My Career: Archivist at Guinness Eibhlin Colgan
My Career: Archivist at Guinness Eibhlin Colgan

Sarah Finnan

Irish visual artist Ciara O’Connor on using embroidery to explore women’s lives
Irish visual artist Ciara O’Connor on using embroidery to explore women’s lives

Nathalie Marquez Courtney

How an interior stylist turned this period Cork apartment into a quietly luxurious home
How an interior stylist turned this period Cork apartment into a quietly luxurious home

IMAGE Interiors & Living

This picturesque, split-level home in Delgany is on the market for €995,000
This picturesque, split-level home in Delgany is on the market for €995,000

Sarah Finnan

March 28: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds
March 28: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds

Sarah Gill

Real Weddings: Keelin and Darren tie the knot overlooking Dingle Bay
Real Weddings: Keelin and Darren tie the knot overlooking Dingle Bay

Shayna Sappington

Let me tell you why a mother is the perfect employee
Let me tell you why a mother is the perfect employee

Dominique McMullan

I broke up with my boyfriend and now I have bangs
I broke up with my boyfriend and now I have bangs

Edaein OConnell

WIN a family pass to Emerald Park this Easter
WIN a family pass to Emerald Park this Easter

Shayna Sappington

This peaceful Victorian-era Galway home is on the market for €1.65 million
This peaceful Victorian-era Galway home is on the market for €1.65 million

Sarah Finnan

Image / Editorial

Easy City Elegance


By IMAGE
04th Oct 2013
Easy City Elegance

The Edwardian terraced house in Ranelagh.

See More Photos

Stepping inside this sophisticated and light-filled Ranelagh home, it’s hard to imagine what a sorry state it was in when home-owners Emma Coyle and Al Byrnes first set eyes on it.

?When you walked in, you were met with two more front doors,? Emma recalls. ?One door opened straight onto the stairs and led to a poky two-bed flat and kitchenette, while the second led into a one-bed flat with access to a scruffy yard. It was really pretty awful!?

Unlike many others who viewed the property, the couple saw a diamond in the rough, and got it for less than the asking price. They then went on to save even more money by doing the majority of the work on the house themselves, with Emma drawing up designs and Al taking six months off to project manage things.

Once the hard work of gutting and re-designing was done, it was time to get to work on making the house feel comfortable and homely. ?For me, paintings, books and photos are what make a house a home,? Emma says.

The couple have curated a great mix of antique family heirlooms, retro finds, brilliant mid-century design classics, Art Deco touches and big, bold prints. Every square inch of the house oozes design perfection, while managing to not feel contrived. ?It’s not just about collecting beautiful things, it’s about keeping it personal so that each room reflects you.?

Photography by Mark Scott.?