MONO MAGIC

A striking palette of black, white and grey lends sophistication to a Dublin townhouse

emma and Al Byrnes found that two into one goes perfectly after buying a pair of run-down flats in an edwardian house in Dublin. ‘I didn’t love the house at first but knew it had potential,’ says emma. ‘Although it’s not very pretty from the outside, we both loved the high ceilings and bay windows, which create an airy feel in such a small property.’

However, some major challenges had to be addressed before they could move in. the two flats had to be turned back into one house, which meant removing flimsy partition walls, reconfiguring the flow of rooms on the ground floor, restoring blocked-up fireplaces and landscaping the overgrown back garden. It took a year before emma and Al actually moved in, staying nearby in a friend’s house while their dream home was re-shaped. ‘I like renovating a house because you can put your own stamp on it,’ says emma. ‘the house was gutted, rewired and re-plumbed. We put on a new roof, extended the kitchen and converted the attic into a study. then the sitting roomcum-dining room was opened up into one large space. We also made a bigger bathroom by requisitioning part of one of the bedrooms. Al project managed the building side of things and I designed the interior.’

emma’s decorating style is relaxed, with plain walls and flooring providing the ideal backdrop for precious objects she likes to showcase, such as pictures and rugs. As the house is small and north-facing, she has used white throughout to create an airy space. ‘I like a sharp, brilliant white – I’m not a fan of off-whites,’ she explains. ‘I used grey in the soft furnishings, as it goes well with other colours and makes a good backdrop. If you have a plain background you can be more creative with fabric, which is a great way to introduce colour and easy to change.’

the couple’s next project is to update the kitchen. ‘We have been here for ten years and the kitchen has had a lot of use,’ says emma. ‘I’ll probably go for something more streamlined and I’d also love a larder.’ But one thing the pair have no plans to change is where they live. ‘We love this area and for us, that’s the most important thing.’

Master BEDROOM The inlaid chest of drawers provides the wow factor. grey mother-of-pearl chest of drawers, £1,395; velvet cushions in raspberry, £35, are similar, both graham and green. Similar dressing table mirror, £25, wilko, is comparable cole &...

BATHROOM Discreet white window shutters keep this scheme simple and the lines clean. For window shutters like these one, try Shutters Direct, from £54 for a minimum size of 50sq cm. Statuario marble tiles, £177.32sq m, topps tiles, are similar

guest BEDROOM Mirrored wardrobe doors make this room appear bigger. Sliding wardrobe door with four panels in soft white has this look, from £64.99; use coo-var white floor paint to achieve the same finish, £34.99 per 5 litres, both wickes