This week, Catriona Doherty from Northern Woman magazine visits the home of Elaine & Gavin Doherty to find out more about how they turned their dreams into reality. When Elaine embarked on a journey to design and build her own home, along with partner Kevin McCrory, little did she know it would inspire a newfound passion for interior design and home décor.
Elaine and Gavin began their self-build project, located midway between Omagh and Cookstown, more than five years ago and the couple moved into their dream home last August. “We wanted to do as much as possible ourselves,” Elaine begins, “so we took our time”.
Rather than sticking to a set style or theme, Elaine prefers to choose décor that she is drawn towards, before putting her own stamp on it. The end result is a chic, modern, incredibly stylish home that’s unique to the couple.
Muted blues with copper accents
The bathroom is Elaine’s favourite room in the house, she says: “I have gone quite bold with the colours in the bathroom. I also really love my living and kitchen space; whilst it’s open plan there are lots of different areas within it which can be used for different purposes.”
Elaine took Northern Woman on a tour of her home, sharing information on the design elements throughout.
A dream in granite and grey
“I am obsessed with grey so I opted for a dark grey kitchen that I designed myself, picking bits and pieces I liked from other kitchens before putting them all together. It’s from Hollywood Furnishings. I have large gothic windows in my kitchen and a snug area off it, which let in a lot of natural light and sunshine throughout the day, making the space bright, warm and homely.”
“Chillier nights are upon us, so we light our stove every night and have a stock of logs close by. My stag sits by them, I bought this for Christmas when I moved in last year, and it has remained there since.”
Open-plan opulence
“This area is part of the open plan from my kitchen and snug. I always loved the idea of ‘open plan’ as you feel you always have company, and it works so well when you are entertaining. The spiral staircase leads to a gallery that overlooks the kitchen. My dining set is from Mc Crystals Fine Furnishings and it is so comfy. I wanted to differentiate this end of the room so I opted for a geo-style wallpaper to give it its own character.”
Silent nights in a serene interior
The finishing touches
“My father designed and built my shower, so that makes it a special piece in my house. He is very talented with his hands.”
“Having a full room as my dressing room, is so practical. I liked the idea of open-style railing so you can see your clothes. I got the idea of the copper railing from Pinterest, and my father’s creativity was at work once again.”
“Finally, this is a new addition. I just love it as I think it really complements my paper with the geo-style base and copper colour. I picked this up in M Crystals Fine Furnishings.”
Each month we feature the best interiors from Northern Woman and this month was no exception. Head over to our Facebook page for the latest interior trends and properties in Northern Ireland. Read more about Elaine’s new build journey on her blog Elaine’s Roves ‘N Troves, visit: www.elainesrovesntroves.com, or look up elainesrovesntroves on Facebook or Instagram.
