All the Right Moves

Drawn to a large townhouse in Arklow, Carmel and John did something quite unusual, they moved from their idyllic home in the country to raise their family in town.

- Penny Crawford-Collins.

We did it the opposite of what most people usually do,’ explains Carmel who moved with her husband John and children Eve, Lauren, Robyn and Daisy the Dorkie dog from their beautiful bungalow in Castletown, where they had lived for 16 years, to a townhouse in Arklow. ‘The country life was idyllic while the girls were small, but as they grew our priorities changed and we all agreed that moving into town would be more convenient. It was a big decision but it was definitely the right move,’ explains Carmel, who you can follow on Instagram at @cosyhome_art.

The couple spotted a double fronted four-bedroom mid-terrace house in Arklow in the perfect location – a short walk from the children’s schools, the shops and a two-minute walk from the beach. ‘Although the house needed a huge amount of work, we could immediately see the potential it had to offer. It also had the added bonus of a large 60 metre back garden, quite rare for a townhouse, which was a big draw for us,’ explains Carmel.

‘The couple worked closely with their architect to come up with a design to maximise the available space, making the most of the orientation of the house, be practical and work for the family on a day-to-day basis. ‘Our architect was integral to the project. He helped us every step of the way dealing with the builders, suppliers and tradesmen. He also gave us his expertise on the finishes such as architrave, panelling and graphite capping to the extension. He was very much on our wavelength and understood our family dynamics.’ says Carmel.