Comfortable, functional yet stylish: How a busy family turned their eight-year-old house into a place they’re proud to call home

Having lived in their home for some years, back at the start of 2023, a Castleknock-based couple felt it was time for an overhaul. They wanted to refresh the decor of a Dublin new-build to create something they truly loved.

So, they drafted in the design nous of Deirdre O’Connell, who had set up her own company Dtale, in May 2022, to specialise in delivering “charming, classic and whimsy design, layered upon a practical approach for real living”.

O’Connell says the family were looking to create something beautiful, youthful, yet warm and lived in – a place they would be proud to call their home.

“While, they had exceptional taste, a young family and two busy careers made for a full household, with little time to think about home improvements. This meant that my designs needed to fit their changing lifestyles, with authenticity and style,” she says.

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In advance of any design work was getting to know their tastes, “what they love, the brands they value, what music they follow, what fashion brands and magazines they like, etc – it helps me to understand and create a mood board, to deliver designs which are authentic yet aspirational”, she says.

Also key was finding out how the house worked for the family.

“Asking how they live in the house, how they behave, where they sit for breakfast or for dinner, where is homework done, where they drop the shopping, where they read the newspaper, where do they charge phones, do they use the front or back door, and so on.”

Once she had an idea of their likes and dislikes, the boutique interior designer, got to work on a plan for the double-fronted redbrick house, which was built in 2016. It already had plenty of positives, as all the rooms were of a generous size and were well maintained, no structural works were required and there was a lot of open space. The objective for the homeowners was to put their stamp on their family home, which enjoyed an attractive location in a secluded enclave.

Work began on the ground floor of the home in January 2023, and O’Connell says that the first step was trying to ensure any existing pieces worked well with the new design plan.

“The first step, which was not unique to this project, was how to mix old and new furniture items,” she says. “The clients already had a number of big ticket, perfectly adequate pieces, like a large corner sofa and built-in cabinets in the livingroom, so tying together their existing furniture and artwork was a challenging yet rewarding part of this project.

“Also, the livingroom and playroom, both to the front of the house, did not get much sunshine and as a result, were darker and cooler – so overcoming this with moody colour tones required the clients to trust the designer. We also completed a full upgrade of lighting in these rooms.”

In the livingroom, the Dublin-based designer opted for a solid dark grey Gargoyle by Zoffany to blanket the walls and joinery. The walls were newly panelled and a radiator cover was added. The result was “laid back, Californian vibes with shades of off-white and natural wood tones, layered with subtle, autumnal rust and green tones”.

She chose soft, textural weave fabrics from Mark Alexander, a French pleat top, and off-white curtains on a matt black rail. The existing large off-white sofa is from Shanley Interiors, while the coffee table and accessories are from Rockhill in Blackrock.

In the playroom, O’Connell was aiming for a calming and restful room and opted for a colour-blocking effect with Mizzle by Farrow and Ball. The use of built-in joinery to a bay window provided seating and ample storage in an otherwise dead space, and a large open floor serves as a great play space for years to come.

O’Connell opted for new antique brass fixtures to replace standard chrome and white light switches and plugs, with fabrics by Jane Churchill, Finline, and a couple of fringed cushions by Paul Costello for Dunnes – “we replaced the feather fillers to give a better look”. The lighting is by Pooky and Mullan Lighting.

Once the livingroom and playroom were completed, she began working on creating a “laid-back, casual dining space”.

“Everything is natural – rustic, neutral tones of wood, with distressed gold detailing and nods to nature set against Zoffany Gargoyle,” she says. “The room is bright with sweeping sunshine, the voile adds a layer of textural warmth and is used to block direct sunlight and conceals the doors and windows.”

The key piece in this room is the stained oak dining table by Shanley Interiors, with a contemporary angular dining chair and a distressed bronze statement chandelier from Hicken. A round rug softens and adds curves to a rectangular room, and O’Connell added a wall collage of florals in an antique bronze frame. The flooring was sanded back, and the herringbone wood floors were stained and sealed throughout.

In the hallway, contemporary wall panels were added, with distinctive open steel lanterns by Hicken Lighting. Opting for rechargeable wall lights from Pooky “helped to avoid chasing walls”. New internal doors were painted dark and new fixtures and hardware, including a carpet runner and an antique Yalameh contemporary Persian rug, were added, along with artwork by Audrey Hamilton.

So how did the family respond to the project?

“Deirdre really listened to our brief and took the time to get to know our personalities and our lifestyle needs,” they say. “She brought us on the journey with her, opening our minds to new concepts and ideas, which suit our home, and in turn, she has created a functional, comfortable yet stylish home, which we love spending time in as a family.”

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