PadCandy

Pressing pause...

2010-12-15T20:01:00.003Z

Despite this author's best efforts and unrealistic intentions, folks, Padcandy is now takin' a catnap, due to unavoidable time constraints. All them jaypeggs and designy musings don't upload themselves, unfortunately.

I hope you'll continue to read me at The Sunday Times Ireland and at House and Home, Ireland's most delicious interiors mag, made by design nuts for design nuts, and where all pads are candy.

Meanwhile, you've come this far - please do click on my fellow bloggers on the right who are keeping up really really good work - probably despite aforementioned time constraints. I am indeed humbled in bloggerspace and I know you'll enjoy.

I hope to be back as soon as I possibly can, so watch this rambling, home-obsessed space.
Thanks to all of you for reading, commenting and inspiring.

Dx

Interview with Sir Terence Conran

2009-12-10T23:54:00.007Z

From The Sunday Times, December 6 2009 © Dara Flynn

There is a charming irony to Sir Terence Conran’s account of the day he finally got to meet his design hero, Eileen Gray when she attended a London exhibition of her own work, organised by Conran.

“If I had to say who was my favourite designer in the world she is certainly in my top four or five. I have a photograph of her as a young girl in Ireland in my office on the wall. But it is always difficult, especially with someone really old; I remember when I met her she was finding it quite difficult to suddenly be put in the spotlight,” he says.

At 78, Conran too is beginning to show signs of his own frailty - he speaks in a slow, deliberate manner, takes plenty of long pauses and short steps; his back gives him trouble. The day in question, he admitted, was “turning out to feel like a very long one.” Unlike the reclusive Gray, however, he is well-versed in media and industry attention. Last week, the design guru was thrust into the spotlight for the opening of The Conran Shop at Arnott’s department store in Dublin, where he attended business meetings, sat for press interviews, posed for photos, gave a speech, conducted the raffle and then spent almost an hour signing copies of his various books for a long queue of fans.

Although a full twenty years younger than Gray was at the time of her demise, Conran is anything but unappreciated in his own time. He opened the first Habitat shop in London in the mid-1960s, and is credited with bringing quality home design to the masses, allowing those who didn’t know their Eames from their elbow to dare to purchase good design. Knighted in 1983, he also set up Heals, Mothercare, Next and saw Habitat become an international franchise. He runs a series of successful restaurants and hotels, and his empire is worth an estimated £95m to him and his talent-rich family. Conran is, quite literally, a household name. It is said that there isn’t a middle-class household in the United Kingdom that hasn’t been in some way ‘Conranned’.

Now, he has chosen Ireland as only the fifth country in the world in which to locate his eponymously-titled design shop – the others are in London, New York, Paris and Japan.

“Being a bit Irish myself I have always loved Dublin and the energy of the city. On my father’s side, I have Irish ancestors from the Co Cork area, who I believe eventually left for Australia to dig up gold,” he says.

Conran acted as an advisor to Kilkenny Design in its early days, and he executed the chic interior design scheme for U2’s Clarence Hotel, and later the Fitzwilliam Hotel. “I know Bono and the Edge quite well. My wife grew up here in Ireland and she used to work for Bono in the South of France, so there are all these connections,” he says.

Conran is the main name associated with a definition of what modern British design is: for him, this is defined by clean simple lines, strong colour and quality materials. However, when it comes to a definition of an Irish design scene, Conran is at a bit of a loss – with one notable exception, of course.

“Eileen Gray, a hero for design. That’s who Irish designers should follow,” he says. He speaks with some regret about having lost the chance to purchase Gray’s entire catalogue of work from her niece, a painter called Sandra Blow. “She offered it to let us have it at the Design Museum when we first started. We hadn’t enough space so we turned them down, and said we would come back in five years. But within five years, Eileen had died and the archive disappeared. I’m glad to hear it is happily back in Ireland, which is where it should be,” he says.

“I think you can see Irish style in early engineering, in steam locomotives and agricultural equipment. Plain, simple and useful is how I would optimistically describe Irish style, always connected in some way to the soil.

“Unfortunately I don’t think Ireland has any very notable design schools. It has good architecture and certainly excellent architects, so if the Irish are going to create a style of their own, I feel that it will be in architecture, and not in industrial design,” says Conran, who is Provost of the Royal College of Art in London. “Of course, you also have wonderful artists.”

Conran and the artist Francis Bacon were good friends from the early days in swinging London.

“There was always £3,000 in fifty pound notes on his mantelpiece of his studio, ready to go out gambling. I remember once he stayed in the country with us the year before he died, so he was going a bit gaga. We had just had a very good meal and he had consumed probably a magnum of excellent claret and gone to sleep at the table. He woke up suddenly and said to my wife, ‘send the bill to the gallery!’ and then he reached into his pocket and turned to one of my young children who was walking behind him, and said: ‘there you go boy,’ handing him a ten pound note. He really thought he was in a restaurant. He was always very generous.”

Conran remembers Bacon as “the most intelligent man when he was sober, which wasn’t that frequent. He was filled with knowledge, he knew everything about design, Bauhaus furniture and all that.”

Bacon lived in Kensington, near the first Conran Shop, and often ate at Bibendum, Conran’s restaurant, with the writer Elizabeth David. “He came into the Conran Shop one day and bought a whole window full of furniture. He had set up with some young man down in Essex and bought all this furniture for the young man’s apartment. One of the pieces was a big ash dining table I made called S12,”he says.

As well as a product and interior designer, Conran is the author of over 30 books, including two written with Diarmuid Gavin.

His latest, the Eco House Book, is a practical guide to sustainable, green interior design, about which the designer is passionate. So passionate, in fact, that he made sure to send a copy each to Barack Obama, Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy prior to the forthcoming UN Climate Change conference in Copenhagen. The White House has yet to acknowledge receipt of the book, although Conran adds, “I suspect Michelle will have nabbed it,” and he hopes the first lady may use it to make a convincing eco-argument to her husband before world leaders attempt to thrash out a deal on global climate change next week. Meanwhile, Conran paid a visit in person to Number 10 last week, where he noticed the book on a table next to the prime minister’s desk.

“He said to me, ‘this is the most useful book, especially at this time. God, I hope I can convince Obama, if we cannot convince Obama, then the rest of the world will have a reason not to sign.’ I do hope it has convinced Brown, and that he wasn’t just saying that as a matter of courtesy.”

26 days of Christmas

2009-11-27T18:32:00.007Z

Been busy as Santa's elves on the workload front lately, readers, so apologies for my absence! Just when I thought I could get back to the important things in life again, such as web surfing for lovely homegear and posting pretty things on Padcandy, the Christmas rush has hit so the next few weeks will have to be spent Christmas decorating, sending out my cards, contacting friends and seeing family. Padcandy will be back in full schwing in early January.

Above and below are me and Mr Fly's 2008 efforts at Christmas cards, now an annual competitive sport in our household. Mine's made from feathers, glitter, card and plastic, featuring fimo versions of us. It's kind of messy. Mr Fly's is characteristically meticulous and stylish. He even used a ruler. I think he won, although he's far too kind to admit it. Pressure's on for this year.

Happy Christmas decorating, eating, mulling and jiving!

The Burn Ultimatum

2009-11-05T19:25:00.013Z

From The Sunday Times, November 1 2009 © Dara Flynn
Choosing a new fireplace, these days, leads us to think of the other “F” words: “fossil” and “fuels”. The traditional open hearth has had its status relegated from must-have to fuel-efficiency fiend. In these eco-aware times, a touch of open-hearth surgery was inevitable.

The hottest trend in fires is the flueless fire. Yes, they look as good as the average coal-guzzler, but in an entirely different way. Most are modern and sleek in design. However, their eco-friendly rather than aesthetic qualities are the main appeal.

The majority run off bio-ethanol fuel, a denatured alcohol produced by the fermentation of sugars from renewable agricultural and forestry products. It also burns cleanly, leaving no ash and producing no smoke, making it virtually maintenance-free. The initial outlay can be expensive, but the fuel is relatively cost-effective and the long-term impact on the environment represents a vast improvement on the coal-fired model most of us have grown up with. Doing away with a flue means the manufacturers have been able to push the boat out in terms of design. It also means that the fireplaces are versatile, and can be put almost anywhere in a room, provided that there is adequate ventilation.

The Germans are streets ahead in this domain. Conmoto the fireplace manufacturer, has been producing its signature Balance range for a few years. Each fire is attractive, albeit in a stark, contemporary way.

The Balance mobile fire is an open, smoke-free and flueless fireplace fuelled by liquid bio-alcohol. In a modernist take on traditional hearth seating, the wall-hung version of the Mobile has a built-in bench in steel or wood (¤4,446, from Mary Ryder Designs in Dublin). A stand-alone version (¤3,565) with a stainless-steel base is also available.

EcoSmart Fires makes of the most diverse ranges of bio-ethanol fuel fires on the market, despite having its roots under the hot Australian sun.

The EcoSmart Oxygen is a rectangular fireplace that takes its place as a freestanding piece of furniture made of stainless steel with a low-line CaesarStone shelf. It comes in a wide palette of colours and costs an astonishing £7,205 (¤7,939), from Genersys Ireland. Installation costs are almost zero and the fuel is highly cost-effective — it is estimated that an EcoSmart fire costs just over ¤1 an hour to run.

A similar model at the same price is the EcoSmart Vision, which is double-sided and encased in toughened glass to give a see-through effect. It makes for a dramatic room divider without hindering the free flow of space and, as with its counterparts, is a portable work of art that can be positioned anywhere.

The Chimo eco-friendly fireplace by Blomus, meanwhile, is a wall-mounted bio-ethanol fire, finished in stainless steel that looks as good lit as unlit and is one of the more affordable fires of this genre, costing £1,081 (¤1,191) from Bombero, the Northern Ireland-based website which delivers free to southern Ireland.

