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My favourite room: ‘My dad was like, ‘You’re not looking at Bondi Beach, what do you want so much glass for?’’

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6 months ago

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My favourite room: ‘My dad was like, ‘You’re not looking at Bondi Beach, what do you want so much glass for?’’

Hairdresser Sam O’Byrne was in Australia when his house was being built but with the help of his father, his interior designer and WhatsApp, everything turned out just as he wanted it

Sam O’Byrne’s light-filled living area, with a Finline sofa and pink chairs from Portuguese company Mambo. The marble coffee table comes in three pieces including the base, and was so heavy it took three people to lift it into the house. Photo: Tony Gavin

We islanders love the water, even those of us who live in midland counties, and Newbridge hairdresser Sam O’Byrne is no exception. He spent 10 years in Australia and adored the lifestyle there, particularly the times he spent surrounded by water, whether at the beach or people-watching in Sydney Harbour. However, about five years ago he got the opportunity to have his own home back in Ireland. One little snag – it’s in Kildare, one of the landlocked counties.

Sam’s solution was to create a garden with, as its centrepiece, a water feature surrounded by Australian planting, and to make sure he could always see it from within the house, he had large expanses of glass put in. “My dad was like, ‘You’re not looking at Bondi Beach, what do you want so much glass for?’ but I’m delighted with it,” Sam notes with a laugh.

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