Take a look inside Ireland's dream living spaces of 2023

Colour, fun and practicality are the buzzwords among design professionals and homeowners in the Houzz community

A contemporary kitchen-living space, in Cork, by Courtney McDonnell Studio, Dublin.

We can forget about wafting around in zen, neutral-toned havens for a while.

Bursts of colour are what homeowners and designers want to see in their dream living spaces right now — that, and to have fun with creativity, while focusing on practicality and introducing quirky personal touches.

SOUGHT-AFTER

That’s according to online design platform Houzz, when it unveiled the most sought-after living spaces among its Irish users.

It’s not surprising we’re all obsessed with other homeowners’ creative spins on the colour wheel and their super-savvy approach to architecture and interiors, considering our appetite for television home makeovers and Instagram-ready rooms shows no sign of abating.

An open-plan living space in Aughrim, Co Wicklow, by Dreyer Architecture, Ashford, Co Wicklow.

The annual people’s choice award from the Houzz community highlights the home renovation and design professionals with the most popular designs and highest ratings, and recognises just 3% of the more than three million home professionals and interior and architectural photographers on the Houzz platform.

“We’re seeing an increase in the use of playful colour combinations, as well as the introduction of personal and quirky touches,” Amanda Pollard, senior editor at Houzz.ie tells Home.

An understairs bar in a Co Wicklow home by Enigma Design, Co Wicklow.

FUN AND PRACTICAL

“Moving away from the safety of neutrals, designers on Houzz are having fun with colour and texture and being creative when it comes to designing spaces for clients.”

Practicality has also taken centre stage this year in Irish design — and this, in part, takes the form of nifty use of tiny spaces — for instance, in a bijou utility room in Co. Kilkenny by Declan Sexton & Sons, Carrick-on-Suir, Co Waterford.

A utility room in Co Kilkenny by Declan Sexton & Sons, Carrick-on-Suir, Co Waterford.

“We’ve seen a focus on practical designs, including space-saving utility rooms, well-organised
pantry cupboards, and fun usage of extra space, such as under the stairs,” adds Amanda.

Meanwhile, an understairs bar in County Wicklow, by Enigma Design, Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow, serves up both practicality and fun, in terms of design ingenuity.

CORK WIN

The awards highlight some of the most popular designs on Houzz including a contemporary kitchen-living space in Cork City, with a sunken sofa. This design is by Dublin architecture and interior design studio Courtney McDonnell, Dublin.

Its ample scope for entertaining ensured an open-plan living space in Aughrim, County Wicklow, by Dreyer Architecture, Ashford, Co Wicklow, caught the eye.

Wooden accents and a double-height ceiling in a hallway in Carlingford, Co Louth, created by Dublin Design Studio also wowed, as did a luxurious bathroom in Dalkey, Dublin, with a deep bath by Deluxe Bathroom & Tiling Solutions, Dundalk, Co Louth.

Wooden accents and a double-ceiling height in a hallway in Carlingford, Co Louth, by Dublin Design Studio.

AWARDS

The platform and its awards support “incredibly talented and customer-driven pros from the Houzz community”, says Andrew Small, managing director for industry solutions for Houzz.

“At Houzz, we strive to support professionals from building their brands and attracting clients, to managing their business efficiently and profitably, and collaborating with clients.”

DESIGN

Houzz includes architects, interior designers, kitchen and bathroom designers, garden designers, and other residential design and
renovation professionals.

Best of Houzz is awarded annually in three categories — design, customer service, and photography.

A bathroom in Dalkey, Dublin, with a deep bath by Deluxe Bathroom & Tiling Solutions, Dundalk, Co Louth.

Design awards honour professionals whose work was the most popular among the Houzz community. Customer service honours are based on several factors, including a professional’s overall rating on Houzz and client reviews for projects completed in 2022.

Photography badges are awarded to architecture and interior design photographers whose images were most popular.

A Best of Houzz 2023 badge, specifying the category won, appears on winners’ profiles to help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals on Houzz locally and around the world.

• See best-of-houzz-2023