A hallmark of the bio-ethanol fire is its relatively low heat generation. This varies according to maker and model, so be careful about choosing one if your plan is to rely on it entirely for space heating. Basic flueless bio-ethanol fires work best in well-insulated houses that already have other forms of heating.

Running a stove off the gas mains is another option, and while it loses marks for energy-efficiency and the results of over-use will appear on the bill, it’s a decent alternative to carbon-emitting, energy-guzzling fuels, and modern versions are easier to regulate than ever.
Belle Cheminee on Dublin’s Capel Street, is one of the Irish stockists of Faber fires, which offer attractive, modern free-standing and built-in stoves for modern homes.

The Faber Hestia Nostalgic gas fire costs ¤3,895, not including installation. Turn things up a notch with the Faber triple gas fire, which summons the cosiness of the traditional hearth, and costs ¤4,095, excluding fitting.

Fancy a bit of rough?

2009-11-05T19:06:00.014Z

From The Sunday Times, October 18 2009 © Dara Flynn
Interior design may not be rocket science. It does, however, involve an element of neuroscience. Neuroesthetics is a recent sub-science that measures how the human brain reacts to aesthetics. Using MRI brain scanning, studies have shown that colour and form are the first things that the brain perceives, but in different areas of the brain.

For instance, when shown a Monet painting, the colour centres of the brains of those participating in one study flooded, but when shown a Cézanne, participants focused on texture and there was a flooding of the pathways that perceive form.

Texture is as crucial as colour in any design scheme. The human sense of touch is a key factor in the physical and emotional experience of a room. As we reach the end of the first decade of 21st-century design, the era of plastic, glass and steel has given way to rough-hewn wood, cable-knit upholstery, 3-D fabrics, plaited rugs and materials inspired by nature. Simon Cowell, has already embraced the trend — he has just spent £20,000 (¤22,000) getting the walls of his dressing room covered in cow hide tiles. Modern wall-coverings have also taken on a more extreme three-dimensional quality than old-fashioned flock.

The textile designer Anne Kyyro Quinn is the star of this show — she makes tactile, pop-out panels that feel as good as they look. Each piece is like an artwork and is cut, sewn and finished by hand, using natural materials. Her wall panels mimic a giant flower stamen, the veins of a banana leaf or the back of a centipede.

They are available to order at annekyyroquinn.com, while her cushions, throws and table runners (from ¤88) can be bought from online stockists, including Urbansuite, which delivers to Ireland. Moroso, the Italian firm, has been giving its furniture the feel-good factor, too, with its range of dramatic, pretty and heavily textured Antibodi chairs. Each is embroidered with lightly padded petals made of felt and wool fabric or wool and leather, fixed onto a stainless steel frame. The petals are reversible: facing upwards they give a feminine look, downwards provides a quilted look.

Everything is hand-sewn, so the Antibodi furniture represents a serious investment: the chair costs ¤3,323, while the chaise longue is ¤5,222, from Minima. Established & Sons, one of the UK’s biggest trend-setters, has produced the Quilt Sofa (from ¤3,515), designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.

This is texture with bells on: it either resembles a giant human cell or the most inviting bean bag ever seen, depending on your perspective, and can be ordered through Terry Furniture, in Portadown. A pronounced texture is achieved using chunky cable-knit fabric, such as that of the luxurious Urchin poufs (from ¤480), designed by Christien Meindertsma and available at the online designer retailer Thomas Eyck.

They’re hand-crafted and just one will add enough of a textural element to keep the orbitofrontal cortex amused for days. For a budget impostor, try the Ikea Alseda rattan stool (¤24.95). While oversized, super-tactile furniture items are a fast way to apply texture, their cost can be prohibitive. It isn’t necessary to invest in large pieces to create a touchy-feely mood. Accessories will do the trick just as easily and for a fraction of the cost. Contrast is key to maximising textural allure. Rough or bulky textures placed next to one another compete. Place a chunky cable knit or a mohair throw next to something clean and smooth, such as leather or highly polished wood to bring out its full character. Your investment contemporary sofa can stay, but roughen things up a bit with throws, or a giant fur rug — animal hide is timeless and natural, but a good faux fur will work, too.

For quality, throws with texture as well as Scandinavian design kudos, there is Linum’s Winter 2009 range, now available at The Blue Door in Naas. A smart tan leather sofa, given an injection of colour and a dose of the touchy-feelies with a quality Irish mohair throw from Avoca Handweavers (¤49.95), is a good start.

Degrees of Style

2009-11-05T18:48:00.012Z

From The Sunday Times, October 18 2009 © Dara Flynn

You’ve bought the text books, joined the various societies and picked out your romantic prey for the academic year ahead. Next on the list? The state of “the gaff”. No self-respecting undergraduate can hope to win friends and influence people without a bit of decent kit to make their digs feel more like home. Throwing a bit of beer money at a few pieces will not only make you look good, but will also let you express your own personality through the magic of interior design.

There are a few simple rules to kitting out student accommodation. The most important is never to spend a fortune. At the same time, you should ensure you have the basics so studying will be as comfortable as socialising. It’s unlikely that you’ll live in the same digs next year, so focus on disposable items, especially if you or your flatmates have a habit of stuttering “all back to mine” come closing time. Flatpack is the fastest and easiest way to furnish a new place, but you’ll gain little credit for originality. It’s better to stick to a few key pieces and marry them with your own version of university style. The classic Ikea Billy bookcase is a good option. At just ¤39 for the basic size, it costs about the same as a night in the pub with a kebab on the way home, and it won’t take a degree in mechanical engineering to assemble. Digging a little deeper into the college fund could prove worthwhile if your accommodation lacks both couch and guest sleepover space. The Beddinge Havet sofa bed from Ikea (¤369 for the cheapest three-seater) has a removable cover and a machine-washable mattress, so it’s easy to clean.
Personalise your kitchen with statement-slogan mugs. Hunkydory Home has the very cheerful “Now panic and freak out” mugs (¤8.60 each), which should send just the right message come exam time.
Next Directory stocks a range of fluorescent kitchen goods this season, including the “Fancy a Brew” and “Full of Beans” slogan mugs (¤9 each) and a porcelain seven-day mug pack (¤13) featuring a slogan for each day of the week.

Matching tea towels are also available (¤13 for seven). Accessories can help you personalise your look in countless ways. Hell will probably freeze over before the landlord will let you change your digs’ colour scheme, so the best way to inject colour is with wall accessories. For originality and style, pick up a few strong prints for the walls online — Bodie and Fou has Alphabot, a retro, quality print with a bit of designer edge (¤40.50).

If that’s a little on the pricy side, art and movie posters are a preference — and, for heaven’s sake, frame them. You can pick up cheap clip frames from any DIY warehouse for just a few quid. Removable wall stickers are quite cheap and can look like feature wallpaper; it’s up to you whether to keep it decorative or go daring. Mabel and Violet, the Irish-based online boutique, has a set of 13 Flora Wallstickers (¤34.50), as well as a large, black world map sticker, which, at ¤77.95, isn’t cheap, but it is definitely a pretty way to brush up on your geography.

For a lads’ pad, go all out with the Pin-up wall sticker from the Irish company Wallstickers.ie (¤41).

It shows the silhouette of a woman, perched on any piece of furniture you choose to place next to it — position her correctly and perhaps nobody will notice she isn’t a real girlfriend. Meanwhile, you can show your guests the door with the charming, Irish-designed “Feck Off” doormat from People Love Presents (¤20). Another way to add personality through art, without the price tag, is with tea towels. If your tendencies are bookish, try the series of tea towels featuring the covers of Penguin classics, designed by Tony Davis for Art Meets Matter (about ¤10 each from leading book shops).
Hunkydory Home also has the Mr Tea tea towel (¤9.60). Embossed with the designer’s version of the A-Team character, it strikes just the right note between the inner child and the ironic. The point of the decorative tea towel, however, is to be hung in pride of place, and not to polish pint glasses “borrowed” from the boozer.

Industrial Revolution

2009-10-29T18:52:00.015Z

From The Sunday Times, October 11 2009 © Dara Flynn
It was obvious from the wares on display at both the big furniture fairs this year that a new industrial revolution is under way. Industrial chic — design influenced by factories, coal pits and engine rooms — is going full-steam ahead, but modern-day Luddites needn’t worry. This trend isn’t about turning a steam engine into a dining table. It’s all about rawness — a bare-knuckled sense of style with very little flourish that more of us are injecting into our design schemes a little at a time.

The industrial look isn’t as masculine as it sounds, either. It’s gender-neutral, with an emphasis on well-designed objects that mimic now-defunct work tools, although textiles such as linen and canvas marry perfectly with the look. If proof were needed that industrial chic fascinates, many cutting-edge designers have turned their attention to producing pieces made from stark, raw materials. The trend is seeping through strongest in lighting.

Industrial-look lighting has been around for a while — we’re all familiar with fishermen’s lamps for kitchens and rise-and-fall mock oil lamps for dining rooms — but the latest designs are like replicas of something straight from the factory floor. Cages, used on industrial lighting since the late 19th century to protect precious light bulbs, are becoming a hallmark of lighting design.

Dare Studio, run by the young designer Sean Dare, showcased its cage lights at last month’s 100% Design in London. See above and below. I met Sean at the show and the model is a mate of a mate and she's a Storm model and did this shoot for him for free! I think it works really well, even though I don't normally agree with putting laydeez next to furniture.

Made of laser-cut aluminium, each one is powder-coated in colours such as traffic red, graphite grey and sulphur yellow and can be used as a pendant, lamp base or a free-standing lamp. The small version costs ¤259 and the large costs ¤237. Dare also produces the Fujiya lamps, comic floorlamps which resemble a person with a workman’s bucket on their head.

