But as well as designing an ultra-modern, tasteful home, Moloney had to face harsh reality. The house also had to cater for the needs of his elder son, Stephen, 18, who has a learning disability.
Until 2000, the family lived in a typical two-storey 1960s semi in Blackrock, Co Dublin.
“While it was a nice house, we were restricted in terms of space. My wife, Gina, and I were sometimes leading separate lives in our home, as one of us would be with Stephen in one part of the house, while the other would be in a different room. The layout lacked what we needed,” says Moloney.
The couple, who also have a 10-year-old son, Shane, agreed that a move was needed. They bought a dormer bungalow in nearby Foxrock on a quarter-acre site nearby and moved in on a temporary basis.
“We gave ourselves five years to make the place habitable and safe. I had plans for the ‘dream house’ under way from early on, but financially we knew it wouldn’t be possible within a short time-frame.” Yet while Moloney was mentally creating images of the family’s dream house, he and his wife realised their lifestyle needed to change sooner rather than later.
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Demolition on the dormer began, and a solution was found to tackle the couple’s financial restrictions: Moloney began exploring the possibility of splitting the site in two, building matching houses, and selling one on.
Both houses had a build time of 12 months, but the house to be sold was completed first. It eventually sold for €2.3m after being withdrawn at aution.
“To the untrained eye, the houses appear identical, but in our house, the layout requirements were more specific, to help cater for our son’s needs. Those with special needs should have plenty of space and daylight, so we planned for both. We also wanted an open-plan layout so we could all be within one area together, not separated by walls. It was important for us to be a family unit.”
Moloney wanted a contemporary new-build, but faced stipulations that it should blend in with other housing on the road. So it became a modern take on the original dormer. The roof, for example, is half-flat and cedar-clad; the other half is a pitched zinc roof, but rendered.
The result is a svelte modern home that made it onto the cover of this year’s Build Your Own House and Home annual, published by Dyflin Publications, a showcase of the best self-builds in Ireland.
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Moloney paid close attention to safety features. An enclosed, lockable kitchen area was created, adjacent to what he terms the “servery” — an area with access for Stephen, containing all the elements of a normal kitchen, only safer. The servery’s breakfast bar is the hub of the house, both for the family and for entertaining.
Moloney also created an entertainment control centre in the kitchen space, where all CDs and DVDs are stocked. Individual control panels and speakers in each room mean that Stephen — a huge music fan — can listen to music all over the house. Television speakers are also built into the walls.
Moloney also realised a long-held architectural ambition — to be able to see right through his home, from front to rear.
“I always wanted to enter a home with views through the house to the rear garden, in this case to the stillwater pond, which draws you through the space,” he says.
Moloney achieved the effect using a number of clever design features. The first is a Donegal quartz stone wall that begins outside the main door and carries through into the house. The staircase is also more central than in a typical home. One of the most innovative features is a wall that can be moved from the front of the house to the rear. Measuring 10ft x 9ft, it was designed in glass and fused copper by Michelle O’Donnell, of Glasshammer Designs. It is designed to slide, dividing or opening internal space as needed.
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The interior design, from the flooring and the grey and white palette to the furniture and art, is Gina’s work. “It’s great when your husband is an architect,” she says. “And we have the same taste, so there was no conflict about what I chose.”
The Baku couch was selected from a Cologne furniture fair, as it was both leather and round, “to break up all the lines in the living space”. It was then personalised with cushions found in Ireland.
Large pieces of colourful art were chosen to fill the masses of white walls, and Gina even chose the white-flowering plants in the garden to match the living space, as well as finger palms, olive trees and tree ferns.
“It works brilliantly as a home, as opposed to before, when we all lived in different boxes under one roof. Stephen loves to walk around the space and nothing is a danger to him. We have eliminated everything that caused us problems before,” she says.
Stillwater House has four large bedrooms, two family bathrooms, one en-suite, a guest lavatory, dressing room, utility, study and an open-plan double-height living room and a breakfast area, partially divided by a storage wall, with recessed fireplace, a built-in television screen and shelving.
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A tiled bench runs from the breakfast area to the garden terrace. The polished porcelain floor tiling indoors becomes an almost identical hard-wearing, textured version outdoors. The illusion is seamless — all that separates the living space from the garden terrace is a wall of suspended glazing, which the family can peel back when their decked “outdoor” room is being used.
“That’s where Stephen spends most of his time now, looking out at the garden. He’s happy here,” says Moloney. “He can sit listening to his music, and he’s also content to sit on his own. We can always see him and he can always see that we’re there. Gina and I can sit and watch a movie together now, knowing he’s nearby and safe.”
Moloney, whose firm specialises in educational and residential facilities for those with special needs, believes Stillwater House sets an example, on a small scale, of how the built environment can improve quality of life.
“There aren’t enough residential places for people with special needs in Ireland — that’s just a fact. My feeling is that not enough emphasis is placed on the built environment, and greater attention to that would make life easier for both staff and service users. To me, this house is proof of that.”
Moloney O’Beirne, 01 284 4684, www.mob.ie
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Build Your Own House and Home 2006, by Dyflin Publications, €9.95