Take a bungalow, two architects and “a jungle of plants” – it all adds up to an award-winning dream home of our times. Lizette and Ronan Conneely bought a 1970s property in Kinsale, Co Cork four years ago.
They set to work revamping the residence in 2019, unveiling the brand new look a year later – which more than doubled the footprint of the original house.
“It was originally one story with a sloping roof. During the redesign, we removed the sloping roof and replaced it with a second floor, with a flat roof,” explains Lizette.
The “living box” was designed to connect the interior with the exterior.
She and Ronan run an architectural boutique in the historic town where they aim to provide a “responsive, imaginative and professional service”, says Lizette. “We work in a variety of sectors, including residential, conservation and commercial,” she adds.
They appreciate ‘interesting’ builds, says Lizette, at their firm, Conneely Wessels, which recently won planning permission for Blacks Brewery to redevelopment the ‘old t-shirt factory’ in Kinsale into a state-of-the-art brewery and distillery — a project that Lizette finds particularly captivating.
And it looks like the husband and wife team’s own home design, in turn, will provide lasting fascination for their peers – winning a coveted Irish building industry gong in 2021 in the residential category.
BEFORE: Lizette Wessel and Ronan Conneely bought this bungalow four years ago.
The couple regenerated, renovated and extended a bungalow built around 1974.
A central wraparound roof light provides southern light to the “living box,” which extends cantilevered above the parking lot.
Although the awards ceremony may have been postponed due to pandemic restrictions, it could be said that the lockdown and post-lockdown yen for biophilic design and indoor-outdoor lifestyles have taken root in this design .
A wraparound central roof light provides southern light to the ‘living box’, which extends above the car park, to capture views over Kinsale Harbor – and, Lizette adds, inspires the residence’s name” Peek-a-Boo!”
“It is extended vertically by a ‘living box’, reconnecting the living spaces to the garden”, explains the architect.
When it comes to projects that involve a considerable amount of renovation, I think we all want to know what the gut reaction of potential buyers was when they first crossed the threshold.
I am all the more curious since Lizette and Ronan are architects by profession.
“The existing bungalow needed attention, and unfortunately there were several issues with the existing house, including minimal accommodation, lack of connection to the garden – which is 2.5m above ground level of the house – poorly constructed sheds and awnings, as well as issues with the thermal performance of the fabric and finishes of the existing building,” says Lizette.
Interiors make the most of natural daylight.
“However, it was exactly what we were both looking for. We saw the potential immediately, as it is on a hillside location in Kinsale, with a nice aspect, as well as within walking distance of the heart of Kinsale.
“We fully agreed that it was a no-brainer to buy the property immediately.”
Now, four years later, what’s their favorite perch in their beach house? “Sitting on the bar stools at the kitchen counter, enjoying the view over Kinsale Harbour,” Lizette says without hesitation.
The large open-plan living space is designed as an extension of the garden landscape, to visually reconnect the garden to the heavily forested escarpment across the road.
“The space responds to the depth of the landscape, defined in the foreground by an existing Damson tree, and in the background by the view of the escapement and rolling topography and overhangs above the parking lot”, explains Lizette.
The “living box” is defined by two plywood paneled walls, behind which hide storage and the kitchen.
This wraparound roof light provides light to the “box” and descends through the stairs to the ground floor. In contrast, the smaller cellular rooms on the ground floor, such as the bedrooms and bathrooms, are designed as a rustic base, referring to the stone hill from which the site was cut to the ground. ‘origin.
Standout pieces include the off-white leather Barcelona chairs in front of the wraparound window. The chairs were designed by German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for his German Pavilion building at the 1929 Barcelona Exposition.
The kitchen carcass is from German brand Leicht Kitchens, supplied by Chris Keating, House of Design, Midleton. “We customized the design, replacing the doors with birch plywood, to match the rest of the open-plan living space layout,” adds Lizette.
Does Lizette have any advice for others embarking on such a project?
“Have a clear understanding of the file you need, the number of rooms and the rooms you want,” explains the architect.
Understand your priorities, she adds: “Sometimes trade-offs can be necessary to achieve your aspirations within your budget, so it’s important to distinguish between what’s essential and what’s ‘nice to have’. “.
BEFORE: The kitchen before being revamped.
“Engage an architect registered with the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, who can guide you with all of the above, whose work you admire, and can offer professional services and expertise that no other building professional can provide .
Lizette and Ronan share their home with “a jungle of plants,” says Lizette.
“In addition to day-to-day architectural services, we [architects] provide a very important coordination role for the entire design team.
“We also offer the customer a single point of contact throughout the process.
“We can add monetary value to every project through smart design. We also offer another way of thinking.
“But above all, our advice to clients embarking on a similar project is to enjoy the process of building their dream home.”
Architects are trained to solve problems and are experienced in planning a project in advance, she adds.
A look back at the organizational aspect of this designer duo’s dream space. At a glance, this space looks cool, clean, and minimalist – but below the surface, it’s working extremely hard, as I find out.
“We lead very busy lives and want to come home to a calm and organized home,” says Lizette.
“So we integrated and designed a lot of “hidden” storage in the house. The first floor open plan space features 800mm deep floor to ceiling cupboards on both sides of the floor plan which provide very useful storage and even include a hidden bar.
Natural daylight enhances the connection with the outdoors in Peek-a-Boo!
BEFORE: The rear garden. 
The award-winning peek-a-boo! residence. Photos: Jed Niezgoda, www.jedniezgoda.com
“We used the same location as the existing window openings of the original 1970s bungalow, as it was a cost effective solution, but increased the height of the openings to allow for floor to ceiling windows, which brings a lot more natural light in the house,” says Lizette.
“At Conneely Wessels Architects we always design the lighting ourselves, both interior and exterior, as we believe it is an integral part of the design concept.
“Lighting should be practical, but also adjustable to create ambiance, especially in a domestic environment.”
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Conneely Wessels Architects
