My favourite room: ‘I found the chemo ward really lonely and since then I’ve thought of it a lot and about what would have helped’
Olivia Carpenter and her family had tough years due to cancer and Covid-19, however, the upsides are her new start-up helping cancer patients and the recent renovation to her home in Dublin’s southside
Olivia Carpenter, founder of Olivia’s Gift, in the kitchen made by Colin Maher Design. She is thrilled with the attention to detail, particularly the use of the pale wood contrasting with the grey units. This same pale wood design was picked up by the landscaper who used a similar design in the wood outside. Photo: Tony GavinPhotos are an important feature of most family homes – they remind us of the kids’ milestones and achievements, the fun moments around yearly rituals and, of course, help keep much-loved family members who’ve departed this world in our hearts. Olivia Carpenter’s stunning newly renovated home in Killiney has many such mementos, including tonnes of her beloved husband Gavin and their children, not to mind her mother and her dad who sadly died during the pandemic. But it was a tad unusual to see a framed picture of the bubbly blonde herself with the renowned oncologist John Crown.However, Olivia says he more than deserves his place in her gallery; at one time not too long ago, along with other medical experts, he was a very important person in her life. “I love John Crown, he’s a straight talker, which I loved. He’s exactly like me.”