Houzz Tour: A Small Dublin Home Feels Bigger and Brighter Now
A brick row house gains an entrance hall and, through a kitchen cabinet door, a bathtub and a laundry closet
Being a professional house hunter, Breffnie O’Kelly knew that this was the perfect house for herself and her teenage daughter. It was close to school and nearby walks, the road and neighbors were nice, and the house itself had loads of character.
The catch? The interior was dreary and cramped. So O’Kelly called on architect Eva Byrne to make her new home feel light, airy and spacious.
The catch? The interior was dreary and cramped. So O’Kelly called on architect Eva Byrne to make her new home feel light, airy and spacious.
Luckily, O’Kelly could ask her architect friend for some ideas. “I also work as a house consultant, so this started out as a consultation,” Byrne says.
But it wasn’t long before she came up with a complete redesign and O’Kelly commissioned her to take on the full project.
A Pretty Front Door Opens to a Useful Entryway
At the front, Byrne replaced the windows and door and took down the modern railing around the flower bed. “We [installed a wood] door in a welcoming color,” she says.
Front door paint: Dix Blue, Farrow & Ball
But it wasn’t long before she came up with a complete redesign and O’Kelly commissioned her to take on the full project.
A Pretty Front Door Opens to a Useful Entryway
At the front, Byrne replaced the windows and door and took down the modern railing around the flower bed. “We [installed a wood] door in a welcoming color,” she says.
Front door paint: Dix Blue, Farrow & Ball
Before: The front door opened straight into the living room, so Byrne decided to create a separate hallway.
The team installed a painted wood-and-glass screen that can fold all the way back “It gives you privacy from the street when you’re in the living room,” Byrne says.
“You don’t do anything near the door anyway, so you’re not losing any living space by adding a division,” she adds.
The team also put in a ledge with hooks underneath and a round mirror to turn the space into a useful hallway.
The Key Ingredient Your Entry May Be Missing
“You don’t do anything near the door anyway, so you’re not losing any living space by adding a division,” she adds.
The team also put in a ledge with hooks underneath and a round mirror to turn the space into a useful hallway.
The Key Ingredient Your Entry May Be Missing
The stairs were extended to the glass partition. “It makes the room feel wider,” Byrne says.
The team also painted on a gray runner, which leads up the steps.
5 Ways to Beautify Your Staircase With Paint
The team also painted on a gray runner, which leads up the steps.
5 Ways to Beautify Your Staircase With Paint
Rather than leave the back of the front door white, Byrne chose to add color. “We painted the door the same shade on both sides to make a feature of it,” she says. “In white, it wouldn’t have worked as well.”
How to Choose a Front Door Color
How to Choose a Front Door Color
Simple, Well-Scaled Furniture Lets the Living Room Breathe
The living room is simple and cozy, with white walls, recessed spotlights, a soft rug and a comfortable sofa. “The sofa is a neat [71 inches] wide,” Byrne says. “It’s important to size furniture appropriately so it doesn’t take over the room.”
She kept the fireplace minimal too, with a flush hearth and a plain opening for the wood-burning stove. The chimney alcove on the left contains a bookcase and a cabinet.
Langbrook wood-burning stove: Dimplex; sofa: Soul Lifestyle; rug: The Orchard
The living room is simple and cozy, with white walls, recessed spotlights, a soft rug and a comfortable sofa. “The sofa is a neat [71 inches] wide,” Byrne says. “It’s important to size furniture appropriately so it doesn’t take over the room.”
She kept the fireplace minimal too, with a flush hearth and a plain opening for the wood-burning stove. The chimney alcove on the left contains a bookcase and a cabinet.
Langbrook wood-burning stove: Dimplex; sofa: Soul Lifestyle; rug: The Orchard
To the right of the chimney, the team built a bench with storage drawers below.
The seat is positioned next to a window, which Byrne lowered to maximize the view of the courtyard and bring plenty of light into the room.
She chose botanical prints for the walls to further connect the inside with the outside space.
The seat is positioned next to a window, which Byrne lowered to maximize the view of the courtyard and bring plenty of light into the room.
She chose botanical prints for the walls to further connect the inside with the outside space.
Before: The living room was much darker before the window was lowered.
The key to creating a luminous and spacious feel was to connect the living spaces to the courtyard at the center of the house.
The “before” plan of the ground floor shows how a shower room blocked the view. Byrne removed it and put an open-plan kitchen-dining area in its place. She then tucked a bathroom at the back of the house.
The “before” plan of the ground floor shows how a shower room blocked the view. Byrne removed it and put an open-plan kitchen-dining area in its place. She then tucked a bathroom at the back of the house.
A glass door leads from the living room to the new kitchen-dining area. The glass is opaque to allow light in while maintaining privacy.
“As Breffnie’s daughter is a teenager, we thought it was important for her to have her own space,” Byrne says. The design includes some separation in each area of the house so mother and daughter can enjoy time together and apart.
