See the office unit transformed into a chic coastal apartment

Irish Examiner

2 days ago

In the throes of a housing crisis, a little imagination and skill can go a long way, as happened in Youghal, County Cork, where a ground-floor office unit in an apartment block has been given a new identity.
All of this has been made possible by the vision and imagination of interior designer and stylist Catherine O'Flynn and her strong collaboration with her client.'There are towns full of commercial properties with potential to be turned into homes,' says Catherine. 'There are such advantages to living in the town, seeing neighbours and walking to the shops.'
The finished home is something quite inspiring and far from the dark, soulless office space, storage room and plant room for the entire building Catherine found on her first visit.
The kitchen features a vertical solid oak room divider, on the right.
Lack of outdoor space can be off-putting with commercial property, she points out, but she has been successful in opening up the rear wall to add windows and a patio door, and create a low-maintenance terrace which will later have a free-standing raised platform to access sea views.
To the front, planters border a patio which catches the western sun, but it is inside where the design magic has truly happened, carving out a spacious open-plan kitchen, dining and living room running from the back to front of the home; a snug, two en-suite bedrooms, a main bathroom and utility room.
The dining area features a limited-edition print by Cork-based artist Cora Murphy.
Among many standout design features, light planning bears testament to the value of hiring someone who knows how to maximise light and who sees space-planning as more than furniture placement. 'We zoned the open-plan with lighting pendants over the dining area and kitchen island, and we inserted an LED strip into the ceiling in the living area, says Catherine. 'The bedrooms are done similarly with wall lights for reading.
The main bedroom.
'The client really wanted a bedroom suite, so she has her bedroom, a large ensuite and a walk-in dressing area. A different client might have wanted to use the space to create more bedrooms as the footprint of the property is closer to a three or four-bedroom house, but the bedroom suite was really important to her.'
Ensuite bathroom of the master bedroom.
There are also built-in wardrobes which have a subtle surface finish resembling linen. It adds the notion of texture, a theme Catherine has introduced throughout. 'The client's brief was for a coastal look which we've done with a blue and white colour scheme, but she also wanted glamour, so instead of the usual cottons, we've used a range of textures in rugs, upholstery and cushions.'
Open-plan living, left; the entrance hallway, above right; the 'snug room', below right.
Sandy tones are also evident in laminate flooring in the open-plan area, detailed in art and woodwork, along with a pop of warmth in brass picture frames, light switches and accessories. In what might otherwise have been the almost sterile contrast of blue and white, Catherine has expanded the colour theme, adding various shades of blue, teal and green.
Adam O'Sullivan of AOS Carpentry & Joinery put the finishing touches to bathroom shelves and cabinets.
The effect is restful, fresh and clean, but also warm and inviting.
One deviation from the colour theme, however, is the utility room where units housing appliances are made to the same design as the kitchen, but where the client opted to finish them in Farrow & Ball's Sulking Room pink for a feminine touch.
Storage is particularly generous, something often sorely lacking in apartments, but here in the utility, as in the entire home, it's been excavated out of every alcove and sometimes even designed around unsightly pipework in the main bathroom.
Bedroom two at the renovated property in Youghal.
Throughout, light and shade are utilised for atmosphere, notably in the snug. 'It's a more masculine space and has a cocooning feel,' says Catherine. 'It's a lovely space for winter for the client's sons to watch sport.'
The feeling is helped by a lush, dark blue carpet that complements the squishy sofa, which faces a media wall inset with an electric fire.
Adam O'Sullivan of AOS Carpentry & Joinery checking the doors of the textile grey fitted robes in the main bedroom.
This wall and another in the open-plan room are the work of local craftsman Adam O'Sullivan of AOS Carpentry and Joinery, whose skill is also evident in the built-in wardrobes, storage units and oak slatted screen in the kitchen.
It was, undoubtedly, a challenging design undertaking and a brave one at that, but Catherine says it's all about the interior designer's relationship with the client. 'There has to be constant communication and trust," adds Catherine. "I need to pull the personality and vision from them. I don't want to walk out the door and leave them with what is my taste and not theirs.'