DMVF Architects

We bought a small 3 bed detached house in need of complete renovation and extension to accommodate a family of six. The house was in very poor condition, about 100 years old, cold and draughty with a single toilet/bathroom and a tiny galley kitchen. We wanted to build a spacious contemporary extension to compliment the charm of the existing old house, doubling the floor space and moving from a baseline BER G rating to an A rating upon completion. A particular challenge included the north facing aspect to the rear where our main kitchen, living and dining area were to be located – we really wanted to optimise natural light in this busy part of the home. Having spent 2 years working on plans with another firm of architects we quit in frustration and decided to start over. Second time around, we put a great deal of time and effort into careful selection of a new architect. In hindsight, this was by far the most important part of the entire project. We reviewed the work of numerous architects online, and met several in person. Ultimately we were guided in our choice of John Flood by stellar references from previous clients of his, and a very positive initial meeting with John to discuss his first impressions on how best to approach the work on our home. The photos of John’s work on the DMVF website speak for themselves in terms of design quality and aesthetic. We loved his initial concept, and were provided with numerous detailed revisions (with rapid turnout time) to fully develop the plans. We really appreciated the amount of time John took to listen and properly understand our needs for our new home. Even now, several months after completion, we still delight in noticing new things about the design that we had never fully appreciated despite poring over the plans for endless hours before construction. What the photos do not convey are some of the more intangible aspects of John’s talents and personality. Throughout the project John was always available and utterly reliable. The design was flawless and executed on site without a hitch. Despite the scale of the project, it turned out to be a most enjoyable experience for us with minimum stress and hassle. It was always so easy to deal with John, who goes about his work in a quiet and unassuming way, always approachable and friendly. We learnt to trust him completely whenever we were uncertain and needed guidance on decisions big or small, functional or aesthetic. It was a wonderful process and a wonderful outcome for our family, and in the end exceeded all our hopes and expectations. We are so glad we chose John and are extremely grateful to him, and couldn’t recommend him highly enough to anyone considering a major project of this kind. He is a star.

Not happy with my treatment by this company. I was very surprised that this company would not follow up on my experience with them.

A pleasure to engage with and very professional.Delighted with the end result.

We worked with John Flood of DMVF on the complete renovation of our period home with modern extension. We have nothing but positive things to say about John and the team at DMVF. From the outset, John showed a real passion and enthusiasm for the project. We were glad to have an experienced pair of hands to guide us through the restoration of the older part of the house in a careful and sensitive manner. The open-plan modern extension is light-filled and links beautifully to the older part of the house from an aesthetic but also, functional, point of view. Most importantly, the design works perfectly for our family, with three small children, and we use every room and space created by John in the design. From a project management point of view, we could not have been happier with the design and build team led by DMVF. And John’s quietly confident manner ensued that any issues arising during the build were dealt with calmly and effectively. Like a lot of people, we didn’t quite know what we were letting ourselves in for in taking on a project of this size. With the benefit of hindsight, we are relieved to have had the good sense to employ such a knowledgeable, capable and professional architect and would recommend John and DMVF to anyone who would listen!

Highly recommend John Flood and the team at DMVF. He was consummate professional taking on board all our requirements at every stage from design through planning, build and snagging. 100% will use DMVF again.

I would highly recommend John. John redesigned our home so we could optimise our space for our expanding family and modernise and transform our home. We were thrilled with the result. John listened to our wish list and fulfilled our brief, exceeding our expectations. We now have an open plan family friendly downstairs, with hidden utility area and two separate outdoor dining and entertaining areas, along with new exterior and interior windows and doors. Upstairs John redesigned and extended our family bathroom and provided invaluable advice every step of the way. Choosing interior and exterior colour schemes can be mind boggling but John made the process so much easier!

