The Interiors Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome back to another episode of The Interiors Podcast. Today, host Tanya Neufeld Flanagan had the pleasure of interviewing Shay Lally, QS and founder of Houses To Restore. Shay and Tanya got to discuss renovations and how to work around the challenges of the budgeting when you're considering buying a property. He also gives us an insight of how is Instagram came about, and where his passion for renovation began.

Houses To Restore originally started as an Instagram account that highlighted properties on the market and gave ideas on how a QS would restore each property, sharing budget and ideas. With the success of the account since the pandemic and property boom, Shay moved into consulting services and now offers a full design and build model with the company working with architects, engineers, interior designers and sub-contractors. 

Shay and Tanya discuss how tricky Dublin renovations can be to estimate when you're considering a property or have already bought. Shay and Tanya walk through his entire process in helping a client with a renovation from seeing a property that's on a market to initial costing plans all the way through to project managing an extension or refurb.

Shay discusses the range of costs homeowners can expect depending on the type of property and access and whether kitchens, bathrooms or windows are being updated. They also dive into the cost of an extension and some other "hidden" costs like VAT and professional fees people may not consider until it is too late in the process.

There are a lot of issues that can pop up when purchasing and renovating a home, and Shay emphasizes the importance of seeking out guidance and having a good architect and team working on a space, as well as having a QS to evaluate all aspects of the renovation process. Shay goes into detail about cost plans and how the owner can tweak their renovation and budget to suit their lifestyle needs.

Join us next time for more insights and stories from the world of renovation and interior design. Don't forget to subscribe and share this episode. Until then, keep creating spaces that reflect you and your lifestyle. 

Resources 

You can learn more about Shay Lally and Houses To Restore on their website: https://www.housestorestore.ie/

Follow Shay on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/houses_to_restore

Welcome back to The Interiors Podcast. In this episode, host interior designer Tanya Neufeld Flanagan discusses inspiration, aspiration, and Irish design with IMAGE Interiors magazine editor Megan Burns. We dive behind the scenes of this iconic biannual magazine and what makes it so special and influential in the Irish interiors scene.

The IMAGE Interiors ethos is to highlight the best of Irish design and craft. Megan Burns, who has recently taken over as editor, explains that 'trends' are less of a major focus, but rather showcasing themes, artisans and homes that tell a story and enlighten the viewer. 

We discuss how Irish design is evolving and how every reader can bring something that they see in the magazine into their own spaces. True to their more editorial and curated aesthetic, IMAGE Interiors make an effort to put forth unique interiors homes in every issue. Megan emphasizes that it is important for people to do what THEY want in their homes, rather than adhering themselves to what they think is appropriate in their homes. She encourages viewers to proceed with less caution in approaching how they want their spaces to look.

IMAGE Interiors features many different projects, designers, architects, and focus on the sustainability of the designs being shown - every issue feels timeless and like it could sit on your coffee table without aging out. Megan and Tanya discuss how even though the magazine can include many seemingly complicated designs, it is still focused on making sure that anyone can read and enjoy. IMAGE Interiors seeks to inspire the viewer to think about their own style in an authentic and courageous way, no matter where they are living. 

Join us next time for more insights and inspiring stories from the world of interior design. Don't forget to subscribe and share this episode. Until then, keep creating spaces that reflect you and your lifestyle.

Resources

You can learn more about IMAGE and the IMAGE interiors magazine on their website - https://www.image.ie/

Find them on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/image_interiors/

Follow Megan - https://www.instagram.com/megan_burns___/

In Episode 21 of the Interiors Podcast, we are joined by Danny and Anna from Dogwood Designs, a specialist joinery business based in Westport, County Mayo. 

Dogwood Designs specialize in custom made kitchens and bathroom vanities, primarily using birch ply and hardwoods. They have a contemporary and sleek style, with no hardware, influenced by their backgrounds in both Ireland and Australia. This episode explains the role of a specialist joiner, such as themselves, and how they can help customers with design and fitting.

