Elevated Beauty

When Kerry and Richard moved back from America they began the search for their dream home in and around Richard’s home town of Moira, County Down but to no avail so they opted to create it instead. This house is one such dream.

Kerry and Richard met in America and moved back to Northern Ireland to set up home and when an elevated site with expansive views of the countryside came on the market they knew this was the perfect spot for their home – an Irish American new build incorporating the best of both countries in both architecture and styling.

When it came to choosing an architect, Des Ewing was their first and only choice. ‘Richard and Des have been friends since primary school so it was the obvious choice to ask him to design our house,’ Kerry comments. Beyond being a personal friend, it was Des’s outstanding track record of designing beautiful, quality homes with magnificent attention to detail, showcased in his extensive portfolio, that left them in no doubt that Des was the natural choice to undertake their project.

‘Kerry and Richard wanted a beautiful, traditional, modest home that would give them the accommodation they needed for their young family. It was also to be bright and airy and make the most of the views to the rear. However the planning authority dictated the width and height of the property, which had to be taken into consideration with the design,’ says architect Des.

The solution was to create a house of two halves. The front being a low two storey in height with an asymmetrical vertically proportioned elevation. Breaking from the standard mid entrance, this composition has the effect of relaxing the appearance of the house, which might otherwise have been too grand. The rear block is stepped down to provide a full two storey height and is of a contemporary style with tall extensive glazing. A new stone outbuilding sits to the left at the front of the house and accommodates a games room, office and stores.