A penthouse with personality, Charlotte Hamel's chic two-storey apartment in Dublin 2 is a lesson in making a rental completely your own.

When a woman is tired of New York, she moves back to Dublin. Or so this story goes. “I really like New York, but I feel so much better here. Most people don’t understand, but that’s okay,” says Charlotte Hamel as she carries a tea tray upstairs to the lounge.

Working in fashion means she’s lived and travelled all over the world. Everywhere she goes, her furniture and art follow. “To me, a home is made when every object represents a precise moment of your life – whether it’s a photo, a poster, a chair, or whatever.” Looking around at a mix of inherited furniture, vintage finds and modern style, Charlotte’s home certainly seems autobiographical.

Prints of old ads, creative magazine covers and exhibition posters are dotted around the apartment. Each frame tells a story of a different city visited, an exhibition absorbed, and the first campaign of her professional life – a Campari poster. “I kept it as a memory. It was my first internship, I was very motivated and I loved it. It has always been with me.”

My eye is drawn to a black and white photograph of two hat-wearers kissing. Charlotte sheds some light: “It is just Chanel advertising. I got it from their catalogue – I have never bought anything from Chanel! I think it came with a magazine.”

I ask her to choose three items to tell her life story, and she doesn’t hesitate for a moment. “My two arm chairs, which belong to my family. When I was a small girl, they seemed so big. It was like a king’s chair,” she says. “When I moved to Paris and left my family, my mother gave them to me. We had them re-done from the original green velvet fabric. When I see them, I see my parents and my family.”

Second are her books. “They have followed me everywhere, from Milan, New York to Paris and now, Dublin. They explain a lot about my personality. I love reading.” Her cello completes the trio.

Without any re-painting, wallpapering or re-flooring, Charlotte has packed her place with personality. Wherever she is, each element can be bundled up to transform the next blank canvas. Situated above the lights and bustle of the Docklands, Charlotte says she had reservations moving into the area. “Last time I was in Dublin, I lived on Waterloo Road, which has a great sense of Irishness and architecture. At first, in Grand Canal Dock, I felt like I could be living anywhere in the world, and it would look like a building here. But now, I love it. There are amazing bars, restaurants and people from all over the world. It’s a really nice area.”

Despite her eye for style and attention to detail, Charlotte was surprisingly laid-back in her apartment hunt. Still in New York, she scoured Daft.ie for a rental, while two trusted friends visited in person. On choosing it, she says: “Honestly, this was the only unfurnished place I found! In France, an apartment is never furnished, so we are used to buying furniture. For me, living in Ireland was complicated because I never wanted to live in someone else’s home.”

On arrival, Charlotte noticed a wall of the kitchen was a wine rack. “I didn’t have any wine, but I did have a lot of shoes, so that seemed like the best use of the shelves!” Her collection is vast, with everything from Prada and Dior to second-hand bargains.

“My favourites are a pair of $20 shoes I got in a vintage warehouse next to my old place in Brooklyn.” Apparently, each time they are re-heeled, cobblers admire them and, when she shows me the quilted gold and bronze sandals, it’s easy to see why.

Working in fashion certainly doesn’t hurt when it comes to interiors. “The industry brings you a sense of detail. Detail is important. I try to bring that to my home. I hope one day I will have a lot of style!” Charlotte says with a hoot of laughter.

Charlotte’s top tip for vintage discoveries is visiting a vide-grenier, the French equivalent of a car boot sale. “There’s a summer market in Paris, where everyone gets rid of things from their attic. This is where I bought the very beautiful screen in my bedroom. My mother has a great eye and told me to buy it immediately, so I did.”

Family is important to Charlotte. Her most treasured piece in the apartment is a small picture of her grandparents in a gold frame. I ask is that the item she’d save if the apartment was on fire. “Honestly, I couldn’t choose between my cello and the frame. I would take both and leave a leg.”

Now fully settled back in Dublin, Charlotte has her sights on buying a small cottage in the city next year. For now, she’s happy in her rented oasis. “I just want to spend all my time at home. I used to travel up to 50 per cent of the time with work, but now I feel this is where I belong.”

PHOTOGRAPHY Mark Scott
PUBLISHED Image Interiors & Living May/Jun 2014