One of the finest examples of a ‘cottage-orné’ in Europe

Swiss Cottage was built in 1812 for Lord and Lady Cahir and was designed by the famous English Regency architect John Nash. The house is inspired by nature and this is evident in such things as the curving thatched roof, the external woodwork, the nature themes on the wallpaper, and many of the internal furnishings. The wallpaper in the salon, manufactured by the Dufour factory, was also one of the first commercially produced Parisian wallpapers. These types of fantasy houses were popular among the elite during the 19th century where they could play at being peasants and entertain guests! The cottage is regarded as one of the finest examples of a ‘cottage ornee’ in Europe and is now a national monument.