We worked with John Flood from DMVF on the renovation and extension of our Victorian House. I can't recommend John highly enough. Our brief was a contemporary town house that retains character but creates a long term family friendly house for us and our two children. John brought us through every step of the process and took all of the hassle and stress out of the project. We got the finish that we wanted on the house and after living in the house for a couple of years it has been so worth doing the job right with expert guidance. The result was a house that is not only very visually appealing but it flows and works for our day to day life. We cant thank DMVF and John enough. Emer Norton Harolds Cross

DMVF are working with us on a large remodel and extension to our forever home in Meath. The project includes working with an existing Georgian house, a large extension and the remodel of a farmyard into stables and games rooms. DMVF are great to deal with. We live in New York and before starting the project we were worried that coordinating at a distance might be a problem. Colm and Aileen have been amazing to deal with. They are always able to facilitate online design sessions and meetings at times that suit us. We have found the DMVF team to be diligent, creative and always good humoured. Most important of all is the fact they have always listened to our needs and concerns and have translated any problems into solutions and opportunities. We can’t recommend DMVF enough and have loved working with them.

Lisa and the team at DMVF have been great partners in creating a home for our family. During an initial (competitive) exploration of architects, Lisa brought the freshest and most challenging ideas to the table. The partnership through the design experience was valuable and patient - and therefore enjoyable. With their help we brought an excellent team together (incl Builder, QA, Engineer). When we moved to the build phase Lisa and team were proactive and responsive - ensuring that we understood what was happening, where we stood, and what decisions would need to be made by when. When issues arose (they always will) we knew there would be a solution. We came out the other end with a home we felt was designed by and for our family - and a home where we are at our happiest. We're exploring some additional works at the moment and happy to have engaged Lisa and the team at DMVF again.

Excellent experience with DMVF. John really LISTENED to us and provided us with a great design as well as a functional home. We were supported from the design stage onwards. We are delighted we chose DMVF.

Would highly recommend DMVF. An excellent and professional team who were exceptional to work with, always considering our needs and requirements. John Flood completed an extensive renovation of our house managing all aspects from design and planning through to build and snagging with some valuable interior design help as well. Our dream home, which looks amazing and works perfectly for our family!

At our initial meeting with DMVF we were struck by the professional , client oriented approach. This continued throughout our substantial project Ann and John Hyland

I can't recommend DMVF enough. They are incredibly talented architects who went above and beyond at every stage of our build - we literally could not have got through it without them. They are also the co-authors of the must-read Irish book on home renovation; Make The Home You Love!

We hired DMVF to design an extension to our 250-year-old gate lodge. The job also called for a complete renovation of the gate lodge. We were living abroad in the States and after collecting some references from previous clients we were very happy to go ahead. DMVF did not disappoint and took on the project from start to finish. They spent a lot of time via phone and email on the design of the extension, complimenting it to the original lodge. After the design was agreed upon, they placed planning into the local papers according to planning laws in Ireland. They put the project to tender and we were very happy with the winning bid The project took about a year and we did not come across any major problems. DMVF was very obliging when we changed our minds about various decisions already agreed upon. Example design of interior doors, bathrooms, kitchens, and the like. We are very happy in fact we are over the moon with the finished project. Our family and friends have spent many happy visits to the now completed lodge. We look forward now to the day when friends can come again and visit us in our beautiful gate lodge preserved for another 250 years by Colm Doyle of DMVF

I now live in my dream home thanks to DMVF and John Flood. He was brilliant about keeping on budget and keeping the builder on point and got the job done. Nothing was ever a problem and was patient and thorough right from the planning phase through to completion. I couldn’t recommend DMVF more they’re brilliant, consider yourself lucky to have them on the job for you John Fagan Westmeath

