The Design is in the Detail

Inspired by its seaside location, interior designer Caroline Fernandes has transformed this once dated cottage into an inspiring, stylish and idyllic retreat.

- PENNY CRAWFORD-COLLINS

Richard and Caroline Fernandes were looking for a second home outside Kildare, where they could enjoy weekends and holidays. They had looked at various locations over the years but hadn't come across anything that ticked all the right boxes. As it happened some friends of theirs had bought property in Rosslare Strand, so this inspired them to look there too. Searching on the internet, as luck would have it, they spotted this cottage. 'We knew we had to move quickly so went to view it immediately. The location was perfect, only an hour and a half from Dublin nestled in the heart of Rosslare Strand with a beautiful beach on the doorstep,' says Caroline.

The cottage was in dire need of updating, it felt small, dark, and very brown with pine everywhere. As an interior designer and owner of Caroline Fernandes Designs, Caroline's creative eye could see past all this. 'We really wanted a property we could strip right back and put our own stamp on. I could see the potential immediately and knew what the end vision was and the finished style I wanted to achieve,' explains Caroline. The bidding process was fraught and due to the pandemic and remote working, the house had generated a huge amount of interest. The couple were delighted when they secured the sale of the property and were keen to get started on the work as quickly as possible. Due to the lockdowns, work was relatively quiet for Caroline so this gave her time to focus her attention on the house and carefully plan out its refurbishment.