Diesel, the Italian jeans maker, has had industrial-inspired fashion sewn up for years and it has now teamed up with Foscarini, the Italian lighting designers. The range includes a half dozen different styles of cage light. The large suspended version, (available in white, black and green) was inspired by lamps used by miners and costs ¤561. The Tavolo, a table version, is a caged light that resembles a large microphone (¤390 in either black or white) and has the versatility of any building-site lamp, as it can be hung over the side of a table, suspended from the ceiling or merely left on the floor.

Foscarini, without Diesel’s help, has produced its own range with a more glamorous use of industrial materials. The Allegro, a sculptural light made from lacquered aluminium rods, comes in three types: the Assai, with gold pipes (¤2,100), the Vivace in maroon (¤1,552) and the Ritmico in black (¤1,496). Foscarini and the Successful Living by Diesel range are available from Minima in Dublin 2.

Furniture designers are also getting ideas from dormant building sites. The wacky designer brains that make up Established & Sons are no exception. This year’s collection has included Bricks and Mortar — a range of sofas, armchairs and poufs upholstered in a grey brick or redbrick pattern. Jasper Morrison has come up with his Crate series — an assortment of furniture items made from the same material as packing crates.

Design House Stockholm has the best-selling Block Lamp, designed by Harri Koskinen in 1996, with its light source set inside a glass brick, tinted in red, white, black (¤169) or amber (¤195). It also produces a series of silver and gold work lamps (¤145).

Even smaller design studios have tapped into the allure of metal and concrete and wood palettes. Unleaded, an Irish design team, work with concrete and steel to make fresh, trendy lights with a playful twist. Their B-Con light (¤520) for example, leans dramatically by rolling on its base to mimic a maritime buoy.

Nina Tolstrup, the Danish hand behind the UK-based Studiomama, created the Palett project — seats, stools and lamps made from industrial forklift palettes. Buyers can purchase the instructions to make their chair or lamp from the website for just ¤11.

The studio also produces a set of pewter bowls with a brightly-sprayed interior, which remind the user of the tops of freshly-opened paint pots and provide an inexpensive and lightweight way to try the industrial look a little at a time.

Pretty.
www.establishedandsons.com; www.studiomama.com;

Finally, an outlet for my cravings

2009-10-29T18:42:00.004Z

Pssst... MyDeco, the really handy interiors 'shop-window' website (it shows you where to buy everything) now has an OUTLET! Up to 40% off and in some cases, more. Worth checking out, folks. I found this cushion (above) which I have snapped up and shall be adorning the white, rickety dining chair in the spare room very soon. It was £27 on Aspace and now it's £8.10. Cha-chiing!

Patching things up

2009-10-08T16:26:00.008+01:00

From The Sunday Times, September 20 2009 ©Dara Flynn

Every season, at least one dead trend is resurrected from the design graveyard, dusted down, jazzed up and resold as retro. Few of these revivals ever truly make it second time around. Fondue sets, Lladró figurines and dungarees spring to mind.

Sometimes, however, a design reincarnation is so well executed that we invite it in and let it stick around for a little longer. Soon, more designers catch a strain of the sentimentality bug and spread it about a bit. Before you know it, it’s officially a trend. The bigger design houses churn out their own versions until finally you awake one morning to find it in the Ikea catalogue. This year, that revival is patchwork.

Like it or not, mix-and-match pattern and print are back, and not in a down-home, Little House on the Prairie way. This is patchwork with the volume turned up high and the colour contrast set to maximum. Forget the pastel-hued quilt thrown over the back of the sofa. This season, it’s the sofa itself — or the chair or the table — that is patchwork, upholstered in hundreds of uniform squares featuring dozens of patterns and colours clashing and blending at random. The look calls for bravery, originality and a buyer’s ability to know when to stop — like all strong themes, it can be extremely effective if used correctly.

Unless you are a fan of the wrapping paper look, keep your statement piece of patchwork furniture away from bold printed wallpapers and fabrics such as curtains and blinds. The patchwork effect is loud — that’s half the point of it — so give it a wide berth and let it chatter away against a relatively neutral backdrop. The return of patchwork to interiors and furniture design may be partly explained by the economic climate. In times like these, people are attracted to the warmth and familiarity of handmade items and anything with an inherent history. The patchwork revival is the expression of a unconscious desire to return to our roots, back to the simpler things we cherished before we began measuring our worth by credit card debt, sleek leather sofas and new cars.

Squint Limited was one of the first to pioneer the return of the craft to domestic living rooms. Lisa Whatmough, its young founder, has been making patchwork sofas, dressers, chaises longues, headboards, arm chairs and accessories since 2005.

The fabrics used by Squint for its Heritage range include woven English damasks, as well as silver and gold satins, with Swarovski rose crystal and pearl detailing. The trims are from 18th and 19th century France with woven silver and gold thread.

Even the accessories range includes mirrors and lighting wrapped with Japanese ceremonial Kimono silks, embroidered and appliquéd with antique lavender glass beads. Sofas start at about ¤4,000 depending on the fabric chosen, while armchairs cost from ¤2,700. The bespoke range includes classic designer pieces such as the egg chair and chesterfield sofas. Each piece is unique, takes about 12 weeks to make by hand and can be shipped to Ireland.

Couch GB provides a similar service, but with a more uniform look, using Designers Guild fabric to upholster its antique furniture. The Baobab Tree, meanwhile, has been applying itself to the trend with a decent line of accessories, such as its luxury turquoise patchwork cushions (¤55) and monochrome drum lamp (¤185).

Patchwork is putting in an appearance at this year’s Tent London showcase (September 24 to 27), when The Quirico Company will show off the ten pieces of vintage furniture covered in antique fabrics by the Lebanese designers Hoda Baroudi and Maria Hibri of Bokja.

Just a few stalls away, Zoe Murphy, a funky young designer, will be showcasing her utterly original recycled interiors products, with a strong, fun use of the fabric patchwork effect on footstools, but also on wood furniture and wall decor, where the look is created using paints and other materials.

Indeed, patchwork has so confidently crossed the design threshold from country kitsch to urban cool that varieties of the trend are springing up everywhere. Amy Hunting, a Norwegian-born designer, has created Patchwork, a range of pared-back, raw furniture pieces using off-cuts and waste wood from factories. Fragments are glued together to form a wood patchwork effect by aligning the grain in alternate directions and pairing different shades of wood. These are eventually turned into lampshades, chairs and storage units.

Hunting’s project is a prototype for now, but it highlights that patchwork, as an appliqué, upholstery and building method does more than make us feel warm and cosy inside, but is also an innately green occupation.

On the high street, the availability of chic reincarnations of the patchwork trend has never been less, well, patchy. Ikea, needless to say, is in on the act. The company’s best-selling two-seat Klippan sofa (¤159) now comes with two new multi-coloured covers, Lappmon and Karrum (¤64) which, while not strictly patchworked, are the Swedish company’s low-cost nod at the trend.

For a slightly higher class of square, turn to Roche Bobois, the tasteful French designer store based in Beacon South Quarter in Dublin. Its Rythme sofa range featured a collage of plain and Missoni fabrics in bright, happy Autumnal colours. It costs ¤4,790 for a two-seater and ¤5,510 for the three-seater version. With sharp, modern appeal, it is as far from its Little House on the Prairie roots as patchwork can get.

Do your homework

2009-10-08T15:42:00.005+01:00

The Sunday Times, September 13 2009 © Dara Flynn

As the Health Service Executive and the Irish Business and Employers Confederation urge employers to introduce “social distancing” methods of working to curb the spread of swine flu, it’s clear that more of us may be working from home this winter. It is predicted that up to a third of all workers may become infected, so reducing face-to-face contact will be imperative.

Some may see the prospect of working in their pyjamas as the silver lining to the impending pandemic. Unfortunately, there’s no medicine for a lack of proper workspace at home. The average Irish house does not include a dedicated office space, so rookie home-workers need to graft that little bit harder to slot their office life into a domestic setting.

A bespoke home office is great for those who have the room, and Kelco Designs, at Churchtown Business Park in Dublin, makes a stylish wooden range. In average properties, sacrificing a bedroom is ill-advised — bedrooms add more value than an office or study — so using free-standing furniture is the most cost-effective way to create a home office.

Where you have to carve up a living room, dining room or bedroom to make room for your job, modular and multi-functional items are the savviest choice. Opt for desks that can do several things or change shape as they change use, and try to incorporate furniture that matches the shape of your chosen space, rather than trying to wedge something too large into a spare corner.

The good news for home-workers is that colour can be incorporated. Splash out on a brightly hued chair, desk or storage shelf if something takes your fancy. BoConcept, which has just launched its 2010 collection in Ireland, is using bright colours, such as yellow, to dramatic effect, contrasting it with the company’s signature charcoals and neutrals.

Wood and glass — the office staples — haven’t disappeared, though, and are a safe choice for the less adventurous or those easily distracted. The most important component is the desk. You’ll need plenty of leg-room. Consider whether you need enough surface to fit a PC or laptop with a mouse, a phone and some paper storage, or if a more discreet version will do the trick.

Flanagans specialises in antique leather office chairs, as well as robust, manly, wooden desks and feminine French writing tables. If not a Georgian or Edwardian period pile, though, the host property should at the very least have rooms of generous proportion and more formal decor.

On a neater scale, Littlewoods Ireland has the trestle writing desk (¤109), a petite, elegant walnut-veneer free-stander with a large drawer, cubby shelving and about enough desktop room for a laptop and a pair of elbows. The group also sells the Capella coffee table (¤89), which is ideal for those who have to use the living-room sofa and who must opt for multi-functional furniture. A versatile, clever coffee table, it doubles as a computer desk by lifting up the monitor shelf. It also has a drop flap for printer space and storage for disks.

Ikea has several office systems. Its Galant range of desks (from ¤77) are modular and can be ordered in different sizes, finishes and shapes for a perfect fit. The Alve bureau desk (¤219) is a nice, modern take on the traditional French-style writing desk and good enough for small tasks. The company’s Expedit shelving system can be ordered with an adjoining desk (from ¤108.99), which solves workspace and storage in one go. Its range of office chairs includes the funky Jules swivel chair (¤47.99) and the more officious-looking Klappe (¤259).

