Houzz Tour: Comic Book Prints and Vintage Decor Punch Up a Dublin Home

Siobhan Lam and her partner, Jaime Hughes, hadn’t planned on tackling a restoration project, but when they came across a dilapidated gem built in 1890 on the tree-lined Grand Canal in Dublin, Ireland, they knew it had the potential to be their lifetime home. So they moved in and with plenty of dedication, elbow grease and help from friends and family, turned the network of tiny, dark apartments into a bright, stylish home furnished with vintage finds from Lam’s online shop — and a few bold comic book prints for good measure.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Siobhan Lam; her partner, Jamie Hughes; and their Jack Russell Terrier, Gizmo
Location: Portobello area of Dublin, Ireland
Size: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms

As an interiors blogger and the owner of online store April and the Bear, Lam has a home that is constantly evolving. “The advantage and, come to think of it, disadvantage of running your own interiors store is that you inevitably buy one of everything for your house,” Lam says.

The first job on her and Hughes’ lengthy to-do list was to create a bright and relaxed living and dining space, so they knocked through the small rooms on the ground floor to make one large, open-plan space. Reusing old furniture was a priority, and the oak kitchen table is a hand-me-down from Lam’s family, repainted for a fresh feel. They also painted the dining chairs in different pastel shades and topped the area with a metal pendant light. The art prints are from April and the Bear.


With help from Hughes’ carpenter dad, the couple relaid the downstairs floorboards in a lengthways direction to give the space a sense of depth and flow. The boards’ gray color continues into the adjoining kitchen to help link the spaces.


Vintage trunks from their shop make innovative storage and bring some knocked-about character to the chimney alcove. They also double as a distinctive, impromptu bar when friends gather at the house.



The long dining room wall acts as a gallery for the couple’s art collection. Prints include a huge Calvin & Hobbes canvas, Lam’s own typographical art prints and a prized sketch of Tyrion Lannister by Game of Thrones storyboard artist William Simpson.


The couple’s design and fashion books provide ready inspiration on a coffee table.


Lam and Hughes love to mix vintage and new pieces for a unique and eclectic look. In the kitchen they paired simple white cabinets from Ikea with vintage stools at a petite breakfast bar. They chose a calming white palette to make the room feel bright and open.


The entrance to the living and dining space has been cleverly framed with blackboard paint, which is both visually striking and useful. The couple chalks reminders and messages here, which are illuminated by an Ikea wall light.



They used a reclaimed wood board to create this shelf in the entrance hall for pictures and favorite pieces. A wall-hung coatrack keeps the small space open.



Lam’s favorite place to work in is this bright studio at the top of the house. “When we first bought the property, this was where we lived,” she says. “It had a minuscule living room to the left and a terrifyingly tiny kitchen and dining room to the right.” Once she and Hughes finished renovating downstairs, they knocked through up here to create one big, airy room. The desk was constructed from Ikea table legs and an 8-foot sheet of pine painted with blackboard paint; they paired it with vintage chairs from Lam’s store.



Vintage treasures dot the house, including these art prints and this glass bell jar.


In the studio, Lam and Hughes stripped the floorboards and left them untreated. They often use this space as a backdrop for photographing products for Lam’s online store.

Here Gizmo poses on a mustache rug.


Mood boards pop up all over the house. This particular one is constantly evolving, as it acts as Lam’s inspiration for her interiors business. “One month it might be full of products I intend to pick up on my next buying trip,” she says. “The next it might be bursting with images and advertising campaigns I admire.”


Comic books are the dominant theme in the bedroom, and an X-Men canvas takes pride of place over the bed.


Comic art is featured throughout the bedroom, so in order to prevent the space from looking too geeky, the couple strategically punctuated the room with splashes of bold red, a color that links all of the graphic art and gives the room a fresh, pop art feel. This vibrant, limited-edition Fender Deluxe speaker serves as a nifty retro bedside table when Hughes’ band, Wolftrap, doesn’t have a gig.


Opposite the X-Men canvas, Lam’s jewelry hangs from hooks so the chains don’t get tangled.





Graphic and comic book art shakes up all the preloved pieces in the house. Here, Lam stands next to an X-Men poster.

Browse more homes by style:
Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Eclectic Homes | Modern Homes | Contemporary Homes | Midcentury Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Barn Homes | Townhouses | Apartments | Lofts | Vacation Homes

URL: Houzz Tour: Comic Book Prints and Vintage Decor Punch Up a Dublin Home http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-24271.html