Chris & Marty - Brent Cove
I had the pleasure of spending a lovely evening at the beautiful Brent Cove last week. For all the size of this little house it is one of the most warm and relaxing stays I have ever had. Located on the shoreline of Strangford lough this quaint stay offers you the best view to wake up to!
After a short and sweet stay at this luxury 5 star Airbnb I wanted to ask Chris & Marty a few questions about themselves and what inspired them to build Brent Cove.
Tell us a little bit about yourselves and what inspired you to build your luxury accommodation?
“We are Chris & Marty, vehicle restorer and teacher by day, luxury food and travel blogger and Airbnb hosts by evening/anytime that’s not the day job! We recently moved into our new home and renovated the entire property from top to bottom. There was a garage on site that was pretty much a store for all of the left over building material so we decided to put it to good use - and that’s how Brent Cove was born! We modeled the renovations on our own house, cladding the building in black corrugated metal. I love the idea of historic buildings having a smaller replica as their gate house and we feel that we share this sentiment with our home and Brent Cove.”
How did you decide on the name Brent Cove? Is there a story behind the name?
“For us, the naming of the property was integral to the build and the overall process of the project. Every year, thousands of Brent geese make the flight from the arctic to seek warmer climes and to feast on our abundance of eel grass - and it just so happens that they land right on our doorstep, Strangford Lough. The ‘Cove’ portion comes from our location on the Lough; a selection of 5 houses on a bend on the coastline that inspired the name. “
I absolutely loved the style of your Airbnb! Did you take any inspiration from other homes when designing the style of Brent Cove?
“When renovating our home, I poured countless hours into designing and sourcing furniture and objet that fitted my ideal design aesthetic. I would consider our home to be eclectic, and I think that some of this has fed into the design of Brent Cove. We wanted to draw on the hygge vibe with us being on Strangford Lough, with its strong Nordic roots. We wanted to nurture a cosiness with the space being small whilst bringing the outside indoors with the views and features inspired by the landscape. We used fur, animal inspired objet, greenery and clean, minimalist furniture. The overall result being a cosy, tiny home that maximises the views while remaining inviting and feeling like a home from home.“
I see that you are now a super host! How does that feel?
“It feels amazing! We had only been open three months when we were awarded the status and it validated all of our hard work! I doesn’t matter which project we take on, we always pour our heart into it 100% and I think our guests can see and feel that when they stay with us.”
Do you have any recommendations of where to visit for guests staying at Brent Cove (Locations, Coffee shops or restaurants)?
“There are so many things to do while staying at Brent Cove that it’s hard to list them all; but I will give our perfect day…
We would start with a walk around Mount Stewart, a national trust park and stately home that is mind blowing! It’s our local park and dog park so we are there nearly every day, but it’s beauty still catches us unaware as it is constantly changing.
We would then head to Haptik, a local landmark for coffee and in our opinion, the best brunch available anywhere in The country - trust us, we’ve tried them all .
Then we would walk around the town centre for a browse in some of the shops, Wardens especially as their kitchen shop is amazing!
Then finish off with supper at TukTuk Bistro, an authentic Asian restaurant serving the freshest Asian food you will find! Delicious.”
Do you have any future plans for Brent Cove?
“We have toyed with the idea of installing a more ‘out there’ rental property on site, like a tree-house or cabin - but we are so busy with our dishyouwerehere supper-clubs, working full time, singing in our folk group and Brent Cove that we would have to consider the idea before building. But never say never!”
Bookings for Brent Cove are available through Airbnb. I couldn’t recommend staying there enough. From amazing views of Strangford lough an the Mournes on your doorstep, to minimal warm interiors highlighted by some comforting house plant greenery.. what more could you want for a relaxing stay at a home away from home!
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