Bright spark
THERE IS NOTHING GREIGE ABOUT THIS COLOUR-DRENCHED HOME. KIRSTIE McDERMOTT MEETS THE AWARD-WINNING DESIGNER BEHIND A DUBLIN 4 BEAUTY
Designer Róisín Lafferty shows Kirstie McDermott around her latest D4 project
‘THE opposite of corporate,” is how Róisín Lafferty, founder and creative director of Dublin’s Kingston Lafferty Design (KLD) and the woman at the heart of the design of this Dublin 4 home, describes the result of her transformation. “The owner is a professional woman, she works really hard, loves travel, art and architecture and she wanted her home to be the opposite of her work life.”
When it comes to creating an assured interior, Róisín knows her stuff. Eight years in business has delivered a slew of prestigious awards for her design schemes. Acknowledged as one of the country’s leading creatives, when it comes to her work, colour is Róisín’s calling card and is a hallmark of all her interior schemes.
While she might be bravura with bold hues, it’s unusual for a residential home owner to be so confident. Cast your eye
around this four-bedroom, 202sqm three-storey Victorian home and you’ll spot blackened plum, glossy deep cerulean and cobalt, jade green, mustard, teal, navy and sage.
There was no TV architect-style battle to get the client on board with the creative vision either. Róisín and team took their cues from the homeowner, who not only has no fear of colour, she actively embraces it. “It was part of her brief,” she says, adding, “and we took initial inspiration from her art collection.”
As well as bold, primary hue mid-century glass pieces, a monochromatic ceramic pot collection and bright decorative plates sourced on her travels, the home’s owner has several pieces from Maser, which sparked much of Róisín’s creative fodder.
“The house was in perfect condition,” explains Róisín. “It just hadn’t been lived in and was muted and beige. It’s a beautiful house and is full of character, so we wanted to add personality to it.”
Most of the work Róisín undertook was decorative as little was needed in the way of construction works, bar moving a window and adding sliding doors in the kitchen area, plus re-configuring the master suite.
What they did do was add character, wit and style. In this house, it’s really colour and finishes that are key to its success. Róisín was involved in every aspect of the re-design from creating custom cabinetry in the living and dining rooms and in the sleek kitchen, to the cleverly designed inset floors that feature throughout the house.
Bespoke elements such as poured concrete worktops in the kitchen and master en suite, polished plaster walls, in-built cocktail bars and clever brass curtain rails that go wall-to-wall were all creatively conceived by the team.
Lighting, furniture choices and the mix of materials were carefully considered too. The house is large, but not palatial and, as with most Victorian homes, the amount of natural light needs to be considered carefully too, so getting the palette right was crucial.
The real idea to steal here is that while all the shades are black-shot, they’re not from the Abigail Ahern school of dark, inky décor.
“It’s almost like colour-blocking in different tones,” Róisín explains. “It’s a jewellery box, but the colours are all quite timeless, not garish or sugary.” That’s the other big takeaway from the palette: the mix is carefully calibrated between dark hues that are falling from grace and shocking brights.
Those key differences means the result has a distinct impact. Enter the house at hall level and you’re met with an unusual aubergine shade in the hall and landing, accented with an almost-black on the stairs.
It’s vital that the colours work when seen from the vantage point of other rooms. And they do, thanks to some clever design tricks. “The idea was to frame each space, so when you look in, they complement and flow,” Róisín says. In the front room, the multi-coloured mid-century sputnik chandelier combines many of the colours used throughout the house.
The glossy blue paint accentuates the curved panels and complements the tones in the hall. Green wall lights and burgundy curtains add even more balance. A dark parquet floor runs throughout the ground floor, uniting the spaces. “It looks like a lot,” Róisín says, “but it is extremely calm.”
In the adjoining dining area, there’s a beautiful inset tiled floor. “It’s like something you’d find in Italy,” Róisín notes. “It adds a lovely layer.” Curved wall panels repeat here and are set off by a statement brass display unit, as well as a brightly painted table.
In the kitchen area the drama amps up. A long room, it is light-filled at the garden end and features new bifold doors out to the tiled patio area, plus an inventive circular Spanish marble flooring detail.
The kitchen itself is a marvel: a grownup, chic affair that wouldn’t feel out of place in Studio 54. Sleek and wrapped in multi-hued zellige tiles (which echo the shades used elsewhere), it’s accented in both polished and satin-finished brass and glass. Glamour aside, this room is practical: multiple storage options including a hidden pantry unit and wine cooler options which are built in, as is the current must-have item: an induction hob, complete with down-draft extractor.
Upstairs, the master suite runs the full depth of the house with the bedroom to the front, and a dressing area and en suite behind it. Softer green tones feature here. The shades echo in the Moroccan-inspired en suite, which has polished plaster walls and a cast concrete sink in a stand-out blue hue.
With so many different elements and finishes in this house, the project was lengthy. “It took about 10 months from start to finish and we were on site for about five months,” Róisín confirms. And no, not everything went smoothly: “The kitchen worktop and backsplash was custom-made in moulded concrete,” she says. This had to be remade due to transitions between finishes, but as Róisín explains, “It’s a process, and seeing it all come together was the best thing.”