The Best Airbnbs In Dublin, Ireland
If you're planning a trip to Dublin, Ireland, you likely already have a long list of things to see and do. Dublin is a lively city with a wide array of historic landmarks, bustling shopping centers, incredible food, hopping bars and pubs, and more. When you're visiting Dublin, several accommodation options are available —including hotels, bed and breakfasts, and Airbnbs. For many seasoned travelers, Airbnb is the way to go when planning your next trip. With an Airbnb, you can also get an entire home or apartment to yourself, allowing you to submerge yourself in local architecture and home styling.
While there isn't any one "Irish" decor style, there are some common themes present in homes with a more traditional Irish feel. Kendra Bester Design notes that Irish cottages feature a mix of feminine and masculine characteristics, from the more masculine use of exterior stones, exposed brick, stone fireplaces, and wooden beams, to the feminine floral curtains, bedding, and tablecloths in the home.
Below, you'll find some of the most aesthetic Airbnbs in Dublin. From modern condos to quaint houses with old exposed brick walls, you'll get plenty of design inspo from these unique and charming homes.
Historic meets modern
This Airbnb offers a prime location in Dublin, Ireland. Perhaps more impressive than its convenience towards the happenings of the city, however, is its unique design. The apartment is in a historic church, with some rooms featuring impressive stone walls, wooden doors, and other features that make you feel like you stepped back in time.
However, one of the things that makes this a truly unique listing is that despite the historic feel of the building and the structure of the home, the host brought modern design elements into the space. These include the geometric 3-bulb hanging light fixture in the bedroom, the sleek, dark furniture in the living room, touches of greenery throughout the apartment, and the clean cabinets and white subway tile backsplash in the kitchen. The mix of modern and historic makes for a real treat for the eyes.
According to Divine Design & Build, being purposeful when blending modern decor with traditional architecture, as the host of this Airbnb did, can bring an updated feel to the space without taking away from the home's historic features. It works as a nice backdrop for modern furniture, helping add warmth to what can sometimes be a sterile design.
Contemporary condo with modern decor
With its convenient location to historic Dublin landmarks, this Airbnb offers exceptional views of the city, including Dublin Castle and Christ Church Cathedral. However, looking out the windows is not the only way you'll be able to give your eyes a real treat. Each room of the condo has something unique to offer.
The hosts retained and restored some of the historic features that give the condo its charm, such as the gorgeous wood floors throughout the bedrooms and living room and the deep Belfast sink in the kitchen. Along with preserving some of the features that give the condo much of its character, they sought to update the space in other ways. Beyond adding some modern conveniences (like the electric shower), they also brought in contemporary design features, including the sleek brown couch with geometric throw pillows, the simple red and yellow side tables, and the large stainless hood over the sink.
The hosts also integrated more contemporary wall finishes throughout the space. These include the dark, steel blue walls in the living room and kitchen and the brown, aqua, and pink floral accent wall in one of the bedrooms. According to Anderson Painting, while adding an accent wall to a room is a minor change, it can have a large impact with its different colors and textures. Accent walls can also help direct the decor of the space, much like how the host picked up on the brown, aqua, and pink colors in the wall when choosing the throw pillows and bedside lamp.
Dublin townhouse with historic accents
This townhouse listed on Airbnb is all about historic features. The stone walls on either side of the open floor plan space — along with the historic fireplace and mantle on the living room side — help to add some rustic charm to the area and mimic the white stone architecture in Dublin's city center. It feels like a 15th-century building was converted into a modern house. The heavy farmhouse table helps cinch that look, mimicking the long great hall tables you would expect to see in a castle.
In contrast, the kitchen offers more of a modern feel with beige cabinets and open shelving that displays modern trappings like cooking utensils, toasters, and serving ware. However, the brown and white pebble backsplash helps to tie the contemporary kitchen in with the rest of the home, so nothing feels out of place.
