It's all down to the clever space planning and flair for colour of young owner Niamh O'Rourke, who saw the potential of the tiny, two-bed cottage terrace when she and her husband, a building services engineer, originally bought the Dublin 8 property a couple of years ago.

They knew how they wanted their home to look . . . and it definitely wasn't going to be with a decor of the ubiquitous cream and brown variety.

"We did it up for ourselves, choosing what we liked rather than worrying about how it would look to other people if we ever decided to sell on.

That time has come round quicker than we thought however, and as we want to stay within the area and buy a bigger property before prices rise any further, it is going to be quite a wrench to leave."

Ensuring things fit as well as choosing flattering styles, colours and key accessories is all part of Niamh's work as a freelance fashion stylist . . . and here she puts that to good use with leading interiors' names. Cole & Son were used for their retro pearlised wallpapers, with Farrow & Ball's heritage paints in subtle blues and greens.

These complement the vintage of the cottage, while the furniture and furnishings are decidedly bright and modern and include a deep rose-pink sofa. The patterned silk curtains, in a retro Gucci print, influenced the colour palette throughout the livingroom 'I bought the curtains in Bottom Drawer simply because I liked them and not planning to put them anywhere specific. But when we finished work on the house, I knew they would be a great starting point for designing the room."

Before all of the dressing and furnishing, however, came the hard technical stuff of serious renovation including structural work that brought the house back to its basic four walls and roof . . .

and sub floor.

Niamh, her husband and another architect friend came up with the plans. They decided to dig down into the floor and excavate it in order to gain more ceiling height.

"When we moved in, the house was in pretty bad nick, no central heating, no original features and with a big, brickbuilt breakfast-bar in the kitchen which was going to have to go. We actually wanted something that hadn't been done up, because there would be no feelings of guilt about tearing it all down and doing it our way." Which is what they did. Along with higher ceilings, light was also a priority.

"The house was originally quite dark and, as I work from home, I really wanted a bright space, " says Niamh.

Skylights were installed in the main upstairs bedroom and also over the stairwell, which in turn flows sunlight back down into the open plan living area and bounces off the snowy white backdrop of the walls.

Storage to house everything neatly away is a priority in any multi-functional area and here appliances and larder are tucked into the understairs space behind a wall of green painted doors.

The hardwood fitted kitchen presses are painted a soft blue, complimenting the solid beech work surfaces. A nod to the house's period origins is there in the Belfast sink and also the living area's cast iron fireplace and Oregon pitch pine floorboards (sourced in a salvage yard).

Next to the kitchen is a small back hall with sisal flooring and this opens into the rear yard. Leading off is the first bedroom, also with sisal floorcovering and nicely decorated with one wall covered in retro patterned paper.

The bathroom is a modern delight, with glass tiled cubicle and vast shower rose designed to fully drench any bather. Features here include a circular washhand basin and contemporary chrome fittings, Altro floor, all to a backdrop of glossy dark red and green tiles.

The open-railed staircase has recessed wall lighting to enhance the light on the way up to the main bedroom . . . a bright space, again with sisal floor, and feature papered wall.

Daniel Street perfectly fits the 'city-pad' tag, being within walking distance from Camden Street's shops, restaurants, bars and florists, while St Stephen's Green is just 15 minutes away.

Not surprisingly, the owners of No 15 will miss their fashionably chic home, but at the same time, Niamh is already considering how the bigger house they have bought in the area will look like with a colour transformation.

And perhaps with those Gucci silk curtains too.

Price: 425,000 Agent: Felicity Fox 01- 633 4431