Designed For Living

Serpentine Interiors worked alongside the owners of this family home in Co. Waterford to update the interior and exterior to meet their lifestyle needs.

Originally built by its owners in 2005, 18 years on, this family home was no longer meeting the owners' lifestyle needs. Having worked with Limerick-based design studio Serpentine Interiors on a smaller project a few years before, in 2021 they approached them again to work on this larger renovation. With teenage children, a lack of functional storage, and a love of entertaining, it was time to make significant changes while still respecting the beautiful site and its location.

As interior designers Tracey Collins and Helena Grimes of Serpentine Interiors explain, 'This home is the owners' forever home and as their family has and their needs have changed, they wanted to update the space. They love cooking daily, have frequent unexpected (but expected) guests for dinner, and an active family life.

They needed a dynamic space that could handle what everyday life throws at it, as well as all those big family gatherings.' In order to make the kitchen work better one of the rear-facing windows was closed up to allow for more storage and a breakfast/coffee bar. This allowed Tracey and Helena to maximize the full kitchen area without having to interrupt the open-plan dining room. As they explain, 'We wanted to keep the dining area light and calming, allowing the views of Whiting Bay to be the main focus when enjoying your meal.'

As they go on to explain, "The kitchen is inspired by the beach and discovered driftwood on a summer evening. We wanted the island to appear almost like sand, and although a sizeable 3.2 metres long, it stands quiet, textured, and soft within the space.