{"id":426464,"date":"2026-05-01T06:15:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T06:15:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/426464\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T06:15:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T06:15:13","slug":"tearing-down-the-walls-to-create-a-stylish-open-plan-home-in-ranelagh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/426464\/","title":{"rendered":"Tearing down the walls to create a stylish open-plan home in Ranelagh"},"content":{"rendered":"

Maximalist design queen Frieda Gormley\u2019s minimalist sister Laura has injuncted confidently in the renovation of a 1980s Dublin 6 townhouse, notably by making the entire floor open-plan\n<\/p>\n

Asking price: \u20ac1.095m<\/p>\n

Agent: Sherry FitzGerald (01) 496 9909<\/p>\n

\u200bLaura Gormley and her sister Frieda grew up in Donnybrook in Dublin 4 and both went on to study law at Trinity College. After graduation their paths diverged, however. Laura went into the legal profession here, while Frieda took a more precarious career route, through the often capricious rag trade, first as a buyer for Dunnes Stores, then at Top Shop in the UK.<\/p>\n

Then, in 2011, Frieda started a lifestyle design business with husband Javvy M Royle: the outrageously \u2018maximalist\u2019 House of Hackney, a brand which trades on a range of luxurious and often loud wallpapers, soft furnishings and paint colours. The label gained favour with celebrities such as Alexa Cheung and Poppy Delevigne.<\/p>\n

The Providence Hotel in Paris, frequented by fashionistas and the creative set, famously decorated all of its rooms using House of Hackney. Its flagship store is in Shoreditch.<\/p>\n

\"Laura<\/p>\n

Laura Gormley’s sister Frieda (right) with her husband House of Hackney partner Javvy Royle (left)<\/p>\n

Back in Dublin\u2019s own Notting Hill, aka Ranelagh, sister Laura is no slouch when it comes to interiors either. But as her remodelled 1980s townhouse suggests, Laura is definitely the minimalist in the family. The sisters\u2019 divergence in aesthetic is evident the moment you step inside No40 Northbrook Avenue. The lawyer\u2019s home that she shares with her two boys Harry (7) and Jamie (almost 10) is open-plan, modern, sparsely furnished with mid-century classics and confident in its clean lines.<\/p>\n

Where Frieda\u2019s House of Hackney world is one of botanical riot and Morris-induced Victorian exuberance, Laura\u2019s three-bedroom home is calm, considered and thoroughly light-filled. It is the product of a carefully executed renovation that what was, by her own account, coming from a fairly unpromising start point.<\/p>\n

\"Laura<\/p>\n

Laura Gormley at home in 40 Northbrook Avenue, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. Photo: Bryan Meade<\/p>\n

The house was purchased in 2012 in what Laura describes as \u201coriginal condition.\u201d Straight away she got stuck in. \u201cIt had brown windows, a very dated brown and beige kitchen, and oil-fired central heating,\u201d she says. The bathroom was avocado green. \u201cThat was \u2018R.I.P.\u2019 on day one. Straight away I painted the kitchen a lovely duck egg blue and painted over the brown and beige tiles as well. In what was the nursery, I took up the carpet sanded the floor and painted the floorboards just to create some light and space.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The dining area at 40 Northbrook Avenue, Ranelagh, Dublin 6<\/p>\n

A more serious intervention began in 2018, when a second child was on the way and it was clear the house needed more than paint. Laura engaged John Crowley of Anthro Architecture. \u201cWe needed space and we needed light. I also had a double buggy, so I needed to be able to come in through the front door with it,\u201d says Laura. The solution was to remove all the internal walls on the ground floor.<\/p>\n

The kitchen was designed and fitted by Newcastle Design. \u201cIt really anchors the whole downstairs,\u201d Laura says, \u201cbecause it\u2019s in the centre, between the sitting room and the dining table.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The kitchen at 40 Northbrook Avenue, Ranelagh, Dublin 6<\/p>\n

The kitchen has quartz worktops, a five-ring induction hob, a Siemens double oven and microwave, and a centre island incorporating a Belfast sink and integrated dishwasher. A larder unit conceals a utility area with plumbing for a washing machine and dryer, along with a wine rack. A bespoke kitchen bench was also made to order.<\/p>\n

At the far end of the open-plan space is the living room, which has oak flooring, an Element 4 Trisore 140 gas fire and two large roof lights. The roof lights were nearly a casualty of the budget. \u201cWe were coming and going as to whether to include two, because of the cost,\u201d Laura says, \u201cbut it was the best decision to put both of them in.\u201d Sliding glazed doors open directly onto the rear garden. Off the kitchen, a guest toilet completes the ground floor.<\/p>\n

\"Another<\/p>\n

Another view of the kitchen at 40 Northbrook Avenue, Ranelagh, Dublin 6<\/p>\n

The oak and glass stairs was Laura\u2019s own idea. \u201cI just loved that modern concept with the lights going up the stairs,\u201d she says. The original staircase had been slightly awkward in its positioning inside the front door, while the rebuilt version sits directly ahead of the entrance hall and makes an immediate impression.<\/p>\n

Upstairs, the main bedroom at the front has oak flooring, two sets of fitted mirrored wardrobes and two bay windows. It connects to the main bathroom, created by combining the original bathroom and en suite into a single larger space in a \u2018Jack and Jill\u2019 arrangement.<\/p>\n

\"One<\/p>\n

One of the bathrooms at 40 Northbrook Avenue, Ranelagh, Dublin 6<\/p>\n

The bath was essential. \u201cWith two young children, you need the bath,\u201d Laura says. It now occupies what was previously the hot press, the water tank having been moved to the loft.<\/p>\n

The room has no window, but a sun tunnel was installed on the recommendation of a colleague. \u201cIt has a huge impact. It brings in lots and lots of natural light into the bathroom despite there not being any window. It was a fantastic design decision.\u201d Where the old en suite shower stood, there is now a deep mirrored storage unit. \u201cWhich is really deep,\u201d Laura says, \u201cfantastic for all the towels and the sheets.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The outdoor terrace at 40 Northbrook Avenue, Ranelagh, Dublin 6<\/p>\n

There are two further bedrooms, a double and a single. Both have oak flooring and mirrored fitted wardrobes. Attic access is via a Stira ladder. Several neighbours have already converted theirs into double bedrooms.<\/p>\n

Laura says sufficient steel was incorporated into the downstairs extension to allow the two bedrooms above. The back garden is low-maintenance and paved with sandstone.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The exterior of 40 Northbrook Avenue, Ranelagh, Dublin 6<\/p>\n

There is a park (Ranelagh Gardens) at the end of the road. To the front, a cobble lock driveway provides off-street parking for two cars.<\/p>\n

The open-plan layout, Laura says, has proved its worth. \u201cOn afternoons I\u2019ve had five boys over,\u201d he says. \u201cWhile they\u2019re in the garden or playing in the house, I\u2019m making their pizzas and still able to keep a watchful eye.\u201d<\/p>\n

But look closely and you\u2019ll spot see a few of Frieda\u2019s brush strokes, courtesy of leopard-print cushions a throw on the mid-century sofa, a candle here and there. Laura says: \u201cI love House of Hackney stuff, but Frieda lives in a castle. The full look is not really going to work in an \u201880s townhouse in Ranelagh,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n

Sherry FitzGerald wants \u20ac1.095m.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Maximalist design queen Frieda Gormley\u2019s minimalist sister Laura has injuncted confidently in the renovation of a 1980s Dublin…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":426465,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[307,304,305,306,308,23159,93,61,60],"class_list":["post-426464","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-design","tag-dublin-property","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=426464"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426464\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/426465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=426464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=426464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=426464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}