Eva, thanks again for yesterday, found it really great, lots of ideas to get moving on.

21 March 2013

Eva, just to let you know that the work is underway in the house and your ideas have been super. Your bookshelf idea to replace the under-stairs door has worked a treat, I love it. Also, so far I couldn’t recommend the builder highly enough, professional, thorough, neat”.

Laura, Rathmines

The Irish Independent, 30 November 2012

A: There is always at least one reason why a room is unloved and underused. Typical reasons include a lower room temperature than the rest of the house, acoustic issues, furniture arrangements, lighting and colour schemes.

• A room that is physically cold will always be unappealing. Is the radiator adequately sized and located for the size of the room? Is it possible to upgrade the glazing, the windows or the wall insulation?
• Timber floors combined with leather couches will result in a clattery, noisy room. Improve sound absorption with soft textures like cushions, rugs and throws to soften the acoustics where this is a problem.
• Have a good look at both the furniture you have and how it is arranged. The largest sofa will be most comfortable opposite the fireplace. If the door location makes this impossible, consider moving it, preferably to a corner. Re-arrange the furniture as if the door were already moved, to gauge the benefit of this.
• Now start placing the remaining pieces of furniture so that they ‘talk’ to each another and respond to the existing features in the room.
• Evaluate the position of your radiators. Are they impeding the arrangement of furniture in a way that best suits the room? Get a plumber to cost for re-locating problem radiators to establish if this is a cost-effective solution.
• The lighting and colour schemes you choose are crucial in bringing any room together.
• Floor lamps will be useful in improving both general and mood lighting.
• Where unsure about colour, consider painting the whole room white or off-white initially. This blank canvas will help you get a feeling for the room’s full potential and allow you to explore colour options most suitable to your own taste.
• Take time just to sit and ‘be’ in the space. Pinpointing the problems unique to the room is the start of your journey towards creating a space that you can love.

5 October 2012

• Choose an architect based on their previous work (ask to see some of their projects) and also on the potential you feel for a good working relationship to develop.
• The RIAI has a useful website with details of how to work with your architect and a search tool to help you find a registered architect in your area (www.riai.ie).
• Agree in writing at the start all details relative to the fee being charged including the amount, at what stages it will be due, what exact services are included and how any unanticipated input will be charged.
• Prepare a detailed, written brief for your project based on your present and future needs. Think of this brief in terms of issues, not solutions. It is the architect’s job to prepare solutions based on these issues and your needs. You may include images of building styles, materials and colours as you like.
• At all stages of the project, make sure you understand exactly what your architect is proposing. If you have difficulty understanding 2d drawings – plans, sections and elevations – request 3d drawings or rough models.
• Drawings include an increasing level of detail as the project progresses. Request at each stage a set of blank plans with just the outline of the walls and openings, excluding text and annotation, so that you can see the proposed spaces clearly.
• Buy a scale rule and learn how to use it. You will then be able to acquaint yourself with both the general and particular details of the project, from room sizes to fitted furniture.
• Where an extension or structural alterations are proposed, compare proposed room sizes with rooms you are familiar with.
• Your architect will be able to guide you through the design and building process. Stay focussed and attentive at all stages.
• Once you have agreed the overall scheme of things, you will be required to sign off on a wide range of detail as the project progresses to site. These will all be of huge importance to you in the long run, so devote the time and energy required to make sure it all meets your needs.
• Channel all instructions to the builder via your architect at all times to avoid potentially costly misunderstandings.
• Include the cost of your architect’s charges in your budget from the start. Expect to recoup the outlay in many years enjoyment of a space sculpted to your precise needs, now and into the future.

“The dialogue between client and architect is about as intimate as any conversation you can have, because when you are talking about building a house, you’re talking about dreams”

Robert A. M. Stern – Architect

The Irish Independent, Friday 31 August 2012

The heart of the home today is undoubtedly the kitchen/dining /family room — a room that is ideally overlooking the garden. A separate adult sitting room is essential for most people, with a separate play/TV/ teenage room a bonus. In theory this amounts to three distinct rooms, which is ideal for a family through all its stages but not always feasible in the average house today.

