€36,000 for a marble bath, €8,500 to lounge around

Like the look of this week's houses? Fiona Tyrell shows how it's done.

Like the look of this week's houses? Fiona Tyrell shows how it's done.

Taking centre stage in the knockout bathroom at Churchfields in the K Club, Co Kildare is the cradle bath. The bath was built to accommodate two people and its cradle design allows the bathers to either lie down or sit up comfortably.

It was designed by Paddy McQuaid, owner of Antica, The Stone Gallery in Churchtown (01 2960136), and Lorenzo Polvanni, a young architect from Florence.

Standing 50cm off the floor, it's just a little bit higher than a normal bath. A one-off piece, it was carved from a solid block of Vinacchia travertine, the last block to be cut from a quarry in Tuscany.

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It weighs 760 kilos without water and took two people (an uncle and nephew team) eight weeks to carve the bath. Unsurprisingly it didn't come cheap, costing a whopping €36,000. You can pick a bath in a similar design at Antica for around €18,000.

Matching sinks, also designed by Paddy and Lorenzo, are also cut out of one block of Tuscan stone. Called Rada, they are mounted on a walnut stained base. A creamy buttery stone with touches of green and blue called San Lorenzo was used on the floor and walls.

The bathroom also features a double walk-in shower area with solid stone shower plates. Taps, glass and wood storage units were supplied by Milan design company Axolo. For a bathroom that's something similar, expect to pay around €25,000 (not including bath).

An altogether bolder bedroom look was chosen for the twin room, above, in 87 Grosvenor Square.

Strong floral wallpaper and big floral bedspreads make for a charming country-style twin room. A Jane Churchill wallpaper was used to great effect on the wall. It's called Millfield Aqua from her Sutton collection and costs €56 a roll at Kevin Kelly Interiors in Donnybrook (01 6688533).

A large blooming floral pattern was chosen for the beds. Try Laura Ashley's (01 8851292) Freya bed linen range, which features large roses in striking reds, price €80 for a single duvet cover. Matching pillows cost €21.

What's a lounge with out a lounger? The show unit in the chic Pavilion offers some serious lounging options.

The modular white leather sofa is from Italian furniture company Nicoletti and is available from Bob Bushell Designs (01 6710044), who did the fitout of the apartments.

Measuring 1.78 cm by 1.28 cm, the deep sofa incorporates a chaise longue at one end and is priced at €8,500.

And if that's not enough there is also the Le Corbusier-inspired chaise longue in white leather, price €1,200.

Beside this is an Eileen Grey-inspired table in stainless steel and glass, price €260. Art specially commissioned for the development is by Irish artist Fiona Scannell (046 9437881).

The glass dining table is from Gallotti and Radice and costs €1,800. White leather dining chairs from Cattelan cost €650.

As pretty as a picture, the double bedroom in Sunbury Park is a dreamy vision of whites, off-whites and low-key florals.

The French style armchair was purchased in Home's in Heaven in Dún Laoghaire (01 2802077). Called the Ornamenta Carver, it costs €550. Other carvers are available from €405.

Keeping the French country theme going, the headboard is from the Ranelagh Collection and Interiors (01 491871). In ivory, it costs €295. Pretty wire metal roses added to the top of the headboard can be purchased from Sharon Creagh Interiors on Highfield Road in Ranelagh (01 4970731), price €28 a strand.

A baby changing unit was transformed into a smart bedside locker by the owner with a lick of paint - Farrow & Ball's Pointing. Farrow & Ball's Slipper Satin, a white with tones of greys and greens, was used on the wall, price €48 for 5l tin at Farrow & Ball's new Dublin showroom at 14 Cornmarket, Dublin 8 (01 6770111).