I was extremely lucky to move into my new home with just days to spare before the first COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020. Due to the ongoing restrictions, I have had ample opportunity to spend time there over the past year and I remain delighted with the results. The project involved a complete renovation of a 1930's red brick property, with two storey rear and single storey side extensions. I first met Lisa McVeigh shortly after the purchase of the property was completed. From the earliest sketches, where my rough ideas were taken into account and onward to the final plans, whereby Lisa's experience and input vastly enhanced the finished project, Lisa and her team at DMVF were with me every step of the way, to the granting of final planning permission. I have a busy and demanding job and I found great reassurance in the knowledge that the DMVF team were overseeing the day-to-day project management, giving me plenty of notice about timelines for important decisions, providing comprehensive advice on the options for finishes, fixtures, fittings and trusted suppliers. This left me with sufficient time to visit suppliers, to avoid unnecessary trips where spare time was scarce and to make the right choices. Any queries I had were quickly addressed and the project finished on time and under budget. I could not ask for more and have no hesitation in recommending DMVF Architects to any potential client. Sincere thanks to Lisa, Marguerite and Kevin at DMVF and I look forward to inviting you guys to my belated housewarming!

From start to finish we had an excellent experience with DMVF. Our project was a period property renovation with a contemporary kitchen and living room extension. These architects listened to what we wanted and designed a house that is perfect for family living with clever design solutions, including lots of storage. Also, they were always mindful and sympathetic to the original Art Deco style. With their expertise and professionalism our dream home was realised.

DMVF advised us on our recent loft conversion, drawing up plans with thought put into the details down to the nth degree - which electrics to pull off which switches / the implications of dimmers, and most importantly how to get the most from the space! The en suite is the coup de foudre; DMVF transformed the bog standard blueprint suggested by our builder into a gorgeous bathroom with oversized shower, cute shelf for toiletries to avoid any clutter on the shower floor, towel cupboard, large vanity with fantastic space for storage alongside the sink and within the drawers, stylish lighting in the shower and a big mirror with built-in lights perfect for getting dolled up. (The builder himself thinks it looks like a hotel!) 5 Stars!

Everything with spot on with design , builder And even when we opted change a few things, it was no problem. Overall budget cost was As we expected. Most helpful architects to deal with and would highly recommend. I certainly would be using again if we need further design or building in the future.

Colm and his team at DMVF were fantastic to work with. We wouldn’t have the fabulous hone we have today without their input. Colm is a very conscientious guy. No matter how busy he was, he always made time for us, even when he was under pressure to help us with anything - from kitchen to the bathrooms. Nothing was ever too much trouble. By the end of the project, we had way more than we had envisaged.

I really can't recommend DMCF Architects highly enough. My wife and I both selected DMVF independently when we were looking for an Architects to oversee a large home reconstruction. Lisa McVeigh took on the project and she worked with us along with her excellent team throughout the time it took to undertake the works. She was with us every step of the way and her attention to detail was second to none. We would never have managed such a project without her attention to detail, and total professionalism throughout the build. She was literally with us every step of the way and both my wife and I highly recommend DMVF Architects.

They say renovating your home is stressful, while it did have its moments we enjoyed the process from designing to the finishing touches. And I have to say it had a lot to do with Lisa and the team at DMVF. They advised us every step of the way on both big and small decisions. They understood what we envisaged our home to look like and they made it happen.

Best decision engaging Colm in DMVF to create our dream family home. Reviewed the work of many Architect's to ensure our vision and requirements matched as the Architect/ Client relationship is hugely important; Colm came highly recommended and excelled our expectations. Old property, which we wanted to respect but also wanted to future proof our home. Colm's guidance was invaluable and covered much more than the Architectural arena. Highly highly recommend and if we weren't so happy with the outcome we'd be using DMVF again!!

Amazing firm of architects, I used them for a large renovation and extension and can’t recommend them highly enough.

