Let there be light: The renewed interiors of a 19th-century building turned family home

Interior designer Niamh O’Callaghan's goal was to brighten this South Dublin dwelling.

The fabrics used throughout the spaces followed organic patterns which gave a romantic and traditional feel to the more sculptural pieces of furniture and décor. Pictures: Ruth Maria Murray

If walls could talk, the walls around every nook and cranny of this former vicarage would more than likely ask to “skip to the good part” and burst into song — the one about their own vibrant restoration, of course.

And any singsong would have to be accompanied by music. Step from room to room in this family home and the upbeat airs of Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons seem to follow. The melodies of the Italian violin maestro’s Spring and Summer concertos float into the mind’s ear — just like the hummingbirds and butterflies hover on the wall coverings in the dining room.

The wall covering with panels in the dining room is Tian by Gucci. The table was sourced from The Store Yard.

A traditional-style mudroom adds storage and is painted in Green Smoke from Farrow & Ball.

Niamh O'Callaghan of Opus Design was keen to add light to the interiors.

These interiors are modern, yet respect the 19th-century building’s heritage.

When interior designer Niamh O’Callaghan arrived onsite, one of her main aims was to brighten this South Dublin dwelling. “The house was quite dark before work began, as there were partition and stud walls that had been retrofitted over the years which stole the natural light,” says Niamh, of Opus Interior Design, Malahide.

Stripping these away meant the abundant natural light could fill the rooms, highlighting the architectural features of the building. “We knocked through some additions, such as partition walls and understairs storage from the early 90s, as they were stealing focus from the original coving and staircase,” says Niamh.

Residential Interior designed by Opus Design

Earth-based colour tones add a youthful energy to the interiors. 

The windows in the dining and drawing rooms allowed for ample natural light which highlighted the fabrics and colour of the curtains and upholstered furniture.

“We also stripped away carpets and engaged the services of flooring specialists EV Kidd to restore the original hardwood floors.”

To create additional light, the team chased the solid walls in the entrance hallway to create a pathway of light using the Dahlia wall lights from Bella Figura, London.

“The windows in the dining and drawing rooms allowed for ample natural light which highlighted the fabrics and colour of the curtains and upholstered furniture,” says Niamh.

“The fabrics we used throughout the rooms followed organic patterns which gave a romantic and traditional feel to the more sculptural pieces of furniture and décor.” As for colour, Niamh chose earth-based tones “to give a youthful energy to the space”.

The gardens inform the interiors. 

The artwork in the children's playroom is a scene from a wallpaper mural called 'Wild India Caravan'. The graphics team at Les Dominotiers in France included the animals the children loved. 

Stripping partition and stud walls that had been retrofitted meant abundant natural light filled the rooms.

Also lending the Victorian former vicarage a vibrant new lease of life is the family, of two children and two adults.

The 19th-century dwelling was designed by the architect of the church next door to it, John McCurdy, Dublin.

McCurdy was one of the most renowned architects of the time and designed many residential, civic and commercial buildings of note. He was

also Trinity College Dublin’s official architect and worked on various campus buildings.

McCurdy used the established builders J&W Beckett, known for its craftspeople and now remembered because one of the brothers, William, was the grandfather of Samuel Beckett.

The study space in the family home.

The homeowners used a blend of antique pieces and fresh colour and added texture with upholstery and wall coverings. 

The kitchen already had a Shaker kitchen installed so theh countertop was upgraded from granite to quartzite. The kitchen cabinets were painted in Joas White.

The Victorian gothic-style residence was constructed soon after the completion of the church next door, in 1870. “You can see elements of this style with the trefoil windows and the staircase,” says Niamh. As the vicarage was built as a home for the vicar of the church, the architect used the same granite for both buildings. “We are always so mindful of listed features within a home — they are part of history and when considered can work beautifully into a fresh concept,” says Niamh.

Creating her plan for the interior space flowed, says Niamh: “There can be a hiccup or something along the way, especially with period homes, but I have to say this house has such a warm vibe, despite the scale — you feel extremely cosy and peaceful, which is in large part thanks to the dual aspect of the stunning gardens.”

The interiors are airy and light but throughout, they respect the building’s heritage. “The gorgeous antique rugs informed our colour palette but the beautiful wall covering with the panels in the dining room is Tian by Gucci,” says the interior designer. “The Tian scene is full of hummingbirds, flowers and butterflies.”

