Interviews with Pamela Flood and Lisa Murphy for Interiors title, Showhouse.

1. Model
Design
TELEVISION PRESENTER, MODEL AND
FASHIONISTA PAMELA FLOOD TOOK A
DETOUR FROM THE RED CARPET TO LAY
HER OWN IN RTÉ’S CELEBRITY
SHOWHOUSE. HERE, LAURA BURY TALKS
TO THE WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
STAR ON AVOIDING DODGY DECISIONS,
WHY BIGGER IS BETTER AND HER Pamela at the Beacon Hotel, Sandyford.
Photograph by Mark Duggan.
UNDYING LOVE OF COUCHES.
How did you find your experience on can’t make me!” and she’d be there coaxing rich and the colour we chose for the walls in
CELEBRITY SHOWHOUSE? me with “Come on Pam, you can do it!” She the living room really complemented it.
I honestly loved the experience. I found it far made it fun and I think that was important.
busier, more pressured and more hectic than She was absolutely brilliant. Will you be getting it for your own house?
I expected. I had no previous experience No, but funnily enough I was thinking about
and there were so many decisions to be Did you learn a lot from the show? it. I did get a new sofa recently but I went
made. If it wasn’t for Rachel [Harvey], my I think I did in fairness. Ultimately I had final for something quite different. It’s an L-shaped
professional designer, I’d probably still be call on everything, but I think I could have sofa which is very ‘in vogue’ at the moment.
making decisions now! gone down some iffy roads if it wasn’t for As I said on the show, I love TV, I love
Rachel’s guiding hand. She wasn’t leading relaxing and I love a cheeky snooze on the
Did you enjoy working me down any particular road, but let’s just sofa. So, for me, longer and bigger is
with Rachel Harvey? say she was steering me away from better – one that takes over the room!
I absolutely loved it. I’m dodgy decisions!
the kind of person who And what was the lowest point?
really feeds off another What was the high point for you? There weren’t any low points. The only
person’s energy and she It was brilliant towards the end of the week difficult bit, as opposed to a low point, was
was an incredibly when I finally saw all the furniture going in. that there were so many decisions to be
positive, chirpy and Whatever about the tiling or the painting made. Myself and Rachel went out shopping
lovely person. We had and all that stuff – that was fun. But to be together for at least four solid days. We
great fun and she never honest I wanted get stuck in! Seeing my were in Enniscrone and in a couple of shops
lost her energy. I’d say to lovely sofa go in, which was the piece of around Dublin. It was just decision, after
her, “I can’t make any furniture I adored most, I absolutely loved it. I decision, after decision – wallpaper, paint,
Living Room, House A, Enniscrone more decisions, you thought it looked amazing. It just looked so furniture, colours… everything.
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2. showhouse interview
Style Stealer
Heaven. And the crazy thing is the curtains
were cheap as chips. I got them for £22 in
Ikea. They’re not even lined, but they’re so
dark they block out the light. They’re amazing.
What’s your favourite piece of furniture?
That would have to be the new couch; I
practically spend the whole weekend on it. I
just love it! The base is brown and the back
cushions are a mix of cream and caramel.
It’s huge. I can spread myself out on it. It’s
the perfect L so you can fit two people lying
on it each way – just the way it should be.
What’s your favourite furniture store?
Carl’s Furniture on the Longmile Road, where
Pamela with Lisa Murphy on the I got my sofa from. I’ve been looking in there
SHOWHOUSE set in Enniscrone for years. I think their furniture is amazing.
Was your initial concept different from If money was no object, what would be
your finished show house? your fantasy buy?
I wouldn’t say completely different but it was It’s hard to come up with something because
definitely different. It’s funny because when I have the same attitude to furniture as I do
we started out I was absolutely hell-bent on to clothes; I don’t think you have to spend a
having a huge red sofa. It was going to be horrendous amount of money on any one
huge and it was going to be red and I thing when you can get fabulous pieces for
wasn’t budging on it. Rachel told me not to reasonable prices. I think it’s how you put
limit myself but I said I really wanted red. things together. If you look long enough, you
Then we went shopping and I saw the sofa will find something gorgeous that is not
in Meadows & Byrne. I just thought, “Oh my outrageously expensive.
God, I’m in love.” Things changed slightly
because of that. The final result was that it What’s the best gift you’ve ever been
looked grander than I expected, but I think it given for your house?
was still cosy. I’ve always been really keen on plants, but
when you don’t have your own place it’s not
How would you describe the style in your something you really acquire. I’ve gotten a
own home? couple of lovely plants as presents for my
It’s still very much coming together and I still home. They’re lovely and were carefully
have quite a bit to do. I’m only in it seven chosen. One is absolutely massive;
months, but I would say it is relatively it goes from floor to ceiling and is
modern, although it’s very cosy and very the liveliest thing you’ve ever seen.
homely. There’s quite a bit of colour as well. Another friend of mine bought me a
It’s still finding its own style though, so it’s a beautiful orchid and they live for
work in progress. ages. I love plants; they just breathe From top: Pamela prefers an L-
life into a place. One thing I shaped sofa, such as this one
What’s your favourite room at home? ensured was that there were loads of from the Urbino Collection at
I just love my bedroom. It’s also the only one lovely plants for the show house – we Marks & Spencer; A big sofa is
that’s completed! I pinched a few ideas from got them from Ikea. key for relaxation – Windsor
the paints we used in my show house. The Sofa, s950, Meadows & Byrne;
walls are painted very soft colours and the What’s your pet peeve in interiors? Pamela uses plants to breathe life
headboard and curtains are a very dark What really puts me off is when you walk into her home; Studded Velvet
plum, which works really well. With the into a house and it’s overly neat and tidy. Chair used in Pamela’s show
curtains drawn no light gets through so it’s When it’s too perfect it doesn’t feel like a house, s220, Meadows & Byrne
like being back in the womb! It’s just home. You’re almost afraid to sit down!
