ASK THE DESIGNER

Interior architect Gerry Condon of Gerry Condon Design, a lecturer at Griffith College Dublin and Home Makeover Design Course in Fermoy, Co Cork answers your questions. Email: [e-mail]

Q. We’re building a new home and considering installing underfloor heating – what do you think?

A. Underfloor heating uses an electrical (electric heating cable) or hydronic (heated water circulated through a pipe) system to warm your home. As you’re building a new house, underfloor heating is a good choice – it’s out of sight, works with most types of floors and gives an even spread of heat. Although it’s ideal for colder surfaces such as tiles and stone, it can also be used with certain types of timber, vinyl and laminates. It also has health benefits for people with allergies or asthma as it reduces the level of dust particles in the air. One drawback is its slow response time – a wooden floor can take up to an hour to warm up, while concrete can take even longer. Suss out your options at www.underfloorheating.ie.

Q. After adding a bathroom and kitchen to the back of our house, our front living room is so dark that we have to leave the lights on during the day — any suggestions?

A. Open up the rear wall between the kitchen and living room and make it open-plan — introducing patio doors to allow sunlight pour into the living area. The new layout would be: front living room, open-plan kitchen and dining area and patio doors to the garden. Consider relocating the bathroom to one of the bedrooms and turn the existing bathroom into a small study/guest room. Sounds like a lot of work — but you might be surprised to find out how cheap and easy this solution could be. Your interiors architect will be able to tell you exactly what is involved and what to expect from the end result before you decide.

Q. I spotted this door in an interiors magazine (near right) and absolutely love it — do you know where I can get something similar in Ireland for my apartment kitchen?

A. It is a fabulous door — and some of my favourite design projects include searching for old doors, windows and memorabilia for bars and cafés. There are lots of architectural salvage yards throughout Ireland where you find hidden gems like this — see www.goldenpages.ie/salvage-yards for your nearest. I like Kilkenny Architectural Salvage and Antiques ( www.eurosalve.com)or www.jumbletown.ie. Don’t settle for the asking price — the only value on an old door is the fact that you want it. And remember to check for wood worm and always have old wood treated before bringing it into your home.

Q. My daughter has just gone into Leaving Certificate and has her heart set on a career in interior design. In the current climate though, I’m worried about her choice – should I discourage her?

A. As a lecturer in Interior Architecture, I’m often asked why anyone would want to go into this profession at the moment. The building industry is one of the hardest hit by the recession and it could be some time before we see any new projects getting off the ground. However, with money scarce, professional advice on how to refurbish or redecorate homes and businesses has never been more important. Achieving a BA in Interior Architecture takes four years — but at the end of it, you can work anywhere in the world. Call me biased, but if your daughter loves design, you should encourage her to follow her dream.