A striking contemporary painting of a phoenix rising from the flames creates a focal point in the kitchen of 14 Sallymount Gardens in Ranelagh, Dublin 6.
The orange hues in the artwork are picked up in the modern furnishings of the two-bedroom terraced home, but it’s linked to the interior design of the 117sq m (1,260sq ft) dwelling in more ways than one.
It’s the work of artist Ciarán McCoy, who describes his style as “neo-expressionist post punk” and paints under the alter ego Pigsy. In fact, he’s also the architect who designed the renovation.
Built in 1933, the property was in relatively good repair when its current owners – a couple who have recently retired – bought it in 2018, but the interior was dated.
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They hired McCoy in 2019 to reconfigure and renovate it, creating a light-filled, modern home that’s also sympathetic to its history.
At the time, they were unaware that he was also an artist and it was only later that they came across his paintings online and purchased one.
In the meantime, the galley kitchen was done away with and a 30m ground-floor extension created. It houses the new kitchen and has floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors that open to the east-facing back garden. It’s been landscaped and has a patio with garden furniture and flower beds.
Inside, there are two reception rooms, connected by original pockets doors. The wall between the middle room and what is now a hallway was knocked down and a Scandi-style partition of wooden slats, which lets in the light, was installed. A custom-made glass door between the hall and the kitchen also allows light to filter through to the front. A curved, vaulted half-roof in the kitchen was designed to catch the light at the back.
The interior aesthetic relies heavily on various shades of grey. It’s offset by wooden floors, orange, green and grey furnishings, and tasteful modern light fittings.
Original features such as the fireplaces and the Art Deco-style hardware on the doors have been retained and marry well with the new design.
Upstairs, one of the three bedrooms, a box room, was demolished to create a large main bedroom with built-in wardrobes and an en suite bathroom.
The walls throughout the house have been insulated, new windows installed and new floors added.
Number 14 Sallymount Gardens is now for sale with Mullery O’Gara, seeking €1.25 million.
Situated in quiet cul-de-sac, it’s a two minute-walk from Ranelagh village and about 30 minutes on foot from Dublin city centre.
