Danielle Mac Innes on designing her home
November 15, 2008
By Ana Rosberg
Awarded 'Best Newcomer' at Ireland's premier interiors show, Interior Design 2008, Danielle Mac Innes, defines her style as eclectic and contemporary. Using her background in psychology to design with the psychological effects of light, color and space in mind, the results are fresh and atmospheric interiors.
Here is what she shared with us on remodeling her house.
Could you tell us a little a bit about your house before you remodeled it?
Danielle: When I bought the house it only had 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom, a sitting room and kitchen. I extended it both upstairs and downstairs and added a 3rd bedroom, 2 more bathrooms, and extended the kitchen to make a dining area and second sitting room to the rear.
Did you see the potential in it from the beginning or did it develop from living in it?
Danielle: I think I did see the potential straight away; it had quite a large back garden so I knew I could add an extension easily without losing too much space at the back…
How did the architecture affect you when designing?
Danielle: The house is from around 1910 and had a very cute cottage feel when I bought. It has these very cute sash windows to the front that really sold me from the start! The extension however is very modern, with big sliding glass doors at the back so the styles are quite different but they really work together…
What was your main focus on when designing your home?
Danielle: My main focus was to create more space and more light and give the house a unique facelift. I love that the house is a unique place, there isn't another next door just the same and that really appeals to me
How did you design the kitchen? Can you tell us a little about the choices you made, design wise and why?
Danielle: I designed the kitchen myself and sourced the components from various companies to get the look I wanted. I chose white because I like the fresh, clean look it achieves but I mixed it with walnut for the countertops, which brings in a slightly traditional look. In terms of functionality, I made sure the whole space was used in terms of storage (you can never have enough!!)
What about the bathroom?
Danielle: The bathroom you see in the photo is the downstairs cloakroom - there is no natural light in there so I used white and light grey tiles but decided to go for strong bold wallpaper as I feel that sometimes where there is no natural light, there Is no point In trying to 'create' It you may as well go with It and make a feature of the small space!
What tips would you recommend for homeowners looking to liven up their homes?
Danielle: Using colour is a great way to liven up your home. You can use it on walls, furniture or just by using a few key accessories. The main thing to remember is not to go too mad with it and have too many clashing colours/patterns and also you don’t have to jump right in straight away, you can build it up over time and experiment bit by bit.
For more information log on to http://www.fuseinteriors.ie
To see Danielle's home click on Launch Gallery above.
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