Victorian Terrace House Renovated In Bold Colors

This Victorian terrace house in the suburbs of Dublin was renovated with a sense of imagination and playfulness by Irish designer Róisín Lafferty, who boldly applied a soulful color palette to revamp the period interiors. In combination with a graphic language of elegant geometric patterns and shapes inspired by the contemporary extension by Noji architects, Lafferty’s creative approach not only enhances the quirky charm of the historic building and harmoniously blends the older and newer sections but also reflects the owners’ convivial personalities and exuberant art collection.

Built in 1913, the Victorian mid-terrace boasts beautiful decorative elements such as arch mouldings, ceiling roses and skirtings, which Lafferty has highlighted, oftentimes by painting them in unexpected colours. From candy hues, to dark pastels, to brooding teal and slate grey, each space is accentuated by different colors depending on the mood she wanted to convey and the sensations she wished to awaken. The eclectic sequence of colors – extending from walls, to timber joinery and plaster cornices, to carpets and curtains, to an eclectic selection of furniture – forms a cohesive visual narrative.

In juxtaposition to the decorative flourishes and classical elegance of the original building, the extension that Noji architects have designed is minimal and modern. Housing the kitchen and dining area, it has been constructed out of plywood in geometric playfulness. In order to bridge the aesthetic dichotomy between the period interiors and contemporary extension, Lafferty’s has developed a series of geometric patterns inspired by triangular forms of the latter which can be found throughout the rooms of the house. The geometric patterns have been etched on wall panels that are both decorative and functional: incorporating shelving niches and hidden storage (storage was at the forefront of the owners’ requirements), forming headboards and framing fireplaces.