We hired Colm from DMVF to design and manage the renovation and adaption of our 1950's bungalow. We have 3 children and our youngest boy, who is 11 years old is disabled and uses a wheelchair. This obviously meant we had many extra requirements outside those of a normal build/renovation project. The first thing that struck us about Colm is that he is a great listener and took all our family’s requirements on board and in particular fully understood the needs we had in relation to our son. He is a great designer – we couldn’t be more pleased with the design he came up with (even though we tried to lead him down many dead ends of alternative designs!). Not only was Colm’s design very functional and practical for having a child with a disability, it is also a fantastic space to live in – he maximised the light, the flow of the house, the aesthetics and the feel of the house, and also the all-important storage, whilst always ensuring that our house was suitable for the long term care of our son. We are in our house 9 months now, and it still gives us great joy as well as peace of mind, to know that this is our house for life, and that it will be suitable for the long term care of our son. As well as being a great designer, Colm is very approachable, diplomatic (a surprisingly important trait during the build, not least with ourselves!), he paid great attention to detail, always cared about the project, was really interested and helpful regarding the interior, and also with regard to the outdoor space. It’s worth noting that Colm was particularly invaluable during the build when he was also our project manager. At the start of the project when budgets were foremost on our mind, we had to consider whether we would also engage Colm past the design and planning stage. We can now say that having Colm on board for all stages of the project was the best money we spent. As an aside, it was always a pleasure dealing with any of staff in the DMVF office.

A great company to work with. Their ideas and designs are second to none in their field. Colm is always helpful and goes the extra mile for his customers. Would recommend. A++

Very good consultation and new ideas - he worked in London as well as in Dublin, and that wide grasp in space design has very much difference from other boring designers who just paint your walls in different color and put that round sun-shaped mirror in your bedroom.

I engaged Colm of DMVF to do a full remodel of my home. Colm managed every aspect of the project and made it virtually stress-free for me. I was absolutely delighted with the level of service, professionalism and experience that DMVF brought to the project. Colm's insight into what I wanted and what I needed was remarkable.He created space and light that I didn't even think was possible. I am vey happy with the space created by Colm in my home and I would happily recommend him to anyone looking for an architect.

Colm at DMVF was the architect for the extension to our three bed. When our third child arrived the house was at bursting but we had always planned on extending. I think making the actual decision and whether to do it ourselves was actually the hardest part. We read lots of advice on the internet about project managing the build yourselves etc and we were very unsure what to do. DMVF were recommended to us by a friend who had a really super remodel done by them. The process was pretty easy from there on in, actually. Colm, one of the partners in DMVF, came out and explained the whole thing and then came back a couple of weeks later with drawings. The design itself was exactly what we wanted – sleek and modern with a really cool kitchen diner, a room for the kids and much needed chill out space. He was great as he “encouraged” us to have some really practical features – like great storage and plugs and light switches where you need them (even if you didn’t know you’d need them there!) and places to put coats- all of which are really small but make a huge difference to how liveable the place is. He came with us and chatted to the neighbours and really put them at ease which helped us get planning straight away. I guess part of the reason we’d delayed getting the extension was cause we’d heard of some many horror stories but ours was pretty smooth – we met up on site regularly and if there were problems, it was managed well and solutions happened. Overall it was much less stressful than we’d anticipated. We just had to work with Colm and he worked with all the other suppliers etc. He was a great help on advice with colours and suppliers for kitchens and bathrooms – cause we’d young kids he suggested not blowing the budget on finished at were within their reach - simple practical things like that. I’d always loved the house and was worried it might lose some of its charm and be too modern or clinical- but it really hasn’t. It’s a home and one that works for us. I’d certainly recommend DMVF.

Tasked with the complete renovation of a large seaside 1960s holiday property, and with no prior experience of property renovation I found myself in need of expert advice. The house suffered from a litany of problems dating back to the original build, which needed immmediate remedy, and also required an internal reconfiguration to make it more suitable for modern living. I hired DMVF Architects to oversee the project from design and planning permission through to the completion of the building works. I worked closely with Colm Doyle of DMVF for 6 months on the project, and found his advice on every element - from structural considerations to interior design decisions - invaluable. The project was completed on time, and on budget, and far exceeded the expectations of my family for whom I oversaw the project. The core issues such as chronic damp have been cured, and the house enjoys a new lease of life as the perfect holiday home. I have no hesitation in recommending DMVF Architects, and Colm Doyle in particular.