This is the icing on the cake.

When interior designer Deirdre O’Sullivan downsized and moved into a ‘tiny house’ – a small, low cost home – to save for a mortgage last year, she was determined to show the world that sometimes, the best things really do come in small packages.

Especially if they can help you escape the rocketing cost of rent.

Deirdre, who runs Style 25 Painted Furniture, showed us the fruits of her labour in December when she shared images of the incredible renovation, which saw a simple mobile home purchased online turned into a stylish place to live.

Now Deirdre has finally finished the project, having added a cosy tiled stove surround to her living room and remodelling the dull hallway into a useful and welcoming space.

The hallway

Sharing images of the finished rooms on Facebook, Deirdre said all the hallway needed to bring it up to scratch was a lick of fresh paint:

“The final room to be finished in my tiny home was the hallway and all I did was paint it!” she said.

“I was worried this blue would be too much for the small space but @john_f_c in The Paint Depot convinced me and it actually makes the space feel bigger. I just want to get a few more pieces of art for the walls and it’s done.”

The stove surround

Next up was the smart green tiled stove surround, created using tiles from Delforno Tiles in the  Kinsale Road Industrial Estate, and a brass trim bought from James Healy brass founders near the Marina.

“I was a bit apprehensive as I had never tiled before but I’m always eager to learn new skills.” said Deirdre, who completed the work herself.

The guest bedroom 

Last but not least, Deirdre has removed the tiny twin beds in the spare room and added a feather-soft double bed and a soothing new colour scheme for guests.

You can check out more of Deirdre’s wonderful design projects for inspiration on her Facebook page here.