Cellars, stoves and curved contemporary kitchens

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

A curved island in the kitchen in 27 Palmerston Road makes for an interesting focal point in a contemporary kitchen. When remodelling the kitchen five years ago the current owner was keen to add some soft curves to the rectangular room and asked Design House in Dalkey (01 2352222) to design a circular central island unit.

All sorts of variations are possible - semi-circular islands, rectangular islands with curved sections and even curved fitted kitchen units in a circular room.

Measuring 8ft in diameter the island incorporates a sink, Gaggenau periscope extractor fan, gas hob, ceramic electric hob and BBQ grill. On the opposite side of the island a raised section provides a breakfast area. A black granite worktop, solid elm units with a slight green grain and brushed chrome handles were used for the island. A dropped ceiling mirroring the circular shape of the island has small spotlights.

Behind the island an old granite hearth surround provides a great setting for a Stanley range and tall elm larders and presses provide ample storage. Expect to pay around €90,000 for a similar kitchen.

The solid fuel three-door stove in Riverview Cottage is Danish and over 80 years old. It was purchased from Cork-based company Ovne Antique Stoves (ovnestoves.com, 028 3491), which specialises in antique cast-iron and enamel stoves dating from 1850 and 1950.

"Ovne" is Danish for stoves, and the company specialises in finding, restoring and selling antique stoves from Scandinavia, mainland Europe and the US. This one is a Danish commune stove and features hot plates for a kettle or for heating up your coffee pot. It also features three doors: the top one is for fuel, the middle is for stoking and the bottom is for accessing ash.

A subtle soft grey was used on the walls. Called Minimal White from Sherwin Williams, it costs €45 for a 5l tin from MRBC Paints, Dublin 8 (01 6798755). A complementing greeny grey called Ocean from MacPherson Trade Paints was used for the alcove. It's available from Nash's Paints in Dundrum (01 2980017) at €29.50 for a 5l tin.

A traditional Victorian cellar underneath 14 Sandymount Green was transformed into an impressive wine cellar, currently housing around 1,000 bottles of wine, by owner and Sunday Business Post wine critic Tomás Clancy.

Ideally, a cellar should be cool and moist with a good constant temperature, according to Tomás. If a cellar is too damp, it will damage the labels and corks over time. His Sandymount cellar was double walled and the floor was sprayed with concrete to damp and water proof it. A dehumidifying system was also installed. Thick gravel was put on the floor, which aside from helping to cool the cellar, is ideal for soaking up the odd broken bottle and giving the room that distinctive cellar smell. Wooden wire racks and custom-made storage systems are available from The Wine Obsessed in Kilkenny (056 7765900).

Expect to pay between €10,000 and €15,000 to transform an underground cellar into a wine cellar. For those who don't have the luxury of an existing cellar underneath their homes Tomas warns that building beneath the ground.

An extension to the living area in 1 Lower Beechwood Avenue, Dublin  provides a small reading or relaxation room. Located behind the chimneybreast, the bright room opens out onto a deck area.

A funky fit-out includes a cowhide chaise longue from Living in Bray (01 2828905). Made from  real cowhide over a chrome structure, the chair costs €795. It measures 5ft3in long and 2ft wide. It's also available in black or white leather. Price €595.

The fabulous zebra print rug was purchased in Spain but you can get something similar from Limited Edition on Francis Street, Dublin 8 (01 4531123). It stocks 4.5sq m cowhide rugs in a zebra print pattern. Price €,200.

The metallic arched lamp hovering above the chair is a replica of the classic Arco lamp, designed by Achille Castiglioni and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1962. The real thing will set you back almost €,000 but a replica is available from Living price €95.