Transform your home with paint, a curvy bathtub and a sunshine sofa

Eve Kelliher sources pleasing palettes, super seasonal shapes and sublime sunshine seating

Fri, 02 May, 2025 - 20:45

Eve Kelliher

Some years ago, a friend and I were the last to leave a night out on the town. She wasn’t keen to swap the high stools we’d fought so hard to claim for a seat in our chariot home — until we’d exchanged precise details of our fantasy jobs.

Aptly named, the Alchemist emulsion range conjured up that memory in all its technicolour glory this week. Because my parallel-universe occupation was dreaming up titles for paint colours. (Isn’t everyone’s?)

The creatives at the Irish company must have had so much fun christening each shade on its luscious palette.

Sun-seekers, look no further than Deck Chair, Al Fresco, Beach House and Sea Spray.

Gourmands will find Biscuit and Blackberry difficult to resist and Amethyst will surely appeal to sybarites.

My particular favourites are Blank Canvas (genius, isn’t it?), Blueprint and, wait for it, Exhale.

Paint can be polarising, of course. The sultry shade Potting Shed propelled the Carlow-based company’s founder and MD, Alchemist creator Kate Gaynor, to paint her house black.

She expected it to turn heads. But she didn’t anticipate the flood of opinions that followed.

Kate, who has over 55,000 followers on social media, shared her home transformation online. “The reaction to this deep, enigmatic black with subtle green undertones was anything but neutral,” she says. “Some people were obsessed with the bold, modern look, while others thought I’d lost the plot.”

Kate painted her house in 'Potting Shed'.

As she read the comments section online, Kate held the ultimate in “what will the neighbours think” test.

Kate and Alchemist/The Paint Hub polled 8,000 people in a nationwide survey on whether they would be honest about a neighbour’s paint colour.

“The results revealed just how reluctant Irish people are to share their true thoughts: Only 3.13% (248 people) said they would openly tell their neighbour they disliked the colour,” says Kate.

"It’s fascinating how house colour can stir such strong emotions. What this really shows is that people might have their preferences, but at the end of the day, they’re unlikely to share their negative thoughts, at least not to your face!"

Kate comes from a family that spans three generations of paint experts. The Paint Hub is a fully online paint shop, offering a curated selection of over 14 globally sourced brands.

She created Alchemist specifically for Irish homes and award-winning Irish architect and interior designer Denise O’Connor curated the colours. “The range includes paints for walls, wood, metal, and more, all designed to deliver superior performance and sustainability,” says Kate.

“Our water-based paints are non-toxic, cruelty-free, and vegan-friendly, embodying our unwavering commitment to ethical and sustainable practices.

"I’ve spent thousands of hours interacting with Irish painters, be they professionals or DIYers, and I’ve used this experience to create this range for our customers.” Meanwhile, Alchemist’s Pure is a new interior emulsion without preservatives, biocides, or plasticisers.

See Alchemistpaint

Sonas Bathrooms' Reed fluted freestanding bath.

Curve appeal

Circular shapes are swooping centre stage in interior design.

Remember The Moon Door in the Eyrie in Game of Thrones?

Definitely one way of rocking the look. And also niftily bringing the outdoors in and vice versa. But we’ll skip it for now, thanks.

That trapdoor execution element is off-putting. Just not the way to treat guests, no matter how you feel about them.

Back to curves’ more calming connotations — see the Reed fluted freestanding bath, €2,695, from Sonas Bathrooms. Freestanding tubs are elegant and soothing centrepieces, where space allows.