Ikea isn’t the only stylish option for those on a budget. BoConcept has good-quality, affordable home-office options. A complete office system from its Occa range, for example, adds up to about ¤1,200. The Occa desk in walnut veneer and chrome costs ¤488, while the matching bookcases in walnut veneer are ¤425 and ¤340. You could team it with the Mariposa Delight chair in black leather and brushed steel (¤329). In wall systems, the Lecco range with filing drawers and magazine shelves in white lacquer costs ¤1,981. A full-wall Lecco system costs ¤5,656.

Roche-Bobois has the Open Space collection (desk, ¤5,187 ), a series of sleek, angular, contemporary pieces that appear to defy gravity. Paper’s threatened extinction has inspired Cédric Ragot, its designer, to create the collection, which reminds the user of suspended sheets of paper. The Vertigo office units (¤3,840 for the desk) are similarly space-age but with a tasteful wood finish, while the Diapason range (desk, ¤4,885) is a return to the red, glossy, minimalist look.

For a true statement piece, the Globus Scriptorium, by Artifort (¤4,680, plus Vat), is a ball-shaped, all-in-one desk-and-chair system inside a white, polyurethane sphere, which splits into hemispheres. The chair is upholstered in leather and swivels.

It can be rigged up to include an on-board computer system or a games console, while the white spherical shell can be emblazoned with any logo or design. It is available from Walls to Workstations, which stocks a complete line of office furniture.

No home office is complete without accessories to liven up the space and give scope for the personalisation your boss would never allow. Turn to Umbra for tabletop accessories, such as the Grassy Organiser (¤7.50), made of soft, moulded rubber to resemble stalks of grass and used for storing pens and other stationery.

Instore has a smart basic range of desktop organisers for under a tenner, while the Antrim-based online store Dekko has colourful accessories including the Barcode noticeboard (¤16.80) to go with its office furniture. Workstations cost from ¤82 to ¤168.

Look on the Bright side

2009-09-22T15:31:00.011+01:00

I am supposed to be hitting a deadline, but I couldn't wait a minute longer before posting the work of Rachel Bright, a quirky illustrator/poet based in the UK, who does lovely things with the printed word, both visually and emotionally. Above and below are her greeting cards, which ooze humour and sincerity:

She has done a few for special occasions such as a new baby:

and a wee note for a pal, just to say something nice:

She also does beautiful poems, such as 'You Are The Bubbles', below, which I think would make any couple melt on their wedding /engagement.

and the slightly self-deprecating but hilariously insightful Other People's Monsters, below.

Rachel's online shop is coming soon, but check out the site for more of her fresh, cute, simple, organic, witty genius.

Go bust

2009-09-08T16:54:00.002+01:00

The Cire Trudon Liberated Slave bust candle is far more glamorous than your average frosted-glass version. Made of beeswax and unscented, it is one of a series moulded on original sculptures in French museums, which receive royalties from sales. The original Liberated Slave bust is the work of Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. These candles are for decorative purposes only.
Brown Thomas

The great cover-up

2009-09-08T16:52:00.004+01:00

Introducing the Slanket, an oversized fleece blanket with large, loose sleeves. These mean you can wear it and still have the use of your hands for such crucial tasks as using the remote control or drinking your cocoa. Roll on winter. ¤39.99 from Gstore.ie

Velvet crush

2009-09-08T16:51:00.002+01:00

It doesn’t get more aspirational than the velvet Martini chair by Italian firm Promemoria. With its strong lines, it hits just the right note between James Bond manliness and Audrey Hepburn chic. This one is a former display model and costs just over E4,000. Minima, 01 662 7894

Done roamin'

2009-09-08T16:49:00.003+01:00

Studio Roam, the blanket maker, knits each blanket to order using 100% Scottish cashmere or merino wool. Its Honolulu cashmere blanket is inspired by traditional Hawaiian patterns, and you get to choose the colour at no additional cost. There is a ¤6 delivery fee on top of the price.
People Love Presents (which is based in Ireland)

Back to black

2009-09-08T16:45:00.002+01:00

Smeg is known for being a bit different, but this takes the biscuit. The latest offering from the master of retro is the limited-edition FAB28QBV black velvet fridge. It has a soft-touch surface with a rubberised effect and a velvet finish. There are only 120 of the fridges available for the UK and Ireland and each comes engraved with its own, exclusive product number.
Order from NAA, 01 460 0064

Green room chic

2009-09-08T16:17:00.017+01:00

From The Sunday Times Ireland, September 6 2009 © Dara Flynn

You don’t need to compromise on style to make an eco-statement in your home — the latest designs are as kind to the eye as they are to the environment

The modern household mantra — reduce, re-use, recycle — is meaningless if your home is filled with objects of dubious ecological origin. Green design is the new buzz phrase in interiors, because soon it will be the norm. Hundreds of established furniture firms are scrambling to jump on the eco-bandwagon.

It’s also easier than ever to lay your hands on an eco-friendly version of almost anything. You can ensure that what you buy is green by making your big purchases from design companies that have given the provenance of their materials serious consideration.

Environment Furniture, which has its Irish base in Dublin’s Customs House Quay building, makes most of its furniture from reclaimed Brazilian peroba wood that is between 70 and 100 years old and is blended with responsibly harvested Indonesian mahogany and Sustainable Forestry Initiative-certified North American hardwoods.

The company, which also stocks pieces at Maison & Chateau stores in Cork, Waterford and Tipperary, is a partner member of the Tropical Forest Trust, a UK-based organisation promoting sustainable forestry at local level.

Environment’s furniture uses water-based stains, and its offices and stores follow a green operations guide. Earlier this year, Time magazine included Environment Furniture in its annual Green 100 listing. Fans, according to Time, include Leonardo DiCaprio, Julia Roberts and the set designers of the television comedy series Ugly Betty.

“The environmental angle is great, but if the design doesn’t stack up, people won’t buy it,” says Derek Kehoe, the managing director of Maison & Chateau. “The company philosophy is about combining old and new. It isn’t just about old wood furniture, as so many companies are doing that. The concept and philosophy is also about good contemporary design.”

The Laurel range includes an 84in x 45in dining table (¤2,245) and 72in bench (¤725), while the Beam coffee table (¤1,495) is made of peroba patina with chrome detailing on the legs.

The bed range includes the Santos, available in 5ft (¤2,295) and 6ft (¤2,495) versions. Finished on all sides, the bed appears to float, making a strong minimalist statement. One of the more innovative products is the Studio sofa (¤5,750), covered with army tent canvas and coloured with natural vegetable dyes. Wood comes from the certified American organisation Sustainable Forestry Initiatives.

The Giramundo chair (¤1,695) is one of the most original statement pieces in the collection. The slip cover is hand-assembled, made from factory remnants and stitched in Brazil.

Sustainability isn’t just confined to the use of reclaimed wood or material from renewable resources. Some of the cleverest eco-antics involve upcycling — breathing new life into old items that would otherwise end up as landfill.

Reestore.com offers a cheeky take on this, transforming reclaimed shopping trolleys, wheelbarrows, aircraft wings and even washing-machine drums into stylish modern furniture. The store’s most popular product is Silvana, formerly a washing-machine drum, now a polished stainless steel coffee table with a frosted-glass top (¤335).

Deborah, formerly an aluminium aeroplane wing, has been commissioned as a desk, with stainless steel legs topped with toughened glass (¤2,256) while Annie, made from a shopping trolley, is a covetable and comfortable armchair (¤623).

There is also a huge range of eco-friendly accessories on the market, including the urban chic offerings of EcoCentric, the homewares website. Its Housewife wallpaper costs ¤102 a roll and is screen-printed by hand using water-based inks on paper made from sustainably sourced trees. All off-cuts are sent for recycling.

The hugely popular Birdie coathook (¤57), hand-made in Mexico from sandcast and recycled aluminium, uses only locally sourced materials. People are trained by the manufacturer and paid a fair wage, above the market rate.

But despite the squeaky-clean origins, there’s been no compromise on wit and style: the coathook, with a little bird perched on top, is already a best-seller and it could go down in design history as one of the first ever eco-friendly “design classics”.

Film show

2009-09-08T15:43:00.013+01:00

From The Sunday Times Ireland, August 30 2009 © Dara Flynn

It’s curtains for boring window treatments. The next big thing for keeping nosy neighbours at bay is decorative stick-and-go window films. They’re funky, easy to install and easy on the wallet at less than ¤20 per window. Many of us may have tried to block it out, but there’s a good chance you’ve seen window film before. Remember the thick, frosty, bubble-embossed window and door panes hospitals and doctor’s surgeries used to have? That was window film. It has been around for decades in commercial premises, since it provided an easy way to soften strong sunlight or offer privacy and security without the need to install blinds.

The modern decorative window film is far prettier, however. Most ranges are either clear film with a cut-out design, a frosted film (best for privacy) or even a stained-glass one to let you create your own Tiffany windows.

Film is about to have its day in the interior-design sun, thanks in part to the cost. It’s an inexpensive way to transform a window without losing natural daylight. It also avoids having to install cumbersome curtain rails and drapes, and is quicker and cheaper than most blinds on the market.

Be cautious, however, when you buy. Some companies offer electrostatic film, which can be removed easily, while some are adhesive-based, which means you may struggle to take them off and are likely to tear or wrinkle the film in the process, so you won’t be able to use it again.
Since window film is essentially a skinny, lightweight and semi-opaque form of wallpaper for windows, it’s fitting that one of the best ranges on the market is by Graham & Brown, which specialises in avant-garde wallpaper.

