Rococo Cabana
Interior designer moved to tears by 17th-century vicarage
1 THE OLD VICARAGE Swords, Co Dublin Asking price: €400,000 Agent: Sherry FitzGerald (01) 890 0944
There aren’t many properties that can move you to tears when you view them, but for Cronia and Tony McKay, the first viewing of No1 The Old Vicarage in Swords was an emotional one. “I’m not exaggerating, I literally cried when I walked into the drawing room and saw the ceiling,” says Cronia, as she recalls the moment when she first took in the Rococo detail at the 17th century property. “I had studied history of art in school and college, and spent some time in Venice, so I was sold as soon as I set foot in there.”
The two-bed home is the prime residence in the redeveloped vicarage. In 1999, the original house was divided into four properties, with No1 winning the prize to retain the best feature in the building.
The grade-two listed ceiling by an unknown hand dates back to 1812. The Rococo style of architecture and art originated in Paris around 1730. The name comes from French rocaille and Italian barocco, or Baroque. Ceilings and mouldings were decorated with curves, scrolls and ornaments shaped like shells and plants. Asymmetrical design was the rule.
It didn’t take long for the new artform to start to influence interior design in Ireland. Perhaps one of the finest examples of the style is at the chapel in the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin. Dr Bartholomew Mosse, who founded the hospital, commissioned Bartholomew Cramillion, a German stuccodore, to decorate the ceilings in 1755. The extravagant plasterwork that depicts saints and cherubs attracted the affluent classes who filled the coffers at the chapel, which contributed to the funding of the hospital.
Back in Swords, Cronia had a job on her hands to persuade her husband-to-be that this was the house for them. “We had no intention of buying in Swords,” says Cronia. “I’m from the southside, so that was where we were looking. I remember Tony looking at me with tears in my eyes and saying: ‘No, no! How would we fill a room this size?’”
Thankfully, Cronia is an interior designer, so she was already full of ideas. Also, as Tony is Scottish, the proximity to the airport made sense for visits back home and family coming to Dublin. A mixture of romance and practicality won Tony over and the couple moved in on February 28, 2003.
“When we moved in, we didn’t have a thing except the sofas,” says Cronia. “We slept on the drawing room floor the first night with the fire lighting, and I remember waking up the next morning and looking at the ceiling and I just couldn’t believe it was ours.”
The house was an empty shell that didn’t need too much work. Apart from the décor, the only thing the couple really had to change was the floor downstairs.
“They weren’t the original floors because if they were, we would have restored them. They were a bit worn with gaps all around the skirting boards, so we lifted them and replaced them with new walnut floors,” says Cronia. “It was a dream for me as an interior designer to do it up. I knew it needed something special.
“I picked the wallpaper in the drawing room because it was subtle and reminded me of Venice. We found wallpaper that looked like Italian terrazzo for the wall in the hallway. It’s nearly a metre wide, so there are no joins, and everybody who comes in is so surprised that it’s wallpaper and not the real thing.”
The couple wanted to work with the house and its history, so didn’t rush into any big decisions and took their time with the project. Colours were kept simple throughout. They had opal glass radiator covers made, as well as built-in wooden shelves. The kitchen is fitted with traditional units and overlooks the enclosed courtyard.
On the first floor, there is a double bedroom and stairs up to the second floor where there’s another double bedroom and the bathroom. The fully tiled bathroom comes with a Philippe Starck bath with integrated Grohe shower and full-length heated towel rail.
The grounds outside are communal, with listed trees that can never be removed and different seating areas. The McKays say the sense of community is high in the development with an active management company that works hard to keep the place looking tip-top.
It is on the outskirts of the village, in the historical centre of the town beside St Columba’s Church and its round tower.Some of the best memories the couple have of living in the house are definitely about their Christmas parties. “We did a Christmas/New Year party every year,” recalls Cronia. “I used to have to talk to the local tree supplier to hold me the biggest tree because the ceiling is 14ft high. All our friends would come over and it was magical.”
With two young sons, Conor and Beau, parties are happening less and the McKays are ready to move on.
“It’s a really special house,” says Cronia. “From the minute you set foot inside the door, there’s an emotional connection. It’s very hard to let go of it, but we know now that the timing is right. Nothing would make me happier than for someone else to walk into that drawing room and shed a tear like I did.”
Sherry FitzGerald wants €400,000.