Julianne Kelly has design in the blood - her parents run Kevin Kelly Interiors. Facing the same financial constraints as many young buyers, she relied on the tricks of the trade when renovating and decorating her former council house in Dundrum
Julianne Kelly is the second generation to become involved in her parents' 30-year-old business. She joined Kevin Kelly Interiors last year after working in the fashion business as part of the buying team at a¦wear. Now she has her own clients under the umbrella of the Donnybrook shop, and consults mostly on domestic interiors. Her home is in Dundrum, Dublin 14 and, like many young buyers, she chose to buy a former council house in a good location and modernise it. Her budget was tight, and the work involved expanding small window openings, taking down a wall or two, and replacing dated fireplaces. She hasn't created an overly lavish interior scheme, but has applied some simple ideas with care and attention. Here are Kelly's golden rules:
CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF DOORS
"Depending on the orientation of a room, you should open the door so you're facing directly inwards, rather than walking around the door to get into the room. It's an easy job to do - just attach the door to the opposite side of the frame - it helps make a space seem larger."
CHOOSE COLOURS CAREFULLY
"10B15 is the code for a soft, cream paint. Go to MRCB in Cornmarket, Dublin 8, or any good paint shop, and they should be able to mix it up for you, or suggest a paint range that matches it. This colour changes, depending on the light, and will make each wall look a tiny bit different. It's a good basic neutral. I've used it throughout. In a small house, keep the background very neutral and limit the number of materials and colours you use. For example, the same biscuit-coloured carpet is used in every room. I've picked two or three colours for the ground floor - reds, beiges and browns - and stuck with them."
HEAT AND LIGHT
"Rather than use a long radiator that takes up a lot of wall space, I've got a smaller one that's double the depth. It fits neatly on a small wall between a window and door, but gives out the same amount of heat as a long one. For lighting, have as many power points as possible - two in every corner - for lamps or up-lighters. All spotlights should be on a dimmer."
DON'T OVER-FURNISH
"One large sofa and a tub chair can be better than a small sofa and a bulky armchair. My tub chair is a neat size and is covered in Osborne & Little fabric. Build the room around these two main pieces of furniture."
OLD TRICKS ARE BEST
"A glass table in a small room is the oldest trick in book - the last thing you want is a big, chunky table - but the key thing is to choose one that's not totally clear. Opaque or sandblasted glass means you save time on polishing. Mirrors are another familiar space-creating trick. I put big sheets of mirror in the hall and kitchen."
BOOKS BRING PERSONALITY TO A ROOM
"The units in the living room were made by a carpenter to my specifications. Allow for more shelving than you think you'll need. These weren't expensive to make, and they put order on the room. A swivel shelf for the TV is handy."
BE IMAGINATIVE
"The nightstands in my bedroom are made from MDF boxes covered in the same purple Manuel Canovas suede fabric as used for the headboard. Below the glass on the tops, there's a panel of Designer Guild fabric that matches the roman blinds in this room. Good nightstands are hard to find, but these are at just the right height. The padded headboard gives a focus to the room. I had wardrobes made for both bedrooms - making them extra deep is always a good idea."
USE ROMAN BLINDS
"Curtains can be too bulky for a small bedroom and can really take over. Blinds are neater. Good insulation means the need to retain heat isn't so important nowadays. Blinds also allow you to use better quality, or more unusual fabric, as there's less of it needed."
Julianne Kelly, Kevin Kelly Interiors, Morehampton Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4 (01-6688533)