My Favourite Room: ‘I told him I wanted contemporary, ultra modern, low-maintenance; a real man cave for me and my son’

Eugene McCarthy’s childhood home was a terraced house, as is his current one. However, having lived in lots of interesting houses in the meantime, there’s a vast difference between the first and the last

Eugene and his son Alex outside the newly renovated house. There’s a resin driveway to the front with two electric car sockets. Nearer the house is a patio with planting by Róisín Sweeney of Nettle Design and furniture from local company Formality at The Cowshed. Photo: Tony Gavin

Mary O'Sullivan

These days, it can be hard to get a building project completed on time, but that wasn’t a problem for Eugene McCarthy. It took exactly six months from start to finish to turn the dilapidated house he bought in Glasthule, south Dublin, into a pristine contemporary home for the 21st century for himself and his son.

Eugene is the first to say that he had a brilliant team with his architect, Cameron Lee, his builder, Gerry Lillis, and his kitchen designer, Daniel Martin. But his own career background can only have been an advantage.