Lindsey Holmes established her own public relations consultancy in 1994, and has represented some of the biggest international and home grown talent, including U2, The Cranberries, Don McClean and The Waterboys.
Her work takes her all over the world: last year Holmes organised an Irish press visit to the opening night of U2's Innocence + Experience tour at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. This week she will oversee publicity for Bank of Ireland's Junk Kouture at the 3 Arena, The Moth's Ballymaloe Poetry competition and the new series of Dragons' Den on RTÉ.
She cites her greatest career achievement as increasing the attendance at the Electric Picnic from 10,000 to 55,000.
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Favourite artworks?
One would expect pop memorabilia to feature strongly throughout her home – it does, but only in her husband's study. (He is Paul Russell, director of programming at 2FM.) Instead, the house features some of the visual artists Holmes has represented. "If I had to pick a favourite, it would be Patrick O'Reilly," says Holmes.
O'Reilly's Three Bears grace the front of the 3 Arena and two of his mixed media works hang in the kitchen of the house, which she renovated last year in conjunction with architect Claire Hyland of Minnow Design. "They are made from gold leaf – the smaller is 24-carat gold – and I love the way they catch the light at different times of the day," says Holmes.
She has commissioned O’Reilly to create a large coffee table to “complete the livingroom and bring it all together. He is working with ash at the moment, which I think he will paint, so it’s going to be an interesting work.”
Also adding interest to the pale décor of the pre-war property are works by figurative artist Rasher (Mark Kavanagh), whose patrons include Tom Cruise and King Hussein of Jordan. Other paintings are by expressionist Hughie O'Donoghue and landscape artist Donald Teskey.
One of Holmes's favourites is a rare black-and-white print of Ella Fitzgerald, which the couple received as a wedding present.
Cooking for guests?
Entertaining was high on the list for Holmes when redesigning the house.
“It was Paul’s family home and there was a long tradition of Sunday dinners and entertaining in both our families.”
For large dinner parties, the Calligaris table from Arnotts extends to accommodate 18 diners, who often make their own pizzas in the Jamie Oliver de Dome wood-fired oven in the garden.
“We love it,” says Holmes.
“You throw in logs, light them, wait an hour, and then you have a furnace that cooks a pizza in 90 seconds. It is a very sociable way for people who don’t know each other to meet.”
Furniture finds?
A few pieces throughout the house are bargain finds, including an Oxfam armchair, a pair of cocktail chairs from Done Deal and a feeding chair bought for €63 at an auction in Rathmines. Now covered with contemporary fabric from Bryan S Nolan in Dún Laoghaire, the pieces complement the subdued décor.
Mixing old and new?
Antiquities are all family heirlooms – a large copper pot and jug, which belonged to Holmes's late mother, sit on the contemporary table in the kitchen and alongside her father's argent cigarette box sits a monogrammed silver vanity brush and mirror set that belonged to her grandmother Clara Harrison.
The redesign of the property saw the house double in size, with the addition of lots of storage.
Personal style preference?
Holmes describes her own style as "casual, as this line of work allows you to wear what you want. If I had to choose a designer, it would probably be Marc Jacobs."
Favourite travel destination?
When work allows, Holmes and her family take their holidays in the south of France. "We try to go for new year and again in the summer: it's a real chill-out zone for us".
