‘Therapists’ set up the perfect work-life balance with ‘his and her’ studios

Asking price: €845,000

Agent: Sherry FitzGerald (01) 2866630​

Having separate ‘his and her’ bathrooms used to be the last word in top class accommodation.

But ‘his and her’ studios are perhaps an even more desirable feature in the new era of working from home.

Thalassa, a waterfront home at Seapoint Road in Bray, offers two very different studio spaces as the vendors are both therapists keen on work-life balance and maintaining healthy boundaries between the two.

One sound-proofed studio space at the side of the house is used by the ‘singing therapist’ of the family, Tony Norton, who uses it for vocal coaching, singing therapy and musical practice.

“Thalassa provides that all-important ‘psychological corridor’ between work and home life,” says Tony, a vocal coach with the National Concert Hall, who also works with individual clients and community groups.

“We have two styles of working and so it was beneficial to have our own separate spaces. Having one in the front garden and one in the back garden ensures we work separately and then meet up for lunch or to discuss other issues.

“However, we tend to respect each other’s work spaces as being ‘his ’n’ hers’.

His partner Ann Norton Bracken is a corporate health coach and psychotherapist who specialises in mind and body wellness, and this is reflected in the layout of her home.

“With so many people hybrid-working, it’s important to separate home from working space,” she says.

And with two people working from the same home, it’s also important to provide distinct spaces to each home-worker.

“His workspace is his, my workspace is mine and the home is the home. Even though they’re all linked, they’re separate,” she says.

Either studio could also be used as an additional space for teenagers or as a separate guest space.

Thalassa faces the River Dargle and it is five minutes from the coast, which was important for the couple who are both sea swimmers.

“I start my working day with a sea swim or walk at the promenade,” says Tony. “It resets the whole nervous system.

This also means I balance [solitary work at home] with meeting others when out and about locally. There’s a lot of community activities.

“The home was christened Thalassa by a previous owner, who named it after a sea goddess and so we kept it.”

Seapoint Road is one of the oldest in Bray, dating back to the 18th century, while the house is 90 years old.

It was built on the site of a much older ‘manor house’, which left behind lots of mature trees as its legacy.

“We like the peacefulness of a mature garden,” says Tony. “The area is elevated and behind hedges and fence, so it’s an urban sanctuary.

“You wouldn’t know you’re in the middle of town, two minutes to the post office, four minutes to the bank.”

The house was built in 1934, an era not noted for distinctive architectural features include an original veranda at the front. The couple took care to ensure this was preserved.

“It was slightly bockety when we came, so we got these amazing builders to reconstruct exactly as it was. We added Portuguese tiles to give it a little bit of a slight twist,” says Tony.

“We just sit out there in the evening and have a drink. We’ve got subtle lights on dimmer switches so we don’t disturb anyone.”

The house was thoroughly restructured by the couple during the Covid 19 lockdown period.

This makeover included a full ‘wrap’ insulation in a project costing €160,000 that improved its BER to a C and provided 1,720 sq ft of living space, excluding two external studios.

Ann says the sea inspired the revamp, as the overall marine-blue colour scheme suggests. One original fireplace of art deco vintage was preserved, but the main one is from a more decorative era.

“In the bedroom, we kept the original 1930s fireplace, but I like Victorian fireplaces so we salvaged one and got it stripped back and repainted.”

The couple also hired a local artist to create a marine-themed mosaic around the fireplace.

The renovation included a ‘granny suite’ with a separate living room that’s no longer needed and now comes in handy as a separate living room.

“With teenagers living here who like their own space, the kids have their sitting room to the back, opening on to the garden, and we have our own sitting room at the front, with French doors opening on to the verandah,” says Ann.

A large reception room, currently used by the vendors as their main bedroom suite, leads into a dressing room area.

There is also a wet room in a side extension that was added by a previous owner.

There is a classic ‘country style’ kitchen with wooden worktops, a Belfast sink and a cleverly designed breakfast bar that links through to the dining room and the snug/sunroom with a vaulted ceiling, solid wooden floor, multi-fuel stove with the mosaic tiles.

Both the dining room and the sunroom have French doors leading out to the rear patio and garden.

Upstairs, there are two double bedrooms, two large single bedrooms, a hot press and a family bathroom, complete with a roll-top bath.

“The kitchen/dining area allows you to come together as a family and then if you want to watch TV together, you can light the fire and use the backroom,” says Ann.

With most of the children now grown-up, the pair intend to downsize and buy another home to add French flair to their lifestyle.

“I’m doing a PhD, beginning in September, and we just thought we could have a place in Ireland and also a place in France,” says Ann.

Sherry Fitzgerald is asking €845,000.