Transforming a 1950s house into a modern home has involved opening up the space and flowing colours from one room to another. Interior designer Angela O'Connor's clients said: 'No beige please.'
There are houses for different seasons. A 1950s house in Malahide is home to a couple who have reared their children and now spend some well-earned time in sunnier climates. But although they don't live here all year round, they wanted to give their home a new gloss and engaged Angela O'Connor as interior decorator. The brief was to open up the house to make entertaining easy and relaxed. Colour was to play its part: no beige, please, they said.
O'Connor has been in the decorating business for 30 years and has a philosophy that matches the taste of the owners of this house. "I'm about helping people create a home that's comfortable and warm," she says. "Everything else follows." She worked in conjunction with the builder, who extended the house, creating a large new living and dining space.
Her daughter Elizabeth has now joined the business, but O'Connor started out during a very different time. "When I got married, I had to give up my job with Aer Lingus. Later, I needed to go back to work and had an idea I could be either a florist or an interior designer. Someone told me there was more money to be made in interiors, so I went off and trained. Business was very tough at the beginning but slowly came around.
"Now, I've decorated everything from a millionaire's castle to a racing car to a circus caravan. Most of the business is through word of mouth. Listening is a big part, and understanding what the client needs. There are so many interior shops and decorators out there now that I believe people come to us for service. There's a trust involved with letting someone into your home."
The new extension is an open space, reached through the kitchen, and has a sitting area, eating space and bar. The sitting area is beneath a vaulted ceiling with skylight criss-crossed with painted beams. The sandstone chimney piece was bought from Christopher O'Neill and Sons Marble Works in Carrickmines, Dublin 18 (01-2955910). "I get a lot of fireplaces and granite surfaces from them. The owner Philip O'Neill is a real fireplace expert and will also clean and restore old stone fireplaces."
The floor is engineered walnut, which means that the wood has been treated to allow for underfloor heating. It was supplied and laid by John McCarthy of Brooks Thomas in Sandyford (01-2940200). O'Connor had the two sofas and wing chairs custom made for the space and then covered in sharp purple and red velvets from Osborne & Little.
LIVING ROOMS
In the house each of the downstairs rooms is linked by colours that flow from one to the other - there is carefully balanced co-ordination between fabrics and furniture. In the original living room at the front of the house, O'Connor used a sofa from Julian Chichester (www.julianchichester.com) in London and covered it in Manuel Canovas fabric. The side tables are from the same company and are deliberately not matching. The curtains are French silk, and the pale almond green rug was made by Ceadogán Rugs (www.ceadogan.ie) in Co Wexford to O'Connor's design, which was inspired by the Cole & Son flower print wallpaper in the adjoining dining room.
"The owner had some nice pieces of furniture that she had picked up over the years, so we worked with these, mixing them in with the new - I don't believe you should get rid of everything when redecorating. What you have already can be updated - repainted, reupholstered or reframed."
A large mirror that the owner had before O'Connor began working on the house reflects part of the dining room's wallpaper. "You'll find similar large dramatic mirrors at a place called Gallery 23 in Kimmage, Dublin 12 (01-4925955). They work with the trade, so not many people know about this shop, but they have some wonderful things at fairly reasonable prices."
DINING AREA
Near the kitchen, a casual dining area has been arranged next to an exposed brick wall. Furniture-maker Colin Dunne (01-2810897/086-1959688) made the extendable walnut dining table. The extra wide chairs are covered in an Osborne & Little spot fabric. "We often have furniture dimensions adapted, depending on the height or size of the owners."
Dunne also made the bar next to this table. "The biggest problem with decorating today is finding good people who make things. Colin is excellent at details and everything he does is very well finished." The panels on the bar were given a marbleised paint effect by specialist Aoife Robinson (087-2790695). The wicker stools were bought from Flanagan's in Mount Merrion (www.flanagans.ie).
KITCHEN
The cupboard doors in the kitchen, originally a very dark oak, were simply sanded and repainted in a creamy shade. "It was an easy and quite inexpensive way to brighten up the kitchen. We changed the door handles and suddenly they seem like a whole new set of units. There's a place in Harold's Cross in Dublin called Designer Spray (01-4922559) that specialises in respraying kitchen units." O'Connor designed a new island for the kitchen that holds a wine-cooling fridge and a dishwasher. "It's not a big kitchen, but the space is well used and it's easy to work in." The New England-style hanging lights were found at Hicken Lighting on Lr Bridge Street, Dublin 8 (free phone 1800-777077). "I buy a lot of lighting from them, and from Stillorgan Decor (01-2885824). They're good for more modern styles. Both places give great advice about lighting."
See: www.oconnordesignpartners.com. Angela O'Connor can be contacted at 01-2888811