“As Breffnie’s daughter is a teenager, we thought it was important for her to have her own space,” Byrne says. The design includes some separation in each area of the house so mother and daughter can enjoy time together and apart.
Before: The shower room blocked access to the courtyard.
Glass and Tile Connect Indoors and Out
Just before the dining area, there’s a glass door to the courtyard. The large window next to the table doesn’t open, but it helps bring light and a spacious feeling to the home.
Porcelain floor tiles inside and on the patio further connect the two areas.
Just before the dining area, there’s a glass door to the courtyard. The large window next to the table doesn’t open, but it helps bring light and a spacious feeling to the home.
Porcelain floor tiles inside and on the patio further connect the two areas.
“We wanted the table to have a single leg so you can sit anywhere around it,” Byrne says. “Our carpenter made it from a table base and a circle of MDF.”
Three narrow picture ledges provide enough room for books without encroaching too much on the space.
Dining chairs and picture ledges: Ikea; table base: Häfele; browse pedestal dining tables
Find a carpenter for your project
Three narrow picture ledges provide enough room for books without encroaching too much on the space.
Dining chairs and picture ledges: Ikea; table base: Häfele; browse pedestal dining tables
Find a carpenter for your project
Before: The kitchen took up the entire back room of the house.
The new kitchen cabinets have a simple design with painted MDF doors, but Byrne used a clever trick to increase storage. “We chose to make the [countertop 39 inches high],” she says. “This allowed us to fit slim drawers along the top. It’s a sneaky way of getting more from the kitchen, and it works well here, as my friend is quite tall.”
The space already had a skylight, and Byrne maximized the brightness by choosing a quartz countertop and glass tiles for the backsplash. “These were remnants from a discontinued line, which is a good way to save money,” she says.
Quartz countertop: Egan Stone; glass backsplash tile and porcelain floor tile: TileStyle
The space already had a skylight, and Byrne maximized the brightness by choosing a quartz countertop and glass tiles for the backsplash. “These were remnants from a discontinued line, which is a good way to save money,” she says.
Quartz countertop: Egan Stone; glass backsplash tile and porcelain floor tile: TileStyle
A Surprise Lies Behind the Cabinet Wall
Another smart design idea allowed Byrne to fit a bathroom and utility closet into the space. The cabinets are located along a partition wall that sits 53 inches away from the original back wall. The full-height door on the right looks like a tall cabinet but is, in fact, a door to the room behind.
Another smart design idea allowed Byrne to fit a bathroom and utility closet into the space. The cabinets are located along a partition wall that sits 53 inches away from the original back wall. The full-height door on the right looks like a tall cabinet but is, in fact, a door to the room behind.
Through this door is a bathroom and a laundry closet. “There’s a tall cupboard in here with a washer and dryer,” Byrne says.
Where Can I Hide My Laundry Area?
Where Can I Hide My Laundry Area?
“My client really wanted to fit in a bath, which threw me slightly in such a small space,” says Byrne, laughing. But she soon came up with a plan. By moving the kitchen 53 inches forward, she created enough space to fit a small tub perfectly.
“We used white in here and lots of mirror, so it doesn’t feel small,” she adds. “We put two shallow Ikea cabinets side by side for storage. With bathroom storage, you only need a cabinet deep enough to fit a toilet roll.”
Bathroom fixtures and tile: TileStyle
Find an architect near you
“We used white in here and lots of mirror, so it doesn’t feel small,” she adds. “We put two shallow Ikea cabinets side by side for storage. With bathroom storage, you only need a cabinet deep enough to fit a toilet roll.”
Bathroom fixtures and tile: TileStyle
Find an architect near you
In the front bedroom upstairs, there was an original cast-iron fireplace, which Byrne decided to highlight. She lined up a patterned runner in front of it and positioned a vintage piece of art, which the owner had inherited from her grandmother, above it.
Slim wall-mounted shelves in place of a bedside table save space, while a picture ledge above provides a surface for books.
Opposite and out of view is a cabinet that’s about 17 inches deep. “It’s a good option if you don’t have a lot of space,” Byrne says.
Bed, bedding and picture ledge: Ikea; find similar picture ledges
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Slim wall-mounted shelves in place of a bedside table save space, while a picture ledge above provides a surface for books.
Opposite and out of view is a cabinet that’s about 17 inches deep. “It’s a good option if you don’t have a lot of space,” Byrne says.
Bed, bedding and picture ledge: Ikea; find similar picture ledges
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: Buyer’s agent Breffnie O’Kelly and her daughter
Location: Dublin
Size: 592 square feet (55 square meters); two bedrooms, one bathroom
Architect: Eva Byrne of Houseology
Before: Everything about this early-1900s row house said “good buy” to O’Kelly and her daughter when they spotted it — everything, that is, except the dark and dreary interior.