Houzz Tour: Smart Tricks Open up a Small Home to Light & Space
A brick row house gains an entrance hall and, through a kitchen cabinet door, a bathtub and a laundry closet
Being a professional house hunter, Breffnie O’Kelly knew that this was the perfect house for herself and her teenage daughter. It was close to school and nearby walks, the road and neighbours were nice, and the house itself had loads of character.
The catch? The interior was dreary and cramped. So O’Kelly called on architect Eva Byrne to make her new home feel light, airy and spacious.
The catch? The interior was dreary and cramped. So O’Kelly called on architect Eva Byrne to make her new home feel light, airy and spacious.
Luckily, O’Kelly could ask her architect friend for some ideas. “I also work as a house consultant, so this started out as a consultation,” Byrne says.
But it wasn’t long before she came up with a complete redesign and O’Kelly commissioned her to take on the full project.
A pretty front door opens to a useful entryway
At the front, Byrne replaced the windows and door and took down the modern railing around the flower bed. “We [installed a wood] door in a welcoming colour,” she says.
Don’t have an entryway? Here’s how to create one
But it wasn’t long before she came up with a complete redesign and O’Kelly commissioned her to take on the full project.
A pretty front door opens to a useful entryway
At the front, Byrne replaced the windows and door and took down the modern railing around the flower bed. “We [installed a wood] door in a welcoming colour,” she says.
Don’t have an entryway? Here’s how to create one
Before
The front door opened straight into the living room, so Byrne decided to create a separate hallway.
The front door opened straight into the living room, so Byrne decided to create a separate hallway.
The team installed a painted wood-and-glass screen that can fold all the way back “It gives you privacy from the street when you’re in the living room,” Byrne says.
“You don’t do anything near the door anyway, so you’re not losing any living space by adding a division,” she adds.
The team also put in a ledge with hooks underneath and a round mirror to turn the space into a useful hallway.
“You don’t do anything near the door anyway, so you’re not losing any living space by adding a division,” she adds.
The team also put in a ledge with hooks underneath and a round mirror to turn the space into a useful hallway.
The stairs were extended to the glass partition. “It makes the room feel wider,” Byrne says.
The team also painted on a grey runner, which leads up the steps.
These colourful staircases ride the rainbow
The team also painted on a grey runner, which leads up the steps.
These colourful staircases ride the rainbow
Rather than leave the back of the front door white, Byrne chose to add colour. “We painted the door the same shade on both sides to make a feature of it,” she says. “In white, it wouldn’t have worked as well.”
Simple, well-scaled furniture lets the living room breathe
The living room is simple and cozy, with white walls, recessed spotlights, a soft rug and a comfortable sofa. “The sofa is a neat [71 inches] wide,” Byrne says. “It’s important to size furniture appropriately so it doesn’t take over the room.”
She kept the fireplace minimal too, with a flush hearth and a plain opening for the wood-burning stove. The chimney alcove on the left contains a bookcase and a cabinet.
Check out these small & splendid living rooms from across the world
The living room is simple and cozy, with white walls, recessed spotlights, a soft rug and a comfortable sofa. “The sofa is a neat [71 inches] wide,” Byrne says. “It’s important to size furniture appropriately so it doesn’t take over the room.”
She kept the fireplace minimal too, with a flush hearth and a plain opening for the wood-burning stove. The chimney alcove on the left contains a bookcase and a cabinet.
Check out these small & splendid living rooms from across the world
To the right of the chimney, the team built a bench with storage drawers below.
The seat is positioned next to a window, which Byrne lowered to maximise the view of the courtyard and bring plenty of light into the room.
She chose botanical prints for the walls to further connect the inside with the outside space.
The seat is positioned next to a window, which Byrne lowered to maximise the view of the courtyard and bring plenty of light into the room.
She chose botanical prints for the walls to further connect the inside with the outside space.
Before
The living room was much darker before the window was lowered.
The living room was much darker before the window was lowered.
The key to creating a luminous and spacious feel was to connect the living spaces to the courtyard at the centre of the house.
The “before” plan of the ground floor shows how a shower room blocked the view. Byrne removed it and put an open-plan kitchen-dining area in its place. She then tucked a bathroom at the back of the house.
The “before” plan of the ground floor shows how a shower room blocked the view. Byrne removed it and put an open-plan kitchen-dining area in its place. She then tucked a bathroom at the back of the house.
A glass door leads from the living room to the new kitchen-dining area. The glass is opaque to allow light in while maintaining privacy.
