Flooring, furniture, furnishings, and functionality, the four f’s that Alena C says turned a new house in Portlaoise into a showhouse-worthy home.
Pics: Gareth Byrne Photography
A brand spanking new house can sound like the holy grail, but the truth is that some are not as well finished as homehunters in 2025 want.
That is, unless you buy the showhouse.
The homes come with kitchens and bathrooms installed, but minus the three f’s needed to finish the property: flooring, furniture and furnishings.
It was also falling short on functionality, explains Russian-born interior designer Alena Chikurnikova, better known as Alena C Design.
She is making a name for herself, turning builders’ finish properties into welcoming abodes.
Her clients had moved from Dublin out to the further reaches of the commuter belt in search of a bigger house and better value in terms of the space on offer.
They bought a four-bedroom, three-bathroom, A-rated semi. It had a kitchen with laminate worktops and bathrooms with sanitaryware.
They choose to invest some of the savings they made in delivering a home in a walk-in condition.
They didn’t want to deal with the builder’s dust or having to sleep on a mattress on the floor.
Both are busy professionals and wanted to be able to enjoy living in their property from the get-go.
They work in jobs with the flexibility to work from home some days, and on the days they’re required in the office, they jump on the train, a journey time that takes between one hour and 75 minutes, depending on the service.
The house had a good layout. It had a wide hall with a separate sitting room to the front and a kitchen-diner to the back.
The stairs ran up the centre of the property.
They wanted a contemporary look with some colour to soften their preferences for pale neutrals.
In the hall, she used a mural from Photo Wall to create a focal point.
An Osaka console table from Woo Design brings in some dark wood and warm metal tones to the marble-effect tiled floor.
A starburst mirror in a similar metal finish brings the look together.
The kitchen was basic, she says. They wanted it to be a lot more functional.
For example, they wanted a full-height American-style fridge freezer, whereas the cupboard specification was for a fridge freezer.
They also wanted a ladder-style pantry cupboard.
Alena used the space allocated to the fridge freezer to fit the pantry unit and extended the length of the bank of units to accommodate the larger fridge.
She also upgraded the countertops to quartz and extended the height of the splashback so that the effect looked seamless.
She also swapped out the existing sink for a larger model and installed a hot water tap.
The kitchen lacked bin storage. Her solution was to add a small island to the space where the bin compartments could be accommodated out of sight.
She also added a dining table and chairs, big enough to seat four comfortably every day.
She found the ceramic-topped design in Harvey Norman, which currently sells this design with a warm oak base that could be ebonised. It costs €899.
She brings in the art seen on the kitchen walls directly from Denmark, and these can be purchased from her website.
In the living room, she panelled the walls and added a semi-solid herringbone floor in a classic oak colour.
She had bespoke units built to house the TV and the wall-hung electric fire, sourced from Comfortline in Portarlington.
The square-arm his and hers Robyn sofas, which have an art deco look about them and have been upholstered in the palest of grey fabric, came from Harvey Norman.
For an additional charge, the company does offer an option to have its fabric sofas coated in a stain protector before you bring them home.
The stairs have been carpeted in a smart runner with a large framed painting hanging on the return.
She found this at Mindy Brownes.
In the principal bedroom, there is a wingback Charlotte ottoman bed, with plenty of storage, from Diamond Furniture.
The fit-out and installation took just four weeks.
The couple wanted a hassle-free experience, she explains.
They got it and are now looking forward to welcoming a baby to their family.
A consultation with Alena C Design costs from about €300
