Interior designer Maria Mac Veigh has given her rented flat a low-budget, high-impact make-over.
Maria Mac Veigh worked in Barcelona for nine years before returning to Dublin and setting up her design practice a year ago. On her return, she rented this one-bedroom apartment in a block built about 30 years ago in the Mespil Estate, near Leeson Street Bridge, Dublin 2. "I've always lived in 1970s buildings," she explains. "The reason I chose this space was that it had good, clean-lined architecture. Apartments built in the 1970s tend to be generously-sized, with potential - often very little needs to be done to improve them."
Mac Veigh had two chief considerations when she redecorated: "It's rented; so the idea was to keep permanent investments to a minimum. But given the amount of time I was going to spend here, I wanted it to be a place I really wanted to be in." She was prepared to do some work, but not spend a fortune. Another thing she had to think about was that while the apartment is spacious, it is by no means large.
LIVING ROOM
The living room is also used for dining, and as an office space. The apartment is on the top floor and there are spectacular views of the Dublin mountains. Along one wall is a mink-coloured canvas-covered sofa by Perobell. "This was the first piece of furniture I ever bought, about seven years ago in Barcelona. What I was looking for was a simple piece, with legs that would not date. That's an important thing to consider when buying a couch - legs should be discreet. It's quite long, but works better than a smaller couch and two armchairs because a single piece means less clutter. Using small furniture in a small apartment isn't going to give you a bigger space - a good balance is what is needed."
The glass top of an Eileen Grey table that was a 25th birthday present from her parents hovers over the couch. "In a small room, you don't need a coffee table sitting in a thoroughfare. This table is perfect if used for what it was originally designed for - as a tray."
The carpet was bought in a Habitat sale for €200 and is the same colour as the couch. "The good thing about choosing a neutral scheme is that you can build on it." The table under the window is made from an office table base covered in a sheet of MDF, painted with white gloss. MDF can be bought from Woodworkers in Terenure, Dublin (01-4901968) and it is possible to pick up old table bases cheaply at shops such as Christy Bird at 32 Richmond Street South, Portobello, Dublin.
Beside the table is an Eames chair covered in green wool, inherited from a client. These can be ordered from Project Office (01-6040036). "My dining chairs from Habitat fold away, so I can store them in the kitchen," she said.
Opposite the couch, and resting on a sideboard from the design studio where Mac Veigh worked in Barcelona, is a photographic piece by artist Gary Coyle. "It brings the mountains and the sea together in the apartment. Sitting on the couch, both can be seen at once." Coyle's work is available through the Kevin Kavanagh Gallery (01-8740064).
The wicker lounge chairs just visible here (for a better view of these, see the Contents page) were bought at Ikea. "The profile is one curving line, and because wicker has a transparent quality, there's a nice play with the light from the paper lamp behind."
There are two of these paper shades, which cost about €12 each, hung at different heights in the room. One is above the table and the other above a pile of stacked books in a corner. "As with all things Japanese, their simplicity is what makes them beautiful. Used like this, they change a simple element into a detail. One hung at a low level becomes a reading lamp and gives a warm focal point."
KITCHEN
The kitchen is small, and Mac Veigh replaced dated blue units with tall white presses made by a local joiner from melamine, a very cheap material. The taps, sink and counter were bought at Ikea. A melamine board below the sink hides pipes, but leaves the stainless steel bowl exposed. In front of this is an open shelf stacked with plain white plates, bowls and mugs from Dunnes Stores. Open shelving is often a good idea in a small kitchen. Mac Veigh laid the cork floor herself, with tiles bought for €12 a square metre at Woodie's DIY.
BEDROOM
"The surfaces in the bedroom are in shades of white. The uniformity creates a very peaceful environment. I'm lucky in that there is a generous-sized dressing room, which doubles as a library. For me, books get read and put away. Putting things away is what makes the apartment seem bigger." A small painting is hung at eye-level, as seen from the bed, and framed in white, so the landscape seems to float in the room. The antique chair from Mac Veigh's grandparents' house is the only other element that stands out. The linen bedspread is embroidered with the initial M and was a present from her mother, Ketty, who sells linen at the farmers' market in Leopardstown, Co Dublin on Fridays and Castlebellingham, Co Louth on Sundays (087-7186022 for details). The carpet was bought at Des Kelly Carpets. "I chose the most neutral carpet I could find. Inexpensive materials are great if you're in a transitory space. Simple materials such as cork, linoleum, sisal or white tiles are great if used in the right way. We should consider using them more often."