A Labour of Love

Renovating this 1920s townhouse in Galway was a labour of love for Lynne, Alan and their triplets.

- CLAIRE CRAIG

When Lynne and Alan bought their new home three years ago they knew it would need a lot of work to bring it up to date.

However, as an interior designer and renovator, the property’s potential was evident to Lynne from her first viewing and its enviable location made it a no-brainer.

Lynne, founder of Tripod Design, explains, ‘I’m always going to be attracted to a period home and while a lot of its original features had been stripped away, this house still had the high ceilings and character so I knew we could create something really special.

‘It’s also right next to the sea and in the heart of the village so we loved the lifestyle that it could offer us.’

Built in the 1920s, the end-terrace townhouse needed completely renovated before the family of five could move in and, with work happening during the pandemic, delays were inevitable.

‘We bought the house just at the beginning of the very first lockdown and because of that we were the only ones bidding on it. While that was a real blessing the knock-on effect was that we couldn’t do the work as quickly as we would have liked,’ comments Lynne.

‘We were only supposed to move out for a few weeks but we ended up being out for six months because there were times that the house was at a standstill.’

The wait was worth it though and the family now have a spacious, bright and energy efficient home that’s completely suited to their needs.

‘First and foremost we wanted to create something that was sustainable and eco-friendly. Alan is a sustainable engineer so between us we’ve created a very energy efficient home.