Its cool green and blue Tiffany film, measuring 150cm x 67.5cm, costs just under ¤13, as does its Mackintosh design, for an elegant, period feel. For something more youthful and witty, Brume.co.uk has a range of colour-tinted film for an updated, stained-glass effect, as well as graphic film — frosted film with a graphic cut-out.

For bathrooms, you can choose from designs featuring a tug boat, shower head or a sailboat.

For kitchens, a cutlery graphic and film saying “kiss the cook” are available. The panels vary in size, and they range in price from ¤27 to ¤37 each.

Purlfrost offers a large range, and bespoke options are available. A 1m x 1.22m strip of its basic frosted film, which allows in 70% of light, costs ¤21. It has a great selection for children’s rooms featuring trains, jigsaws, robots and animals, as well as a selection of nature designs, art deco films and Victorian panels.

If it’s cosiness you seek, a blind is a must. Venetians, Romans and blinds of any nationality have all been ditched by the chic, in favour of customised, printed, roller blinds emblazoned with a favourite graphic, bold floral design or city scene.

Over-the-top, room-defining roller blinds are everywhere. Digetex is a leader in the field. Its loud-and-proud roller blinds are affordable — they range in price from ¤75 to ¤155, and the fabric costs from ¤30 per metre. Digetex blinds are eye-catching affairs, the sort of thing that starts conversations. Even its Country Chic blind has a neon attitude that keeps it on the cheeky side of fashionable. Other blinds in the range are Spectrum and Wham (a 1980s pop-art explosion of colour), Techno and Metropolis, which features a black-and-white skyscraper scene. The same theme is taken to the max in Better View, a perforated blind by Elina Aalto, a young designer living and working in Helsinki. Her blinds show skyscrapers in Paris, Tokyo, Helsinki and Stockholm, from which the windows are cut out so that light filters through. It works to amazing effect in a dark room during daylight hours (from ¤375, from Iukbox).

Taking things down a notch, Bodie and Fou has its Love is Blind range, a series of cute, witty blinds designed to work in a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom or in the office. Birds on a Wire features tiny birds on telephone wires, while Bottles depicts rows of wine bottles to mimic shelving.
Made of polyester, they are easy to install, can be trimmed to fit the window and come with fixtures. All blinds in the series have a 10% online discount and range in price from ¤63 to ¤67.

Flower Power

2009-09-08T15:41:00.000+01:00

The Unique Copenhagen Flowerpot Table Lamp is a Danish classic, designed by Verner Panton. The lamp was one of a series made at the end of the 1960s. From Cloudberry Living, which delivers to Ireland for £14.95 (about ¤17.50)

Mulberry tales

2009-09-08T15:40:00.000+01:00

The Mulberry Walk cotton duvet set, from the Designers Guild, has a girlie, fresh, floral print with a pink cotton lace trim. Matching cushions (¤70) and Oxford pillowcases (¤14) are available. From Garrendenny Lane Interiors in Co Laois.

Baking and Egg

2009-09-08T15:26:00.003+01:00

To mark the 300th anniversary of its foundry, Aga has launched a limited-edition, three-oven range in duck-egg blue. The gas version costs ¤10,095 and the electric ¤11,495. A matching cast-iron cookware set (¤210) is also being produced. Aga shops in Cork, Galway and Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.

Cheers Before Bedtime

2009-09-08T14:44:00.022+01:00

From The Sunday Times Ireland, August 23 2009 © Dara Flynn

Decorating your child’s bedroom is a balancing act between your taste and theirs. Thankfully you can show them who’s boss and still make them smile.

Over the next two weeks, parents will find themselves tripping over schoolbags, ironing blazers, buying books and stuffing lunch boxes in the annual back-to-school melee. When it’s all over with, at least the offspring will be out from under the grown-ups’ feet, which leaves plenty of time to do other things — such as getting around to redecorating their rooms. The first thing to consider is your child’s walls. For years there’s been a tendency to stick with blue for boys and pink for girls. Whatever your views are on gender stereotyping, remember that your child’s room is their immediate environment, and you have the power to influence their sense of self — and their future sense of taste — with your choice of look. Don’t decorate the entire room at the whim of your youngster: you wouldn’t let them tell you what to cook for them or what they should watch on TV, would you?

While you’re at it, you may as well make it easy on yourself with handy, built-in storage to make clearing up easier, while the cost can be kept down by making the decor easy to change with little expense as the child grows. This year’s Barbie fan could well be into Hannah Montana next year. A child’s favourite themes — such as a favourite football club or pop star — can be referred to through the use of accessories, but you’ll thank yourself later for rethinking those plans to cover an entire wall with the Manchester United crest. By keeping the backdrop neutral, such as plain white or cream, a cheerful border or some well-chosen wall stickers can be layered on to create the desired effect — and relatively easily removed later. At a push, go for one feature wall in a bold, childish wallpaper, the same way you might with a strong floral in the main living area of the house. For a cool patchwork effect, mix different wallpapers together. Cath Kidston, which has stores in Dundrum and the Kildare Village Outlet, does a nice retro range of wallpapers and borders. Her Boat and Antique Rose Blue wallpapers (both ¤28 per roll) are childish enough for kids and subtle enough for adults. Another simple way to personalise a room for a child is to let them pick their own wall stickers, which are made of vinyl and can be easily removed when it’s time for a change.

Wallstickers.ie, the Irish company, has dozens of suitable designs, such as a Thumbelina motif (¤32), the Whale Fountain, (¤34), the Centimetre Giraffe, which doubles as a height chart (¤64), and the Matryoshka Russian doll motif (from ¤29). Russian dolls are everywhere this year, so much so that it’s possible to kit out an entire room on the theme.

Aspace, the UK-based online retailer, does great Russian doll bookends (about ¤10) and a range of girlie accessories, such as the Sparkly Chandelier (¤35), Fairy lampshade (¤23), Fairy wall pockets and pink and white Fairy cushions (¤17.50 each).

When it comes to furniture, Ikea has one of the coolest and most affordable ranges but, as with a lot of low-cost, flat-pack furniture, you shouldn’t expect every piece to last for ever. One of the things it does best is storage. In a child’s room, which is always a heavy-duty, naturally disorganised space, child-friendly storage is crucial. Making the clearing up of toys easy and fun is good training.

Ikea has colourful, boyish toy boxes ranging from ¤3.99, while the cute and playful Fabler wall pockets and storage bags cost from ¤2.99. Instore, which has an online store as well as outlets nationwide, does a good range of smart, modern furniture in neutral shades for children of all ages. Its white Roommate line is suitable as basic furniture for boys or girls, with accessories available to personalise the look. The single bed is ¤229, the chest of drawers ¤298 and a classic-lined wardrobe ¤489. For a themed look, WoodenToys, which is an Irish specialist in children’s furniture, has the high-end Haba line, which includes the Snow White bedroom. For furniture and accessories for younger children and babies, explore the Irish website Clever Clogs, which offers leading brands in several price brackets. To get a longer shelf life from your child’s decor, however, modularity is your friend.

Roche Bobois, the French retailer, has the Tiramolla range of modular bedroom systems, above, which start at about ¤6,000 and are made to measure. These systems are more suited to older children and made of melamine lacquer, oak or aluminium, giving them a pared-back, modern look.

Faer Ambienti is a new Italian range of modular bedroom furniture, available from Collier Kitchen Supplies. Low-level, open storage elements are incorporated into the design, complete with the hidden cubbyholes that children love and handy wall and peg hooks for your own sanity.

Next Directory also has a decent range of children’s furniture. The pint-size table-and-chairs set, available in blue or pink (¤59), is one of the more affordable versions of the mini-me furniture trend for scaling down adult proportions to suit the little ones. Next also has mini upholstered armchairs (¤130) with matching footstools.

One of the biggest trends creeping into children’s furniture is eco-friendly items. Inhabitots is the online children’s shop by Inhabitat, one of the web’s biggest eco websites. Among its highlights is the recyclable Spaceframe Builders Kit, which plays with the idea of the basic cardboard box — a fascination for most kids as any frustrated parent has learnt on Christmas morning. Budding architects can create their own shapes using the functional, hard-wearing modular set. It is on sale at $99 (¤70), but expect to pay shipping costs, too.

Closer to home, All Things Green has the Splat child’s chair (about ¤95). Compartments in the chair hold art materials, and paper, games and small toys can be stored under the seat. It is made from laminated cardboard sheets threaded on postal tubes and is biodegradable, so theoretically it should have returned to Mother Earth by the time the child has grown up.

Meet the Trendsetters

2009-09-08T14:18:00.011+01:00

From The Sunday Times Ireland, August 16 2009 © Dara Flynn
Homewares buyers from three top stores reveal how they choose the pieces we put in our homes — and what’s big next season.

PAUL O’CONNOR, BUYING DIRECTOR OF HOMEWARES, BROWN THOMAS
Buying method
I talk with all the other buyers about what brands we have in store, to find out what’s working and what isn’t. We also look at what fairs we’re going to attend, and what competitors are doing in Ireland and worldwide. We attend the furniture fairs in Paris, Frankfurt, New York, Stockholm and Copenhagen, and we browse speciality stores.

Target market There’s always a percentage of your personal taste in what you buy, but it’s important for me to remember I’m not shopping for myself. I’m trying to please a cross-section of the market — the traditional buyer with an opulent, Georgian home and classic tastes, the younger buyer with more contemporary leanings, and the person who likes to blend the old with the new. The brands we stock are not at the lower end, but we have to appeal to everyone.

Colour trends The big colours for us this year are whites, greys and putty, with complementary pinks, reds, purples, dusty blues and greens. People are attracted to brighter colours but, when it comes to a purchase, they tend to want mink, brown or cream.

Buying philosophy Women’s fashions will change every season, menswear changes to a lesser extent, but homeware doesn’t change too dramatically from season to season. You’ll probably see most trends coming through in stemware, or in throws and cushions. Furniture is difficult at the moment. Three years ago, when people’s homes were worth so much more, people were investing in big pieces. Now, they’re buying less and being cautious.