The brief was to devise “an elegant and vibrant design, incorporating and home’s eclectic architectural features” and refresh the existing, dated look.

Niamh and her team transformed the five-bedroom home in nine weeks, between 2022 and 2022.

Niamh and her team transformed the five-bedroom home in nine weeks, between 2022 and 2022.

The interiors are airy and light but respect the building’s heritage.

NIAMH and her team transformed the five-bedroom home in nine weeks, between 2022 and 2023. “The original concept grew from some beautiful family photographs and memories of the place in which the couple got married (Italy) as well as family occasions,” she adds.

“As a young family, they loved the transitional concept, mixing some sourced antique pieces mixed with fresh colour and texture of upholstered furniture and wall coverings.”

Editorial interiors photographer Ruth Maria Murphy (www.ruthmaria.com) captures it all on camera from room to room. “I was drawn to this home — it was so interesting to see an old vicarage revitalised for a young family, whimsy and glamour set in the glorious period building,” she says.

A favourite spot for both Niamh and Ruth Maria and the homeowners is the bright, airy dining room. “The family use the dining room a lot for a variety of occasions and dinner parties, not just one-off celebrations,” says designer Niamh.

The kitchen, meanwhile, featured a recently installed Shaker-style kitchen which didn’t require replacing. “We upgraded the countertop from granite to a stunning quartzite sourced from Fossil Stone — it is Brazil Calacatta,” says Niamh.

The house has 'a warm vibe, despite the scale', according to interior designer Niamh O'Callaghan. 

The interiors reflect the dual aspect of the gardens.

To create additional light, the team chased the solid walls in the entrance hallway to create a pathway of light using the Dahlia wall lights from Bella Figura, London.

“We also painted the kitchen cabinets in Farrow & Ball Joa’s White.”

Moving through the spaces we find a space that is current as well as delightfully retro and functional yet luxurious — a mudroom. “There was an old wardrobe carcass built into this room that was not fit for purpose, but I loved the idea of giving the family a more traditional-style mudroom,” says Niamh. “We used ‘Green Smoke’ from Farrow & Ball and clad the walls in tongue-and-groove panelling in the entrance corridor leading into the mudroom. the limestone tiles were an original feature that we loved.”

The main panel doors feature fabric from the Lorenzo Castillo collection, Atila, depicting scenes from nature. “I wanted this room to work hard for my clients and give them ample storage but ultimately I wanted to create a serene warm room to come in from the elements!” adds the designer.

And from working hard to playing hard — the children’s playroom adds a touch of otherworldly and fun magic. “I particularly love the artwork in the kids’ playroom, it’s actually a scene from a wallpaper mural called ‘Wild India Caravan’,” says Niamh. “We chose a particular scene from the mural for a framed panel and the graphics team at Les Dominotiers in France included the animals the kids loved, like the cheeky cheetah peeking in the corner of the image.”

VINTAGE

Vintage revival is a huge trend right now across social media, as Niamh points out. “I searched for a couple of statement pieces with a nod to gothic architecture,” she says.

The fabrics also contributed to the theme. “In the children’s room, I selected fabrics from a range of Gaston Y Daniela ‘The Rectory’ with a gorgeous fox print,” adds the designer.

“We also repurposed the former library room curtains for the children’s bedroom as the ticking stripe worked so well with old-world aesthetic.”

STORAGE

Built-in shelving and storage in the understairs room/study and mudroom enhance the home’s overall storage. “The study was fitted out with built-in shelving and storage with task lighting. The study is fully saturated in Downpipe by Farrow & Ball,” says Niamh.

Upon stripping out the understairs storage room the team came across original drawings for the floor plans of the house. “They are so beautiful we had them framed and mounted in the study,” adds Niamh.

“The mudroom fitout was a great addition with space for hanging coats and storing shoes, boots and bags. The design was by Opus Interior Design, made by The Wood Studio.

Does she have advice for others embarking on a similar project? “Respect the house you are working on and its original features,” says Niamh.

SOURCEBOOK

Design: Opus Interior Design, Malahide, Dublin; Instagram: @opusinteriordesigndublintarget="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">, www.opusinteriordesign.ie

Suppliers: Pierre Frey Fabric, Jonathan Adler Chairs, OrientalRugs, Francis Street, Dublin, Shady and the Lamp, The Wood Studio, EV Kidd, JLE Painters & Decorators, Dining table from The Store Yard