We walk through the difference between a carpenter and a joiner and the importance of contacting a kitchen designer early on in a project. This episode also sets out where homeowners can potentially save money, such as having their builder fit the joinery, and provides insights into joinery aesthetics, functionality, durability, and sustainability

This episode will provide you with an abundance of helpful tips and education on joinery if you are looking to invest in your home right now or in the future. 

Custom joinery specialists like Dogwood Designs are essential for creating unique, functional, and beautiful spaces. With their attention to detail and expertise, they are able to craft custom joinery products that meet the needs and desires of their customers, and designs that will last for so many years. 

This episode really is a 101 of all things joinery, which I know you will love!

Resources:

Website: Dog Wood Joinery https://www.dogwooddesigns.ie/

Instagram: @westport.dogwood

Episode 20 of the Interiors Podcast is a very special episode.

Today I am sharing the story of my own home which we are delighted to say was featured on RTE's Home of the Year 2023 competition.

Before finding this home myself and my husband had been living in rentals, and we were always keeping our eyes open for potential homes to buy. We knew the areas we wanted to live around and after a looking at a few houses we found our current home which was for sale, we decided to have a look inside and we knew right away that this was for us.

I am sharing my experiences of how we got the absolutely best from our spaces, how we incorporated our love for our surroundings, and how we brought our family history into our home.

Our home was my first project in my journey into interiors, and I have thoroughly loved every moment. We really do hope that you enjoy the episode of Home of the Year.

Watch the episode

Resources

Home of the Year Episode - WATCH NOW

Follow me on Instragram @tanyaneufeldflanagan

Follow the Interiors Podcast on Instagram @theinteriorspodcast

In this episode of the Interiors Podcast, Rob Hennessey joins us on the show to discuss his renovation project on a Victorian terraced house overlooking the River Lee. Rob was the subject of season three episode one of The Great House Revival.

Rob took on this project with a limited budget and no prior experience of construction work. He did have the support of his father, who's been in the construction industry for years. 

Rob talks about how himself and his partner Katie moved into a freezing cold construction site, how the house originally had no heating, just fireplaces, and how he was drawn to the house for its character and breath-taking views of the harbour.

Yet again, as with so many other renovation episodes of the Interiors Podcast, Rob tells us about the importance of enlisting the support and services of experts, understanding what you can easily do yourself to save money and what expertise must be brought onto a project.

In this episode we speak about all the DIY aspects of the renovation and how Rob managed to keep on top of his budget, and he shares some valuable tips to managing a tight budget.

Rob's story is truly inspirational, a journey of one man who found a spectacular house that needed so much love and attention, but didn't let that stop him going after his dream home.

You can follow Rob on Instagram @victorian_renovation_glenbrook. On this page Rob shares so many of his learnings, and this will help anybody who is thinking about taking on a renovation project.

I hope this episode will inspire you to not allow the scale of a project put you off the home of your dreams.

RESOURCES:

Follow Rob on Instagram - @victorian_renovation_glenbrook

Sola Energy Solutions - https://sola.ie/

Kingspan - https://www.kingspan.com/ie

Savvy Kitchens - http://www.savvykitchens.ie/

Serpentine Interiors - https://www.serpentineinteriors.ie/

Paint colours mentioned are from Farrow & Ball -https://www.farrow-ball.com/

A lesson in DIY design and renovation in today's episode of The Interiors Podcast. We are speaking with Vivian McKendry of @the.project.home.

Vivian moved to Ireland with her husband from Hong Kong. Before leaving Hong Kong, she worked in the construction sector as a project manager, where she was exposed to the creative side of interiors and managing projects for hotels, clubs and offices. This role really leads nicely into the DIY renovation journey Vivian found herself taking here in Ireland.

Vivian also runs her own business, One More Thing, that specialises in unique interior pieces along with some stunning dried and preserved flowers bouquets and decorations. So, she really does have a creative flair and an eye for beautiful design.