Where space is short, be creative in how you use the rooms available. Could the front room be used as a play room? Could the largest bedroom be a children’s room, to incorporate toys and play? Younger children naturally gravitate towards adults, so try and facilitate at least some toys and play space close to the kitchen.

The essential elements of a play area are toy storage, a sofa, a rug, some hard floor surface and a table. Open shelving is ideal for toy storage, with smaller, loose items housed in tubs and baskets. Children can see easily what’s available and everything has a place to return to after use. Review the toy stock every Christmas and after birthdays.

Where you have a separate play room, think of it not just as a toy storage area but as an attractive room in its own right. Two tables in a family home are always useful, meaning that projects and homework need not be tidied away every meal-time.

When planning the kitchen/dining/family room, identify a fixed location for the family computer to allow supervised internet access. If you have room for a desk and shelving here, this could double-up as a household accounts area.

Foster independence by providing accessible, comprehensive storage throughout the house. Create space for coats, shoes and bags close to the front door. Make sure wardrobe fittings in the bedroom and towel rails and laundry baskets in the bathroom are at a child friendly height.

Enjoy the happy chaos young children create. Too soon they’ll be teenagers, ensconced in their rooms and permanently fixed to a screen…

Eva Byrne is an RIAI registered architect and specialises in house consultations to make the most of space, light and storage. www.houseology.ie

25 May 2012

Here’s my recipe for a quick Family Bathroom Makeover…

1. Remove all plastic whales, dolphins and ducks. Store somewhere adjacent for future use or pass on to younger cousin (my 12 and 13 year olds were happy to choose the latter!).
2. Get out your eco friendly cleaning kit and enjoy an aromatherapy session while you clean the bathroom to a sparkle.
3. Take from its wrapping that expensive Kris Kindle toiletries set you have earmarked for a special occasion and set out invitingly.
4. Add fresh, new towels to suit the season – mine are blue and white striped ones from Dunnes Stores to welcome Summer, €5 for a hand towel, €15 for a bath sheet.
5. Pluck a single blossom from the garden and place in a heavy bottomed vase.
6. Pour a bath, sink in, relax and enjoy…

Property Plus, Irish Independent

18 May 2012

Architects know that a good house is one that meets your needs with regard to space, light and storage so address each of these in turn…

• With regards to space, think in terms of making the most of the space you have and of how you use it. Your needs will change over the years.
• With children the focus is on toy storage and play areas. With teenagers the need is for private space and when retired, people appreciate room to relax in the sun.
• For all life stages, the kitchen/dining/family room is the heart of the home today. Perhaps you may need to explore the potential to create such a room by joining two rooms or by creating a large opening between them.
• Toys and play could then be accommodated to the front of the house, with this room later earmarked as a teenage den.
• To maximise your space, assess your furniture layouts. Explore if rooms are best matched to their use. Make each room work as hard as possible.
• When seeking to maximise light, think in terms of getting light in and of reflecting this light to its full. Lighter, unified colour schemes, including finishes, furniture and accessories, will make any space feel bigger.
• Don’t hesitate to paint natural timber where this will improve light reflection. And do not assume that first-floor rooms are always brighter than those at ground level and yet can only function as bedrooms.
• Assess where it might be possible to provide a rooflight which, if located correctly, could allow direct sunlight in.
• Assess your storage needs. Identify what is to be stored and provide appropriate, convenient storage throughout the house.
• Adjustable shelving can change with your needs. Use every centimetre of space by providing built-in storage where appropriate.
• Painted mdf is a cheap, bright solution here.
• Pull-out storage under the stairs will make this area fully accessible.

www.independent.ie/lifestyle/property-plus/think-outside-the-box-to-use-the-space-in-your-home-to-its-potential-3111552.html

The sounds of a happy client after we designed an extension for a new Kitchen, Dining, Family Room in the course of a 2 hour House Consultation in Malahide yesterday evening…

Since re-organising our first floor space last Summer, we’ve been “camping” in our current first floor rooms prior to beginning on our Rooftop Extension next month. So a recent visit to the house from a photographer who insisted on including a bedroom in the shoot caught me on the hop. Here’s how I achieved a 5 minute makeover…

