DesignSolutions: Problem: When interior designer Philippa Buckley was called in to renovate a late 19th century house in Dublin 6, one of the spaces that needed most work was a multi-purpose room beside the kitchen: long and narrow, it held a small shower, toilet and a boiler in one corner.

A row of fitted presses acted as a closet for coats and also held utility room things, like the washing machine and ironing board. But there wasn't much space to do anything efficiently and it was dark and gloomy with a terracotta floor, presses painted navy and poor lighting. "The client wanted to keep the same elements but redesign the room so that it would work better and be a lot more pleasing to the eye," says Philippa.

Solution: First off there were a few practical things to do. The central heating boiler was moved to an outhouse, an expensive job but worth it because the result was a regular-sized room. The toilet and sink positions were switched around and it was decided to sacrifice a little storage space to create a larger shower. "It now has a wet room feel with a glass panel rather than an enclosure and an open drying area you walk straight into."

A little water may sprinkle outside the shower, but not much. The rose fitting is by Hannsa from H20 Pumps in Kilternan, Co Wicklow and the walls of the shower - as well as the floor - are clad in silk stone, supplied by Antica. "To make the space lighter, it was important to keep the colour neutral," says Philippa. "Natural stone does this but is warm at the same time. The slabs on the floor are laid in brick format because it's in keeping with the style of the house."

The stone basin is also from Antica, as is the mirror over it. Philippa used a tiler from Alliance Property Maintenance, a company she works with on most projects. "They do complete renovations - building work, electrics, plumbing, tiling and carpentry. . . and they're hassle-free." The lighting in the room was changed to small chrome spots above the shower. One of Philippa's bathroom rules is to always put lights on a dimmer switch because "at night, or if you're sick, it's better not to have a full glare".

The walls were painted a similar colour to the stone so both would blend with new cream presses put together to match those in the nearby kitchen. They are made from moisture-resistant MDF.

Behind the doors are specially designed nooks for a washing machine, ironing board and coats. Everything is still in the room (bar the boiler) and "the room now works in a light, modern, contemporary way".

Philippa Buckley

01 2964208/087 9898440 www.studio44.ie

Antica, Churchtown

01 2960136

Alliance Property Maintenance

01 401 3970 www.alliancemaintenance.ie