The Sunday Independent

Architects the world over come in all shapes and sizes and embrace a variety of philosophies, but one thing many of them share is a common love of the stark white wall. Architect and Dubliner Greg Tisdall, however, is an exception. In Greg's home, a Victorian red-bricked semi-detached in Dublin, you'll find purple, yellow, red and blue walls, and no white anywhere. And he favours even more colour in his furnishings. "Architects love white but you won't find any here," he explains cheerily, adding: "We need lots of colour in Ireland to brighten up the gloomy winter days. We should have a sense of sunlight." His passion for colour is also practical as he and his wife, Catherine, have four children aged nine to 16. Keeping a house pristine white with the chaos of kids is a battle you're never going to win, particularly if your house is, as theirs is, Central Station for the neighbourhood.