Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
ENTREPRENEUR AND FOUNDER of beauty tech startup Frekkel, Marah Curtin tasked Dublin-based design house Róisín Lafferty with help to turn a dilapidated Georgian property into an opulent and sophisticated family home. Located on a desirable Georgian square in Dublin, the building was previously broken up into flats but retained many original details which have been restored to their former glory. Here Marah speaks to Ruth O’Connor about her love of bold design and the joy of living in her stunning family home.
“My favourite room has to be the kitchen – even though I don’t like cooking!” says tech entrepreneur Marah Curtin. “It’s the heart of our home because it’s where everyone naturally gathers. I’m an ambivert, so I can be quite introverted in some settings, but the kitchen is where the extrovert in me comes alive. The things that have been said around that dinner table!..”
“It’s south-facing, so it gets tons of sunshine and there’s a real warmth to it and not just in how it looks, but in how it feels. I love how the space lends itself to connection – it’s open, bright and ideal for a heart-to-heart or a spontaneous get together… even if the dinner’s coming from Deliveroo.”
It’s clear that Marah simply loves the home which the family has lived in for the past three years – describing it as beautiful, comforting, safe and completely theirs – “minus the bank loan”.
“I’m genuinely grateful for this house every single day. It’s more than beautiful – it’s full of love, mess, memories and so much life. One of the biggest joys has been the neighbourhood. My son Sean’s two best friends live just a couple of doors down and many of his school friends are nearby too. I love living on the square. It feels that bit safer knowing we’re all looking out for each other and that everyone knows each other well enough to stop and say hello.”
Located on the middle floor of the house, the family kitchen is quite literally at the heart of the home. “Most kitchens sit at the back or down in the basement, but we flipped the layout to reflect how we actually live. The kitchen flows into the living room, which opens onto a balcony with stairs to the back garden, so it’s the ultimate indoor-outdoor living space,” she says.
“We’ve preserved the elegance of the house while reshaping it for real life – we want to use and enjoy every part of the home, not keep the ‘best’ rooms for guests or special occasions. The kitchen is where we spend the most time as a family, so it made sense to put it front and centre.”
Employing the skills of Róisín Lafferty and her team was a no-brainer for Marah. “We knew from the outset that we needed a designer who could run with it. Between busy careers and kids, we weren’t in a position to be hands-on,” she says.
“A good friend, who really knows the industry, had been telling me about Róisín for at least a year before we bought the house. Once I looked at Róisín’s work I instantly got it – her designs are bold, beautiful and really smart. There’s very little she’s done that I don’t love but what stood out also was her approach – she’s creative, collaborative and makes the process feel effortless.”
“We were busy with work and kids and I knew we needed someone we could trust to just ‘get it’ and she did. She really listened and we were consulted at every step but we didn’t have to micromanage anything making it a dream collaboration.”
Róisín Lafferty’s fearless use of colour is everywhere in this home where a base of sophisticated neutrality is layered with rich colour and overscaled sculptural elements. Light fittings play a large part in harmonising the journey throughout the home with large scale, mid-century light fitting leading from area to area throughout the house. High gloss lacquer is juxtaposed against putty-toned walls, while rich ebony-stained floors and contrasting curves add femininity and softness to the otherwise masculine structure of these classic rooms.
“I love the big and the bold. Oversized statement lighting features heavily throughout the house and Róisín’s use of colour abounds in a way that somehow feels both confident and completely natural,” says Marah. “There’s a softness too in the curves and shapes that balances everything out. It’s beautiful but not in a way that feels precious. It still feels like home. That’s more than enough for me.”
Not one to shy away from colour or from mixing and matching different styles and eras Marah says that she loved the tension and energy such juxtapositions bring to her home. “I love contrast – modern against traditional, bold colour against soft neutrals… One of my favourite pieces is our Ligne Roset Ploum high back sofa. It’s sculptural and inviting and it brings a softness that balances the more formal features of the living room.” A fan of Irish art, she cites artists Declan Greene as a particular favourite: “He is incredibly talented and a genuinely lovely person which makes his work all the more special.”
Despite her love of art and design, when I ask Marah what her most loved item is in her home, she quickly responds that it’s her family, not the stuff in her home that is most precious. “The house could be half the size or twice as messy and I’d still love it if my family were in it. Everything else is just stuff – beautiful stuff yes but still just stuff.”
While most of us might be precious about the stunning items and finishes to be found throughout the home, Marah says that it nonetheless functions perfectly well for children – in part thanks to lots of space, a great layout and clever storage.
“Finnegan (20) lives in the US now, so when he’s home it’s extra busy in a lovely way. Seán Rua (8) has a playdate nearly every day and the basement is where all the fun happens. It’s big enough for the kids to run wild and opens straight out to the back garden which turns into a football pitch most afternoons. We also made really clever use of joinery by O’Gorman Joinery throughout the house which means we can hide away all the stuff that comes with kids. Kennedy (3) has her toy kitchen, doll house and umpteen baby dolls and Rua has his footballs and Nerf guns. It’s a lot of stuff so being able to tuck it all away makes a huge difference.”
Building a new business, having a dedicated office space has really paid dividends: “Once the school run is done, and the house is quiet, I shift into work mode. I’m building a beauty tech startup called Frekkel designed to simplify skincare and my days are full-on so I need a space where I can really focus,” says Marah. “The office is just off the front hallway, around the corner from the kitchen with a lovely view of the back garden. It feels calm and a little tucked away which helps me to get in the zone. It’s where I get things done – at least until the kids come crashing back in.”
And that’s it in a nutshell. This stunning home is an exquisite blend of the past and present, the classic and the contemporary, the understated and the statement-making, but it’s also a family home ringing with the hum of playdates, soccer matches and the occasional Nerf war.
“Our home is busy, noisy and full-on, especially at the weekend and when the kids are home from school. That balance between past and present, chaos and calm, style and substance feels like a mirror of how I try to live,” says Marah. “Not perfectly, but with a lot of intention and a bit of humour – grounded but always looking forward.”
Find out more about Frekkel at frekkel.com.
Project Details:
Interior Designers: roisinlafferty.com
Architect: danielcoylearchitects.ie
Stone: leinsterstone.ie
Joinery: ogormanjoinery.ie
have your say