How a dilapidated property, once divided up into separate flats was brought back to its former, decadent glory …
Finding a forever home in which to grow old remains a pipe dream for many. For others, it involves years of dedicated searching. So when a young professional couple discovered a dilapidated Georgian property in a South Dublin suburb, they saw its potential and knew they had found their dream home.
The setting was superb – on a Georgian square surrounded by a beautiful central park for residents to use. The building had good bones too, but required a lot of work. It had previously been broken up into separate flats and used by different sets of people. There were lots of partition walls detracting from the stunning framework and proportions.
On the plus side the original cornicing, architraves, stained glass windows and fireplaces remained intact. These were brought back to their original former glory by conservation specialists Daniel Coyle Architects. The architectural team worked in tandem with Kingston Lafferty Design who were given a blank canvas when it came to the interior design.
“Our brief was to turn the dilapidated building into an opulent and sophisticated family home, and to elevate and restore the beauty and character of the building, celebrating its generous proportions, scale and details,” explains Roisin Lafferty, founder and creative director.
“The client wanted to maximise the formal rooms, located on the ground floor, by locating the kitchen, dining and main living space here, instead of in the darker basement, which is where they would have originally been. They wanted us to balance the formal and informal in a playful and contemporary way, accentuating the details but contrasting them with more modern shapes and forms.
“The design hinged on the original elements including the original timber floors, which were retained, sanded and stained. They wanted their home to tell a story, frame the way they live now and provide them with a sanctuary from their busy professional lives.” The result is a harmonious and understated gallery-meets-home concept.
In the kitchen integrated joinery by O’Gorman Joinery, links and combines all spaces, with floating cabinetry and in-set bronze mirror walls reflecting the kitchen in the dining space.
Light fittings are a major feature in the interior design, with large scale, mid-century fittings drawing the eye from zone to zone. Other details include high gloss lacquer juxtaposed with putty-toned walls and rich ebony stained floors. Contrasting curves add femininity and softness to the majestic, masculine structure of the rooms.
The first floor houses the sleeping quarters, with the master suite framing the best views of the property overlooking the square outside.
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Photography: Ruth Maria Murphy