For owners in the United States

An Irish interior designer who works to your clock, your currency and your standards.

Most of our clients live in the United States and see their Irish house two or three weeks a year. The studio exists to close that distance — so the renovation happens properly whether or not anyone from the family is in the country.

For more than twenty years RK Designs has renovated Irish holiday homes for American owners — cottages in Kerry and West Cork, stone houses in Connemara and period houses in Dublin — managing every step remotely, from first survey to turnkey handover.

Sitting room in a Kerry holiday home designed for an American family

What we commit to

Six things every US client gets, in writing.

Calls on Eastern Time
Scheduled in your morning — usually 8am ET — with a written summary after every trade meeting.
Filmed walkthroughs
A narrated video of the site each week, so you see the same thing we do without booking a flight.
Budgets in dollars
Every quote in USD beside EUR, with the exchange assumption and contingency stated up front.
One point of contact
No chasing builders, joiners or conservation officers across a five-hour time difference.
US-standard expectations
Closet space, laundry, showers with pressure, screens and HVAC comfort translated into an Irish house.
Turnkey arrival
Beds made, kitchen stocked, heating on and fire set for the day you land.

The remote renovation process

How an Irish renovation runs when you're 3,000 miles away.

  1. 1. A call in your time zone

    We start with a video call scheduled for your morning — usually 8am Eastern. You talk through the house, how your family will use it, and what “finished” means to you. Within two business days you receive a written scope, a timeline and a budget range in both USD and EUR.

  2. 2. A survey before you spend

    If you are still deciding on a property, we walk it first. You get an honest renovation cost range before contracts are signed, so you bid with the true number in hand — not the estate agent's optimism.

    Buying a house in Ireland as an American

  3. 3. Design agreed before work starts

    Layouts, joinery drawings, finishes and furniture are all signed off with you on video calls and shared boards. Nothing is demolished until every room is decided — changes on paper are free; changes on site are not.

    See completed houses in our portfolio

  4. 4. Weekly filmed walkthroughs

    Once trades are on site, you receive a narrated video walkthrough every week plus a written report after each trade meeting. Most clients never visit during the build; those who do find no surprises.

  5. 5. Turnkey handover

    Beds made, kitchen stocked, heating on, fires set. You land at Dublin or Shannon, drive to the house, and start your holiday the day you arrive. We hold keys and look after the house between visits if you wish.

    Request a quote for your Irish home

Clients of RK Designs

Letters from owners, at home and abroad.

“Thank you for the care and attention you and your staff have given to our new home. You made it happen. My husband and I are truly enjoying our newly finished and furnished holiday home. I hope you have saved before and after pictures, because no one would believe it was the same place. It is warm, comfortable and elegant — just what we had planned. You worked very hard to get just the right touches.”
Yvonne ThorntonChicago & Waterville
“Ruth Kennelly designed and managed a complete refurbishment of my house. I trusted her judgement and style, so much so that I handed her the keys and went away on holidays for three weeks! And what a result — a fantastic revamp from old to new. I have no hesitation in highly recommending RK Designs to family and friends alike.”
Clodhna FerrisDun Laoghaire
“We built a 3,500 square foot French style lodge using largely reclaimed materials. We employed Ruth Kennelly to design an interior that followed this 'old world' French theme. What I loved about Ruth is the way she really listened, turning infantile ideas into practical realities with flair and enthusiasm. Ruth's experience and contacts saved us so much time, legwork and money. Highly recommended — we're thrilled with our home.”
Michelle MoloughneyClontarf
Open kitchen and dining room designed remotely for owners in New York

Practicalities

Buying first? We can look before you commit.

We're often asked to view a house before contracts are signed and give an honest renovation cost range, so an American buyer knows the true number before bidding. We can also coordinate with your Irish solicitor, engineer and surveyor, and hold keys for deliveries and trades all year.

Request a quoteRead the FAQ

Where our clients live

From Florida to Toronto — Irish houses managed from afar.

Owners in these cities have handed us the keys to a house in Ireland and watched the renovation happen from home.

Common questions

What American owners ask us first.

Can I renovate a house in Ireland without being there?
Yes — most of our clients do exactly that. RK Designs manages the entire renovation remotely: design, planning and conservation applications, builders, joiners and trades. You follow progress through weekly filmed walkthroughs and scheduled video calls in US time zones, and arrive to a finished house.
How much does it cost to renovate a holiday home in Ireland?
It depends on the house. A cosmetic refresh of a sound cottage is a fraction of a full renovation of a period or derelict property. Every RK Designs quote is itemised room by room and shown in USD beside EUR, with the exchange-rate assumption and contingency stated up front, so there are no surprises mid-build.
How long does an Irish renovation take from the US?
Design typically takes six to ten weeks. Time on site ranges from a few months for a light refurbishment to a year or more for a full renovation of an older house. You receive a week-by-week programme before work begins, and updates against it every week.
Do you work in my part of Ireland?
We renovate houses across Ireland, with particular depth in Kerry, West Cork, Connemara and Galway, and Dublin — the areas where most American-owned holiday homes sit. We also take on projects elsewhere in the country; ask us about your county.
Can you help before I buy the house?
Yes. We regularly view properties on behalf of American buyers and report back with renovation feasibility and a cost range before they bid. We coordinate with your Irish solicitor, engineer and surveyor so the purchase and the renovation plan move together.
Will the house feel American inside?
Where you want it to. US-standard expectations — proper closet space, laundry rooms, powerful showers, screens, quiet HVAC and big family kitchens — are designed in from the start, translated to suit Irish construction, light and planning rules.

More answers on our questions from US clients page, or ask the studio directly.

Keep exploring

Guides for Americans renovating in Ireland.

Reference & inspiration

The American interiors titles our clients bring to the table.

Most US owners arrive with tear sheets. We work fluently in the language of these magazines and translate it for Irish houses, Irish light and Irish weather.