A home transformed with colourful and characterful details like its owner …
“I live in Phibsboro, North Dublin with my husband, our Hovawart dog Doyle (@dogcalleddoyle) and two feline friends: Dot, a black cat, and Selina, a tuxedo rescue. Our two-storey house was built in 1901 with high ceilings, four bedrooms and a small back garden. One bedroom is our master, one for guests, one serves as my study and another is our movie room.
In 2017, we moved in and we were fortunate that the house was in good condition, having been renovated by previous owners. This is the first home I’ve owned and decorated. The house cost more than we were planning to spend, so initially we had no money left for renovations or furniture. For the first few months it was almost empty, so I started filling it with plants. I never managed to keep plants alive before, but here they thrived and soon filled the house.
Doyle in the living room on a lambswool rug from The Irish Woollen Workshop.
One of the first major changes we made was removing the wall between the two small and dark reception rooms on the ground floor to create one larger and brighter living space. All the building and painting was done by Casabuild.
We painted the walls in cool, calming shades by Colourtrend. The dado rails, door frames and ceilings are Arctic Blonde while the living room is a Dulux Green Slate. The hallway is Elfin, a soft pale blue and the study is Blue Acre which looked like the Irish Sea on the sample, but came out a vivid turquoise – exactly what I hoped for. It taught me how much light in a room can transform a colour. Our bedroom is Beade, a deeper blue.
The stove with modern stone surround was installed by Heat Design Ireland.
The next step was to install bookshelves. I love books and have lots of them. We had shelves made for the living room by Custommade.ie and they fit so perfectly that they look as if they belong to the original house. They also created floor-to-ceiling bedroom wardrobes, which I needed badly because I have a lot of clothes!
A view into the living room with a vintage Crannac chair and Moroccan leather pouffe. The kilim rug is from Finnish Design Shop and the wall hanging is a “ryijy” (rya rug) handmade by my great-grandmother over a century ago.
With the walls painted in my favourite shades of blue and pale green, and with plants and books in every room, the house started to feel like home. Most of our furniture has been sourced from flea markets, vintage shops or even for free through Freecycle.ie. The pieces were meant to be temporary until we could afford “better” furniture, but they gave the house character, so we kept them. Some of the vintage shops I’ve bought from are The Vintage Hub, Wilde Vintage and Kirk Modern. We also have storage units built by Christy Bird, Dublin’s oldest shop dealing in antiques and made to measure furniture.
Next came the front door. The old one was in very poor condition and, by chance, I met two local carpenters in the pub who offered to help. They had a new mahogany door made to match the original. I chose my own design for the stained glass panels. I’ve always loved Frank Lloyd Wright’s Coonley Playhouse windows which you can see at The Met in New York, but I wanted the colours muted. Stained glass artist Cormac Lonergan understood immediately and created one of my favourite features of the house. I still admire it every day. In the mornings, the east-facing door fills the hallway with beautiful, coloured light.
I always dreamed of a black and white tiled hallway floor. The original Edwardian tiles were gone, so Padraig O’Connor from Co Cork laid new tiles. We wallpapered the hallway with Cole & Son “Hollywood Palm” from Studio A Interiors. For the stairs, I chose a thick black wool runner with brass rods from GO’C Carpets. I like the drama of black and also that it hides stains. What I didn’t know is that black pet hair looks grey on black carpet, but I still love it!
The staircase gallery wall photos are by Vilhelmiina’s brother, Kalle Pajamaa.
My upstairs study is my favourite room. The mid-century desk and palm tree lamp are from Oriana B Interiors. The Scandinavian rug, antique French club chair, Moroccan leather pouffe and large red print all came from Adverts.ie. The turquoise magpie print is from my childhood home and I’ve loved it since I was little. The two small seascapes were painted by my sister Iida Huuskonen. A glimpse of my hat collection can also be seen here.
Paintings in the study are by Meadhbh Ni Eidhin.
We then tackled the front garden which had been just concrete. We planted a crab apple tree, wisteria, climbing hydrangea and ivy. By now, they’ve taken over and soon the whole house front will be covered in green.
Vilhelmiina’s blouse is by The Tweed Project with trousers by Margaret Howell.
It took three years to finish. After that, we kept adding details like sanding the original wooden floors. This year, we finally did the back garden with Leaf2leaf Landscaping and custom garden furniture by Rory McCarey. It made a huge difference, expanding the living space and now we use the garden all the time.
View from the balcony with tablecloth and tray by Marimekko, glasses by Iittala and Moomin mugs by Arabia. Vilhelmiina’s hand-crocheted top is from Stable of Ireland with a linen tutu by Kindred of Ireland.
SEE MORE: Vilhelmiina Huuskonen’s Pretty, Preppy And Eclectic Wardrobe
The dining area furnished entirely with vintage pieces, many of them passed on by friends or found through freecycling sites.
The kitchen is still waiting to be renovated because it matters the most. Before becoming a vet, I trained as a chef, so I want a space that’s professional and efficient yet still warm and welcoming. That will be the biggest challenge!
