Readers like you keep news free for everyone.
More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.
For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.
Instagram/h3ls_
# how we live
'The blue is so distinctive': Inside Helen's townhouse packed with colour and personality
Helen McVitty-O’Hara and her partner wanted a blank canvas they could put their own stamp on.
About you
Name: Helen McVitty-O’Hara
Age: 49
Occupation: Membership support worker for youth organisations
About the home
Location: Co Antrim
What type of house is it? New-build townhouse
How many bedrooms and bathrooms? Four bedrooms, two bathrooms
When did you move in? Four years ago
Who lives there? Myself, my husband and our dog Oscar
What made you choose this home and design over others?
I’d always wanted a townhouse, and as a new build it was a blank canvas so we could put our stamp on it.
The design of our home couldn’t be described as one particular style. We wanted our home to reflect our personalities, our love of colour and pattern. There are no rules when it comes to choosing your interior design.
What’s your favourite part of your home, in terms of colour, and why?
This is a tricky one as we have given a lot of consideration into the colour and design of each room – they are all my favourite! If I had to pick one it would be the living room, as the peacock blue is such a distinctive colour and so versatile in terms of complementing other colours.
What’s one part of your home you’d change or update if you could?
The bathroom – it’s windowless. I have always talked about cutting out a window in the wall and putting in opaque glass to garner some light from the bedroom next door. One day.
What’s the most unique part of your home?
This would have to be the garden. Living in a three-storey townhouse, our terraced garden is a welcome surprise and a place of solace.
How does an average day start in your home right now?
I’m currently working from home so I have flexibility with start times. Weather permitting, I like to have breakfast outside. I work between the living room and the snug at the top of the house which has a desk in place, this allows for work to be put away at the end of the day.
How does an average day end in your home right now?
The nature of my work involves some evening work via Zoom so my winding down varies. When I’m working in the evening I would relax in the living room, hogging the TV with either a home design or gardening programme. On occasions when my husband has had enough of these programmes or wants to watch football he’ll use the Snug, this is a great space to unwind in with a glass of wine or gin.
