Like the look of this week's houses?The owner of 5 Richmond Hill, Monkstown, Co Dublin believes you can't go too far wrong if you stick with the classical look. Elegant but opulent, classical but cosy, the drawingroom is a great space for entertaining.
Quite a lot of the furniture is antique and inherited, like the fabulously ornate gilt overmantel mirror, the Botticelli-type wall plates on either side of the mantelpiece, the carved Blackamoor figures flanking the fireplace and the glittering Waterford glass chandelier that hung in the owner's grandfather's office for 40 years.
The combination of Colortrend's soft cream, the gilt mirror and the gold curtains from Faux Fini Interiors (01 2865190) help the room glow.
The huge comfortable cream soft cotton sofa and chairs from Yours Personally (01 2807083) make the room more accessible and inviting and are practical with removable fabrics. The faux fur-trimmed green satin cushions are from Dunnes Stores and Hickeys.
A pair of lamps from Kenneth Hodkins, €180 each, stand on matching late 19th century French marble-topped tables with gilt legs.
Also in Richmond Hill is this dainty little girl's bedroom which belongs to the owner's 10-year-old daughter, who chose the furniture and fittings herself "to fit in with the rest of the house" according to her mother. The adorable antique-style wrought-iron bed is from Argos (www.argos.ie): it's self-assembly and cost around €220.
The only overtly girly touch is the chest of drawers at the foot of the bed which was bought in M Kelly interiors, (www.deskellycarpets.com) and stores shoes in one side and laundry in the other. The child's initials perched on top give it a quirky touch and are from Avoca Handweavers.
The dinky white bedside tables are also from M Kelly Interiors and the lamps were purchased in Dunnes Stores.
The soft cream wall-colour (Colortrend soft cream) and champagne-coloured silk curtains from Faux Fini give the room a warm cosy feel.
Sometimes you can improve on an original feature. Interior designer Jane Duffy Lynch, the owner of 29 Victoria Street, Dublin 8 ripped out the "not particularly attractive" Victorian tiles from the inset of the cast-iron fireplace in her livingroom and replaced them with striking blue and white ones from Fired Earth's fireplace range (01-8735362).
At around €5 a tile, it was an expensive tiling job but blends perfectly with the revamped fireplace which was painted in Farrow & Ball's Lamproom Grey.
The detail in this room is in the furniture and accessories. The walls are a neutral, unfussy backdrop in standard white emulsion.
The L-shaped sofa and ottoman were custom-made in Espacio in London (0044 2078131490). For a custom-made sofa closer to home, try Sofa Plus Interiors (01-4532685).
The sofa, which she describes as "contemporary but usable, not just a showpiece", is covered in an Abbot and Boyd fabric she describes as "between velour and velour".
For Abbot and Boyd Fabrics try Kevin Kelly Interiors (01-6688533).
The star of the room is the curved Arco light with a marble base which she bought in London and was "very expensive". Designed by Castiglioni in 1962 for Flos, the Arco lamp is a wonderful floor light. The Arco continues to be very popular over 40 years later - this may well be the bestselling lamp of all times! It was featured in Diamonds are Forever and The Italian Job, and is part of the collection at the Museum of Modern Arts, the MOMA.
The classic design is still being produced and new versions can be had for around €1,500.
Behind the sliding doors of the cleverly concealed utility area is the washer dryer, hoover and ironing board, "everything you don't want people to see". It is painted in the same white emulsion as the walls so it's discreet.
The little peephole window to the right of the room is "a quirky idea so you can see into the livingroom coming down the stairs".
As well as a comfy living space, it manages to be a mini-office with a built-in desk by Glenn Wood Joinery based in Tullamore, Co Offaly (057-9341285).
If ever there was a well-planned kitchen, it's the one in 37 Palmerston Road. The cream high lacquer Miele fitted units and appliances from Arena (01 6715648), which cost around €60,000, give the room a sleek contemporary look. The island is raised so you don't have to bend while preparing food; the cooker is set low so you can see down into pots and pans.
A unit with a roll-up stainless steel door to the right of the cooker hides tea, coffee, sugar, kettles and the like so the surfaces are kept clutter free. One of the most ingenious aspects are the pop-up sockets on the kitchen island. Press a circle and hey presto, four of them magically appear; press again and they vanish from sight, so they aren't ruining the line of the kitchen.
This room has around 60 lights - over the island, under the island, over pictures and on the cooker hood, so you can lluminate individual areas. The angular leather and chrome stools are adjustable in height and cost over €500 each from Lomi (01 8397051). The Ritz wenge table was bought at Inside Interiors (01 2943869) and the glass panels save it from being too heavy in the room.
The white leather chairs came from Arnott's Ligne Roset range and were chosen for their comfort and spring. The luxurious floor tiles are crema marfil bought at Rocca tiles (091 756372). In the seating area a clever high-lacquer storage unit from Inside Interiors blends in with the wall and hides toys, the good glass and crockery and the coffee machine.
Wipeable leather is a good idea in a house where there are young children and the cool egg chair and couch from Inside Interiors are practical as well as stylish.
