Cobelis Design Studio

Cobelis Design Studio 🏡Transforming homes through smarter reconfiguration & spatial design.
💡Better Flow. Better Function. Better Living. Why Extend When You Can Amend?®️

Three days. Multiple talks. And one thing that genuinely surprised so many homeowners…Realising they may not need an ext...
30/05/2026

Three days. Multiple talks. And one thing that genuinely surprised so many homeowners…

Realising they may not need an extension at all.

Last weekend at the in Cork, I spoke about how making better use of the space you already have can completely transform the way your home functions, often saving homeowners thousands on unnecessary building costs.

People were fascinated to see how rethinking layout, flow, storage and room purpose can create the feeling of a much bigger home without adding square footage.

So many people came to me afterwards saying:
“We never thought about it that way.”
or
“We were convinced we needed to extend.”

That is exactly why I do what I do.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended the talks, and shared their renovation frustrations and dreams with me over the weekend ❤️



Such a lovely evening last night at the Summer Party hosted by  ☀️It was great to reconnect with familiar faces in the i...
29/05/2026

Such a lovely evening last night at the Summer Party hosted by ☀️

It was great to reconnect with familiar faces in the industry, catch up with old friends, meet new people and spend time with fellow designers and suppliers who are all passionate about creating great spaces.

One of the things I love most about this industry is the community behind it, sharing ideas, supporting one another and building genuine connections along the way.

Thank you to everyone involved in organising such a wonderful evening ✨

“Do I need planning permission?”“Why is everyone saying extension instead of addition?”“What do you mean by sockets?” 🤯🇺...
11/05/2026

“Do I need planning permission?”
“Why is everyone saying extension instead of addition?”
“What do you mean by sockets?” 🤯🇺🇸➡️🇮🇪

One thing I have discovered while working with American families relocating to Ireland is this:

It’s not just the homes that are different
It’s the entire language around buying and renovating them.

From:
• Remodel vs renovation
• Addition vs extension
• Outlets vs sockets
• Contractor vs builder

Even simple conversations with tradespeople can quickly become overwhelming when you’re trying to navigate a completely different system.

So I created this:

🇺🇸➡️🇮🇪
The American to Irish Renovation Glossary

A simple guide to help relocating families better understand:

✔ Irish renovation terminology
✔ How the process works here
✔ Common phrases used by builders & designers
✔ The biggest differences between Irish & US homes

Because when you understand the language, you make better decisions for your home.

Click the link in the comment to download the 'American To Irish Renovation Glossary'

Why Extend When You Can Amend!ÂŽ
Bigger Isn’t Always Better, Design Smarter.

🌈 One of the biggest reasons homeowners struggle to feel confident using colour in their home renovation…is because they...
10/05/2026

🌈 One of the biggest reasons homeowners struggle to feel confident using colour in their home renovation…
is because they still don’t fully trust the layout of their home.

When your house isn’t functioning properly for your family, every design decision feels risky.

You second guess everything.
Will the kitchen layout work when everyone is rushing around in the morning?
Will the open plan living space actually feel calm?
Will the sitting room finally become somewhere the family naturally gathers?
Where will the school bags, sports gear and daily chaos go?

When those questions are unresolved, choosing colours suddenly feels overwhelming instead of exciting.

🌟But when the space planning is right… everything changes.

When you feel completely confident in how your home flows, you stop focusing on problems and start thinking about personality, atmosphere and how you want your home to feel.

That’s when colour becomes exciting.
That’s when you feel brave enough to introduce rich tones, playful contrasts and bold interior design choices that truly reflect your family.

🏡Because great home design is never just about making a house look beautiful.
It’s about creating a layout that works so well for your everyday life that you finally have the freedom to enjoy living in it.

At Cobelis Design Studio, we believe beautiful interiors start with intelligent space planning and thoughtful home reconfiguration.

Because once your home works for your family… the creative part becomes joyful.

Most homeowners would have extended.We reconfigured instead.Same footprint. Completely different experience.Good design ...
07/05/2026

Most homeowners would have extended.
We reconfigured instead.

Same footprint. Completely different experience.

Good design isn’t about making a home bigger. It’s about making it work better.”

Would you extend… or rethink the layout first?


The other day, my son described our home as “not too big… not too small… just right.”And I laughed and said, “Ah, like G...
02/05/2026

The other day, my son described our home as “not too big… not too small… just right.”

