Popular social media personality, author and podcaster James Kavanagh tells Ruth O’Connor about his move from Dublin city centre to the Kilkenny countryside this summer with Currabinny founder William Murray.
The two windows in our sitting room let in so much light. When you look out it’s like looking onto two paintings – especially when the wisteria is in bloom. You are flooded with greenery, rolling hills and the big trees at the end of the garden.
I’m lucky that the house, which was built in 1972 but looks much older, has massive windows. William occasionally likes going for a little naked walk in the garden – so it’s a lovely view.
There’s no denying that when you move from the city you’re giving up a lot – you’re losing the spontaneity of an impromptu night out, coffee shops on your doorstep and Deliveroo – the thing I probably miss the most. I do have the occasional moment where I’m a bit sad but then I look out the window and all that washes away.
We straddle the border of Carlow and Kilkenny, so we have Borris and Inistoige just down the road and Kilkenny city is just 20 minutes away. It was like the birth of Jesus the first week we were here with all the gifts our lovely neighbours left us – goose eggs, homegrown vegetables, fresh brown bread – real country community vibes.
The person who built our house sourced a lot of things from salvage yards, so, for example, the doors are from the 1800s. Our house has the look and feel of a gate lodge in that the floor plan is in a cross. A lot of Irish homes built in the 1970s feel a little grim but this has more of a Victorian feel.
The couple we bought our home from lived here for 35 years. When they moved in the garden was a field so we have inherited 35 years of love. Before they moved out the woman brought us around and told us how to prune everything and even left us a journal – which was so beautiful. They grew everything in this garden from seed.
We love cooking, so the impetus for moving was to have the space to grow our own food. William is from Cork and spent his whole life in the countryside, and, in the past few years I began to realise that I was a lot happier when I wasn’t in the city. Nature was a big seller for us.
We had great success with the polytunnel this summer including a bounty of courgettes. We learned a lot last season. We planted tomatoes, basil, onions, salad leaves and the courgettes in one section of the polytunnel and then, as they started to encroach on each other, we learned that we need to give things more space. Outdoors we want to plant carrots, potatoes and squash.
My 20-year-old self wouldn’t recognise me. I was raised on Sex and the City and thought I’d be living in Manhattan. It’s funny though – I’ve actually seen my core friends more since moving to the countryside. Because they have to make a journey it means we are spending quality time together and can have lovely meals, go for nice walks… It’s also lovely for them to have a country bolthole.
I’m a magpie who wants to be a minimalist. Because I lived in rented accommodation for 12 or 13 years I was never able to have a specific style because I was always trying to match things to whatever the landlord had chosen. I lean towards a cluttered lived-in look. I love books, lamps, a bar cart, big throws on the sofa and all my bits and bobs.
I would advise anyone moving into a secondhand home to live in the space before making any changes. Having lived here for a few months I have revised a lot of the changes I was dead set on when we viewed the house. Even the paint colours you choose might change once you’ve experienced different seasons in your home.
My dream purchase is a Sophie Conran couch – she has a range with John Lewis at the moment and I feel that I have to have one – I love her aesthetic. A mistake we made was buying a couch for ‘in the meantime’ – it’s fine but I also hate it. Also, if you spend too much time looking at things when you move into an old house you’ll end up doing stupid things like painting before you rewire. You end up buying stuff or painting stuff to ‘tide you over’ and can end up wasting a lot of money.
My most treasured possession is my cat. I have to say that because I’m sure she speaks English. Aside from that I have four amazing Ralph Lauren lamps that I bought in Homesense. When we renovate, I want an ocean of lamps and no spotlights. I seize up when William puts on the ‘big light’. I want to be like an ill Victorian child going around in candlelight banging my shins off the tables.
Keep up with James Kavanagh and WIlliam Murray’s transition to county living on ‘The Simpler Life? With James & William’ available wherever you get your podcasts. Keep up with James’ exploits on Instagram.
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