Earlier this year the proprietors felt the interior should undergo a subtle refurbishment. The challenges inherent in altering the feel of what, for many, is not merely a hotel but a prized asset of the city are manifold.

That task fell to Glenna Lynch and her team at Mimosa. "This was a very special project. Waterford castle is an exceptional place, and I felt from my first visit that we needed to listen to the past whilst delivering the comforts and pleasures of today's fivestar experience. I find hotels intriguing and I suppose the challenge with these projects is to make the space work very hard without the guest being aware, " adds Lynch. "I think we have succeeded and the result has been very special.

Mimosa operates from a showroom and design studio in Dublin 4, and Lynch has a sensitivity to the regular marriage of period and contemporary that sits behind many of the facades of redbrick Dublin. "We try to help people preserve the integrity and beauty of the space without compromising on the benefits of contemporary living, " continues Lynch. "Initial consultations are really important and I find myself asking so many questions that I almost apologise! Finding out how a family needs to use their home is crucial. Listening is even more crucial. As a designer I think it is important to remember that when you leave, your client will live in this space that you have helped them create. They will spend time with their children, eat with their friends laugh and cry with their partners. This is their home and I always feel that if we do our job well they can close the door and look around and say -I did this and I love it.' "