Home Is Where the art I s
Colour and creativity reigns supreme in this artist’s detached house in Dublin
Turning three cramped and tatty bedsits back into a house did not daunt artist Elaine Grainger and her publican husband Alan. ‘It was close to Dublin city centre, with a good-sized garden and original features,’ says Elaine. ‘I liked the ceiling height and the double reception rooms. We knew we could turn it back into the house it had once been.’
The couple were first to bid on the property but had to let it go when Elaine’s mother became ill and later passed away. However, later that year they saw the house was still on the market.
‘ We decided it was meant to be, so we actively pursued it again,’ she says. ‘It was around the time of the property boom in Ireland and bidding was going up by the day – but the owner said we were the first to bid and agreed it was ours.’
The house had been chopped up into bedsits, with three tiny bathrooms, no central heating or modern wiring, and there was rising damp downstairs. ‘We had a good team of builders who’d worked on period houses and the property was structurally sound, so we weren’t put off,’ says Elaine. ‘The house had all its original fireplaces
and ceiling roses, so we decided we wanted to bring the space back to how it had originally looked. It was too much upheaval to live there during the renovations, so we rented a place nearby for three months.’
After two years they planned the kitchen extension. ‘I sketched out what I wanted – a large island, bifold doors, underfloor heating and a light, airy feel – then we called in an architect,’ says Elaine. ‘It took five months to finish, while we lived in the house – a very demanding time.’ But the end result was worth it: ‘I love our kitchen, because everything happens in here, from me working at the central island to the children, Conor, Tate and Isabelle, doing their homework.’
Elaine describes her decorating style as ‘eclectic’. She favours natural fabrics, off-white shades and the odd dark wall or floor to create drama. ‘I wish I was more adventurous with colour and pattern, but this works well for us,’ she says.
The Graingers’ house is, however, still a work in progress. ‘ We want to convert the large attic next,’ says Elaine. ‘I’d also like to change the skirting boards, and repaint the kitchen cupboards. After all, the devil is in the detail.’