Gaff Tour: Step Inside This Eclectic Cork Hideaway

From the outside, this Cork cottage looks just like any other; on closer GAFF Tour inspection, it’s an eclectic, DIY-lover’s dream. We take a tour through the home of Cathy, founder of Turquoise Flamingo e-store, co-founder of Oh Me, Oh My DIY! and proud mum to three-year-old Nancy, for our very first GAFF house tour.

Hi Cathy! Thank you for having us. So, firstly, can you describe your GAFF’s personality for us?
It’s hard to narrow it down to just a few words, but it’s most definitely eclectic. There’s no denying there’s a mid-century influence around the house – a lot of the furniture we’ve collected is mid-century. There’s a bit of a 1980s Palm Springs/ Tropicana going on in our bathroom, and you’ll find some modern elements (our kitchen, Ikea L-shape couch and polished concrete floor) as well as some country cottage elements (old pine panelled doors and cast iron bed for Nancy). So yep, let’s call it eclectic!

It definitely has its own personality. Tell us about what inspires you to create a space like this – books, magazines, films, songs, cities, anything that got/gets your creative juices flowing when it comes to your home’s design.

I think I spend most of my time looking behind actors when watching movies and I often just point and shout, “Look at that lamp!”, usually during intense scenes where the decor isn’t all that important! Im always inspired by my parents who have a great eye for antiques and furniture. What else? Spain, Mexico, Hawaii, 1980s prints and clothes, Wes Anderson, old cars, everything about the 1960s and pretty much anything cowboy related.

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You have some incredible vintage and salvaged finds dotted around your home. Tell us, where do you find your favourite home pieces?

Secondhand shops, vintage markets like Mother Jones Vintage Flea off McCurtain St [in Cork city] and good ol’ Ikea. I seem to have good luck when it comes to finding old furniture that won’t break the bank. I’m getting good at haggling too, which helps.

It’s pretty safe to say you’re a DIY master at this stage. Tell us about the DIY projects and decor tips that have made your GAFF great.

I made our kitchen table from a 40mm think sheet of mdf and four hairpin legs I bought from Etsy. I made sure the design, colour and measurements fit in with our kitchen island as my master plan was to be able to create several different layouts for dinner with this table, and I succeeded! That is one of my proudest DIYs to date. I have tons of smaller DIY projects dotted all around the house, like our wooden headboard, some wall art, cushion covers and painted furniture. I think the best tip when it comes to DIY projects is to leave anything where functionality is important to a pro and don’t overdo the DIY look in every space. My number one decor tip, especially when mixing eras or leaning towards the eclectic look is to have a common denominator that connects all the spaces and rooms together. In my house, it’s our white walls. We even left a wall white in our over-the-top tropical print wallpapered bathroom to tie all the rooms together and make the overall style of the house cohesive.

Nancy’s polka dot wall is one of our favourite features – how did you do it?

I love Nancy’s polka dot wall too! It cost about €7 in total and took two hours of measuring and sticking wall decals on. It really wasn’t too gruelling at all for such a beautiful finish.

Ok, time for a Best Bargain and Best Splurge confession.

My biggest splurge has to be our kitchen, but we started it from scratch so it was always going to be a big expense. I was adamant about spending time and money on the design of our kitchen – firstly, because it would be in an open plan space meaning the overall look and the layout were priority and secondly, I was a kitchen designer before so I knew it would kill me if we settled for something we didn’t want. My best bargain? It has to be the old pink bathroom suite I got from an ad on DoneDeal for €40. I just adore it.

Nice. What did you think about when designing your home with your little girl in mind?
Well, when we were house hunting, Nancy’s needs came first which is why we have a good size garden and we’re in the countryside. I think/hope being in the countryside helps the innocence last a little longer. After that, I made it my job to have her room decorated from top to bottom before we moved in. Some rooms have no floors or paint but her room was fully finished the first night we stayed there. We found this helped her settle in a little easier and, thank fully, helped her warm to her new home quite quickly.

Can you tell us what three books or magazines we are guaranteed to find on your coffee table?
Wallpaper magazine, Vintage Life magazine and Goldilocks & The Three Bears.

So, movie lover, if your home was to appear in a film, who would star in the leading role?

Molly Ringwold!

Finally, what scent can’t you live without in your home?

Sea Salt & Peppermint!

You can see more of Cathy’s beautiful home on her Instagram, shop her store at Turquoise Flamingo or sign up for one of her brilliant DIY workshops here.