Major award for Longford designer and cohorts for Ómra Nest project

Serpentine Interiors, co-founded by Dromard native Helena Grimes and Tracey Collins, won the National Award for Fit Out Project of the Year - Residential under 500k Project Ómra Nest in County Limerick. This award honours outstanding achievements in the design and execution of fit out projects since 2012 in Ireland.

The awards night took place in Dublin in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road. The gala brings together Ireland’s top design and fit-out professionals to celebrate creativity, innovation, and craftsmanship.

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The company with Longford connections through Helena, a past pupil of Moyne Community School, won the category: Fit Out Project of the Year - Residential Under 500K, for their “Ómra Nest” project.

“Ómra Nest is a family home, based in Co. Limerick. The clients tasked us with creating a new chapter for their much-loved home of 22 years,” the company explained. “With the arrival of grandchildren, the home no longer supported the family’s way of living. Our clients wanted a spacious, warm, and character-filled home where everyone, young and old, could spend time together.”

Over numerous visits, consultations and casual chats, the team learned how the family entertained and interacted, and responded with a design that reflects their personalities and priorities.

Serpentine reimagined the home’s flow by opening up enclosed rooms, maximising natural light, and injecting new functionality. They introduced a walk-in pantry, a utility room and generous gathering spaces where the children could play in peace (while staying within sight of the grown-ups). They also added extra design details such as playful botanical wallpaper, a curved chimney breast and calming colours inspired by the seasons.

Throughout the design, they embraced a variety of materials, colours and textures to create depth and warmth. This involved balancing rich navy tones with earthy rust colours, layered with natural textures and crisp finishes.

Fit Out had the following about their project on the website’s category list:

“The 259.89 m² family home, built 22 years ago, was renovated for open-concept living and larger family gatherings. Improvements included new windows and doors, underfloor heating, functional utility space, and personalised bathrooms, enhancing natural light, daily living, and wellbeing for all generations.”

Serpentine Interiors is a creative design studio based in Limerick. The business comes with a wealth of multidisciplinary expertise, with a combined 20 years of experience within the interiors industry. Their capabilities include residential and commercial projects. They strive to provide an adaptable and reliable Interior Design service that creates thoughtful and curated homes. The client base includes Ireland, USA, Canada and the United Emirates.

“As a small company, this national recognition is massive, and we are so proud and excited to bring home an award - with connections to Longford and Limerick,” said Helena.

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Describing their project, Serpentine added the following:

“While we were focused on creating a beautiful aesthetic, we were always deeply attuned to the realities of family life too, ensuring that everything was chosen with an eye for durability, longevity and practicality. Ómra Nest now supports a rich and loving family life in all its stages: spaces for gathering, areas for quiet retreat and details that will spark joy for many years to come.”