Elizabeth McEvoy has lived her life in a world that’s not built for her. As a small person, shops, restaurants and public buildings were never designed with her stature in mind. So when she finally bought her own apartment, she was determined to create a space made for her.
The archivist with the National Archives had been renting the apartment on Dublin’s Francis Street for 15 years before buying it from her landlord, so she knew what she wanted when it came to modifications.
When you are 3ft tall, reaching to turn off a tap, or lifting a pot from the hob, is infinitely more challenging than it is for someone of average height. She couldn’t use her apartment’s intercom system because it was out of reach and she had to use a stick to switch the lights on and off.
Her starting point was the HSE’s occupational therapy service. Occupational therapists (OTs) visited the apartment, drew up the specifications to match her needs and provided her with a list of builders.
RM Block
“The OTs were terrific and they provided the blueprint. They measured everything and drew up the spec to say, for example, the grab rail needs to be five centimetres from such and such and they drew up sketches of what it should look like,” she says.
She notes that home improvement grants are available for such projects, but they are means-tested and she wasn’t eligible for funding.
After consulting the HSE’s list of builders, she chose Kelly Bros from Rathfarnham and found them great to work with. Before they started work, she enlisted interiors consultant Niamh Mac Gowan for guidance with the furnishings and colour palette.
“She was terrific. From the moment the builders were going to take on the job, she was there. She put me in contact with providers and shops and businesses that I otherwise wouldn’t have known about,” McEvoy says.
The renovation was carried out over three months and has transformed her life, as well as her home. What was once a drab apartment with outdated furniture is now a warm and vibrant home that has been influenced by her extensive travels. “I suppose it has a kind of North African feel – the warm, deep orange on the walls and the maroon cabinetry. I wanted it to feel warm and cosy everywhere, so Niamh suggested brushed brass finishings for everything and she was right. So I’ve got brushed brass taps and brushed brass handles on self-closing doors.”
Because the apartment doesn’t get a lot of natural light, a mirror splashback behind the kitchen sink opens up a dark corner. The worktops have been lowered, so after years of using a step ladder daily, everything she needs is at her level. Occasionally used items are higher up but easily accessed by the many friends who call to her home.
“It’s been a real game changer,” she says. “The stepladder was fine when I was younger, but it just wasn’t sustainable and it was dangerous. Also, I wanted to future-proof it. Nobody knows what the future holds, but if my mobility continues to kind of stay on a general plateau, I should be able to get a good few decades out of it.”
She welcomed little touches from her consultant, such as the simple Zara curtains that she accessorised with a colourful braid. As far as possible, she bought from Irish suppliers – so while the Moroccan cushion covers were sourced online, the foam filling came from closer to home. The kitchen and cabinetry work was done by Higginbotham Furniture on the Malahide Road, while the tiles came from Delforno Tiles in Ballymount. Her interiors consultant also introduced her to Mullan Lighting in Monaghan, which supplied several light fittings. Her bed and bespoke armchair came from Woodside Furniture in Castletown Geoghegan, Co Westmeath.
Her archivist skills are obvious in her wardrobe, where clothes are stacked in neat rows. Everything is at her fingertips. “Because everything is accessible so quickly, it doesn’t take as long to get ready for work in the morning, because less energy is being expended.”
The green wall tiles and moody lighting bring a sense of tranquillity to the bathroom, while the low-profile bathroom furniture and accessible shower have greatly enhanced her life.
Mac Gowan says that while certain safety features, such as grab rails and a flip seat are needed, they shouldn’t dominate. “They have a job to do, but they don’t need to be white plastic,” the interiors consultant says. Her own father had a solid brass handle installed at his front door, proving that these safety features can be aesthetically pleasing while still doing their job.
McEvoy didn’t travel far for her sittingroom rug, choosing one from Oriental Rugs on Francis Street. “I was hesitant and the owner said: ‘We’ll put it down on the floor for you just to see will it work.’ The minute it was down, all my hesitation was gone. I’m finding new things in it every day. And I just love the idea that it was woven by people in rural Iran 50 years ago.”
Posters she bought on her travels from Argentina, the US and Denmark complement the colour palette and her wine collection now takes pride of place on display in her sittingroom and kitchen, instead of cluttering her bedroom floor.
“At the beginning, Niamh said: ‘When the project is finished I want you to look forward to coming home.’ And I really do,” McEvoy says. “I’m no longer standing on the stepladder. I’m no longer having to wrench taps on and off because I have a mixer and it’s at my level. I love cooking but in the past it was becoming more and more of an effort, and I wasn’t enjoying it. Even with all the prep, I’m still getting dinner made in about 15 minutes.”
When she embarked on this project, she didn’t know any other small person who had adapted their home like this. So what advice does she have for someone thinking of doing this?
“It is a little bit disconcerting to see your house torn apart and there was dust everywhere, so if you’re somebody who’s quite orderly maybe it is kind of discombobulating, but remember it’s for a huge, huge benefit.”
She advises leaning on people who offer to help. “I am exceptionally lucky with the family and friends who really put their shoulder to the wheel. They very kindly allowed me to couch surf and stay with them; they painted, measured, hung mirrors and brought me to showrooms and framers because I don’t drive.”
Mac Gowan says her aim with all projects is to make her clients’ lives better, but the difference the renovation brought to this particular client’s life was life-changing.
“She had to live with so many limitations and restrictions for so long. I think people put up with a lot, but it can affect your life in so many ways when your house is not functioning properly. When you have a beautiful home to come home to, no matter whatever else is going on in the world you will still feel cosseted and cosy or uplifted or calm,” she says.
She says the apartment is an expression of who McEvoy is. “When I talked to her I could see her face light up when we went to the edge of punchy, vibrant colours. It was a really happy project to work on. When you come up the corridor and arrive at her door you are in a different world – you are in Elizabeth’s world.”
Biggest win:
“Just being able to do ordinary things that other people take for granted,” McEvoy says. “I still get a childish kick out of being able to turn things on so easily.”
Biggest regret:
“This isn’t something that I can change, but I would love to have a bigger balcony to put flowers on. The nearest thing I have is my little lemon tree, which I’ve managed not to kill, but I’m not going to have a crop of lemons for my gin and tonic just yet.”