And I laughed and said, “Ah, like Goldilocks.”

But it really got me thinking…

Because when I walk into most homes, they don’t feel like that at all.

They are usually one of two things.

1. Either too big: With rooms that don’t connect and space that just isn’t being used properly.

2. Or too small: Where everything feels a bit tight, a bit chaotic and frustrating to live in.

And nearly always, the first instinct is…
“We need more space.” So people think about extending.

But more space doesn’t actually create a home that feels “just right.”

Using your space better does. That’s the bit I focus on.

Helping you rework what you already have so your home actually supports your day to day life, instead of working against it.

Because when it’s right, you feel it. It’s easier. Calmer. It just works, for you.

And if your home doesn’t feel like that right now, that’s not something you have to live with.

Nothing Stays the Same ForeverThis morning was a big one.For the first time ever, my three kids cycled to school on thei...
01/05/2026

Nothing Stays the Same Forever

This morning was a big one.

For the first time ever, my three kids cycled to school on their own.

No school gate hugs.
No kiss goodbye.
Just them, off they went.

And I stood there thinking, when did that happen?

Because one minute, they need you for everything and the next, they don’t.

Nothing stays the same forever.

And this is exactly why I design homes the way I do.

I once worked with a homeowner who designed their house 15 years ago before kids arrived.

When their family grew, their home didn’t.

It no longer supported how they lived, connected or wanted to spent time together and they ended up spending thousands trying to fix it.

Because most homes are designed for a moment in time. But families don’t stand still.

The way you live, connect and spend time together is constantly evolving, especially as your children grow more independent.

And as the quantity of time decreases, the quality of time becomes everything.

Your home should help you stay connected through that. Not just when your kids are small but when they are teenagers too.

Because we can’t stop change.

But I can design for it.

One client said it better than I ever could:

“Your explanations and insight were invaluable. You thought through details that never would have crossed our minds, and deeply considered the living experience of our kids. For that, we are so grateful, thank you.”

Because that is the difference, thinking beyond today.

If you are designing your home right now, pause for a moment, are you designing for today or for the life your family is growing into?

Because nothing stays the same forever and your home needs to be ready for that. .design.studio



You are not arguing about your home, you are arguing about getting the decision wrong!   You are about to spend a seriou...
27/04/2026

You are not arguing about your home, you are arguing about getting the decision wrong!   

You are about to spend a serious amount of money on your home and if you are honest, you are not 100% sure if it is even the right decision.

Everyone is telling you, you need to extend, but it just doesn’t feel right. You can’t fully explain it… you just keep thinking, “What if we are making a massive mistake?”

So you go around in circles. You start looking at other houses… maybe it would be easier to just move house? But then you realise, they all have the same problems, they all need to be renovated too. And now you are completely confused and questioning everything.

You know you only get one chance at this and you are afraid of getting it wrong.

The truth is, most of my clients come to me at this exact point. Not because they want a design, but because they don’t yet trust the direction they have been given.

And here is what most people don’t realise, it is often not about needing more space, it is more about you not fully understanding what your current home can actually do.

The longer you stay stuck here, the easier it is to just go with something even if it is not the right thinf to do. That is when costly mistakes happen.

Most people don’t realise they have made the wrong decision until they are already committed or when their renovation is completed. That is a very expensive mistake.

So if this is you right now, don’t wait until you have already gone too far down the wrong path.

DM me CLARITY and we will figure out what your home is really capable of before you make a decision you can’t undo.




Thinking of extending your home?Before you commit to more space…ask yourself this:👉 Is it really a space problem?Or is i...
26/04/2026

Thinking of extending your home?

Before you commit to more space…
ask yourself this:

👉 Is it really a space problem?
Or is it a layout that is no longer working for how you live?

Most of the homeowners I work with come to me convinced they need to extend.

But when we look closer…
we find wasted space, disconnected rooms and layouts designed for a previous owner’s life not theirs.

So they spend thousands adding more space without ever fixing the real issue.

Result?
A bigger house that still doesn’t feel right.

This project is proof of what’s possible when you reconfigure before you extend.
Same house. No extension. Completely different way of living in it.

If you are at the stage where you are considering extending, this is exactly when you need clarity.

Book a Reconfiguration Review and I will help you understand what your home actually needs before you commit to the wrong solution. .design.studio

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