Design Inspiration: Inside a Stunning Sea-Side Home

General 2 min read

29 Jul 2020

House2Home: The Complete Guide to Renovating or Redecorating

As part our House2Home series where we share expert advice on renovating and redecorating, we spoke to Caitriona Hughes about her stunning home by the sea, as she took us through the design and build journey that she has just completed with beautiful results.

Caitriona, who was featured on Independent.ie's 'Insta inspiration: The social media accounts to check out before tackling a self-build' started on her journey new to the whole area of self-building, and in this blog she brings us through some key learnings with advice to help you start on, so you can get the most out of your own build/design journey. You can follow her Instagram page @PebbleBeachHouse.

Below, she reveals in inside of her stunning home, and shares her design ideas and rationale. 

'So building a house is an extremely exciting prospect, but it can also be very daunting especially, if like me, you don’t have any background in anything remotely connected with the industry or design side of things!' said Caitriona.

 

Design Process

'When in the design process itself, think about what you ultimately want from your refurb or build. What are your wish lists for each room be it views, light or focal points. Take each room one at a time, and gather your ideas in a mood board type of way.'

'Speak to your architect and tradesmen about your design ideas and they will give you the best advice on what will work in your home. You can then go and shop around for those materials. I wasted a lot time getting samples and thinking about materials that wouldn’t have worked for us.'

Contemporary and Modernist

Exterior

'For our home, overall we wanted a contemporary modernist feel but also wanted it to be warm, relaxed and inviting. This was the starting point for all design and décor ideas and decisions.'

'The architect began our design with a central spine, using a natural stone wall. It splits and defines the two sides of the house and runs from the back of the house, through the house and out past the front of the house, acting as an architectural feature both internally and externally. It’s probably the biggest and most unique feature of the house and we are delighted with it.'

Bathroom Design

Bathroom

'The styling of our home began with a central theme of wood, black, white and natural stone. I first began with our guest bathroom as I was sure what I wanted here, which was a fun, moody boutique hotel type feel. It has no windows, so I really wanted to embrace that and go moody with soft golden lighting.'

'I found some beautiful Cole and Sons fish wallpaper that I fell immediately in love with, and from there wanted textured tiles and something fun to blend with the concept. We also used black taps and shower heads, which are on trend at the moment, but they really finished off and complimented the mood of the bathroom. From there, with my confidence up, I embarked on the décor for the rest of the house.'

Light

Outdoors 

'Also important to us was light. I love our angled windows on the east side of the house which are directed out to the sea and away from our neighbours.'

'The angled window design, as well as being practical for privacy and giving us sea views, also fitted the overall feel and look we were going for.'

Kitchen and Living Room

Living Room


Kitchen

'We have two sides to our home - one part single storey which holds the kitchen and living areas with large windows and vaulted ceilings and a two storey side for sleeping.'

'We have used the attic space on this side for a master “walk-up” wardrobe and an office so every space has a purpose, maximising the house square footage we have.'

You can follow Caitriona and see her home build story unfold on Instagram, with some great design tips at @pebblebeachhouse2020

Keep an eye out for #House2Home across out Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for more great advice on planning, budgeting, as well as design and style ideas and inspiring stories – so you can turn that house into the perfect home.

 If you need any help with budgeting or financial support with your project, (big or small) don’t hesitate to contact your local credit union - we’re here to help.