W
hen Gill and Sanero
Deriu moved to
Cork from Sardinia
in 2008, they
weren’t looking to buy a home. ‘We
had been renting a house and had just
started searching for another rental
property with more space,’ says Gill.
‘But then a friend told us that this
house was for sale. It was everything
we had been looking for – a detached
cottage with a big garden and an
interesting layout. We loved it.’
The couple put in an offer, but
were dismayed when their mortgage
fell through. But Gill was determined
not to lose the house. ‘I asked the
owner if we could rent the property
while our finances came together, and
he agreed,’ says Gill. ‘I promised we’d
look after it like our own. He kept iton the market, though, which was
stressful as people kept coming to view
the house and I thought we’d lose it.’
Eventually Gill and Sanero secured
the mortgage they needed and the
house was soon theirs. ‘I fell in love
with the feel of the place. The front
door opens onto the sitting room, and
stairs run from there to the upstairs.’
Another selling point was the large
garden, which offered plenty of space
for the couple’s children, Elia, now 11,
Jasper, nine, and Isa, five, to play.
However, the property needed
work. Walls were dry-lined upstairs
and downstairs to get rid of damp,
and outdoor drainage was put in. The
couple converted a large bedroom into
two smaller rooms, and turned the
master en suite into a family bathroom.
‘We redecorated everywhere,’ says Gill,favourite room ‘This house is everything we want, but the kitchen is the
SITTInG ROOM
‘I love this John Burningham print, and
the washed-out greens, blues, pinks and
yellows in it set the tone in here,’ says Gill.
rugs, €80 each, ryngs Drapery. green sofa,
£999, DFS. geometric print cushion, €7, Primark