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Houzz Tour: Clever Design Brings Light into a Unique Home in Dublin
Internal courtyards, double-height spaces and an abundance of roof lights fill this unique property with warmth and light
Having had Planning Permission rejected twice, third time really was lucky for the owners of this unique Dublin home. The property sits in what was originally a walled orchard, and planners were reluctant to change the facade of the space. “What was needed was a house that didn’t look like a house,” says architect David O’Shea from ODOS Architects, which explains the largely windowless walling of the front elevation.
“Historically, it was a walled enclosure, so we were keen on trying to replicate that identity – it’s just that now we have a house behind the facade, rather than an orchard,” he explains. O’Shea worked with interior designer Emily Maher of Lost Weekend Interiors to create a bright and contemporary home with plenty of light and bursts of colour.
“Historically, it was a walled enclosure, so we were keen on trying to replicate that identity – it’s just that now we have a house behind the facade, rather than an orchard,” he explains. O’Shea worked with interior designer Emily Maher of Lost Weekend Interiors to create a bright and contemporary home with plenty of light and bursts of colour.
The layout of the property is somewhat unusual. All of the living spaces are upstairs, with the bedrooms down below – largely due to light. “The best light is always at the top of a property,” O’Shea explains, “so we felt it appropriate to put the living areas up there.”
The kitchen is simple and contemporary, featuring handleless white cabinets with a high-gloss lacquered finish and a white Corian worktop. “The clients aren’t huge kitchen buffs, but they love to entertain, so keeping it open and sociable was important,” O’Shea says.
‘We wanted to keep it very simple, contemporary and light, but still bright and cheerful,’ adds Emily Maher.
Orient copper pendants designed by Jo Hammerborg in 1963, Light Years.
The kitchen is simple and contemporary, featuring handleless white cabinets with a high-gloss lacquered finish and a white Corian worktop. “The clients aren’t huge kitchen buffs, but they love to entertain, so keeping it open and sociable was important,” O’Shea says.
‘We wanted to keep it very simple, contemporary and light, but still bright and cheerful,’ adds Emily Maher.
Orient copper pendants designed by Jo Hammerborg in 1963, Light Years.
Due to the lack of windows on the external facade of the property, light had to come in through internal courtyards, roof lights and the clever use of double-height spaces.
The homeowners are big entertainers, so creating a good flow between the communal living areas was important for them. You can see right through the main courtyard, which gives a feeling of great space, even though the property itself is quite narrow.
From a planning perspective, a certain amount of open space is a requirement in this area. The architects didn’t want to do a typical front garden/back garden house, so they peppered the outdoor areas throughout the house.
There are two internal courtyards at the upper level – one between the kitchen-diner and living room, and one the other side of the living room.
There are two internal courtyards at the upper level – one between the kitchen-diner and living room, and one the other side of the living room.
The living room can be accessed from the courtyard or via an internal corridor leading from the kitchen-diner. At the end of the corridor are stairs that lead down to the ground floor bedrooms and study.
“We wanted to keep it very neat in the living room, so as not to take away from the environment,” explains Maher. The Arne Jacobsen egg chair is a statement piece that keeps the look bright and cheerful.
Egg chair, Fritz Hansen. Sofa, Hay. String Shelving sideboard, try Utility Design.
Get contemporary living room ideas
“We wanted to keep it very neat in the living room, so as not to take away from the environment,” explains Maher. The Arne Jacobsen egg chair is a statement piece that keeps the look bright and cheerful.
Egg chair, Fritz Hansen. Sofa, Hay. String Shelving sideboard, try Utility Design.
Get contemporary living room ideas
The front door is at the bottom of these stairs, which lead up to the first floor living areas.
Next to the staircase is the ground floor corridor, which wraps around the study and bedrooms.
At the end of this passage, it turns to the right, and on the right-hand side is the study. It then turns to the left, with all of the bedrooms on the left-hand side looking out onto the ground floor internal courtyard.
At the end of this passage, it turns to the right, and on the right-hand side is the study. It then turns to the left, with all of the bedrooms on the left-hand side looking out onto the ground floor internal courtyard.