The Windrush candlesticks are typical of Robert Welch's style and can interlock to form a candelabrum or other shapes. Made of solid stainless steel in a mirror finish, they are available individually or as a set. Prices start at ¤135.
Brown Thomas, Grafton Street, Dublin 2, 01 605 6666

Star performer 2009
Strong brands such as Missoni and Ralph Lauren always perform well, as do smaller artisan pieces and Brown Thomas’s own-brand items. One of our new brands is Alessi. We dedicated quite a large floor area to it about two months ago. We did no advertising but, by the end of the first month, it was beating all of its targets. Alessi is good for quirky gifts, as well as for something more substantial. The prices vary from ¤20 to a couple of hundred euros.

What to look out for
Scented home candles. The candle business is really big. The best are by Diptyque, the French parfumier, Cire Trudon, which came in last week and has been selling really well despite having no advertising, and Brown Thomas.

In keeping with their name, Seagreen, the lifestyle emporium, is now offering this pretty green console table (¤585), table lamp (¤350), gold bow mirror (¤425) and green planter (¤139). Seagreen, Monkstown, Co Dublin, 01 202 0130

AISLINN COFFEY, HOMEWARES BUYER, SEAGREEN, CO DUBLIN
Buying method
We source a lot of our stuff from fairs such as Maison & Objet, but we also have an antiques buyer who scours auctions and fairs all over the place and returns with some really nice pieces, which we either refurbish or sell as is. We take note of what works and what doesn’t, and we cut back in some areas and add to others.

Target market
In interiors, we get a far more eclectic range of buyers than in our fashions, who are largely in their thirties and forties. But we definitely have more female than male buyers. Pretty things sell well here, so we focus on the pretty rather than the masculine or contemporary.

Colour trends
Pinks and neutrals, and the two combined, are the colours that seem to work well for us. And, of course, florals.

Buying philosophy
People are not doing the huge whole-house revamps they used to, but they are doing parts of rooms and making changes with their accessories so we’re concentrating on home accessories. We display these along with one or two big holding pieces. For example, we’ll showcase one antique bed (¤2,200) rather than five in a row. Larger pieces of furniture are harder to sell at the moment, although they vanish in the sales. We keep a higgledy-piggledy feel in the store. Things are displayed in the oddest places and there is something different around each corner — I think people who shop here prefer that to a more sterile feel.

Star performer 2009
Gien tableware, which is the French equivalent of Wedgwood, and Johnston’s Home cashmere throws.

What to look out for More antique, one-off pieces as well as more emphasis on accessories: pretty throws, rugs, linen, cushions and mirrors. Brands to watch include Lisa Stickley, who is like the new Cath Kidston, Michael Aram and the Wedgwood Archive collection.

The Moël chair from Ligne Roset looks like something Count Dracula could relax in, with its berry-hued upholstery. The back is thermoformed and foam-covered, and the covers are removable. It is available with a high back (from ¤2,393) or a low back (from ¤2,270). There is a matching footstool (¤575). Arnotts, Henry Street, Dublin 1, 01 805 0471

BRIAN GILLIVAN, CHIEF FURNITURE BUYER, ARNOTTS
Buying method
I start by looking at what our fashion floor is stocking. As a general rule, the colours that are big in fashion this season will hit homewares next year. People get used to wearing the new colours first, then they consider them for furnishings. The colours won’t come through in homewares to the same strength — you’ll see smatterings of them in cushions, throws and smaller pieces. We also attend the furniture fairs every year in Paris, Cologne and Birmingham. There’s also the Milan fair in April, which is design-driven. There you can pick up something nobody else will have — if you’re brave or even foolish enough to buy it.

Target market
Arnotts is an institution, so at one end of the floor we’ll sell a sofa at ¤799 and at the other end we’ll have one at ¤5,000. People trust us. They are happy to give us a deposit because they know we’ll be here next year and the year after that. Our customer base is broad, but most are now over 30. The younger age group has disappeared. People are looking for quality and value. They are retreating into their homes and want to showcase their house by entertaining at home.

Colour trends
Oatmeal, beiges and warm terra cotta, getting darker and cosier as winter sets in. For spring, there will be teal, aubergine, purple and navy — the colours now appearing in women’s fashions.

Buying philosophy
You have to be careful not to be too far ahead of the posse, since people buying things need to blend new items with their existing decor. Trends change more gradually in furniture than in fashion clothing. My big mistake this year was a kitchen table with a white laminate top. I bought it because kitchens have gone quite white and clinical. People haven’t even looked at it — I think they think it’s a table for pasting up wallpaper. You make a mistake like that, you move on. The trick is to move on before anybody else realises.

Star performer 2009
The large new Ligne Roset area in the furniture department, as well as Heritage House, Stearns & Foster beds and Parker Knoll recliners.

What to look out for
The opening of the Conran Shop at Arnotts this winter. It will be the only branch outside London, Paris or Japan.

Listlessly yearning

2009-08-18T18:19:00.008+01:00

I like lists, so the obvious next thing of my 'list', ahem, are these chalkboards. They make a feature of the wall they're on - for some reason they just work.

However, I'm not into the random messages stylists scrawl on home chalkboards for photographs. Stuff like 'Pick up Carmen from Ashtanga class' and 'Don't forget: freshly-squeezed for Foufie!'

Come off it.

(Pics from Desire to Inspire via Living Etc and Eric Johnson)

More frame-porn

2009-08-18T18:14:00.003+01:00

Being a non-fan of the 'frame in centre of wall, several inches from other frames' school of decor, this image, above, enthralls me. The white floors are lovely too, but I bet they don't look that dazzlingly bright close up. The pic is from Desire to Inspire.

Prints Charming

2009-08-18T18:08:00.007+01:00

One of the things that Bodie & Fou does best is framed prints. Here are the few I am hell-bent on having. Make Do and Mend, above. A fitting maxim under the current circumstances, no?

Next, all I need is this:

For the bedroom, methinks. And for the kitchen, this one:

A lovely map of Paris. And not forgetting the family...

Finally, check out this wallpaper.

This post is called 'Settling'

2009-08-18T18:00:00.004+01:00

Sometimes you just have to settle. I, like a lot of people, am fond of this ceiling light. It's the Norm 69 Pendant Light from Norman Copenhagen, and you can get it for about £220 on Bodie and Fou. Which is a bit of a stretch, so I'm going to get this one, below, as a temporary measure.

That's the Knappa pendant lamp from Ikea, which costs just E24.99. If I squint, maybe I won't even tell the difference myself. Right, that's settled.

Just in case...

2009-08-18T17:43:00.004+01:00

Folks, I'm currently on the lookout for some vintage cases like the ones pictured above. Not as I plan to head off globetrotting again - merely to stack them on high somewhere, as a nice feature. These are hard to find in Ireland. If you hear of any going spare ANYWHERE, I'd really appreciate an e-mail to hear all about it!

Modesty = Beauty

2009-08-18T17:37:00.002+01:00

LOVE this kitchen. It's modest, and a bit vintage, and a bit industrial, and a bit Swedish, and a bit poormouth. I'd love something similar, although I think I'd colour it up a bit with some vintage tiles and brighter hanging lamps, and maybe some pretty floral or striped kitchen sink skirts instead of the white presses. This image appeared in Elle Decor, the best international interiors mag if you ask me.

Granny chic: Wallplates reinvented

2009-08-18T17:31:00.004+01:00

This is something I want to do in the new place when Mr Fly and I move house next month. SO I'll just have to take a walk around some charity shops and one of the two car boots sales I plan on attending in the next few weeks, including the one on 29 August at Toejam in the George Bernard Shaw car park. I had my own car at it last year, and Mr Fly and I made about a hundred quid, and promptly spent it on Guinness and Tapas. Oh well.

Image is from Absolutely Beautiful Things, one of my new fave blogs.

Storage Ahoy!

2009-08-18T15:12:00.002+01:00

The Pirate Storage Chest by Haba is a children’s storage chest made out of birch that doubles as a seat with cushioned top. Reduced from ¤315 to ¤235, it is available from Wooden Toys. Delivery costs ¤4.99.

Swedish Saga

2009-08-18T15:10:00.003+01:00

Battled your way along the aisles of Dublin’s first-ever Ikea yet? If so, you might have noticed the strikingly child-like SAGA chair from the company’s PS Collection. It’s made of solid wood, has a scooped seat for a more comfy sit-down and was designed by Nike Karlsson. From Ikea.

Apple Gadget

2009-08-18T15:08:00.002+01:00

The Alessi SB06/36 Marli stainless-steel fruit holder was designed by Steven Blaess in 2008, but has enough style and wit to become a classic someday, like several of its Alessi stablemates. It costs ¤94 from the new Alessi store in Brown Thomas, Grafton Street, Dublin 2. Brown Thomas, 01 605 6666

Veg Out Indoors

2009-08-18T14:42:00.018+01:00

From The Sunday Times Ireland, August 9 2009 © Dara Flynn
For green-fingered apartment-dwellers and frustrated urbanites, there’s a new fad on the block. The indoor garden is a room of the house devoted not just to house plants, but to herbs, vegetables and even trees.

With the arrival of living indoor walls, appliances for growing herbs and outdoor-grade carpets that look good indoors, it is no longer beyond the realms of possibility to turn your living room into just that — a living, breathing room. The trend is a godsend for Irish homeowners in post-boom Ireland, thousands of whom are stranded by huge mortgages in apartments where the only outdoor space is a tiny balcony, or more accurately, a wrought-iron cage attached to the building that was sold to them as a balcony.

There are as many again living in two-up, two-down terraces with postage-stamp “yards” that even the weeds have deemed too small to grow in. Now, anyone willing to devote even a corner of their living space to mother nature can cultivate a real garden without leaving the house.
Aside from the novelty and the design statement, the health benefits are perhaps most attractive. Plants act as a natural filter for pollution in the home; they can eliminate odours, and according to research by NASA, some are able to absorb airborne toxic chemicals such as carbon monoxide and formaldehyde.

