Many of us whose offices are now kitchen tables, bedrooms or garden sheds will identify with the picture high-profile architect Dermot Bannon paints of his own life in lockdown.
Dermot is still working, from his Dublin residence, but notes: “It’s difficult as everything takes twice as long because you’re doing it at home and meetings have to take place over Zoom.”
And he says the current circumstances have given him a new respect for teachers. “The kids are at home and they are going ballistic and we’re just trying to home-school them, do a little bit,” said Dermot.
As for spending this time doing a spot of home decoration he joked: “That’s too much like work!”
But he admitted that lockdown is challenging for all. “It is just the four walls, isn’t it? I just think the whole country is sick of looking at the four walls at home,” he said.
Dermot, speaking on 2FM’s Breakfast with Doireann & Eoghan, also has some DIY advice for any of us thinking of perking up our own abodes during the lockdown period – and that’s to basically step away from any tool that isn’t a paintbrush and to leave serious home improvement tasks to the professionals.
The last thing we want now is people going into A&E after hammering nails into their finger!
He said: "Stick to painting and now when you’ve got time on your hands maybe it’s time to experiment with colour and paint your rooms mad colours and see what you like because you’ve got tomorrow to repaint it."
As for any more extensive design of your house, Dermot highlighted the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) annual RIAI Simon Open Door campaign, which runs from May 5-15.
Now in its 16th year, the campaign sees registered architects all around Ireland offer consultations to members of the public in exchange for a donation of €95 to Simon Communities.
This year the consultations will be held virtually via video calls.