Inspired at Monart

For my mother's birthday, my sister and I treated her to a stay at Monart Spa in Co.Wexford, Ireland. The plan was to have a relaxing break away. We got to leve our own children at home, but treated our mother to a night with hers. Well, her daughters at least. With me living in a different country, we rarely get the chance to do things together, so we wanted to make a real occasion of it. Huge thanks to my sister for chosing the location!

I had heard a lot about Monart and, incredibly, it had all been good. All fantastic in fact. Whenever I mentioned I was going, the faces of those who had been lit up and they they told me I would love it. They were not wrong. 

From the moment we arrived at the beautiful Georgian house, I was mesmerised by the place. The staff were thoughtful, helpful and very welcoming. The treatments and spa area were the most relaxing I have ever encountered. But what really struck me was the surroundings and I found myself snapping photos and gathering house ideas throughout our stay. Everything was done perfectly from the food to the decor to the gardens. It was a delight to stay there.

Light, whether natural or artifical, is so important in a room and I picked up some excellent inspiration on this front at Monart. The spa itself is built behind the original house, which dates to 1740. They are connected by a short glass corridor, pictured above.

The modern build which houses the spa, restaurant and bedrooms is an amazing piece of work. Floor to ceiling glass lets the foyer get flooded in light and provides beautiful views of the pond and gardens beyond.  It is hard to believe you ater indoors, sitting here and checking in.

The staircase from here to the gallery above seems to float gracefully while the bare, pale wood of the tree adds to the feeling of being outdoors.

The bedrooms all have natural light in abundance too, with glass fronts facing out to the gardens. The beside lighting is warm and reflects nicely off the white headboard. 

The garden viewed through afternoon tea my wonderful brother surprised us with. 

The room that blew me away though was the drawing room of the old house. From growing up in a thick-walled old stone house in Ireland, I know all too well about dark rooms and how difficult it can be to create bright, warm spaces in them. That is why the drawing room here amazed me. It is large but made cosy and bright, despite the use of grey and black decor.  

This beautiful gold and charcoal wallpaper in combination with the stunning metallic-look mirror and white marble fireplace reflect a lot of light into the room and make for a warm, cosy feel, even without a fire burning. 

White woodwork (doors, skirting boards, window frames and shutters) contrast beautifully with the dark furniture and carpet while sculptures of hounds and horses liven up the room. 

The yellow trim and buttons on the grey velvet sofa and cushions add a modern touch and team well with the wallpaper. 

After two days and one night, I left Monart relaxed, in a fabulous mood and with tons of ideas for our own large living room beginning to sprout in my mind. 

A Post-Holiday Thank You

Huge thanks to all the lovely people who kept reading my blog despite my absence!  It has just made my day to see that there were still so many views over the past few weeks while I was on holiday.

The Boyne Valley, Co. Meath

The beach at Easkey, Co. Sligo

We really enjoyed our four weeks touring Ireland and catching up with family and friends. Highlights included organising a big family photo, going on a spa break with my mother and sister to Monart (swoon!), spending a luxurious night in Lough Rynn Castle, re-visiting West Cork, Sligo and Connemara and taking the children to many places I had been as a child. 

The Model Railway Village, Co. Cork

Newgrnge Passage Tomb, Co. Meath

A garden in Co. Sligo

Posts will follow on many of these since I was, by and large, delighted with how well we were treated, how good hotel staff ad tour guides were at their jobs and at the delicious food available in so many cafes and restaurants we ate in. 

Lough Rynn Castle, Co. Leitrim

Monart Spa, Co. Wexford

A final special word of thanks has to go to Lufthansa and to my wonderful children. Doing anything outside of the home with three children aged seven and under can be quite taxing, but Lufthansa managed to make our flights over to Ireland and back again enjoyable. With free toys, juice and cake for the kids and a newspaper, coffee, cake and prosecco for the mama, the flights come in second to Monart in terms of the "me time" I had on holiday. Thanks too to Number Three who slept for an hour on each flight and to Number One and Two for not squabbling and for let me enjoy the aforementioned luxuries. 

My favourite airline

[Disclaimer: Nothing in this post was sponsored or paid for by others. I am honestly thrilled with how my holiday went and want to share it with you.]