1. Remove all excess “stuff” – books you’ve read or are planning to read, jewellery, clothes waiting to be put away etc.
2. Strip the bed and dress it for the season – I’ve chosen a Portuguese white cotton spread, Greno grey and white striped cushions (€19 each from Ikea) and a white Gurli throw (€10.99 from Ikea). I had bought these on a recent trip to Ikea with the shoot but no particular location in mind.
3. Step out into the garden and pluck some simple, seasonal blooms for beside the bed.
4. Allow yourself just one book, the one you are reading or have been meaning to read.
5. Place pieces of art at eye level relative to the bed where you will enjoy them when you wake up, also a limited amount of treasured possessions like a favourite necklace.
6. For maximum effect (this won’t show in a photo!), iron the pillow cases with L’occitane or similar linen water and enjoy a great night’s sleep…

PS Apologies, I can’t show you “before” photos as I can’t bear to revert!

Living in chaos? Demented by mess and disorder?  Here are some of my tips for keeping on top of things inspired by living in an open plan home…

1. Establish your bottom line, the level of disorder you can live with. There may be a different bottom line for the core family, for visitors and for special occasions. Do not be seduced by picture-perfect magazine images…these interiors have been painstakingly styled and de-cluttered just for the occasion.
2. Put some thought into your default furniture arrangements. The harmony this generates is tangible. Plus everything will have a known “home” to return to when it’s out of place.
3. Take time to evaluate and address your storage needs periodically. This may need to happen several times a year in a family home. Again, everything will have a known place to return to.
4. Every few months, spend some time putting open shelves in order. This applies especially to bookshelves which can look really awful when messy.
5. Each time you leave your living spaces – when going to bed at night or going out during the day – remind yourself that what you leave is what you will return to. So take a few minutes to address those simple things that would drive you mad on your return – push those chairs into the table, put the laundry away, straighten those blinds.
6. Encourage participation from children from the start to encourage good habits. As they grow, strike a balance between nagging and doing what’s necessary yourself to keep your own sanity. Remember your bottom line.
7. Establish a cleaning routine and stick to it. I waver between doing it all on one day and spreading it out over the week. In reality, all in one day is great as your home is done, dusted and restored to order every seven days.
8. Relieve the grind of this routine by using natural cleaning products. Housework becomes aromatherapy and the house smells great.
9. We live in an electronic age but paperwork still seems to pile up. Arrange 2 A4 folders or boxes, one marked “pending” and the other “filing”. Those piles of paper will be eliminated and you will know where to find things when needed.
10. And always…tidy as you go. Your Mother was right.

PS Spot the difference…the photo on the left shows how depressing an untidy bookshelf can be. When I saw this photo, it inspired me to

• Tidy the books and
• Remove the books from the bottom shelf to free the bottom shelf for “treasured” objects and to reduce the feeling of the room being overwhelmed by books…

Need built-in storage but don’t know how to make it happen? Hankering after a home office, walk-in larder or bespoke wardrobe? Let me help you with my new built-in furniture design service…

• Choose from a 1 or 2 hour visit – or more if you wish to combine it with a House Consultation.
• Firstly, we’ll sit down and discuss your needs.
• Then we’ll look at the space available, measure up and get brainstorming.
• Once we have found your ideal solution, I’ll sketch it up with detailed measurements and specifications, ready for pricing.
• I’ll give you a list of reliable joiners available to give you quotes for the work.
• This recently completed home office in the spare bedroom of a Docklands apartment shows what is possible…it’s a simple design of sprayed mdf with overhead shelving for file storage and open shelving under,  shallow drawers for stationery and a deep printer drawer.
• Some special “houseology” touches…
  • Its’ all wall mounted to increase the flow of space and to keep the feeling light.
  • It doubles as a dressing table when there’s a guest in residence.
  • The open shelf houses “precious” things to inspire you as you work and avoid an overly “office” feel.
  • The overhead cupboard is kept away from the window to avoid an awkward crash and to maximise light.
  • It fit’s like the space – and the owner’s needs – like a glove…
• A consultation in the Dublin city area costs €180 for one hour and €250 for two with a 20% discount for the month of March!
• Thanks to Cameron Doyle who so expertly executed the desk featured here.