A mix of East and West, old and new, sets the scene for an unusual apartment in a Dublin factory conversion, writes Eoin Lyons.
Tess and Galen Bales's home is unusual for a Dublin apartment, as the building in which it is located was once a shoe factory. Within an open-plan framework they have created rooms that reflect their interest in Asian furniture and art. They were assisted by Helen Roden and Joe Ensko of Merrion Square Interiors, who helped with wall finishes, soft furnishings and storage.
The apartment reflects the Bales's international background: he is from San Francisco, she from Munich. They met in Dublin and, after a number of stints in other countries, eventually came back to settle in Ireland. Together they run a business called W39 - the name is taken from part of the apartment's address - which imports furniture, lighting and sanitaryware.
"We approached the decoration of the apartment by starting with artworks we already had, and building around them," says Tess. Galen adds: "We had started to collect Asian pieces, but once we bought this apartment it gave us focus. Now when we travel, we bring back a vase instead of a T-shirt."
The furnishings are carefully arranged in groups that define and demarcate the living areas. Not everything is from the East, and this is where the real, unexpected charm of the place lies. Antiques, notably French, are also scattered throughout. The first piece seen on entering the apartment is a 14th-century carved mirror.
Since moving to Ireland, Galen has become a member of the board of directors of the Irish Georgian Society and sits on the membership committee of the Chester Beatty Library. Given the rarity of some of the items in the apartment, it could feel like a museum. Think again. This is not a trophy home but a comfortable place where living with extraordinary objects has been made easy. Sofas are covered in an Andrew Martin fabric, inspired by the colour of the 2,000-year-old Han dynasty urns that sit on a table nearby. On the window sill are Burmese figures from the 16th century (nicknamed "the three babes" by the couple) and an intricate bamboo basket from Japan. An opium-smoking table, which would have been piled with cushions for reclining on, finds a new use as a coffee table. In the background is a George II Chinoiserie drinks cabinet.
Beneath a modern painted screen from Singapore is an antique scroll table, with Chinese vases and French candlesticks, a sly reference to the apartment's balance between East and West. "We bought the Regency dining chairs for half-price in Boston. The dealer said he couldn't sell them because they were too delicate for big Americans," says Galen, laughing. The dining table was made from two plinths and a sheet of glass from Myra Glass. In the kitchen is a 16th-century Burmese bell, visible at the end of the counter.
Merrion Square Interiors designed the wardrobes in the main bedroom, on the second floor. Six metres long and a metre deep, their massive scale was disguised by a birdcage pattern of wood over metal. The headboard is part of a 400-year-old doorway from a Buddhist temple that Roden and Ensko framed with padded suede. At the end of the bed are chofa birds that once sat atop a Thai temple.
On the back wall, which rises from the staircase, is a moody triptych commissioned from the artist Gary Daly. Other treasures include a Ming dynasty incense burner and a Rubens study. The couple import Fortuny-pattern silk lamps by Venetia Studium (not shown here), which are available from Minima.
The bathroom was inspired by spas in Bali and Indonesia. Above the bath is a window to the main bedroom, which allows daylight to penetrate. Slate tiles cover the floor and a shower, not visible in the photograph. A Balinese-style screen was turned into a cabinet for toiletries.
The self-contained guest bedroom has its own lobby, off which is a bathroom. It is mostly decorated with French furniture. "What an American expects when they come to Europe," jokes Galen. Reproductions of Raphael etchings done for the decoration of a pope's villa in the 1600s are placed over the gilded walls in the lobby. Behind doors are the washing and drying machines. When empty, the guest bedroom also acts as a laundry area. And the one thing they couldn't live without? Their Laura Star steam machine, for blasting the creases from clothes. u
Tess and Galen Bales: www.w39.ie
www.merrionsquareinteriors.com