Colours of happiness: How Catherine Ruane blends luxe with comfort 

Colour consultant and designer Catherine Ruane, Fleetwood, perches in the kitchen area of the Co Mayo home. Pictures: Paul Mealey

Those of us with a twin passion for palatial pads and playful pooches and who dream of sharing our delightful digs with those darling doggos could do worse than fetch a few fun, fab ideas from this family home.

So just how did the West of Ireland wonder come about? “We share our space with our pets. We live in the house as a couple, as our children have grown up,” says the owner.

The bright and airy entrance hall.

The gorgeous Gordon setters in question, Sky and Stormy, are “harder work than any child,” confides one of their two-legged roomies (the pups know we speak in jest!).

That said, the Mayo dwelling “was built with pets in mind”, she admits, and so “is very practical and easy to maintain”.

The household pooches are all smiles as they bask in the sunlight. Behind them is the outdoor living space, from which they and their humans can access the kitchen via sliding doors.

The cute canine duo and their humans can gain access to their home via patio doors leading to the kitchen/living room — the owner’s favourite space.

“It serves multiple purposes and is the central gathering place for family and friends. This is where people spend time together, have conversations, and make memories,” she adds.

Pops of colour enliven the open-plan living area.

“Whether it’s watching TV or just hanging out, the living room is the place where people come together to relax and socialise. The long wide windows bring in sunlight and warmth to the room.

“When the sun’s out, I can open the sliding doors wide to extend the room to our outside area.”

In and out

Located in a village on the outskirts of Castlebar, the residence features enviable recreational amenities indoors and out — grab a golf club if weather permits and head for the onsite putting green, otherwise arm yourself with a pool cue and look for the luxe bar area.

The bright corridor which leads to the the kitchen area.

The owner describes the interior design as “contemporary”: “We added a little bit of texture to give a warm feeling. We have open spaces with clean, straight lines. “A neutral colour scheme with pops of colour finishes the look.”

This zingy colour scheme is what makes the home stand out — thanks to interior designer and colour consultant Catherine Ruane, CR Interior Design. Catherine, from Foxford, Co Mayo, who frequently collaborates with the Fleetwood paint company, has an approach to interior design that’s influenced by architecture and her concept of space as well as “the transformative power of colour”. She says she’s always been “captivated by the harmony of spaces and the way colours can bring a design to life”.

The bar area in the living space in Castlebar, Co Mayo.

The designer used shades from the Fleetwood palette to add personality to the Mayo abode, blending neutrals with pops of colour.

Catherine cites Fleetwood’s Gray Morn as one of her favourite neutrals, while her choice of darker or accent colours is Ventura Muddy Boots.

Light the way: Simple yet effective, the lighting is strategically placed.

What is her advice when it comes to creating a space like this? “When decorating your home, you need to consider the size of the house, the layout, the natural light and also the function of the area you are decorating — for instance, a kitchen needs to feel bright and airy with a somewhat clinical feel whereas a living area needs to be cosy,” says Catherine.

“If a living space is open-plan, sometimes I would use one family of colour and use the lighter shade in the kitchen area and the slightly deeper shade in the living area.”

Fleetwood colour consultant Catherine Ruane seated in one of the bedrooms in the Mayo home. Pictures: Paul Mealey

Catherine cites Fleetwood’s Vogue Coco 1955 and Vogue Coco 1955 Deep: “If there no way of dividing the room with two tones I might add wallpaper to a feature wall to create that warmth and texture in the living space. I would advise Prestige washable matt for all the walls and satin for woodwork.”

Surprisingly, when Catherine is in her own home, she has no desire to pick up a paintbrush — she’d rather get the pros to do it: “I’m not a DIY whizz, I love changing spaces but I’m not a good painter, I don’t have the patience!” Her route to design was circuitous, to say the least — via accountancy and marketing. “I loved working with figures, so I concentrated my studies on accountancy but when I worked in it, I found it quite boring,” says Catherine. “I then decided to manage a furniture shop for a while.

Fleetwood colour consultant Catherine Ruane chose blue tones for this bedroom in the Co Mayo residence to set a relaxing mood, with paint, beading and wallpaper.

While employed by a furniture manufacturer in Navan, Co Meath, Catherine would choose fabrics for new designs. “I found they were selling really well,” she says. “I always loved interiors, so I went back to college and studied interior design.”

She is “constantly evolving” in her design career and finds she is in demand as she works on projects “from the beginning”, she says. “I look at clients’ plans before they go into planning! I go out to the site to help with kitchen layouts, electrical plans, bathroom layouts, window treatments, furniture layouts, flooring, lighting, colour schemes and accessories.”

The main bathroom with black ceiling.

Catherine’s consultations with Fleetwood are hugely popular. “These are always very busy as it gives people the opportunity to get a free 30-minute consultation,” she adds.

Advice

What’s her key piece of advice, whether it’s a weekend makeover or whole-house colour overhaul? “Consider the overall style and vibe you are seeking. Think function, size and natural light,” says Catherine. “The classic 60-30-10 rule is a good one to base your colour schemes on. This is where the dominant colour covers around 60% [of the space], the secondary colour 30% and the remaining 10% is an accent colour. The dominant colour sets the overall tone and mood, including walls flooring and large furniture.

“The secondary colour supports and complements and the dominant colourant adds depth — curtains, rugs and smaller pieces of furniture. The accent colour is used sparingly to add pops of interest. This would be introduced in accessories such as scatter cushions, throws, artwork or smaller decor items. If you stick to this plan, your dominant and secondary colours being neutral, they will last the test of time, and your accent colour can be the in-vogue colour — which is easy to change if it dates.

Any other favourites among Catherine’s past projects? “One that comes to mind was Lough Lannagh Village for the [RTÉ] TV programme At Your Service with Francis and John Brennan — it was a challenging job as we were on a tight budget, but it was very interesting,” says the designer.

“I was also very lucky to work in the local hotel in my own town of Foxford, The Moy Hotel. This was a brilliant transformation of a hotel that had been closed. It’s given life to the town again.” The designer was delighted when the architect and the Brennans brothers’ fellow RTÉ presenter Hugh Wallace visited: “He was very impressed with all aspects of the hotel!” she says.

Catherine Ruane, CR Interior Design; Instagram: @crinteriordesign

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