A modern cottage
The host of this Airbnb clearly spent a lot of time designing their home. The aesthetic of this house reads as "modern cottage," since it blends rustic elements with modern designs. This is most clearly seen in the kitchen, which balances wood accents with a trendy white kitchen. The kitchen is done up with white subway tiles that match the sleek white cabinets with brass pulls. On its own, this would give the impression of a modern, feminine kitchen. But to provide it with a softer touch, the kitchen has butcher block countertops and an oversized rustic farmhouse table flanked with caramel faux-leather chairs. These soft textures add warmth to the room, adding a cottage-like atmosphere. The shaker cabinet in the corner and wide-plank hardwood floors only add to that aesthetic.
This kitchen shows how you don't have to subscribe to one clear-cut style. You can easily mix modern touches with old-world accents without the room looking imbalanced.
A Georgian style apartment
Following classic Georgian style, the interior of this Dublin Airbnb will make you feel like you stepped back in time. As Hydrangea Treehouse explains, Georgian interior design has a very formal feel without being overly grandiose. It can also offer a more modern feel than other classic interior decor options.
This Dublin Airbnb apartment certainly seems to follow these design rules. The living room features high ceilings with crown molding, full-length curtains, and a large, tiered crystal chandelier. However, mixed in with these grand elements is more modern furniture pieces that help create the Georgian style, as explained above. Some of the furniture in the room includes a solid gray couch with clean lines and a side chaise lounge, a black and white fabric-upholstered armchair, and a rectangular glass table. The kitchen and dining room — which share a space with the living room — also bring more modern touches to the area with the simple white rectangular dining table and cabinets, the black dining chairs, and the stainless steel appliances.
The same theme continues into the bedrooms, which offer more imposed full-length curtains and larger hanging light fixtures, paired with more simple bedding and colorful throw pillows.
Converted stable yard home
While it may not look like it based on the pictures, this Airbnb was once a stable yard. The converted stableyard's exterior delivers an old-world feel with its large stone archway and wrought iron gate, white plaster walls, climbing vines, and stone patio. The interior follows this theme of old-world charm. The home features a lot of solid wood — as one would find in an older home — including hardwood floors, wooden window and door frames, beds with wooden headboards and footboards, and an impressive wooden staircase.
The home's decor really allows some of these old-world elements to remain the star of the show. While there is some artwork and greenery around the space, it isn't overwhelming and lets visitors really enjoy the classic look of the home's interior. Similarly, the couches are a solid gray with more neutral pillows, and the beds are covered with solid or lightly patterned bedspreads.
Modern penthouse suite
This Airbnb condo in Dublin offers the best of both worlds: unbeatable skyline views coupled with attractive contemporary interior design elements. The apartment's first level offers parquet wood floors connecting the living area with the kitchen. These two rooms feature coordinating decor, with the black leather sofa and armchair in the living room and the black and stainless design of the kitchen. A brown, black, and gray geometric wallpaper accent wall adds a pop of color and visual appeal to the space.
A black spiral staircase takes visitors from the main level to the upper floor, where the bedrooms are located. The spacious primary bedroom features a separate sitting room with a large skylight, a comfortable brown leather sofa, an attached bathroom, and impressive wooden doors. The same geometric wallpaper is used on the main level but with shades of gray. The touches of green in the space from the tall plant next to the couch and the green glass bowl on the coffee table work to make the room more comfortable and inviting.
And '80s inspired oasis
The waterfront Airbnb apartment in Dublin's Grand Canal Dock area offers architectural and design elements that give it a very modern feel. The first thing you'll probably notice when looking through the pictures of the space is the bold colors used throughout the home. From the dark purple ceiling, pink walls, and red, blue, yellow, and purple furniture in the living room, each room in this home has a lot for the eyes to take in.
Beyond the bright, modern color scheme, the apartment also features '80s-inspired architectural elements, such as curved walls, a round bathtub and shower, curved kitchen counters, and a circular recessed ceiling. The ceiling is outlined in purple neon lights, making the room feel like a happy hour hotspot. The black appliances and cabinets in the kitchen and glossy breakfast bar give real "Age of Excess" vibes, making you want to wear shoulder pads while sitting in a swivel chair.