Originally built as the herd manager’s residence on the land farmed by June Staunton’s parents, Foxhollow in Co. Meath had eventually come down far enough in the world to be used for storing hay. But June Staunton saw the wonderful potential of the house, and undaunted by a limited budget, set about finding a way to make the small farmhouse a warm and welcoming contemporary home. ‘I wanted to make a really homely, comfortable house for all seasons, where it is always cosy and inviting no matter what the weather outside,’ says June. ‘I envisaged it as a truly traditional Irish farmhouse with a big welcoming kitchen where everyone could congregate.’
The long, low stone dairy to one side of the house was built of the same local stone as the farmhouse and was large and roomy, so June decide to make it into the kitchen, with a utility and bathroom tucked in at the end. ‘The wonderful thing about the dairy is the light,’ says June. The long sides face east and west, so the sun pours in all day long.