The seed of the green indoors trend was planted by the French botanist Patrick Blanc, who first invented the concept of the vertical garden: a green wall, either free-standing or part of a building, that is covered with soil and growing vegetation. The original plan was to use plants on the exterior of buildings to keep them cool and cut down on energy consumption, but some have since been built indoors to cure sick-building syndrome.

Most recently, small-scale domestic indoor versions have been invented, such as the ELT Living Wall System. These walls, created for their aesthetic value, come with fringe benefits. The plant wall provides extra insulation and adds humidity to the air — particularly good for those in new apartments where the central heating system sucks moisture from every pore. Although the planting is vertical, the plants are kept in place by angled cells; the roots spread throughout the panel and lock themselves in place. Lettuce, herbs, radishes and carrots can be grown on the wall panels, which catch and hold water. ELT is based in Ontario, Canada but has a representative in Ireland. The wall panels cost from ¤275.

The Woolly Pocket Garden Company has a product similar to the ELT, but on a smaller, cuter scale. Woolly Pockets are soft nests for growing plants, made from felt produced from recycled plastic bottles. The Pockets are modular, so can be hung on a wall either on their own and in groups to create a living wall. They retain water and are breathable so the plants thrive. A single pocket starts at ¤27; a group of three costs ¤64 and a line of five costs ¤100.

Technology has also made indoor gardening easier. By mimicking greenhouse conditions, new gadgets allow outdoor plants to go where no outdoor plant dared venture before: indoors.
Several manufacturers have produced electronic greenhouse appliances that enable herbs and vegetables to thrive on a kitchen worktop or next to the television.

From The Sunday Times Ireland, August 9 2009 © Dara Flynn

Indoor plants are happiest in the same ambient temperature that we find comfortable — between 18 and 25 degrees in daytime and slightly lower at night, when they recuperate moisture lost during the day. The home garden maintains a constant ambient temperature to protect plants from the shock of a sudden drop, and excess moisture is collected in a container beneath the plant pots which can be removed for cleaning. Sunshine is simulated by four white, high-intensity LED lamps. It has a humidity sensor, light sensor, temperature sensor and even a remote control, so you can change the environment of your orchids as though you were changing channels on the television. It costs from ¤1,275 and can be ordered from NAA in Dublin.

The Aerogarden is a programmable worktop greenhouse that lets you grow tomatoes, salad leaves and herbs without getting your hands dirty. Pods in the base contain the seeds; nutrient tablets are added and the user sets the dial to whatever variety of herb or vegetable is being grown. The growlights in the upper lid work in cycles of eight hours, so after natural daylight fades they turn on. It costs ¤143 from People Love Presents, the Irish online gift store.

Away from the botany labs, some product-designers are simply making indoor planting prettier. Irish designer Brian Keaney’s firm Tonfisk, based in Finland, has come up with the Kiikku living room flower garden — a ladder made out of walnut containing removable porcelain flower pots, and designed to rest against a wall to create a stepped garden. It costs ¤300 from Inreda.

A few makers have created planters to mimic — or double as — lights. Shulab, an Israeli design team, has invented the Lightpot, an LED table lamp with a plant pot as its base. Designed to grow small plants and herbs indoors, the Lightpot should go on sale later this year.

Bosske, a New Zealand pottery firm, has turned gardening on its head with the Sky Planter, an inverted plant holder designed by Patrick Morris that hangs like a pendant lamp from the ceiling. It contains an internal reservoir to retain moisture for the plant without drenching anyone below. They range from ¤25 to ¤69 from Thorsten Van Elten, which delivers to Ireland.

Finally, for those concerned about the effects of all this indoor planting on the carpet, Intogarden in Co Meath has a range of Freek outdoor-grade carpets — a water-resistent descendent of astro-turf that is soft enough to walk on barefoot. Although designed for conservatories and patios, the Freek carpet is ideal for an indoor garden room.

It won’t flatten, rot or succumb to a fungal infection since it is anti-absorbent and can be hoovered like a regular carpet. The Freek (¤162 per square metre) is available in dozens of colours. Intogarden also stocks the Urban Planter by Val Eur, a range of chic, teak-clad box-shaped planters that can be stuffed with vegetation.

They are highly functional and can be used as room dividers, side tables and coffee tables — handy for having the mint leaves for that mojito just within arm’s reach.

Duvet daze

2009-08-06T16:58:00.003+01:00

Ben de Lisi, designer to the stars, is well-known for his ladies’ fashion designs for Debenhams, but now you can bring him to bed, too. De Lisi’s colourful, strong-patterned Lunar bed set from the A/W Home collection for 2009 costs from ¤54 and has unisex appeal. Debenhams has stores in Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Tralee, Limerick and Galway.

How swede it is

2009-08-06T16:51:00.003+01:00

Klippan of Sweden’s new collection includes the Vilda blue natural lambs wool fringed throw (¤61) and duck feather and down-filled cushions (¤42), which I find reassuring and adorable. Klippan Ireland, 01 627 0080

Meet our makers

2009-08-06T16:33:00.012+01:00

From The Sunday Times Ireland, August 2 2009 © Dara Flynn
When we hear the term Irish craft, many of us still imagine basket-weavers and woollen rugs churned out in remote, rural studios by dedicated crafty (read “crusty”) types. It’s a cliché as irritating to craftmakers as stereotypes about whitewash cottages and the horse and cart are to the rest of us.

But in a sign that its image is enjoying a revamp, craft has been added as an extra element to the Kilkenny Arts Festival, the next big gig on the national summer calendar. The event, which will run from August 7 to 16, is better known for its content from the worlds of visual arts, theatre, music and dance — all a far cry from the potter’s wheel. This year, however, the festival is embracing craft, perhaps because the work in question has a certain cosmopolitan air.

Every maker included in the Sterling Irish exhibition (in association with the Crafts Council of Ireland) was born in Ireland but is based full-time in England, Scotland or Wales. This is “craft” in the hands of our young émigrés, conceived and created abroad and returned for its first glimpse of the motherland. The work in question is colourful, functional and highly buyable. In other words, it’s good design.

“The term craft itself is fairly badly perceived,” says Angela O’Kelly, the show’s curator, and herself a designer-maker. “I prefer to call it contemporary crafting, or contemporary applied arts. We used to be heavily reliant on a craft tradition here, but now there are more makers
creating high-quality one-off pieces. There are just not enough outlets yet in Ireland to highlight it, although the Craft Council has really helped.

“The idea of Sterling Irish is to show Irish makers who are living in the UK and who never showcase their work over here — they haven’t had the outlet to do so.” O’Kelly has been careful to merge established makers with new crafts-people for this exhibition.

“Vicky Rothschild would already be well known in glass circles throughout Europe and in the States, whereas Carmel McElroy, although she has designed for Ikea and Habitat, wouldn’t be as well recognised in Ireland,” says O’Kelly.

Many of those featured in Sterling Irish would have begun their training in Irish institutions such as the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) and, having moved to the UK to pursue further education, never returned.

“The environment over there is very favourable for individual applied artists. Many of them would have picked up teaching posts in the UK, too, and ended up staying,” says O’Kelly.

Among the exhibitors she has chosen are Claire Curneen, a ceramacist based in Cardiff, and Cóilín Ó Dubhghaill, a potter living in Sheffield. Grainne Morton is a jeweller based in Edinburgh, and Sadhbh McCormack, also a jeweller, has her studio in London, as does James Toal, who works with glass. Other exhibitors include Jennifer Browne, whose work is based around the ideas of biomimicry (the study of the systems and behaviours of the natural world) and Joan MacKarell, whose enamel pieces evoke fragments of memories from her childhood spent on the Atlantic coast of Donegal. London-based Suzanne Goodwin’s colourful pleated fabrics are inspired by her concerns about climate change and weather patterns.

Rothschild, above, combines hot-blown glasswork with techniques incorporating the use of a kiln and cold decoration. She is also based in London and already has a high profile on the international glass-making scene.

CJ O’Neill is a devoted “upcycler” (a reuser of discarded materials) as much as she is a craftswoman: inspired by memories, ceramics, discarded objects and graphics, she trawls charity shops or former factories for the vintage pieces that form the basis of her work, and reinterprets them to give them another use. She is based in Manchester and was short-listed for an Elle Decoration Design Award in 2006.

McElroy is innovative and modern-minded, skilled in textiles, product and three-dimensional design. A graduate of the NCAD, McElroy is based in London and is senior designer with LGE Design and Build.

Throughout the festival, Sterling Irish will run at the Castle Yard Galleries in Kilkenny alongside three other crafts showcases. Object is an exhibition juxtaposing abstract work from the Arts Council collection with contemporary Irish craft, curated by Brian Kennedy. There will be a solo exhibition celebrating the work of the Derry-born potter Jack Doherty. The third show is Made in Kilkenny, the launch of an initiative bringing together the work of 26 professional craftspeople. For an even closer look, their studios throughout Co Kilkenny are also open to the public.

Meanwhile, Craft Northern Ireland has turned the entire month of August into one long crafts festival to celebrate the scene north of the border. The focus is on ceramics, featuring makers such as Derek Wilson, Frances Lambe, Stephen Farnan, John McKeag and Diane McCormick. Their wares range from clocks, teapots and mirrors to bespoke wall pieces and lighting installations. Exhibitions, workshops, talks and seminars will take place at several venues across Northern Ireland.

A Portland Road Home in Technicolour

2009-07-29T13:54:00.006+01:00

Via Freshome
Wowza. Technicolour living on London's Portland road. Yes, it's colourful, yes, it's adventurous...but is it a little too much? There are elements of the colour scheme I love, though, especially that bathroom.

