DESIGN CHALLENGE AND DESIGN IDEAS

The 'South Dublin Residence' was a full architectural extension and structural configuration throughout the ground floor of a semi-detached suburban home in South Dublin. Kingston Lafferty Design (KLD) were the appointed Interior Architects who concepted, planned and designed the full layout of both the extension and the existing ground floor living spaces. The design brief to KLD was to create a new journey and enhanced user experience - an experience that better reflected the clients’ lifestyle with a balance between open plan, functional living and adaptable spaces. The clients were focused on creating a streamlined, clean and easy to live in space. Given the floorplan of the house, this meant identifying adaptability around the clients’ lifestyle. This also involved a strong focus on the idea of wellbeing, positivity and clean, positive living, aspects that were at the forefront of the clients’ requirements.

HOW THE BRIEF WAS MET

KLD proposed a revised layout to include a full rear extension to draw the back garden space in and a clean, fresh aesthetic to transform the space. Close attention was paid to creating a space technologically advanced with the feeling of a snug, cosy home – a space that allowed the clients to live according to their priorities. The project involved several issues of complexity including straightening the entire floor plan (wall angle, floor levels etc.) for the clean, seamless and streamlined build the client desired. For example, a custom walnut storage unit stores a media system as well as acting as a structural support (nibs and beams) and hiding a party wall. The rear door for the new extension space consisted of full height windows, firstly to incorporate the clients request for a space focused on wellbeing (incorporating a full view of the garden). And equally to avoid disrupting the eye line, keeping the overall streamlined appearance. Following a successful floor plan design, KLD designed all storage and joinery requirements, designing and implementing custom kitchen and storage units. Our holistic approach, designing the space, the components of the space, custom made furniture etc. coupled with our team of skilled project managers allows us to be innovative and unique in the spaces we design time and time again. In line with the brief, the seamless clean look needed to also be incorporated into the existing part of the building. This was achieved by retrofitting a standard, prefabricated staircase with the addition of new painted timber batons. The materiality centred on the clients focus on wellbeing. Natural materials like clean limed oak floors, along with marble splashbacks in the kitchen, and walnut flooring were used. Materiality was used to distinguish transitions from room to room and space to space. For example, changes in the direction of floor boards, or the use of a darker wooden floor in the snug living room space, designed to be a cosier hide-away private space, to contrast with the light, bright open plan kitchen, dining, living area. Our design focused on creating a kitchen that appeared as considered when open as when closed. The use of mirror in the rear room was to reflect the lush, mature greenery in the garden.