Tag: Ranelagh Residence

In our modern world with the advent of technology, people want things yesterday. There is a growing expectation for immediacy across the board. The more technology advances, the less patient we become. This creates a whole other set of issues and potentially lethal narratives.

Working across both commercial and residential sectors within construction, I can safely say that the same pitfalls and issues arise across the board. Taking on board learnings and common issues faced during commercial and residential construction, I want to highlight where it is worth slowing down and taking your time to avoid the long-term impact of poor, rushed decisions that will haunt you for years to come in this fast paced industry.

1. “Rome wasn’t built in a day”

Layout and configuration are arguably the most important aspect of the interior of any building. It stands to reason that taking time to critically assess the requirements, wants and needs to ensure the layout best reflects them is extremely beneficial. Often this process can be rushed in order to get works started on the ground. However, it is worth spending an additional month or two analysing and tweaking this with the design team prior to detailing or beginning any construction works.

2. “The details are not the details, they make the design” – Charles Eames

A lot of the beauty of a finished space is in the selection of materials, finishes and fittings. Depending on how long a construction stage is, this can be over looked and rushed, with seemingly endless decisions needing to be made. No one wants to be responsible for delaying a project and with so many decisions need to be made along the way, it can be daunting. My advice would be to take the time to decide what you want and request a timeline from the contractor setting out when decisions need to be made.

3. “If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”

Even with the best design team and architectural drawings, any build is heavily reliant on the skilled contractors and trades implementing them. It is crucial to get this right and to appoint the right team for your project. Make sure to get recommendations from experienced experts, as well as seeing completed works and speaking to previous clients before appointing trades to carry out your work.

4. “We live in a culture full of hares; but the tortoise always wins”

Skill and craftmanship is slow and steady, much like the tortoise. Quality takes time. Shortcuts are shortcuts. If you want the best result, it is worth waiting for. Countless times, this is ignored, and a high-end design is put at risk and often accidentally sabotaged by overpromising teams that have overlooked the detail involved.

5. “Buy less, choose well and make it last” – Vivienne Westwood

When planning the key items for your home or commercial project, try to have a reason for every single thing. In the words of William Morris “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”
Less is more and sometimes investing in one item that you will love for years to come is more worthwhile than cluttering up your space with fleeting trends.

6. “Keep calm, Christmas is around the corner”

Construction has many pressures, but Christmas looming is one of the biggest.
If you are not in by the end of October, accept that being in for Christmas may not be an option. It is an extremely emotionally charged time for people, adding a construction project to the mix only increases tensions and stress levels.

In general, for your own sanity and peace of mind, add in a couple of weeks to your estimated timeline to avoid starting off on a negative footing in your new space. After investing your hard-earned time and money into a construction project, the end goal should always be excitement and happiness!

To sum up, it is undoubtedly worth the time and effort to slow down and take your time with your construction project. As with most things in life, to achieve the best result takes careful consideration, planning and strategic implementation. Try not to lose sight of the overall vision along the way and it will all pay off!

This blog post is an edited version of an article first written by Róisín for The Sunday Business Post on 17 March 2019. Click here to view the full article in its entirety.

Before and After: A mid-terrace, Georgian townhouse, our most challenging project to date.

To see more details and photographs of this Ranelagh Project, head over the the Ranelagh Residence Project Page.

The Ranelagh Residence was a structurally unsound, conservation project with highly restricted access. Although the property had a generous floor area, the existing layout and rear garden were negatively impacting the usability of the space.

The main objective of the interior design was to maximise the space available and direct as much natural light as possible into the existing property. The entire basement floor level was reduced to improve floor to ceiling height and the rear garden was extensively excavated to allow for the construction of a large conservatory extension. The development of this mid-terrace, Georgian townhouse remains our most challenging project to date!

Office

Living Room

Kitchen

Conservatory

Back of House

Garden

Like what you see? Check out our Before & After post of our Ballsbridge Residence here.

Create a decorative yet functional glass cabinet space….

