Project Description

Modern Form Kitchens were delighted to be chosen to renovate this 200 year old lodge in Deans Grange Dublin adding a in frame kitchen painted in brilliant white with Dekton worktops. The building was in decent shape when we started but the owners wanted to refurbish and renovate. They wanted someone who could deliver on their vision and project manage a complex job. MFK did an online consultation and a couple of site visits before agreeing the programme of renovations and refurbishment. COVID was another factor to bear in mind but MFK managed to complete the job on time and on budget.

We renovated each room from top to bottom. We started downstairs in the bedrooms after our tiler had laid the travertine tiles over the under floor heating. We installed the large fitted wardrobes with handle less white doors in each of the three bedrooms – the owners liked the simple lines – and we filled in the top of the wardrobe to stop dust collecting there and to meet that aesthetic. We agreed a combination of hanging space, drawers and shelves for each wardrobe.

The owners thought that one of the downstairs rooms would work well as a playroom or den for their children. We worked out a combination of presses and shelves that would be interesting to look at and decided on a bold colour scheme to bring a sense of fun. We also combined lift up and side opening doors along with corner units to maximise storage.

In the downstairs hallway, the owners had bookcases but we came up with an improved solution, installing 7mx2.4m floor to ceiling bookshelves, incorporating shelves over the doorways and curved smaller shelves in awkward spaces to maximise storage while preserving the width of the hallway.

Under the stairs, in consultation with the owners, we installed a combination of wardrobe and pull-out drawers as well as a neat desk area, which works sitting down as well as standing up, for the new normal of working from home.

Finally, we reconfigured the laundry area, stacking the washing machine and dryer and installing shelving. This was a bit of a challenge because of the narrow area but MFK managed to deliver what the owners wanted.

Upstairs was a different challenge because of the higher ceilings and the period features of the house are more in evidence. The owners saw MFK’s scaffold shelves projects and used that as inspiration for fitted shelving units in their reception rooms and a home bar and wine rack in their dining room. We stained them dark oak and chocolate brown and with the bold wall colours, they make quite a statement.

The owners had a back porch which they wanted remodelled. They saw our space saving bathroom solution and thought it might work as part a cloakroom with fitted storage units. MFK came up with the goods including full height storage with top box units, 2.5 meters of coat racks and a scaffold wood bench with drawers for more storage. There are also a tall in frame units with more drawers and shelves inside painted a custom blue colour. The space saving toilet was immeasurably enhanced with a new sliding barn style door which we salvaged from the building to restore it.

We left the in frame kitchen until last. We advised the owners that for their vision, an in frame kitchen would be best, and we delivered on that as well as three 2.8m open shelves, together with recessed lighting. The owners wanted to take advantage of the high ceilings so MFK came up with “the monolith”, with an integrated larder, integrated tall fridge and freezer and with storage above. We including cornicing on the units and over the range to match with the cornicing in the room and fitted an electric/gas range, a Belfast sink, dishwasher and pull out bins. The in frame kitchen was painted in brilliant white.

The floor tiles were handmade by a craftsman in Tipperary and they bring a rustic note which contrasts nicely with the modern looking units and the Dekton worktop by Miller Brothers.

As part of the job, we also found the time to dismantle an outdoor shed and recycle into a firewood store, tool store and a neat storage solution slotted into an outdoor alcove for the owners.

We really enjoyed the job; it took some time, but MFK delivered on every aspect and the owners are really happy with the result.