CASE STUDY


REMOTE WORKING, RURAL LIVING


In a bid to escape city life post-pandemic, Una and Laura embarked on a ourney to create their dream home as well as workspace in rural reland fi lled with innovative features and design solutions


TEXT TOM BODDY IMAGES UNA & LAURA


The couple’s lack of construction experience drove them to educate themselves


O


ver the past decade, couple Una and Laura have had to deal with urban living to support their careers, initially residing in Cork for seven years


before relocating to Dublin in 2020. Both have busy and demanding roles – Una works as a vice president in the fraud department for a fi ntech fi rm while Laura is a manager at a large tech company. When the pandemic ushered in the new era of remote working the pair realised the traditional confi nes of city living were no longer essential. This discovery opened up possibilities for them to consider relocating elsewhere, and together with their cockapoo, Bear, they decided they wanted to move closer to their families. et amid a turbulent housing market fi nding their ideal home proved to be a challenge. “Houses were being sold as soon as they were listed and there were generally many competing bids driving up the prices,” Una recounts. “We felt that we would be paying over the odds for a home that wasnt built to suit our needs. This realisation saw them gravitate towards self-building. Despite being fully aware of the rising costs of building, they saw this option as a more cost-effective alternative, and one that would afford them the opportunity to craft a bespoke home tailored to their desires. Una grew up in rural Tipperary. As her family still owned farmland there, her parents were in a position to generously offer them a site, ideally situated 30 minutes from Lauras parents in County Clare. This was a win- win in terms of location for both of us and we were both excited to live in the countryside again after living in the city for so long,” explains Una.


THE VISION


Una and Laura envisioned their future home to be a modern yet inviting space infused with a touch of tradition. The goal was also to have large open spaces but at the same time avoid the house feeling “empty,” explains Laura. “Good lighting was important to us but we eually didnt want wall to ceiling windows as we felt this would make it diffi cult to get the cosy feeling we were looking for.”


44 www.sbhonline.co.uk mar/apr 2024


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