When Catherine McElwain received a photo of a run-down house from her husband, architect Dermot Ryan, she thought its flat-roofed architecture was unusual—but that was about it. A few weeks later, however, the couple decided to attend a viewing—and they were the only ones there. “We fell in love with it,” recalls Catherine. “It’s like a series of stacked boxes, with very large windows and beautiful tiling. The top floor has wraparound windows with a 360-degree view—it blew me away.”

Dermot felt the same way. “We don’t have many modernist homes in Ireland,” he says. “It’s very interesting in an Irish context.”

The couple purchased the property, they moved in just a week before their second child was born, and they spent two years living in the home and getting a sense for how the spaces work, what they wanted to keep, and what needed to be changed. When the time came to begin an ambitious renovation—which was led by Dermot and took place in several stages over seven years—they decided to celebrate the home’s style and draw design inspiration from the Bauhaus.

Before: Exterior

The house had originally been built in 1948 as a family residence, but it was converted into a commercial architecture practice in the early 2000s with the addition of the top floor. When Catherine and Dermot purchased it, it was in a state of disrepair—the garden was overgrown, and the formerly white exterior was painted orange and covered in ivy.

After: Exterior

In addition to restoring the home to its former glory, the couple wanted to improve its sustainability credentials. To this end, they installed rooftop solar panels and an air-source heat pump for hot water.

The overgrown garden was a major project—and, thankfully, one that the couple enjoyed undertaking. They took down a couple trees to improve daylighting, and while researching the home they found the original garden plan—and a rockery that was hidden by overgrown plants.

After: Entrance & Stairs

At the entry, the couple restored the black and white tiles and an original staircase with ornate ironwork. “All the original features of the house—the flooring, the porthole windows, the ironwork, and the stairs—are what really attracted us in the first place,” says Catherine. “We wanted to modernize the house for 21st-century living, but we didn’t want to eradicate all of the original features.”

László Moholy-Nagy, decorate the wall." layout="" credit="Photo by Shauna Lally" photoUserId=""/>

Before: Kitchen

The kitchen was originally located on the north side of the home, and it was relatively dark, with a narrow corridor connecting it to the dining room. “At the time the house was built, the kitchen was a working room rather than a space for people to hang out and eat,” explains Catherine. “We wanted to improve the connection between the different spaces.”

After: Playroom

The couple turned the kitchen into a playroom for their two children, and they painted the original heating pipes that run through the space—as well as the downstairs bathroom, cloak room, and home office—a bright yellow. “We uncovered them during the renovation and love how industrial they are,” says Catherine. “We decided to make a feature of them.”

After: Kitchen

The couple wanted the kitchen to be a place where the family could gather, so they relocated it to the center of the home where it acts as a “fulcrum” between the playroom and the living room.

“The kitchen was a big investment,” says Dermot. “We spent a lot of time working on the flow and the design of where everything was located to make it as efficient as possible and minimize any wasted space or materials.”

the same ones used in the primary en suite bathroom—echo the boxy extractor fan and the under-counter cabinetry, creating a dynamic grid-like pattern." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Shauna Lally" photoUserId=""/>

After: Living Room

The living room is defined by an enormous window that invites the landscape inside. “No matter where you are in the house, you see greenery,” says Dermot. Verdant furnishings and textiles highlight the space’s connection to the garden, while warm timber tones create a pleasing contrast.

Approximately 50 percent of the home’s windows had to be replaced during the renovation, and it was important to the couple that the new windows respected the simplicity of the original design. The new windows were one of the most expensive parts of the renovation, but they were essential in improving the thermal performance of the home and reducing energy use." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Shauna Lally" photoUserId=""/>

Before: Bathrooms

While the existing bathrooms were very dated and in need of an update, there were some elements that the couple liked and wanted to keep.

After: Bathrooms

The downstairs bathroom is mostly original—including the tiles on the floor and the heating pipes. Rather than change the fixtures and fittings, the couple cleverly updated the bathroom using color. “The bathroom is one of the only rooms in the house that you don’t see green through the windows, so we wanted to introduce it by painting the walls,” says Dermot. “It’s a small space, so we could have fun with it.”" layout="" credit="Photo by Shauna Lally" photoUserId=""/>

The renovated restrooms are covered in color—think acid yellow heating pipes with jade green paint. In another bathroom, the couple preserved bright blue tiles from the original fit-out.

The blue tiles and hot tub–style bath were a 1980s addition to the home. Catherine and Dermot loved these elements, so they renovated the entire bathroom around the bathtub and tiles. “We just didn’t think there was any point in changing something we liked so much,” says Catherine. “I love sitting in the bathtub and looking out at the mountains through the window.” The white floor tiles are the same tiles found in the kitchen, creating a sense of continuity throughout." layout="" credit="Photo by Shauna Lally" photoUserId=""/>

Before: Garage

The attached garage was one of the most dilapidated areas of the home, with a large hole in the ceiling. Catherine and Dermot saw the potential to transform the space, especially as it had a large window overlooking the garden.

After: Home Office

The former garage is now a bright home office, with a completely different palette from ground and middle floor of the home. “As the room was originally a garage, we thought there was an opportunity to introduce some different materials,” explains Dermot. “We softened it up with carpet, and used plywood cladding on the walls.”

Before: Penthouse

The top floor had originally been added in the 1970s as an open-plan atelier, but it was later converted into a more conventional office, with cubicles and partitions. “It was really closed off,” recalls Catherine.

The lounge area was previously divided up into a series of cubicle-style spaces. “We wanted to open that right back up, take out all the partitions, and make it an open-plan, studio-style space,” says Dermot." layout="" credit="Photo by Catherine McElwain" photoUserId=""/>

After: Penthouse

The dining zone is surrounded by windows looking into the tree canopy. “It’s lovely in the summertime because you’re elevated above the trees and get the evening light coming in,” says Dermot. The entire interior—including the timber window bench—has been painted white, allowing the views to take center stage." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Shauna Lally" photoUserId=""/>

The renovated penthouse is now a multifunctional space that can be used as an additional living area for the family or as a self-contained flat with independent access for guests. Like the home office, it has a different palette from the ground and first floors that formed the original 1940s home. “We wanted to give it a more industrial, loft-style apartment feel,” says Dermot.

The penthouse is defined by splashes of bright orange. “We exposed this structural element that had been buried in a partition wall and decided to paint it bright orange,” says Catherine. “We love the happy tone, and it really makes it stand out.”" layout="" credit="Photo by Shauna Lally" photoUserId=""/>

“We’ve really enjoyed bringing a somewhat unloved building back to a much-loved family home,” says Catherine. “A lot of care went into the original design, and we have given it a new lease of life. We’re very proud of that.”

More Before & After stories:

In Madrid, a Family of Architects Turn a “Cave” Into a Light-Filled Apartment

In Porto, a Tiny Home Emerges From Ruins

This Warsaw Micro Apartment Shows That 300 Square Feet Can Feel Grand

Project Credits:

Architect: Dermot Ryan

Cabinetry Installation: Brolly & Demory Carpentry

Photographers: Catherine McElwain & Shauna Lally

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