Designer Karen O'Rourke tells EMMA CULLINANwhy she loves doing her homes up and moving on
Karen O’Rourke runs Concept Design Interiors and lives in Rathgar
Why did you buy here?
This is my fourth house and every bit of furniture I have bought was eventually going to go into the mansion so I always aimed for a period property with high ceilings and room sizes; not with hugely ornate details but just enough to give a sense of history.
My passion is house-contents auctions. I need room for manoeuvre in a house because I would hate to see something at auction and not have the space for it. I have a dinner service I bought for £80, 12 years ago even though I certainly didn’t have a house that would seat 12 people. It is a complete set and anything like that today would cost a fortune.
By going to auctions regularly you get a real feel for the market: who is buying, what and how much things go for. You also learn about the function of items that you can’t identify, so often it’s very educational. I love the idea of picking up a bargain at auction.
Does that happen?
You see values change with supply and demand. Because auctions have everything from furniture and rugs to silverware you might find that heavier ornate pieces won’t move for a while but then, like anything else, they might then come into vogue. Coming up to Christmas, smaller things go.
Do you buy for clients this way?
Yes, often. Recently I had a client in a house in Westmeath who had been waiting for a dining table since just after Christmas and last week I spotted it. It’s worth waiting to find the right thing.
Did you work on all four of your homes?
I absolutely gutted every one of them and once they are finished I’m nearly ready to move on. That sometimes feels like a sickness.
Did you do the houses up all at once or in bits?
Initially there were obvious things to do and then after that it was like a slow boil. The integrity of your home is in the attic, walls and windows and when essentials like that are done you can sit back and enjoy choosing paint colours. I’d rather see anybody spending money on that – and investing in the house – than on a brand new kitchen.
I did the rewiring, replumbing and put in new windows when I moved in seven years ago.
Two years ago I insulated the walls which makes a huge difference: from having the heating on from say 5pm to 10pm or 11pm it now goes on for one hour and I might put it on for another hour later if the weather’s really cold.
I used Thermaboard on the inside walls. I had to take off the decorative plasterwork and skirting and afterwards I had to replaster and repaint but it is very straightforward. I’m doing it for a house in Mount Merrion at the moment. It doesn’t make the room appreciably smaller: you’d never notice it.
How long did it take?
Two weeks for the whole house by the time I had painted and cleaned up.
Did you move out?
No – that would be too simple!
So you don’t just do decoration for clients
I’d love to lose the name “interior designer” because it sounds as if I come in and do paint colours yet we often approach projects from a functional point of view.
I did a house in Blackrock where the owners were expecting their first child yet no one had thought about where the buggy would go and what was going to happen when they came home with a buggy and shopping. They had a back porch full of meters and a lovely front hall, but nowhere for Wellingtons and the mess. Things like that are about living.
Or we’ll look at plans and say, okay you have a beautiful diningroom but with double doors plonked right in the middle of the wall, where are you going to put the couch?
We second guess everything: it is not just about colours, light and space but about function.
There is a formula out there at the moment to get light and space but I don’t necessarily think that way. I don’t go for big glass doors because we live in a cold climate and most of our time is in the winter.
I don’t see why anyone wants to look out on a grey day at more greyness.
I’m a creature of comfort. In the old days people had winter curtains and summer curtains: what a nice idea to be able to change the feel of a house from summer to winter.
How did you decide on a colour scheme for the house?
I find one focal item that I am passionate about and everything evolves from that.
I like using colours that you can add to all the time so you are not stuck with one colour scheme. A lot of colours go with the colour in this room – you can add different greens, purples and pinks, with cushions or any accessories.
It’s important to be able to change and add things; if you are on holiday and see something gorgeous you should be able to bring it home and find a place for it. I lined the curtain with silk that is turned to show a contrasting colour because the ceiling is so high and a solid colour would be too much.
Over the last 10 years people have gone for clean, clean, and when dealing with different people you do go along with their taste, but what you see here is my taste. I love an opulent look with gilt mirrors, chandeliers and rich fabrics.
I had the sofa made especially and I often do that for clients too because then you have more control: you can specify a low back or high back, for instance. It isn’t more expensive and can be a lot cheaper. I use RS Upholstery in Navan who are brilliant.
Why did you opt for this deep pink?
It is a colour that you find throughout history. It’s warm, lends itself to a bit of fun and character and also has old feeling to it. I love sinking into velvet.
The carpet came from Laura Ashley and I made the cushions myself. The floorboards are original and I had them sanded and varnished once a long time ago.
They are polished with beeswax on a regular basis but I don’t mind a bit of wear because a floor is supposed to be walked on.
The chandelier came from Reilly’s Antiques in Prosperous, Co Kildare and the beautiful and unusual mirror came from a shop in Francis Street many years ago.
Your sister is in a similar business to you in Martha’s Vineyard?
She has a shop selling fashion, antiques and gifts and I’ve moved from fashion to interiors and antiques. Because there is an overlap we source for each other. If her customers come to Europe she links them up with me if they want to find antiques. We have similar tastes.
Will you keep this design for a while?
It will change because I do change things around and if people come in and want to buy something, say the two ormolu tables, they can take them because there is nothing in this room I can’t repeat. I can even remake the curtains.
This is a beautiful house at Christmas – I have garlands up the stairs, it is very fairytale. Visitors say the house looks fab but I’ll say so does yours.
We always look at what someone else has even if our own homes are lovely, although I don’t have to worry about kids, which makes a big difference.
We do showhouses that people think are amazing but it is because there is nobody in them. It is the opposite of the home they have just left.
At the moment the big challenge is to bring apartments built 10 years ago into the 2010 world. Yellow and royal blue was the colour scheme being used in check curtains and borders. I can guarantee that in 10 years’ time we will look at today’s wallpaper and go ‘ugh’, and that’s fine. It’s amazing the way interiors have become like fashion.
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