Vivian and her husband's first home after moving back to Ireland was an 1980's constructed small home in Dublin. But the size did not restrict Vivian's design flair and eye for detail, as she made use of every space to ensure her home was not only beautiful but also liveable.

After a few years in this home and Vivian's e-commerce business taking off, they soon outgrew this small space, so began the hunt for their next place to call their own. The size home they knew they needed was just not affordable in Dublin for them at that time, but because COVID was changing people's ideas of working locations, they realised that they didn't need to be held to living in Dublin, and that they could cast their net even further, so began to look around Dublin's border counties. A trip to The Curragh, in Co Kildare, showed them exactly where they wanted their next home to be.  

After a false start, they finally found their home.  It was quite a big step up from their 80sqm home in Dublin, this new property was a 5 bedroom 300sqm house, but this didn't phase them at all. 

In this episode, Vivian tells her all about how her project management skills allowed her to design and plan her new beautiful home, what services and trades they employed, and what jobs they took on themselves.

This episode is such an interesting story about what is possible and what is available for the work of a DIYER. We talk about the importance of understanding what you want for your home and then finding suppliers and experts that can execute that dream, and how key it is to have good relationships with those suppliers and experts.

Even if you are not about to take on a huge renovation journey like Vivian and her husband did, this episode will inspire you to dream about what is possible in your own space. 

Resources:

Follow Vivian and her renovation journey on Instagram:  The Project Home by Vivian @the.project.home

Vivian's interiors business:  One More Thing - https://onemorething.ie/

Floor planning: https://floorplanner.com/

Kitchen design: Peter Bourke, The Kitchen Shop - @tksdesigns_thekitchenshop

Builder: Peter Doyle from Bridgefield Construction Ltd

Wood experts: http://www.woodworkers.ie/

Windows: Vindr VS Windows - https://vindrvs.com/

Tiles: Tile Merchant - https://www.tilemerchant.ie/ / Floor tiles @tilestyle / Zellige tiles @tile.expert

Marble dining table: @westelmuk

We are changing up our episode style slightly for season two. Each month I will bring you a guest expert episode but also, we will have a shorter focus burst episode, where I will bring you topics and insights on how you design your space with ease.

When I speak with friends and family or clients, I find that so many are unsure about what their style is, people get confused if what they like and don't like doesn't fit into one style box.

I want to guide you to find your own interior style, with a story. Understanding your story will allow you to have design your space more simply. It will also enable you to bring together pieces that you already own with new purchases to ensure there is cohesiveness and harmony within your space. 

Understanding and really delving deep into what you like and what you don't like, what fits with your lifestyle, and what marries well with the style of home that you will be living in and the surroundings, will really help stop you being sucked into different trends. For most people, when they are thinking about renovation or making some changes in their home they jump head first into Pinterest and start pinning everything that they love the look of. And whilst this can be helpful, it can also mean that we start trying to recreate somebody else's look or style. And more often than not this look that you are trying to recreate has been created by an interior designer with large budgets and possibly years of experience. So it can be unrealistic.

In this episode, I am going to guide you through what you need to understand to create that story, your narrative. Following these steps will make sure that you don't fall down that Pinterest rabbit hole, it will mean that you will be able to design your full home or even a space within your home with complete ease and confidence, armed with the knowledge and understanding of what works for you, your family and your lifestyle.

I hope you really enjoy this episode, it is my goal to make design a little less daunting or challenging.

Reach out to me on Instagram @theinteriorspodcast and let me know what you thought.

Also, please leave us a testimonial / review on whatever platform you are listening so that we can reach more home owners to give them our support too. And make sure you follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode.

This is our first guest episode of season two of The Interiors Podcast.

I am excited to bring you this episode with Jenny Butler of Jennifer Anne Interiors.

Jennifer has many years of experience within the interiors industry, most notably seven years spent at architecture firm Henry J Lyons where she worked in hospitality and other commercial spaces before going out on her own recently.

This episode is perfect for anybody who is looking at taking on a renovation project, or updating their home to make it more functional whilst keeping their style and comfort.