SHOWHOUSE ANNUAL 113

3. Golden
SHOWHOUSE CAUGHT UP WITH
Girl
SOCIALITE-TURNED-BUSINESSWOMAN,
LISA MURPHY, IN HER FABULOUS
WICKLOW HOME, TO FIND OUT ABOUT
HER GOLDEN ROOM, THE JOYS OF
GLAMOUR AND THE DIFFICULTY OF Lisa relaxing in her Wicklow home.
All images of Lisa’s home by Mark Duggan.
STICKING TO A BUDGET. BY LAURA BURY
Did you enjoy working on SHOWHOUSE? you’re designing it from scratch; from skirting very modern and that wasn’t really what I
I had a wonderful experience. Of course it boards and architraves, to bathroom tiles was going for, so that was a bit of hard
helped that I had a great girl, Riceal Boisse, and paint. Literally everything. work. But we got through it and I was
by my side. She had a lot of similar tastes extremely happy with it in the end.
and she was fabulous. I think we worked Did your show house turn out exactly as
really well together. I’m glad I wasn’t teamed you envisaged? What was your favourite room in your
with anyone that was really extravagant and Well, as you can see, I would live in a show house?
daring; because I wasn’t a bit bold on the cream and gold house! Obviously it’s not My favourite room was probably the
show. In certain things, like picking a really going to work in a family home in kitchen, dining, sitting room – they really
ballgown, I’d be Enniscrone. It’s a holiday home, so you have complemented each other. I went for the
daring, but certainly the beach and you’ll have children coming same colour scheme and fabrics throughout
not in the home! I in with muddy feet, so it’s not really feasible. so I’d have to choose that area.
was glad that I If it was just for me I would have gone with
wasn’t stuck with cream and gold, but instead I went with You can’t choose three rooms,
someone who muted shades of the same colour. I was very that’s cheating!
wanted bright happy about it. Well, the kitchen/dining room then. I
garish colours. absolutely loved the kitchen.
What did you find most challenging?
Were you prepared? Putting together my mood board. I think I What’s your interior style?
I suppose I didn’t went through about a million magazines! I I’d say my style is sophisticated, elegant
expect so much to be told Riceal that I didn’t want to see another and classy with a touch of glamour. I love
involved. Then again, interior design magazine as long as I live. It old world – it never dates and it’s so
when you’re was difficult trying to look for my style sophisticated and opulent. You need a bit
Lisa’s bedroom glitters in gold. designing a house, because the content of the magazines was of that in life.
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4. showhouse interview
Style Stealer
What’s your favourite room at home?
My favourite room would definitely have to
be the sitting room. I love the piano, the
gold antique furniture, the wallpaper and the
cream carpet. I just adore it because it’s
elegantly gold!
And your favourite piece of furniture?
[After much thought] It would probably be
the antique console and mirror in the
sitting room.
If you could choose one thing for your
house, what would it be?
It would have to be a big, massive, something special Clockwise from top left: Solstice
elaborate chandelier. I can work that I’ll be able to look Chandelier by Baccarat; Lisa's
around that! at and enjoy for a long ‘Gold Room’ is a firm favourite;
time. That’s why I enjoy This antique console and mirror
What house gifts do you like to be given? investing in pieces of art. is Lisa's favourite piece of
I love being given scented candles and furniture; Artwork is an
photo frames – anything really. We’ve been Do you think you’ve learnt a lot from your investment for Lisa, her
given some lovely gifts. Definitely photo time on SHOWHOUSE? collection includes sculptures
frames though, Gerald loves photographs. I think I learnt a lot from the whole and paintings from artists such
They’re everywhere! experience really. Taking something from just as Graham Knuttel; Scented
a shell was quite full on and very hard work candles are a perfect gift for any
What interior style do you dislike? but I really enjoyed it. Working with all the home; This Seda France Classic
I don’t like loud colours or anything guys involved was great as well. Seeing Toile Jumbo Candle is available
too modern. how dedicated they were and how hard from www.wildandfunk.com
they worked was great. When you do
What’s your favourite furniture store? something like this in your own home you
I love all the beautiful antique shops on always go over time and over budget but
Clanbrassil Street. I also love shops that you not in SHOWHOUSE – we didn’t have a
can get little accessories in, cute girly things. choice there! But certainly in my own home
I love London, especially Harrods – they and even in my own salon I went over time
have fabulous furniture. They’re very costly and over budget.
but, rather than squandering money on
something else, I’d save up and get Did you find it daunting to have a strict
budget and timeline?
That was very difficult because all the things
I wanted I couldn’t have. We didn’t have a
lot of money. I would have spent the whole
budget on the kitchen! I was actually very
surprised with the end product, what I
actually achieved with s27,000. It
certainly didn’t look cheap or tacky in any
way. I was actually very proud of what we
were able to achieve.
Has it given you an itch to redecorate your
own house?
Well I’m just finished doing up my salon,
now Gerald wants me to do up his office
and then we’re getting an extension done,
Living Room, House B, Enniscrone so I’m already working on that.
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