“As Breffnie’s daughter is a teenager, we thought it was important for her to have her own space,” Byrne says. The design includes some separation in each area of the house so mother and daughter can enjoy time together and apart.
“As Breffnie’s daughter is a teenager, we thought it was important for her to have her own space,” Byrne says. The design includes some separation in each area of the house so mother and daughter can enjoy time together and apart.
Before
The shower room blocked access to the courtyard.
The shower room blocked access to the courtyard.
Glass and tile connect indoors and out
Just before the dining area, there’s a glass door to the courtyard. The large window next to the table doesn’t open, but it helps bring light and a spacious feeling to the home.
Porcelain floor tiles inside and on the patio further connect the two areas.
Just before the dining area, there’s a glass door to the courtyard. The large window next to the table doesn’t open, but it helps bring light and a spacious feeling to the home.
Porcelain floor tiles inside and on the patio further connect the two areas.
“We wanted the table to have a single leg so you can sit anywhere around it,” Byrne says. “Our carpenter made it from a table base and a circle of MDF.”
Three narrow picture ledges provide enough room for books without encroaching too much on the space.
Three narrow picture ledges provide enough room for books without encroaching too much on the space.
Before
The kitchen took up the entire back room of the house.
The kitchen took up the entire back room of the house.
The new kitchen cabinets have a simple design with painted MDF doors, but Byrne used a clever trick to increase storage. “We chose to make the [countertop 39 inches high],” she says. “This allowed us to fit slim drawers along the top. It’s a sneaky way of getting more from the kitchen, and it works well here, as my friend is quite tall.”
The space already had a skylight, and Byrne maximised the brightness by choosing a quartz countertop and glass tiles for the backsplash. “These were remnants from a discontinued line, which is a good way to save money,” she says.
The space already had a skylight, and Byrne maximised the brightness by choosing a quartz countertop and glass tiles for the backsplash. “These were remnants from a discontinued line, which is a good way to save money,” she says.
A Surprise lies behind the cabinet wall
Another smart design idea allowed Byrne to fit a bathroom and utility closet into the space. The cabinets are located along a partition wall that sits 53 inches away from the original back wall. The full-height door on the right looks like a tall cabinet but is, in fact, a door to the room behind.
Another smart design idea allowed Byrne to fit a bathroom and utility closet into the space. The cabinets are located along a partition wall that sits 53 inches away from the original back wall. The full-height door on the right looks like a tall cabinet but is, in fact, a door to the room behind.
Through this door is a bathroom and a laundry closet. “There’s a tall cupboard in here with a washer and dryer,” Byrne says.
See these popular laundry rooms on Houzz
See these popular laundry rooms on Houzz
“My client really wanted to fit in a bath, which threw me slightly in such a small space,” says Byrne, laughing. But she soon came up with a plan. By moving the kitchen 53 inches forward, she created enough space to fit a small tub perfectly.
“We used white in here and lots of mirror, so it doesn’t feel small,” she adds. “We put two shallow Ikea cabinets side by side for storage. With bathroom storage, you only need a cabinet deep enough to fit a toilet roll.”
“We used white in here and lots of mirror, so it doesn’t feel small,” she adds. “We put two shallow Ikea cabinets side by side for storage. With bathroom storage, you only need a cabinet deep enough to fit a toilet roll.”
In the front bedroom upstairs, there was an original cast-iron fireplace, which Byrne decided to highlight. She lined up a patterned runner in front of it and positioned a vintage piece of art, which the owner had inherited from her grandmother, above it.
Slim wall-mounted shelves in place of a bedside table save space, while a picture ledge above provides a surface for books.
Opposite and out of view is a cabinet that’s about 17 inches deep. “It’s a good option if you don’t have a lot of space,” Byrne says.
Read more:
Thane Houzz: This Suburban Home Has What Most Mumbai Homes Crave
Tell us:
What did you like the most about this house? Tell us in the Comments below.
Slim wall-mounted shelves in place of a bedside table save space, while a picture ledge above provides a surface for books.
Opposite and out of view is a cabinet that’s about 17 inches deep. “It’s a good option if you don’t have a lot of space,” Byrne says.
Read more:
Thane Houzz: This Suburban Home Has What Most Mumbai Homes Crave
Tell us:
What did you like the most about this house? Tell us in the Comments below.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: Buyer’s agent Breffnie O’Kelly and her daughter
Location: Dublin
Size: 592 square feet (55 square metres); 2 bedrooms; 1 bathroom
Architect: Eva Byrne of Houseology
Before
Everything about this early-1900s row house said “good buy” to O’Kelly and her daughter when they spotted it – everything, that is, except the dark and dreary interior.