The Curry family show us inside their beautifully renovated Kintore home with its own tiki bar

Bill and Emer Curry have poured their heart and soul into creating their dream home complete with its very own tiki bar.

By Rosemary Lowne

February 8 2024, 11:45 am

Bill and Emer Curry have loved everything about their wonderful family home. Image: Aberdein Considine

With two outdoor bars, the Curry family certainly know how to entertain, al fresco style.

But the outdoor bars aren’t the only personal touches Bill and his wife Emer have put on their wonderful Kintore home.

Over the past 10 years, the couple have worked tirelessly to create the perfect home for their two children Jane and Will.

Here Bill tells us all about their renovations and shares advice for others tackling DIY.

2 Wyness Place

Who: Bill Curry, his wife Emer and their children Jane, 17, and Will, 12.

What: An attractive detached home built in 2006 with three/four bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room/dining room, a summer house and two outdoor bars.

Where: Kintore, Aberdeenshire.

Bill and Emer Curry have put their own stamp on their beautiful Kintore home. Image: Bill Curry

As told to Rosemary Lowne

“We lived in a village development very similar to Kintore, called Kilcullen, in Ireland before my work brought us to Aberdeen and we have never looked back.

We found the home on the ASPC website and when we viewed it for the first time, we loved the fact that the back garden is a sun trap and also the brightness which comes through the back of the house.

We could also see the potential to open the ground floor up and develop the garden so we moved in in 2014.

The open plan kitchen and dining area in the Kintore home after the renovation. The walls, counters, cupboards and floor tiles are white while the small accents like bar stools, mirror frame, candle holders and plant pots are mint green and bright pink — The open plan dining family kitchen, with central breakfast bar is perfect for entertaining. Image: Aberdein Considine

The dining area and living room open plan room, with a large L-shaped sofa and wall-mounted TV — The clever use of colourful accessories adds charm and character to this modern open plan space. Image: Aberdein Considine

Open plan ground floor

We felt that we needed a more open flow design on the ground floor and also a space that allowed everyone to sit and socialise together.

We also needed a bit more storage in the kitchen, so by removing the wall between the kitchen and living room, it allowed us to put in a large breakfast bar and three large cupboards underneath.

Previously we had a large dining table which we never sat around and it was only used once a year at Christmas time.

A room with a black carpet and sofa, a black and white striped accent wall and yellow cushions, light shade and curtains — This wonderful room has certainly earned its stripes when it comes to brave and bold interiors. Image: Aberdein Considine

A bedroom with a double bed, navy blue accent wall, navy dresser and chest of drawers and floral accents — Navy walls work wonderfully with pops of green and florals. Image: Aberdein Considine

Instead we used to huddle around the little worktop area that had been against the previous wall in the kitchen.

So we decided to design a new breakfast bar ourselves, marking out a template on the floor to see how many people we could get around it and how many cupboards we could fit under the worktop.

We wanted a worktop with smooth curved edges, a smooth feeling on top and it also had to be durable.

A colourful kids room in the Kintore home after the renovation — Bright colours give this room plenty of vibrancy and energy. Image: Aberdein Considine

A bathroom with green walls and a cubicle shower — Fresh green tones work well in the bathroom. Image: Aberdein Considine

Luckily we found material and a company (Marble Building Products) that could cater for this so we changed all of the worktops to the same Corian material so now we can easily fit eight people around the island but we’ve actually had 12 people sitting around it.

In terms of interiors, we wanted our home to be modern and comfortable with soft, clean lines.

So we used a Dulux matt white paint throughout the downstairs and Chic Shadow, a Dulux matt emulsion paint in the hall and landing.

The Corian worktops made the final look take shape in the kitchen and living room.

The garden with patio furniture, two bars, a trampoline and a summer house — The garden has two bars, a summer house and an amazing decking area. Image: Aberdein Considine

The bar in the garden of this Kintore home after the renovation — There’s no such thing as last orders at this cool garden bar. Image: Aberdein Considine

Greatest challenge during Kintore home renovation

For us, the greatest challenge was taking the plunge to remove the wall between the kitchen and dining room as we did not know how the room would feel but thankfully it works very well.

Converting the garage was also a big help as we now have a separate room downstairs.

Overall, we love the sense of openness in our home as it has created a feeling that everyone is welcome to come and sit at the table.

It is a very easy and comfortable place to live.

Outside in the garden we have an outdoor bar called ‘Hula, Hula Mama’s’ which has hosted many a party – from 50th wedding anniversaries to cocktail extravaganzas.