into the cabin while they built a family home nearby, so it holds many memories.
When he inherited the chalet in 2010, Walesch was keen to retain its integrity as a rustic lakeside cabin, and build on the heritage of this special place.