Bespoke Living

With the help of his interior designer, homeowner Paul has renovated his Rathgar home to suit his needs.

It was the summer of 2020, in the time of covid, prices were going up and houses were selling fast,’ says Paul Nolan. ‘I already knew and liked this area, and had driven by this house on many occasions. I was really looking for a period property, however, this house was built in the 1980s but it was definitely suitable. It is located on a lovely road and I needed somewhere for myself and my two grown-up children to be during the covid uncertainty. The house was in good condition, but needed updating. The ground floor had a lot of smaller, separate rooms, the woodwork was dark and the upstairs had a large dressing room with a window to the front of the house, and a very large landing area, both of which seemed a bit of a waste.’

‘I scoured the internet looking for a designer with similar tastes, and talked to a few different people. Caroline Flannery of Interiors by Caroline was one, and I just liked the mood of her work. I felt she had a restrained design ethos resulting in the creation of calm spaces, which are contemporary but cosy too. This is a home, I wasn’t interested in a showpiece, but a beautiful canvas that could be layered over time with things that I loved; like art, for instance.’

‘Paul has a strong understanding of design and was very clear about how he wanted the space to feel and function, so decisions were made very quickly, which was wonderful for the entire team,’ comments interior designer Caroline Flannery. ‘He wanted his home to feel inviting, warm, sociable, very comfortable, and a place to relax with friends and family but also where each family member had a personal space they could retreat to; nobody knew how important this was to subsequently prove! We reached completion just before construction went into lockdown.’