I speak with Jenny about how her parents' decision to embark on an Edwardian house project when she was a child sparked a love for interiors.  How her journey through this industry has taken her from working on huge  commercial projects in hotels and office spaces to where she is today, running her own residential design firm Jennifer Anne Interiors.

Jenny has also embarked on a project to renovate a small cottage for herself and her husband to live in. This was not a project for the faint hearted as the walls were literally crumbling away in theirs hands. 

Jenny shares with us so many amazing hints and tips on how to create a space that you can use. The importance of understanding your lifestyle and how you move around a space before you make those design decisions. And how you can keep your budget in check and still not compromise those style elements of your design.

We also talk about the mistakes people fall into when making decisions about the layout of their home and the items that they are choosing to purchase to furnish their home, like sofas and kitchens etc. 

This episode is jam packed with so many valuable tips for anybody who is planning, already started or just toying with the idea of a new renovation project or updating their current home.

Enjoy the episode

Don't miss another episode, make sure you follow the show

And please, if you enjoyed this episode and the show, leave us a review on whatever platform you are listening in on, and please share the show with your friends and family.

Resources

Follow Jenny on Instagram @jenniferanneinteriors

https://www.jenniferanneinteriors.com/

From floors to ceilings, curtains to cushions, architects to interior designers. What a first year for the Interiors Podcast. We have reached the end of season 1, and it has been so amazing to hear from the most inspirational homeowners and industry experts with years of experience and knowledge. We have spoken about building and renovating, choosing paint, deciding when to invest in professional support, the ups and downs of all aspects of renovations and everything in between. 

In this episode I recap on all the highlights of our first season together. If you would like to listen back to any of those episodes you can easily find them via the link below, there are some invaluable episodes in there if you are ready to take on a home renovation, build your own home or are simply looking for ways to refresh and elevate your current home.

LISTEN BACK TO THE INTERIORS PODCAST

Make sure you are following us over on Instagram so that you don't miss another episode, you can find us @theinteriorspodcast.

We are very excited for season 2, packed full of more advice, hints and tips. Bringing you homeowners who have walked this path before you and industry experts imparting their years of knowledge, all in one place.  This is the ultimate podcast for the home diy'er, the renovator, or anybody who is thinking about building their own dream space

We are looking for guests for season 2, so if you know anybody who our listeners would love to hear about their story, please let us know, you can DM us directly. 

Thank you for listening to our wonderful podcast.  See you in Season 2.

Resources

Listen back to any episodes - CLICK HERE

Instagram - @theinteriordspodcast

Website - www.tanyaneufeld.com

Ireland's best kept secret

In today's episode, Harry Maharaj from Kilkenny Architectural Salvage talks us through the misconceptions people have around salvage yards and how there are some hidden gems to be found.

Salvage yards are an eclectic mix of items. And as Ireland's largest salvage yard, sitting on 90,000 sq feet, Kilkenny Architectural Salvage is the ultimate of eclectic mixes. From old pub signs, to stone water features, sash windows to solid timber floors. An hour spent wandering around here could send you home with such unique pieces and treasures to add to your home.

Kilkenny Architectural Salvage is a family run business which is located on the north side of Kilkenny, it was once an old woolen mills built in the 1800's. The yard is run by Harry, his two brothers and their dad. Harry's Dad, Robin, set up the business over 20 years ago after returning from the UK and seeing that there was a need for salvage and repurposing items in Ireland. The Yard provides a happy hunting ground for anybody who is looking to undertake a home renovation, building a new property or simply looking to find that unique gift for somebody special.

We speak about sustainability and how now more than ever this is so important. The salvage yard will allow you to acquire a stunning piece while doing your bit for the environment.

If you are renovating your home, thinking of making some changes, building your dream home or anywhere between this episode is full of ideas, and tips on how you can make your money go even further whilst achieving that high quality look. Even if you are not planning any work at home, it is an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon in Kilkenny.

Resources

You can find them on Instagram: @kilkennyarchitecturalsalvage

Website: https://www.eurosalve.com/