Waterford-based interior designer, stylist and architect Kristine Hayes speaks to Niamh Devereux about how she transformed her semi-detached home into a haven
Hi Kristine! You describe your home as a ‘semi d with personality’ – it’s a great message to share with people that no matter how big or small their home is, it can be both beautiful and functional
We live in a very regular estate where every house looks the same from the outside, but they are each so different from the inside. We added a couple of minor tweaks to the original plan during the build, and we also installed an extra window. Those small tweaks doubled the space in our utility room without changing the actual floorspace, and with the extra window we avoided the typical dark middle room. Those small tweaks have made a huge difference to how the house feels and functions for our family. Size doesn’t matter; with careful consideration, any house can be made to function well for you/your family. Beautiful design that gives you joy is just as important, but function always comes first.
Where did your love for interiors come from?
Even when I was little, I loved moving the furniture in my room, always changing it up. In my head and just for fun, I’d always redesign every home I entered. I always knew I was creative, but it was only at the age of 28 that I realised design and styling could be my creative outlet. It only made sense to go and get a degree in interior design and architecture. I loved going back to college as a mature student. I divide my professional life between interior and event design. Only over the last five years or so I’ve gained confidence when playing with colour – my home has been the best playground to experiment!
We really love the biophilic design element in your home. Can you tell us more about this?
My love for plants also stems from my childhood and upbringing; my grandmothers both had plenty of house plants everywhere. My mum still has some huge asparagus ferns and cacti inherited from her grandmother. Plants just make everything better – they add interest and so much life to any space. I don’t think I could design without adding greenery.
Of course, paint is integral to creating atmosphere in a room. Can you tell us more about the shade used in your beautiful bedroom?
Paint is just so fun and so easy. I had initially painted my bedroom grey, but as my love for colour grew, grey just felt boring. I love the Bofin Fern green shade by Fleetwood. I sourced a rug and curtains to create a monochromatic calm and relaxing feel.
The shade in your sitting room is stunning. Can you tell us more about this colour and how you styled the room?
The Shadow Grey is my favourite of the Fleetwood Pantone collection. It’s the most beautiful dusky pink. I initially had it in the kitchen, but we had to renovate recently as the house got flooded, so I changed things up and moved this shade to the living room to complement the green velvet sofa. Green and pink is such a calm and beautiful colour combination. While our home feels really colourful, it’s also really calm, as the green and pink dominates and all the other colours are just accents. My daughter’s bedroom is painted the same shade.
What other Fleetwood paint combinations do you like?
I’m a huge fan of the entire Pantone collection. Every shade is just beautiful, and the quality is outstanding. Even for the most saturated shades, two coats are enough.
You say most dismiss a feature wall, but you’re a big fan of them – why should people consider having more in their homes?
Big and spacious self-builds can dismiss them all they like, but feature walls work so well in smaller homes. If you paint four walls in a bold colour in a small room, your home could easily start feeling dark and claustrophobic. A feature wall is the easiest way to add a statement and personality without the overwhelm.
For anyone moving into a new home, or attempting a renovation, what are your top three tips in approaching room design?
Find an interior item you love. It may be a painting, or a rug, or a sofa, or even a beautiful cushion. Use this to define the colour scheme for the rest of your home. Wall paint should come after, not first. Also: choose two shades that work well together, and use different variations of these from one room into another. All the walls in my home are various shades of green and pink, this makes your home design feel coherent and flow well.
You can follow Kristine on Instagram @kristinehayesinteriors. Fleetwood Prestige is exclusive to Vogue, Ventura and Pantone Colour Collections. Fleetwood also recently launched the new Popular Colours collection, which represents the latest trends and timeless classics, including 14 new colours for 2024. See fleetwood.ie for more information.
