friarsland

The owners of this 1970s house in Goatstown were dissatisfied with the quality of their ground floor living space. They had four disjointed rooms - a cold, dark kitchen-breakfast room, a dining room that they never used, a home office with sole access through the kitchen and a sitting room that provided the only comfortable space.

They approached us to see about extending to improve matters. However, due to the already ample existing area and a modest garden size, we instead proposed an internal rearrangement of the ground floor.

The dividing internal walls were pared back and the doors and windows in the back wall were replaced with glazed doors. These two simple moves created an entirely new experience along the back of the house and a closer connection with the garden. 

The kitchen had originally been a garage and was not designed to be habitable. Extensive insulation in the walls, floor and ceiling helped upgrade the kitchen in line with the other rooms. Enlarging the opening between the kitchen and original breakfast area reconnected the kitchen with the rest of the house, and allowed the rooflight to throw light into the new dining area. The new kitchen layout with a peninsula unit and breakfast bar changed the orientation to look out into the living space.

A new entrance was provided for the office off the hall to keep the living and working spaces separate. Part of the office was given to provide more storage in the kitchen and a new w.c. off the hall.

The original 1970s timber and metal balustrade was removed and replaced with a painted timber uprights, topped with a hardwood iroko handrail, matching the new flooring and extending the material language up through the house.

Client Private
Size 60m2
Date 2009
Status Complete
Location Dublin, Ireland