Sea Change at Ballymaloe Cottage

Just outside Midleton, Co Cork, Susanne and Max have transformed an 1860s cottage into a warm family home and guesthouse, mixing handmade furniture, travel treasures and thoughtful design that respects the building’s past while embracing a lifestyle for today.

Surrounded by a large mature garden, this detached home is a thoughtful, hands-on renovation that reflects both the building’s history and the couple’s creativity. The main house follows a traditional two-up, two-down layout with three bedrooms, while a 25-year-old extension now serves as a guest area with three ensuite bedrooms and its own kitchen, allowing the property to operate as a small guesthouse. The couple discovered the home while working at sea as yacht crew. ‘The location to the beach and Midleton/Cork was appealing, and the option to run a guest house. Then we viewed the property and fell in love with the gardens and the house’s charm. It had a really good feel about it,’ Susanne says.

Read more in the May issue…