Imagine relaxing on your sofa in your own piece of history. Formerly a Church of Ireland chapel in Kiltullagh near Loughrea, this famous local landmark was built in 1808 and 200 years later it was given a new lease of life. It was deconsecrated in 1920 and had been used as an Irish Army billet, dancehall, sports hall, and workshop. The one of a kind renovation project has been picked by The Sunday Times home edition and Upstairs Downstairs magazine for their covers. This is a massive achievement for La Maison Chic.
Prior to being bought by the current owners in 2005 it had fallen into a state of disrepair and required a complete restoration, pictures of which can be seen on the Former Glory website at www.formerglory.ie Planning permission was obtained in 2006 and the former church, with the help of La Maison Chic, is now a very comfortable home in the Galway countryside.
The brief from this young couple to Laurent Billiet of La Maison Chic interior design was to create trendy interiors while not cluttering the space, and maintain the perfect volumes of the rooms. Painted mostly white to keep the church feel, some bold splashes of colour liven up the space without cluttering. The finish of this home is heaven for anyone renovating a period building as the owners travelled all around Ireland to source architectural features or reproduce some of the damaged ones such as windows and fireplaces.
For more pictures and full article, grab a copy of Upstairs Downstairs magazine, February-March 09 edition.