The study is the only room that’s exposed to the street, but it’s sunken, so remains quite private. “We imagined the client working from home and being able to look out onto the street,” explains O’Shea.
The office could form a fourth bedroom if necessary, so the architect was keen to keep it flexible.
Maher used primary colours in the office, as in the living room and kitchen-diner, to make a statement yet keep the look simple.
Day bed by Eileen Gray; E1027 side table by Eileen Gray, both available at Aram. CH24 Wishbone chair by Hans J Wegner, available at Skandium.
The office could form a fourth bedroom if necessary, so the architect was keen to keep it flexible.
Maher used primary colours in the office, as in the living room and kitchen-diner, to make a statement yet keep the look simple.
Day bed by Eileen Gray; E1027 side table by Eileen Gray, both available at Aram. CH24 Wishbone chair by Hans J Wegner, available at Skandium.
As there was no option for windows for the ground floor hallway, O’Shea borrowed light from the upstairs living room and courtyard.
“It’s almost like a maze in some parts,” says the architect. “It needs to work really hard to get light into those cavernous spaces.”
By making the hallway double height, O’Shea was able to install high windows that bring in light from the courtyard, while a partially open wall in the living room adds extra light and a sense of connection.
“It’s almost like a maze in some parts,” says the architect. “It needs to work really hard to get light into those cavernous spaces.”
By making the hallway double height, O’Shea was able to install high windows that bring in light from the courtyard, while a partially open wall in the living room adds extra light and a sense of connection.
The master bedroom used to be the old coach house of the Victorian home, which had fallen into total disrepair. “We had to mostly rebuild it to bring it back. The planners liked that,” O’Shea says.
A bank of full-height wardrobes covers one wall, providing plenty of storage for the master bedroom.
Swan chair by Arne Jacobsen, available at Skandium.
A bank of full-height wardrobes covers one wall, providing plenty of storage for the master bedroom.
Swan chair by Arne Jacobsen, available at Skandium.
Given the high ceiling, Maher wanted to go for a statement light. “It’s made from Japanese paper, and is totally gorgeous,” she says. “From the courtyard, you can look in on it at night-time.”
Steps go up to the second of the two courtyards, between the living room and the roof of the old coach house (now master bedroom).
Pendant light, Céline Wright Paris.
Steps go up to the second of the two courtyards, between the living room and the roof of the old coach house (now master bedroom).
Pendant light, Céline Wright Paris.
The en suite is contemporary and simple, with a roof light up to the courtyard above. The client specified the grey tiles, and the mirrors are heated to prevent them from misting up.
Tiles, Tile style. Taps and sanitaryware, Dornbracht.
Get expert tips to maximise a small en suite
Tiles, Tile style. Taps and sanitaryware, Dornbracht.
Get expert tips to maximise a small en suite
There are two further bedrooms on the ground floor, including this kids’ room. All of the rooms open out onto a thin external courtyard. “We had to keep the house away from the party wall for the planners, but we also wanted a way to get light down into these rooms,” explains O’Shea.
The architect laid gravel initially, but the courtyard has since been fully planted by the clients.
Duvet covers, Debenhams.
The architect laid gravel initially, but the courtyard has since been fully planted by the clients.
Duvet covers, Debenhams.
A family bathroom also on the ground floor is light and bright, with frosted glass bringing in light from that same external courtyard.
Tiles, Tile style. Sanitaryware, Dornbracht.
TELL US…
What do you think of this unusual home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Tiles, Tile style. Sanitaryware, Dornbracht.
TELL US…
What do you think of this unusual home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here A family
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Location Dublin, Ireland
Architect David O’Shea of ODOS Architects
Interior Designer Emily Maher of Lost Weekend Interiors
The property used to be the side garden, or orchard, of a big, 19th century property. “We wanted to put a modern structure in the garden of a Victorian house… which went down like a lead balloon with the planners,” says architect David O’Shea, “but we realised that if it didn’t look like a house, we might be able to make it work.’