Touch of flair works wonders in apartment

Rose Martin says starting at the design stage provides an early input that makes a difference.

WHEN the bones of a structure are good, then the dressing needn't cost a fortune and a re-developed apartment on the city's Anglesea Street is a good example of what you can do with a bit of savoir faire and flair.

No 19, Anglesea Street is city living over the shop this 19th century building was recently redeveloped with the input of architect Alex White and the overhead two-bed apartment was then finished off by interior architect, Diane Heffernan of Di Designs.

Her brief started at the drawing stage, and it's this early input that makes a difference to the overall liveability of a property, she says.

Checking how the doors will open in a room, where the sockets should be, how the bathroom will work, are all essential details, she adds, and careful attention will dictate how each room will work later.

The old building is now spanking new decorated in canary yellow on the ground floor, (not to everyone's taste, but it is cheerful), the four sash windows running across the second floor are painted in peacock blue and red a bold flag that alerts the passer-by to the designed level of this re-development.

There is own-door access to the two-bedroomed apartment and a great sense of privacy.

Although it's truly inner city, Anglesea Street's wide boulevard gives a sense of space and having a Garda station close by means it also has a deep sense of security. Inside, access to the upper floor is by a mandatory steel staircase the fire regulations are very stringent now and all of the doors here are fire doors and glass is up to safety standard.

By painting the steel a pea green with sky blue highlights and pine steps, the entrance gives a fresh and airy first impression. A deep shelf framed in blue with a lone, steel watering adds that arty touch.

In the entrance lobby there are three glass windows into the living room, but these have been craftily stencilled by Ms Heffernan, to create a sand-blasted pattern. The opacity gives privacy something you could do at home with a stencil and spray can.

The main design feature of the apartment has to be the architrave and window framing.

Broad, flat trims are applied to the doors and the immaculately restored sash windows are boxed in - sounds strange, but it's a bold architectural flourish that works.

Floors are solid and in spalted maple and every room, save the living room, is painted white.

Ceilings are also extra high and lighting is recessed with dimmer switches in the living room, these are in steel.

The bedrooms are lit by high Velux windows and each room has a bank of floor to ceiling wardrobes in mellow birch fittings come from Cash and Carry Kitchens.

The low-slung beech beds with integrated headboards and lights come from that great design studio, Argoose, and just go to show if you hang the look together right, it doesn't have to cost a fortune.

As this flat is for letting, Diane Heffernan was prepared to spend a major part of the budget on the structural, fixed items, but felt a huge investment in the furniture wasn't warranted because of the wear and tear involved. Using good quality but inexpensive furniture means it can be replaced without heartache, or an investment loss.

The kitchen/dining/living room does have two pieces that she specially designed for the space. One is a chest high, fixed unit in white with an opaque glass top and circular uplighters underneath. This acts as a divider in the room and incorporates a TV unit and separate, closed shelves for a DVD player and the ubiquitous black box.

A similar, but slimmer version is fixed over the kitchen units and acts as a drinks cabinet. The rest of the kitchen is fitted in mellow wood with stainless steel fittings and the microwave is hidden behind doors.

It's in the bathroom that the look is more outrageous. Here the bath is raised over the floor, (it's supported by steel legs), and is squared off in matt tiles with a collection of sea stones underneath. A mirror behind reflects the secret lighting outwards.

Outside, in the main corridor of the apartment are a range of wall to wall units in matt white which store practically everything, from the ironing board to cleaning equipment. And in the main lobby off the staircase, a washing machine and dryer are fitted with a pull down clothes airer over the hot water tank. Everything fits, and the flat is simple to keep and simple to run.

The bedrooms are double, but the raspberry couch in the living room is also a sofa bed for overnighters.

Designing to this level means developers can expect to achieve rental rates over the odds for their properties a good return for that little bit more, always makes sense.