The Great House Revival: See the home Cork teacher and landscaper 'grew organically’
Two properties turned out to be portals to her future for Grace Cotter. When the secondary school teacher received the keys to the first residence she purchased, she vowed that the house in Douglas in Cork would be her forever home. “I bought it as a single woman so I was so proud of it. I swore I would never sell that house, never. It was my nest egg,” Grace tells Irish Examiner Home.Fate had other plans up her sleeve. Grace met her now-husband John, a landscape gardener, on Tinder and that's how Rockhouse, entered her life. “Daft [the property website] is his addiction — and wherever he’s working he’ll look at what’s on sale in the area,” says Grace.Exterior, Rockhouse. Picture: Miki BarlokSo when John happened to be in Innishannon one day in 2023, a large farmhouse-style property sited just across the river from Grace’s family home caught his attention. “He was randomly looking at Daft,” says Grace. “He sent the link to the brochure for Rockhouse — and I fell in love instantly. I said, ‘I won’t rest until it’s ours’. The Great House Revival - Series 5 Rockhouse Picture: Miki Barlok“I knew straight away that that house was our future and I sold the house that I was living in.It took the couple several months to complete the purchase — and meanwhile, they also sold John’s apartment in Youghal, East Cork.Both were also keen to take part in The Great House Revival — as longtime fans of the RTÉ One series. “We had actually contacted the show before we got the house [purchase] over the line,” says Grace.Restoration of the building, in the hills of Kilmacsimon, to create a home for the couple and their three children, Sophia, 12, Everly, 3, and Samuel, 14 months, took almost two years — and featured in this Sunday’s episode.Before: Rockhouse exterior and interior. When they bought it, “ramshackle” is the word uttered several times by both John and architect and series presenter Hugh Wallace.Over 120 years old, Rockhouse had not been lived in for five years — by humans, that is.Rockhouse had been left neglected and had become a shelter for nearby farming cows.The couple purchased the property for €240,000 and their budget for works was €300,000.The difficulty sourcing tradespeople was a major issue, adds Grace.“We thought being on a television show would be a feather in our cap — but unfortunately people are so busy at the moment it doesn’t matter what you are offering,” she says. “It took us 10 months to get a roof on.” John and Grace with Hugh.But creating a haven for the family was the main goal.There was heartbreak as well as joy during their journey. As they embarked on the build, Grace was expecting a baby. “Our baby was a big part of it and I lost the baby at 13 weeks. We said this should be included as part of our journey — one in four women experience loss .... I think it’s important that we don’t just gloss over these things.” A year to the day later, Grace and John welcomed Baby Samuel. “I went into labour with Samuel the day I lost the baby the year previously. We found solace in that,” says Grace.Interior, after. Picture: Miki BarlokJohn carried out much construction himself. “He worked tirelessly six or seven days a week,” says Grace. “As for me, I did all the interiors. Every room grew organically out of one statement piece out of something I saw or loved. I shopped locally, and with local suppliers.“I made sure to spend money well on good pieces, armchairs. I had beautiful curtains made in Enniskeane.” Interior, after. Picture: Miki BarlokGrace’s mother Caroline was also key when it came to design choices. “She also supported us with the kids — and we lived in her back garden in a mobile home — I have to thank my parents for putting us up for two and a half years! That saved us on rent as well.” Interior, after. Picture: Miki BarlokArchitect Hugh Wallace helped the couple make “brave choices”, adds Grace.And because the series is sponsored by Dulux Heritage “getting paint from Dulux was a huge coup”, she says.As a landscaping professional, John devised a magnificent outdoor setting for the house and at the heart of the family garden, the couple created a commemoration space for the baby they lost.John planted hundreds of trees and created a garden with what Hugh describes as a "continental feel".Plans for a coach house running perpendicular to the residence were shelved for a later date. “After we lost the baby we refocused our efforts and looked at doing the main house to a high standard,” says Grace. "We both gained a lot of skills."After: The hallway. Picture: Enda MurphyWhen Hugh arrives at the finished, "lovingly restored" home, he approves: "I feel like I'm in France ... I can feel how family is at the heart of this house."Grants such as the derelict homes grant and SEAI grant will make the home affordable, they add. "The pair of you have created a happy home," adds Hugh. "You've achieved a miracle."
The Great House Revival airs on Sundays at 9.30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
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