‘Lighting is everything’: An interior designer shares the secrets of her kitchen renovation

Interior designer Geri O’Toole travels far and wide to meet clients, but she has a very short commute for an ongoing project. The renovation project is her own home, in Lisnagry, Co Limerick.

O’Toole is married to the building contractor, Cathal Glynn of CGC, and the couple renovated a derelict two-bedroom cottage and moved in about eight years ago, when they had one child. They always knew they would outgrow it and indeed they did when their second child arrived. But while the 1920s cottage was small, it was surrounded by old farm buildings. It was time to bring the outhouses inside.

Working with Des Ewing Architects in Co Down, they decided to relocate the kitchen in the new building. Planning a kitchen gives you a chance to remedy the mistakes you made before, but O’Toole says that wasn’t the case with this build.

“We absolutely loved the kitchen in the old cottage. It was gorgeous, a little Neptune kitchen with some antiques mixed in. It was perfect, but we needed to make that space into a bedroom,” O’Toole says. They started the project in early 2021 and moved into the kitchen this summer.

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“It definitely feels a lot lighter and brighter and more airy,” she says. “What we’ve gained is a big island, and a lot more circulation space. And we also gained a lot more storage in the kitchen itself.”

The kitchen, which is about 10m by 4m, has a very distinctive focal point – a 4m-long island with a Calacatta gold marble top. “Marble is not for the faint-hearted but I knew I was fine with maintenance, and we sealed it when it went in,” O’Toole says. “It’s definitely not 100 per cent bulletproof. There is scratching and there can be staining if you don’t wipe up your spills very quickly so it’s really not suitable for everybody, but the beauty won out for me.”

O’Toole is also practical, so she chose the durable Dekton countertop for the coffee station and the walk-in pantry. “We have the air-fryer and a coffee machine and that’s where we have our mess and we find Dekton super-practical because it’s stain-resistant. Obviously we do food prep in the main kitchen but I got these brilliant chopping boards from the marble supplier and we chop on those,” she says.

Spice racks and towel holders are hidden in convenient pull-outs and dog owners will appreciate another hidden feature – their dog Baxter’s bowls are integrated into the island’s skirting board. They slide out with a gentle nudge from a toe. “When he’s around the kitchen you can have it pulled out and tuck it away when you have guests. It’s a nice way of using an otherwise dead space.”

The washed oak kitchen was supplied by Con Brouder Kitchens from west Limerick, “and they were lovely to deal with,” O’Toole says. “The traditional oak we’d all be used to was lacquered or varnished and we find over time with sunlight it would really get orangey. This new oil leaves the oak looking really nice and raw but it is stain-sealed and you won’t get any of the orangey colour coming through over time.”

It’s the small touches that O’Toole really appreciates. “Like having a hot water tap so no need for a kettle. These things are important when you have two little children and you are always running around picking up after them. So as minimal a mess as possible is good.”

That was why she integrated her eye-level oven and microwave into the tall cupboards. “It’s nice if you want to clean up everything visually. And it’s definitely much nicer to have tall presses than bending down to under counter cabinets.”

O’Toole also continued the marble down the sides of one of the kitchen units. “It bookends the long run of presses and I think it’s a nice finish,” she says. And she added a sink apron in marble in front of the Belfast sink, to break up the heaviness of the timber.

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The floor, which is French limestone, complements the muted tones. “There is a big colour variation between each tile which I like because we wanted something with a bit of impact. It’s probably not for people who like low maintenance,” O’Toole says. “Over time they will need to be deep cleaned and resealed, but we are happy to do that to have the natural materials.”

The greatest revelation for her has been working with lighting expert Jo Calver of Isla James Interiors in the UK. “We can set moods in the kitchen, pressing buttons for different atmospheres. You can have a setting for all lighting on when the kids are doing their homework at the dining table or click a button and the lighting over the hob gets brighter when you are cooking,” O’Toole explains.

As darkness falls earlier, they are seeing the value of having pockets of warm lighting everywhere. “Mostly people experience that when they walk into a nice hotel or restaurant and feel really comfortable. The reason is because it is a really well-planned and executed lighting scheme.”

She believes lighting is one of the biggest mistakes people make when planning a kitchen. “Lighting is everything in terms of atmosphere and often people don’t think about it at all. And then it’s too late because they have closed up the walls.”

While not enough lighting is a problem in some homes, O’Toole feels other people tend to overdo it by installing harsh lighting. If this happens, she suggests softening light bulbs or pulling through some softer, ambient light if possible.

And if she was to give one piece of advice to someone embarking on a kitchen project, what would it be? “Know your own needs,” O’Toole says. “Practicality is key. If you want your kitchen to be clutter free, then can you have a little pantry space or a breakfast unit that you can close the door on, and it immediately looks tidy? People have busy lives and want minimal fuss and clutter.”

Now that the kitchen is finished, the end is in sight for the overall project. O’Toole’s progress is being keenly watched by her @geri_designs Instagram following of almost 100,000, but that doesn’t worry her.

“Not everyone will like your choices,” she says. “Everyone has their own style and I think that’s fantastic – my taste won’t be for everyone but I’m very comfortable with that.” She gets “mostly really lovely” comments and well wishes from her followers. “There are the odd negative ones and I always smile to myself with those and wish those people well.”

Biggest win

“The coffee station. It’s a free-standing arched piece with a ribbed door, almost like a built-in dresser. I love when it’s lit at night and it looks so warm.”

Biggest mistake

“I picked my island paint colour while my floor was still covered for protection. I would have liked it to be slightly warmer in the colour base, and it only became more apparent when I lifted the floor protection. It’s something I notice and most others wouldn’t, but I know I could have had a better marriage between the floor and the island.”