Tour this fantasy Irish bolthole in a rural turreted castle, previously home to famous musicians and iconic poets

As a child growing up in Limerick in the 1990s, a high point of Suzie Mc Adam’s Christmas break was an annual trip to the theater. As the lights dimmed, her attention settled on the sets. It was the paneled ballrooms with moonlight falling in bars, a fulsomely curved staircase, and the glitter of an overscaled chandelier that fascinated her.

She credits the reason she went on to become an expert in house design and the creative force behind her eponymous design studio Suzie Mc Adam to these formative experiences. It was in the theater, sunk into her velvet seat, that Suzie learned how interiors have the power, as she says, ‘to transport us... and make everyday life more romantic’.

The owners of this rural Irish bolthole would agree. Set on the grounds of a turreted castle near Dublin, the building began life as a barn on a ‘model’ Victorian farm – built as a spick and span ideal of agrarian architecture - before it was converted into a home in the 1990s.

The current owners, who live in America, bought it before lockdown as a second home base for European ramblings. They commissioned leading architect Coli O’Donoghue of DMOD Architects to gently update the two-story layout while restoring original details like the pigeon-grey stonework and rosy-brick door frames.

Suzie’s brief for the home was more fluid. ‘My clients were open to ideas. Their main home is contemporary, so they wanted this to feel like a bit of escapism. Their real interest is in art – and objects. They appreciate different eras. I had the freedom to be playful, which felt liberating.’

Not that the architecture was without its practical challenges. ‘It’s a long rectangle, with narrow rooms, some of them quite small. I had to find ways of giving each one a focal point and character,’ says Suzie.

In the main sitting room, once used for grain storage, the last owners had installed the carved wooden gallery, salvaged from a nunnery. To ‘anchor’ the lofty space, which soars to 10 meters in height, Suzie swapped the nondescript gas fire below for a carved antique fireplace surround that lends itself to fragrant wreaths, dangling stockings, and similarly seasonal trimmings.

A new set of bookshelves above draws the eye upwards. Antiques, mainly Irish or French, are central to Suzie’s aesthetic. ‘Irish vernacular furniture and Georgian [designs] have a refined elegance I adore, the rich palette of the mahogany sits so well against the stone. For more exuberance, I lean on French pieces.’

In the kitchen, the gingham-wrapped dining nook, lit by a low hanging pendant, is her clients’ favorite space – ‘in wet, windy Ireland you need a cozy corner’. A slab of striking ‘Irish green’ Connemara marble echoes the tones of the new joinery. ‘When I’m choosing marble, I gravitate towards pieces with imperfections. It’s more interesting.’

Over the decades, the barn’s bucolic setting has been a draw for musicians and poets who have lived on the estate. The decoration, threaded through with references to nature, echoes that. In particular, in the main sitting room, a specially commissioned bronze-leaf chandelier throws a pale glow – like walking through a forest at twilight.

Suzie’s ‘open-ended’ brief also stretched to the first floor. ‘The house is for guests: the idea was to make each room feel different so they can choose the one they like.’

Compared with the grand scale of downstairs, the modest proportions might have been the cue for restrained schemes, but Suzie did the opposite, layering fabric and pattern as a foil to the rustic, exposed stone. Even the smallest one has an inviting four poster, canopied in marigold silk.

In the main bedroom, a bespoke bed was positioned for orchard views, and a bespoke rug was scattered with wildflower motifs, coaxing nature inside. Elsewhere, a specialist painter perched on a ladder to conjure a woodland scene of barn owls flitting through a canopy of foliage.

Gazing up at the painted vista, guests are ‘transported to another, magical world’ – like the make-believe stage sets of Suzie’s childhood.

Meet the designer

Designer Suzie Mc Adam shares her style inspiration

BIGGEST INDULGENCE
The monumental Magnolia pendant by Cox London. The scale of the room allowed for the commissioning of this piece.

GREATEST SUCCESS
The nook in the kitchen. I love the antique staircase that ends on the wall.

INSPIRATION
I’m very drawn to the Irish landscape. My best designs happen when I’ve digested a thought, and it becomes a formed idea. This is normally while swimming in the Irish Sea or hiking in the mountains.

DESIGN HERO
Jean-Philippe Demeyer. I love his playfulness and avant-garde approach.

AN INDULGENCE YOU WOULD NEVER FORGO
I do indulge in art. I adore those moments when I feel my heart rate going up and know I need to figure out how to acquire a piece.

FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS DECORATION
I started to keep all of my fabric scraps from design projects and use them to make Christmas stockings as gifts.