25 Beautiful Homes

25bh | dublin townhouse86 | 25bh october 2017 for stockists go to where to buy``````MAsterBeDrOOMThe inlaid chest ofdrawers providesthe wow factor.grey mother-of-pearlchest of drawers,£1,395; velvetcushions in raspberry,£35, are similar, bothgraham and green.Similar dressing tablemirror, £25, wilko, iscomparable cole &Son’s wood grainFoundation wallpaperhas this taffeta look,£70 per roll, Janeclayton. try theShoreditch grey quilt,£200 for a double,the white company``````BAtHrOOMDiscreet whitewindow shutters``````keep this schemesimple and thelines clean.For window shutterslike these one, tryShutters Direct, from£54 for a minimumsize of 50sq cm.Statuario marble tiles,£177.32sq m, toppstiles, are similar``````guestBeDrOOMMirrored wardrobedoors make thisroom appear bigger.Sliding wardrobe doorwith four panels insoft white has thislook, from £64.99;use coo-var whitefloor paint to achievethe same finish,£34.99 per 5 litres,both wickes###### emma and Al Byrnes found thattwo into one goes perfectly afterbuying a pair of run-down flats inan edwardian house in Dublin. ‘Ididn’t love the house at first but knew it hadpotential,’ says emma. ‘Although it’s notvery pretty from the outside, we both lovedthe high ceilings and bay windows, whichcreate an airy feel in such a small property.’However, some major challenges hadto be addressed before they could move in.the two flats had to be turned back intoone house, which meant removing flimsypartition walls, reconfiguring the flowof rooms on the ground floor, restoringblocked-up fireplaces and landscaping theovergrown back garden. It took a year before``````emma and Al actually moved in, stayingnearby in a friend’s house while their dreamhome was re-shaped. ‘I like renovating ahouse because you can put your own stampon it,’ says emma. ‘the house was gutted,rewired and re-plumbed. We put on a newroof, extended the kitchen and convertedthe attic into a study. then the sitting room-cum-dining room was opened up into onelarge space. We also made a bigger bathroomby requisitioning part of one of thebedrooms. Al project managed the buildingside of things and I designed the interior.’emma’s decorating style is relaxed, withplain walls and flooring providing the idealbackdrop for precious objects she likes toshowcase, such as pictures and rugs. As the``````house is small and north-facing, she hasused white throughout to create an airy space.‘I like a sharp, brilliant white – I’m not a fanof off-whites,’ she explains. ‘I used grey inthe soft furnishings, as it goes well withother colours and makes a good backdrop.If you have a plain background you can bemore creative with fabric, which is a greatway to introduce colour and easy to change.’the couple’s next project is to updatethe kitchen. ‘We have been here for ten yearsand the kitchen has had a lot of use,’ saysemma. ‘I’ll probably go for something morestreamlined and I’d also love a larder.’ Butone thing the pair have no plans to changeis where they live. ‘We love this area andfor us, that’s the most important thing.’