Boldly go

Maura McLaughlin’s once magnolia Dublin abode is now a daring riot of colour and pattern that is pure joy

- Claudia Baillie

It didn’t’ really need any work, which is why everyone thought I was crazy,’ laughs Maura McLaughlin as she describes how she decided to bathe her new home in vivid colour. The Victorian semi had been rented out for about 10 years, then decorated to sell, so the walls were magnolia, the floors were cream and the kitchen was plain white. ‘It was all fine,’ says Maura, ‘but after years of looking for the right property it wasn’t quite what I was after in the way of a home from a decorative point of view. After such a long wait, I wanted to make sure I created a house I really loved.’