EACH WEEK, WE ask someone based in Ireland with a passion for interiors to share one photo of their favourite spot in their home.

Alison Byrne lives in New Ross, Co Wexford with her husband and two daughters.

“Our home is a 200 year old townhouse that we bought and completely refurbished,” says Alison.

It was in a terrible state when we first viewed it, but we knew that with lots of tender loving care, we could rescue it.

“We fell in love with it straight away and honestly it has been our passion since it became ours.”

This week, Alison (@lifeatnumberten) chatted us through her favourite spot: her bedroom, with its distinct Lady Of The Manor feel.

Source: Alison Byrne

What do you love about this part of your home?

I love this room because of the dual aspect windows. It’s always so bright and airy. I absolutely love my sleep, so there’s nothing nicer than closing the shutters here at night and snuggling in with a glass of warm milk and a good book.

What’s your favourite object in here and why?

It has to be my dressing table mirror that I bought recently at an auction. I just love the look of it. It really transformed the look of the tall boy and finished that corner of the room. 

What was your inspiration when you were putting this room together?

My inspiration for this room was the TV show Downton Abbey. When we were renovating, it was at its peak and I was (and still am) addicted to it. I loved the dark wood and cosy warm tones in the bedrooms in the show and tried in some way to recreate them. I think now, though, my style has evolved and I’m taking inspiration mainly from Instagram. I think my style is timeless, old fashioned and classic – I’ll never be a minimalist!

Be honest: how much tidying did you do before taking this photo?

I did no tidying whatsoever. I’ve always been a neat and tidy person, and I honestly wouldn’t sleep as well as I do if there was chaos and mess in here.

Is there anything in here you’d like to change?

If I could change anything here, it would be the bed – the dream is a four poster bed. I’ve missed out on two beautiful ones at recent auctions. One day I will be the winning bidder and I can have the dream four poster bed!

More: ‘The morning light streams in from our landing’: Isobel shares her carefully curated master bedroom