No surprise, then, that the north Dublin Victorian home she shares with husband Ciaran and daughter Alison is a treasure trove of family heirlooms and pieces picked up from antique markets. But it is also home to items such as the contemporary Philippe Starck chairs in the otherwise vintage-style dining room.

Transforming the three-storey house was a challenge when Jean first saw it 17 years ago. After careful refurbishment, the original layout hasn't been altered radically and the largest room on the first floor remains as a bright, welcoming living room.

Walls are painted chalky white, while the original floorboards have been scrubbed back to a pale honey tone. Two huge sofas beckon, one of which has a green and white cotton ticking loose cover made by Jean.

White linen cushions with a botanical print (from Arnotts) soften the plain calicocovered sofa, while its stripy opposite number has fine cotton lawn cushions sourced in India.

Grey may not sound the most obvious choice for a kitchen, but subtle variations of this shade create a calm and elegant mood, from the pearl grey walls and the blue/grey of the fitted presses and larder doors, to the gunmetal of the architrave on the dividing arch. A large sideboard, painted dove grey, cleverly conceals the sound system and CD collection. A big sofa by the fireplace is dressed in a hand-embroidered throw found in a market in Jaipur. The original sash window in was replaced by a full-height glazed door which opens to the paved town garden. At the very top of the house is Jean's studio . . . with sketches, costume jewellery and rolls of fabric. "I have a special affection for older items that have a story or a history attached to them, and almost everything in the house has a special memory."

STYLE STEAL

>> "Paint is wonderful because it's so quick, easy and yet can completely transform a plain room or an old, worn piece of furniture. Our extending oak table is old, but not a precious antique, and so I painted the legs of it cream to give it a new lease of life. Old sideboards or wardrobes . . . which you can find cheaply enough in auction rooms because they are not considered fashionable . . . take on a French country look when painted in one of the subtle heritage eggshell colours and you can change the handles for sparkly crystal knobs (Avoca or Pia Bang).

>> "Central light pendants are taken for granted in most rooms, but they can be quite harsh and unflattering. I don't have a central light fitting in our living room, but instead have glass wall lamps that give a softer light. Also, candles combined with firelight give a cosy glow to a room on darker evenings."

>> "Mirrors are the greatest . . . whether it's to enhance light, space, or simply to enliven a bare wall. In an otherwise uninteresting hallway, hang the biggest mirror you can find and place it over a narrow console table. No space for a table? Cover the radiator with a simply DIY radiator cabinet and paint it to match the walls. Everyone loves big mirrors in a hallway . . . great for checking their reflection when they're leaving the house!"

>> "I love mixing old and new . . . but I also love things picked up on travels abroad. When I'm travelling, I go out of my way to pick something up for the house, whether it's rug, a piece of ceramic, or rolls of fabric. Flea markets anywhere are happy hunting grounds so one of the first things I do on arrival is check out when the markets are on, and I particularly love Paris and New York. Favourite pieces in the house are from Mexico . . . even though our little corpse figurines of The Cult of the Dead do give some visitors the shivers!"

MAKE AND DO

A former graduate in sculpture from NCAD, Jean has always loved to get stuck in and make her own things . . . originally out of necessity as a student, but now just for the pleasure principle. The white organza panels and white damask curtains were both made by Jean along with the simple curtain rails that were originally wooden flagpoles from a local DIY store, but she gave them a special touch with gilt finials found in an auction room. "Running up curtains or cushion covers on the machine by yourself is all part of the fun of creating a home, but I feel these are skills that are becoming lost. There is much choice available now, people feel pressurised into going out and just buying a look for their home."

MIRROR MIRROR

Jean collects convex mirrors, and a row of these run along one wall in the living room. A huge gilt overmantle sits over the fireplace here, while the entrance hall downstairs is dominated by a similar design.

These two vast mirrors came from Jean's family home . . . both parents were collectors of antiques. A narrow console table in the hall was designed to fit directly underneath the mirror . . . the perfect spot for a tall vase of deep red gladioli. Leading off the hall are the informal dining room and kitchen. Original double doors were removed here to make one bigger social space.