Dubliner Lynette Callaghan had roles in the ITV drama Cold Feet,in Emmerdale, The Clinic, Raw and The Tudors and as the lead in Irish feature films 8.5 Hours and The Yank, in which she played opposite Colm Meaney. Her most recent work includes playing leading lady Tara McMahon in The Gaelic Curse. She has lived in Temple Bar for the past 12 years and has just refurbished her loft apartment
Describe your interiors style
Art Deco meets Danish design. I seem to gravitate towards the geometry and glamour of the 1920s and 30s and love how decorators back then used garish colours and prints to dramatic effect. I've tried to emulate that vibe with the Miami-style wallpaper and the mirror in my hallway. I also have a weak spot for retro Danish furniture, which you wouldn't typically see in an Art Deco scheme, but I think the two genres complement each other. The dining table and the love seat up on the mezzanine are by Hans Olsen, and I bought the grey cord couch in BoConcept which, although new, still has an old Dane feel to it.
Do you collect anything?
I love strange and odd-looking lights and lampshades. In fact, I can't pass a lighting, charity or antique shop without nipping in to see if they've anything cool I can add to the collection. My favourite light of all is the globe light in my front room: I was initially on the hunt for a retro chandelier and then I walked into Wild Child on George's Street (now closed, unfortunately) and spotted it. It reminds me of the orb in Flash Gordon, which my big brothers watched non-stop when we were kids, so that's perhaps why it's my most treasured piece.
Do you buy art?
Over the past decade, I've bought three works by Irish artist Shane Sutton, all of which are very different. He has been compared to Edward Hopper and has a photorealistic painting style, but it constantly changes, as do his subjects from cows to robots. Most artists draw or paint the same style or theme all the time but Sutton keeps changing. I also love street photography and have a small collection of portraits by Irish photographer Eamonn Doyle. Elton John reportedly just bought a load of his work, so his star is no doubt about to rise.
What’s your favourite space in your home?
The roof garden. It was all concrete tiles and dead plants out there for the past decade and not hugely inviting, but I’ve just put in fake grass, painted the walls, added some LED lighting and easy-to-keep planting and the difference those few changes have made is unreal. I’m out there all the time now, even in winter, wrapped up in a blanket. It’s a real little oasis, very calm, peaceful and relaxing, which, trust me, is a rarity in the middle of Temple Bar.
What would you save in a fire?
A tiny little Spanish red chair that my Mum bought for me when I was about three. We were on a bus tour in Spain and stopped to visit this traditional furniture shop. I spotted the chair hanging up high and begged my mum to get it for me, but she was having none of it. After the adults had had a long boozy lunch, we got back on the bus and I kept badgering her about it. Eventually, the entire bus started chanting “get the chair, get the chair”, so Mum jumped off and arrived back with it, to a round of applause from everyone! That’s where my love affair with furniture started.
Any interior turn-offs?
Interiors that are not compatible with the space they are in – for example, a modern apartment decorated like a country cottage or a Georgian home that looks like space ship. I also hate when everything is too matchy-matchy. I prefer a more eclectic interior with a bit of imagination.
If you had €100,000 to spend on your home tomorrow, what would you buy?
Doctor Dublin has theses incredible big bronze robot sculptures which I'd love to get a few of for the roof garden, but top of my wish list would be a Conor Harrington painting. I have his book and find all of his images captivating, but considering his work is outselling Banksy in London, I'll have to be content with the book until that cheque comes in.
