City centre homes take centre stage for Open House festival

Open House, Ireland’s favourite architectural festival, returns for its 13th year – lucky for those who love to snoop behind the front doors of private homes. The access all areas event provides an up close experience in interesting spaces that you just don’t get from social media feeds or two-dimensional interiors magazines.

The festival runs from October 12th to 14th, and among this year’s highlights will be Tom de Paor’s Courtyard House, a former council property in Harold's Cross, D6W.

Its pebbledash façade belies its bare brutalist interior. It has an open plan kitchen and living area that pays homage to the humble breezeblock. The open fire has very minimalist fireside seating. In contrast the entrance hall is a stern black and the stairwell a glossy lacquered tomato red, a colour that is carried through on the internal doors that access the bedrooms.

Merrion Mews is another headline act. This Irish Landmark Trust apartment off Merrion Square is accessed via a narrow staircase and situated above a working stables used by the mounted unit of the An Garda Síochána.

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The three-bed property was restored by the Trust and has been simply furnished, allowing the residence’s original features, like its wide plank timber floorboards, sash windows and original fireplaces to do much of the talking.

Other places of note include AirBnB’s flagship offices on Hannover Quay; interior architect Sarah Lafferty’s Dundrum cottage and a bijou garden room in Killester by David Leech Architects.

The full list of participating buildings will be published on Thursday, September 6th. While tickets are free they are limited and issued on a first come, first served basis.

[ openhousedublin.com ]