Once Upon a Stable: A Mid-Century Modern Mews House in Dublin by Stephanie O’Sullivan.

Before cars, came horses. And before garages, came mews. At least, that was the order in the UK and Ireland. Originally characterised as a row of stables and carriage houses with living quarters above them, mews were typically built on cobblestone streets behind large urban dwellings, as accommodation for horses, coachmen and servants of Georgian and Victorian elites. Then, with the advent of motor vehicles, many were transformed into garages, before rising to become highly coveted, glitterati-worthy real estate (fun fact: Madonna lived in one).

When designer Stephanie O’Sullivan of her eponymous Dublin-based interior design firm received a renovation enquiry for such a house—a 60-square-metre, 1-bedroom digs situated in an upscale corner of Dublin—the brief was a curious one. “The home was quintessentially mews but the client had a midcentury modern interior wish list,” she remembers. Although the interior was cramped and dated, Stephanie saw potential. “It definitely had a distinct architectural appeal.”

Bolton Coach House in Dublin by Kingston Lafferty Design.

A study in balance and contrast between the rustic and the refined, the old and the new, the masculine and the feminine, this 200-year-old...

To balance the mews and mid-century modern, Stephanie introduced simple yet significant interventions. Out went the internal doors and in came arched transitions (downstairs). To create an indoor-outdoor connection, the living and dining areas were kept open-plan and all the windows in the foyer and kitchen were replaced with sliding bifold doors.

Likewise, the tumbledown stone fireplace between the living room and kitchen was eliminated to introduce a doorless opening (the new fireplace was built elsewhere). And upstairs, the primary suite was elongated to include a walk-in wardrobe and a double-entrance bathroom.

Queens Park House by Daytrip Studio.

Finding the building in a complete state of disrepair, this house in West London has been transformed a series of bedsits into a single family home...

In most cases, less space would have meant less storage. Not here. Stephanie upended the rulebook by carving out extra space everywhere, but especially in the kitchen. The underside of the stairs, for example, was turned into an arched storage nook, while a tiled island was added in the kitchen centre. As the home was compact, the designer decided to maintain a uniform Forbo Marmoleum flooring to project a sweeping effect.

Timber panelling is a leitmotif that recurs throughout the house: upstairs in the way of oak, downstairs as natural teak Formica. The warm tones serve as a fitting backdrop for the jewel-toned furniture in the foreground—a combination of the owners’ own pieces and mid-century novelties sourced from local dealers. “The mid-century mews interior design embraces the essence of the era, combining timeless elegance, functionality and a tiny touch of nostalgia,” Stephanie signs off.

White Rabbit House Extension in London by Gundry & Ducker.

The seemingly polite and restrained brick facade of this house doesn't hide the traditional Neo-Georgian home you would expect...

[Images courtesy of Stephanie O’Sullivan. Photography by Doreen Kilfeather.]