Co Kilkenny: The first thing that strikes you about The Habit of Leaves in Smithstown, Co Kilkenny is its unusual name. The second is the house's romantic Provençal look, as if someone had transplanted it lock-stock-and-barrel from the Luberon or Vaucluse.
It was autumn when the owners first set eyes on the house and the grounds were smothered in fallen leaves. They thought instantly of surrealist artist Max Ernst's drawing, The Habit of Leaves, and the Victorian farmhouse had a name for the first time in its history.
P N O'Gorman of New Ross is quoting €295,000 for this picturesque hideaway, which comes with a courtyard of five outbuildings - four in excellent condition - an orchard, organic vegetable plot and paddocks, two acres in all.
The current owners, a former academic and his wife, who restores furniture, moved here as part of a lifestyle change. The renovation of The Habit of Leaves was carefully planned, taking care to match improvements to the intended style of the house.
They've ended up with a designer cottage look with a contemporary twist - a cross between a Country Living and Elle magazine spread. Finishing touches like full central heating have still to be done.
Smithstown is in the part of south Kilkenny near Thomastown and Bennettsbridge where a number of well-known craftspeople, like potter Nicholas Mosse, are based. It's close to the Wexford and Waterford borders and a 15-minute drive from Waterford city. Nearby Listerlin has a national school, a church and a pub.
A walk through the house reveals the owners' interest in woodwork and their feeling for colour. Original timber floors have been restored and painted and sash windows and shutters restored. Old stoves have been made to work and Farrow & Ball paints and organic materials used where possible, to retain the origins of the farmhouse.
To the left off the front hall is the kitchen, where units are painted leaf green, with green tiled worktops. There is a Belfast sink and a food preparation area with free-standing cupboards.
Across the way is an open-plan dining and general purpose room spanning the depth of the house with dual-aspect windows. The old Jubilee range has been given a new lease of life and the original wood floor has been sanded and polished.
Steps lead down to a cosy seating area with a cast-iron wood-burning stove and alcove bookshelves made from two old dressers. French doors open to the garden. A staircase climbs from here to the bedrooms, where panelled ceilings are painted white and floorboards in pastel colours with contrasting borders.
Above the kitchen is the main bedroom, running the depth of the house with deep sash windows and original shutters. The middle room has the chimney breast from downstairs and blue-painted floorboards with a dark blue motif. Bedroom three is also large and runs from front to back, with a yellow-painted floor.
Outside, pyracanthus flourishing on the wall is a riot of autumn colour. A cobbled and flagged terrace is shaded by a grove of deciduous trees. An organic vegetable plot has been established and there is an orchard and paddocks.
An array of stone outbuildings have been in use as workshops and studios, almost all in good condition. One lofted building is used as a guest bedroom, another is a study with a lofted room overhead. Outhouse three and four are a workshop and studio. A huge stone barn needs a new roof. The idea of creating five weekend cottages to rent out could take root.
