Home is where the Hygge is...
THIS NEW HOME IN CO KILDARE HAS PLENTY OF CHUTZPAH, THANKS TO CLEVER DESIGN TOUCHES. THE CREATIVE DUO BEHIND THE PROJECT SHARE THEIR DECOR IDEAS
Lisa Marconi and Sarah Drumm (above) glam up an Irish home
LESS than four years ago, friends Lisa Marconi and Sarah Drumm decided to stage a pop-up shop in Dublin that would offer the sort of interiors goodies they loved themselves but had difficulty sourcing. Stuff like a playful update in brass and marble of the ‘50s hostess trolley or a cabinet with a front patterned with a silver skull on black satin or intricate wallpapers in eye-busting patterns. It’s a style that Lisa calls “eclectic glam.” Though, she laughs, “I think we’re moving towards luxe glam now.”
In the short time since, Dust.ie has grown from a pop-up to an online store and busy design consultancy. “It all happened really organically,” she says.
The clients for the lovely Kildare new build featured here came along to Lisa and Sarah’s very first pop-up. “They liked our approach,” says Lisa, “and asked us to design the interiors and really just trusted us to do what we liked.”
That meant the fundamentals were clean lines, polished concrete floors, Scandi shades of blue and teal throughout, all glammed up with the rich textures of sheepskin throws, fluffy cushions, loose weave rugs, and warm metallic shades.
The pair was involved from the get-go in the project, a spacious two-storey house with five bedrooms, two ensuites and one large family bathroom, as well as a games room, sitting room and the centrepiece, a double-height open plan kitchen/living/ dining space with large picture windows.
The trick was to use modern sleek surfaces without creating a look that was too harsh. Here are seven ideas to steal.
1
“Dark kitchen units with plenty of metallic touches are a match made in heaven at the moment,” says Lisa. This kitchen is all about the contrast of the rich, dark tones brightened with warm brass touches and the white splash of Carrara quartz countertops. The patterned tile splashback from Fired Earth breaks up the blocks of colour and prevents the look becoming heavy. The three pendant lights are from Dust.ie, and the delicate metallic stools are from Rockett St George.
2
In the early stages of planning, say Lisa and Sarah, think about the natural light in the different spaces. “Early on, we were discussing where the dining table would be placed. It’s lovely to have plenty of light where you eat.” They drew attention to the double-height space with the statement pendant light with pulley system from Davey Lighting. A similar dining table is available from Woodesign.ie, the chairs are from Rockett St George.
3
Panelling is so in vogue, says Sarah. “Think outside the box. There are so many interesting ways you can go with it outside of the more traditional designs. Even in a period house, it can be fun to bring in something more unusual.” Here they used a geometric pattern and painted both wall and panelling in the same shade of blue. Try Fleetwood’s Indigo Batik or Dulux Gatsby Blue. The flooring is Caislean Oak, an engineered floor from National Tile.
4
Don’t be shy of patterns, but keep colour consistent to draw the look together. “Mix a statement tile such as these geometric Moroccan floor tiles (from Best Tile) with something more understated, such as hexagonal wall tiles (from Tiles Direct) to create a fun yet sophisticated look in a bathroom,” says Sarah. “And don’t forget about your accessories — echo the geometric theme with a hexagonal mirror – this one is from Helen James’s Considered range.” Metallic pendants, from Mullan Lighting, are a great way to add that wow factor.
5
Mix textures and finishes. Concrete is so popular these days, it’s cheap, hardwearing and can be used in many different finishes, but for family life, it’s nice to layer it. “We’ve softened this polished concrete floor with lots of lovely soft textures to make the space inviting,” says Lisa. “Polished concrete is a fab material to work with but it can be stark.” Walls are painted Strong White by Farrow & Ball, which, says Lisa, “has grey undertones that works well with modern schemes.” Leather sofa is from
made.com; patterned cushions from Flock; rug, sidetable and sheepskin cushions from Dust.ie.
6
Let loose with colour in the bedroom, says Sarah. “A tonal scheme can be very calming, so it’s the perfect way to go in a bedroom. Bring in some jewel tones and sumptuous textures to really up the luxury factor for your master bedroom.” Try Deep Teal from the Pantone range by Fleetwood or Tilbury Teal by Dulux on walls; side table is by Swoon Edition.
7
Steer clear of pink in little girl’s bedrooms. Instead create a space where stories that will spark young imaginations can begin. “Dark and dramatic wallpaper really works in this space,” says Lisa, of ‘Foret noir’ by Nathalie Lete from domestic.fr. Watermelon rocker from CA Design; rocking chair from S.Alternative Furniture.
Good design is in the detail. Don’t forget the little things like your skirting. Here we painted it in black, grey with a stripe of bright yellow throughout the ground floor