One of a Kind

The orientation and design of this stunning contemporary new build ensures the house takes full advantage of the site and capitalises on the fantastic views across Howth Bay and Lambay Island beyond.

- PENNY CRAWFORD-COLLINS

Interior designer Liz Balbirnie of Habu Interior Design, had her heart set on building her own home and had been looking for the ideal site for some time. ‘A friend of mine said she thought her neighbours were thinking of selling some of their land on which they had already secured planning to build a three-bedroom house,’ explains Liz. She viewed the site back in 2014 and could instantly see the potential the elevated site had to offer. ‘The views were amazing, the site was crying out for a contemporary house with lots of glass to maximise the views,’ enthuses Liz. There was only one major problem she had to overcome, the owners of the site weren’t one hundred percent sure that they really wanted to sell and if they did, it had to be to the right person. ‘The charming couple that owned the land were concerned that the right person bought it, they invited me to tea on three separate occasions before they decided on the sale, which was agreed in July 2015, but wasn’t completed until 2016.’ Full of ideas, Liz was very keen to get moving on the design of the house and as the sale took a while to complete the owners kindly allowed her access to the site so that she could start working on the design.