Glass cabinets in the kitchen can be a difficult one when it comes to deciding what to put in them. As everything is so visible glass cabinets can sometimes become a space with no function as we tend to fill them with pretty decorative items that are rarely used.

A creative and decorative way to use these glass cabinets while adding a little french nostalgia to your kitchen is to store your dry goods like cereals and pastas in vintage glass storage jars. These storage jars can feature decorative script lettering embossed into the glass along with a pretty metal clip lid for added decoration.

Using glass jars for storage is a quick and easy way to create a beautiful yet functional glass cabinet interior.

TOP TIPS

1. Fill the jars with different coloured candy or snacks for extra creative and fun look.
2. Select a jar with little decorative details e.g: the vintage Le Parfait glass storage jar which has decorative script lettering embossed into the glass with metal clip lid, the little extra detail is visually appealing.
3. Add different colour spices, lentils and different shapes of pasta to each jar to create an interesting and exciting display.

OUR FAVOURITES

1. IKEA do a great range of storage jars for display in an array of different sizes – one that we think works well is the KORKEN jar.
2. KILNER do a fantastic range of glass storage jars with the metal clip lids – these are available from most woodiesDIY stores.

We are always delighted, here at Kingston Lafferty Design, to have our interior design work featured in the press.

We are particularly chuffed when featured in press in different countries. Our project Ranelagh Residence is currently featured in Ukrainian interiors magazine N.M House.

Check out piece below to see images and spread!

To see more of our Interior Design press coverage check out our Press & Awards page.

Ranelagh Residence featured in NM House Magazine.

We at Kingston Lafferty Design are thrilled to announce that we are short-listed for 2x IDI awards this year. We are short listed in both the residential category and the retail category. We can’t wait to celebrate in style in the Marker Hotel on the 20th of November…. fingers crossed it all goes well!

The project that is shortlisted in the residential category is the large Residential project we recently finished in Mount Pleasant Square, Ranelagh. This project is titled Ranelagh Residence.

Structurally unsound, conservation protected with highly restricted access, the development of this mid terrace, Georgian Town house remains our most challenging project to date. Located on a quiet square in one of Dublin’s most sought after residential postcodes, this 18th century , 2 storey over basement property was in a dilapidated condition. The property had been neglected for a number of years, which subsequently proved detrimental to the properties structural integrity. Extensive structural works were required to support both the existing and proposed structures and to retain the neighbouring properties. Although the property has a generous floor area, the existing layout and rear garden were negatively impacting the usability of the space. The main objective of the design was to maximise the space available and direct as much natural light as possible into the existing property.

The entire basement floor level was reduced to improve floor to ceiling height and the rear garden was extensively excavated to allow for the construction of a large conservatory extension. A tiered garden was designed to increase the quality of natural light entering the basement level. The linear forms and raw materials create a contemporary space which juxtaposes beautifully within the period features of the original property and the traditional style conservatory.The project short-listed in the Retail category was Renova Flagship Showroom.Info about the project: Renova is  a deep retrofit company, established by long term business partners, John Martin and Alan Stevens. Having previously worked with KLD on a residential development, Quantity Surveyor John Martin, approached our design firm to design the new company’s showroom. The brief was to create a space which would successfully portray the company’s services whilst providing a practical working environment for its employees.

The main design objective was to ensure that the spatial and technical information was showcased in a way that would be intimidating, relevant and clear to the average home owner (the target market). The clean geometric spatial plan divided up the space into three sections, with the reception, meetings room and office running the full length on the right hand side, the showroom to the front and the technical information to the rear. The finishes were kept raw yet sharp and professional. The dark grey timber floor contrasts beautifully against the white plastered walls, reinforcing the geometry of the plan. The exposed concrete ceiling mirrors the circulation path, drawing the eye further into the space. The finishes within the show home were carefully considered to ensure the design was individual and current yet inclusive and achievable. The design also included a considerable amount of bespoke joinery, including a walk-in-wardrobe, an island unit, reception and meeting room storage and a media and log storage system for the living room.