Edel Morganshows how it's done.
Ornate, antique bathroom style created on the double
For couples who are looking to speed up time spent on ablutions, the doubles bathroom is the logical answer.
While many modern bathrooms are full of tiling and cabinetry, the main bedroom en suite bathroom at 22 Oakley Road (see page 4) has an uncomplicated elegance.
The sinks were custom made and the legs and taps are from the Michael S Smith Town range sourced in the US (www.annsacks.com). The vanity units were custom made by MLG Emporium from Nero Marquina marble (01-289 9877) and cost €1,250 each.
Sourced in Italy, the ornate Casali mirrors in antique grey cost €1,500 each.
For a similar look try Renaissance Interiors and Antiques for antique style mirrors from €395 (contact 01-887 3809 or log onto www.renaissanceantique.com).
Another olde worlde touch is the glass light fitting from Brown Thomas which cost around €2,000.
The panelling was custom made for the room and painted with Farrow & Ball Old White, Stone White and New White.
Contact specialist wall paneller Michael Finglas (01-441 8079) who charges about €150 per linear metre for similar work.
The floor tiling is Calcatta Michelangelo marble which costs €139 per sq m plus VAT. This is also available at MLG Emporium which specialises in natural stone tiles. Vibrant bedroom comes out of the blue
The bold blue bedroom of 19 Cambridge Road (see page 8) is painted in Farrow & Ball Stone Blue. The owners don't do wish-washy and believe that if you're going to do colour, you should do it properly. Luckily the house has high ceilings that can take intense shades.
To offset the strong blue, the wool carpet is in a neutral sand-colour and the woodwork is painted in Farrow & Ball White Tie.
The low beech chest of drawers was made by the same company that custom-made the wardrobes (not in the picture) - Meisterwerk Ltd (01-201 2005). The wardrobes have special fittings from Hafele Ltd (01-287 3488) that pull down for extra storage.
The headboard was covered in foam and fabric by a friend of the owner - a great way to transform a boring bed-head and tie it in with a colour scheme in a room.
Orange and blue are not colours many people would think of putting together but the intense orange in the art work on the walls and in the light fitting works well and saves the room from being cold. Hicken Lighting (Freephone 1800 777077) has a similar light fitting, Anastacia, for €899.
Pink modern-girl boudoir gives plenty of scope for reflection
If you find restful beiges boring in the bedroom and prefer to make a bold statement, it might be worth trying the high-impact combination of hot pink and white.
Created by interior designer Rachel Matthews of Brian S Nolan (01-280 0564) to have grown-up-girl appeal, the bedroom of 51 Orwell Park (see page 4) is a dramatic mix of modern and traditional.
The walls, ivory carpet and bedlinen all provide a subtle backdrop to the strong colour. The wallpaper is a white reflective pearlised wallpaper from the Brian Yates Disco range, priced at €19.99 a metre.
The patterned curtain fabric is Sheila Coombes Celestial Silks in New Dawn 04 which costs around €139.76 a metre - the window seat is upholstered in the same fabric.
The cerise fabric used to make the Roman blinds is from the Sheila Coombes' Free Spirit range in Moonshine 04 at €148.75 a metre .
The plush headboard adds another element of pattern to the room and is covered in Osborne and Little Stanza Chenille fabric, at €77.29 per metre. All of the fabrics come from Brian S Nolan and prices are inclusive of VAT.
The mirrored console and bedside tables add glamour and continue the reflective theme. These are available from Hicken Lighting (1800 777 077) and each piece costs €690.
The pièce de resistance is the reconditioned French antique chandelier from Belle Epoque (01-284 2022). These cost from €700.
Watertight design features in underground pool
Live in the city but want a swimming pool? Where garden space is at a premium, the solution is to put the pool in the basement. The 27.3ft pool at 31 Wellington Place (see page 1) involved months of pre-planning and excavation.
Wexford company Pool Court was involved in supplying the pool equipment and overseeing a lot of the work (051 561143).
The company says that a similar sized pool, excluding excavation work, will cost about €100,000. In general pools, depending on size and the components, can cost anywhere from €30,000-€160,000.
A tanking system was installed that keeps pool water in and ground water out and there is an airhandling unit which monitors the moisture in the air to prevent condensation build-up.
Spanish glass mosaic tiles were used in the pool; these were laid with waterproof grouting adhesive.
Irish Paints Ltd (01-295 2494) stocks a Sigma five-coat paint system for pools as an alternative to tiles.
The tiles around the pool, imported from Italy, are slip resistant. The pool-room walls are painted in a special moisture and humidity resistant paint. Irish Paints Ltd stocks this in its Sigma range.