The doors in the bedroom are lovely too. While I'm crazy about stripes, I'm not crazy about the stripe/flock paper combo, but the whole place is so bold it sort of gets away with it.

Contempo Class in London

2009-07-29T13:49:00.005+01:00

via Freshome

Another example of gold-medalist classic contemporary. Love the patchwork sofa, love the feature wall, and love the circular blotch of colour in that floor rug. However, I do feel the tarnished radiator is a little out of place in what is a neat, clean design scheme - rustic taken a step too far. I'm willing its owner to sand it and repaint it.

Poochy-coo

2009-07-23T18:39:00.000+01:00

Pamper your pooch for less with the comfy, heavily padded cotton red spot pet bed by Cath Kidston. Available in small (48cm diameter), medium (65cm diameter) and large (80cm diameter), the beds are machine-washable and priced from ¤26 for the smallest size. There are stores in Dundrum town centre and at the Kildare village outlet.

Royal Albert

2009-07-23T18:38:00.001+01:00

The Albert occasional armchair, designed by the Irish interiors specialist Greg Kinsella, is the ultimate gentleman’s reading chair, with a deep-buttoned back and roll-top arms, in wool satin fabric upholstery. It is 87.5cm wide x 104cm deep, and comes with your choice of brass or polished silver casters. Kinsella has a showroom in Bray, Co Wicklow.

Pamper Hamper

2009-07-23T18:36:00.002+01:00

With summer turning out a lot better than we expected, ’tis the season for picnics in the park. Next has a pretty polka-dot-lined picnic hamper that includes four porcelain plates, four acrylic wine glasses and four stainless-steel knives, forks and spoons. It also comes with a bottle opener — the one thing everybody forgets — and an insulated cool section for chilling the bubbly. Available from www.nextdirectory.ie, which delivers to your local Next store for free, or to your home for ¤5.

Air Style

2009-07-23T18:34:00.001+01:00

Short on space but regularly do laundry? For people with smaller gardens and balconies with no room for a clothesline, Brabantia has come up with a handy wall-fixed airer. The umbrella-style clothesline is attached to a wall and can be expanded when needed and folded away neatly when not in use. Howards Storage World, Carrickmines.

The Sunday Times Ireland: Time for a little French fancy

2009-07-23T18:13:00.011+01:00

From The Sunday Times Ireland, July 12 2009 © Dara Flynn

After years spent (and fortunes made) paring back the look of our homes to the bare bones, formality has returned to knock us off our slimline, white-leather couches. The world of interiors is embracing flock wallpaper, heavy drapery and big, bold lighting. Suddenly, everything is illuminated, embellished and over the top.

“New baroque”, “glamaroque” and “new formality” are among the terms being used to describe the look. It is a daring hybrid of contemporary chic and slightly “overdone” European sophistication: flock wallpapers less stuffy than they seem; plenty of upholstery, but in modern, funky fabric; light fittings with all the attitude of Madonna and the allure of Marie Antoinette.

For “new formality” to work, there has to be a strong, contemporary element. Overly elaborate decor will end up looking like pastiche, transforming a room into the inside of a jewellery box and thus missing the point entirely. A light touch is crucial. “New baroque” should nod at a bygone era of wealth, rather than blatantly attempt to convey the possession of wealth. In short, it’s not about trying to make yourself appear rich. One of the easiest ways to encapsulate the trend without losing your head is by adapting the French take on embellished decor. Traditional French furniture is widely available and perhaps best embodies the sort of regal formality that, when combined with the modern, sets off this trend.

Baroque Wedges from Miu Miu. Not interiors related, but love 'em anyway

Although baroque was born in Italy, it quickly trickled down to the French, who adapted the style to their own royalty’s tastes. After the palace of Versailles was built in the mid-17th century, it was widely imitated, launching the “French court style” in interior design. Versailles was a showcase palace for Louis XIV, and its decor gave France the reputation for style that it retains. There is no need to splash French baroque all over your rooms, however — a smattering works best.

A Louis XIV-style leg on a modernist table does the trick perfectly (try the Trollsta table in yellow or black from Ikea, ¤227), while the transparent PVC Philippe Starck Ghost chairs, already a design classic, are perfect examples of the trend (on sale for ¤214 each at Inreda). The John Reeves Louis range of furniture is another decent modern baroque role model.

The “A la manière de . . .” (“In the style of”) range from Roche Bobois is a subtle yet colourful tribute to the curves and ornamentation of traditional French furniture. The Dubois chest of drawers is made of solid limewood, with bronze handles and an antique “processed” painted finish in yellow, mauve and raspberry. It costs ¤3,950.

The Marianne Duchesse armchair/pouf (¤4,360) has a sculpted beech frame and cushions of foam flakes and feathers, and is available in the whole range of Roche-Bobois fabrics, including ultra-modern Kenzo designs. The curvy, low-rise Volutes cocktail table (rectangular ¤2,165, square ¤3,097) is made of cherrywood and oak and comes in a variety of finishes. Walls are heavily decorated. The love affair with pattern has returned, but this time it’s far too deliberately loud and bold to take itself seriously. House Couturier’s Windsor Fuchsia paper is fit for a princess and bold enough for a feature wall. Offset the bold patterns with a piece of statement furniture: a modern-cut chaise longue offers just the right blend of then and now. Flanagan’s, in Mount Merrion, Dublin, has a good range.

Toile de jouy, a pattern of landscapes, figures or both, best encapsulates the French court style. It is to be found in various guises, such as the Boatman fabrics by Zoffany (¤64 per metre); Toile Bouquet Black wallpaper from House Couturier (¤168 per roll); and the surreal flocks and toiles of Scottish design firm Timorous Beasties (¤86 per roll).

A chandelier is a must, provided it is the 21st-century version. The Bottle ceiling light from Amode, made from 40 clear wine bottles, costs ¤260.

Acajou, the online furniture supplier, specialises in French-style bathroom furniture that has been updated for the 21st century. Its Versailles vanity unit (¤5,880) is made to order and comes with a marble top. The Nimes vanity chest makes a strong statement thanks to its unusual colour: lazurite blue with gilded carvings (¤3,200).

Lenti summer days

2009-07-23T18:09:00.002+01:00

The Sand outdoor lounge chairs from Paola Lenti are upholstered in the Italian’s signature Rope fabric (using hand-weaving methods) and available to buy either with a fixed or adjustable
back. From Minima.

Total Eclipse of the Mirror

2009-07-23T18:08:00.002+01:00

The Eclipse mirror, featuring a strong multi-coloured mosaic pattern, should add a bit of disco glitz to the hallway. As part of the summer sale at Yesterdays in Cork, the largest Eclipse has been reduced in price by more than ¤100, to ¤339. Nationwide delivery is now available. Available to purchase online.

Hot Pink

2009-07-23T18:05:00.002+01:00

The Aestus Reflex radiator towel rail, pictured here in magenta, will become the focal point of the washroom. Made from Silestone, the Reflex is non porous, easy to clean and contains an antibacterial coating. It is available in more than 60 colour options. Available from
Arcon Bathroom Concepts and Waterloo bathrooms.

The Sunday Times Ireland: Cover Girl

2009-07-23T17:56:00.011+01:00

From The Sunday Times Ireland, July 19 2009 © Dara Flynn
Aiveen Daly’s unique designs have made her one of the most celebrated upholsterers in the business — and, as the economy languishes, her approach is paying dividends

Anyone who has ever taken home economics in a typical Irish school will remember sewing classes. The staple beginner’s project was the gingham apron, on which girls were ordered to practise the basic running stitch. The end results were invariably hideous, but there was always one girl in the class who managed to produce a stitch-perfect apron. At the Ursuline Convent in Blackrock, Co Cork, that girl was Aiveen Daly. Today, she is one of the most celebrated upholsterers in the business. Daly’s work, however, is a far cry from days of gingham; her pieces are über-fancy and feminine, and have impressed the interiors industry enough to grace the pages of glossy titles such as Harper’s, Tatler, Elle Decoration and Vogue. “I was always a bit of a fiddler with embroidery and knitting and loved home economics, but at the time I never even considered the possibility of a career in textiles,” says Daly, 35.

In fact, Daly chose a business degree at Trinity College Dublin before moving to London, where she became UK marketing manager for the travel website Expedia. The Cork lass never lost a hankering for handicraft, however, and began taking evening courses in textiles, professional sewing and upholstery. She followed those by a full-time upholstery course at London Metropolitan University. Within a couple of years, Daly had quit marketing for good and set up her company, Aiveen Daly Upholstery & Design, based in northwest London. Just five years on, she has a team of equally highly-trained upholsterers on board and sources hand-made furniture from West Sussex.

Unlike many furniture designers, Daly doesn’t concern herself with interiors magazines. She takes her cue from the rag trade. “I’m more inspired by the fashion world — I take into account the detailing of couture clothing and I devour the fashion press. I also model the chairs on designs for handbags and shoes, since these are hard-wearing pieces and their details, such as eyelets, lacing and ruffles, work well on furniture.”

Her collections include intriguingly-named pieces such as the Garbo, Love-Knot and Can Can chairs, as well as armchairs, benches and chaises longues. Every item has a distinctive personality.

“We don’t make big sofas for watching television but little chairs for the bedroom, bathroom or hall. Being that decorative means we can get away with a bit more,” she says. Indeed, some of her chairs — such as the leather and stud-clad Whippet - have a mock-dominatrix appeal, while others are more comely and elegant, crying out to be sat on by a 1950s movie star.

The Spank Boudoir chair, above, one of Daly’s most talked-about pieces, has a satin corset detail along the chair’s back and is made of luxurious velvet. It costs from ¤2,680 plus fabric.
“The Spank is a deliberately ‘sexy little number’. It’s meant to be a bit of fun,” says Daly.
The Puff armchair looks like it could become a classic: it is portly and formal enough for the menfolk, but wears a feminine flourish. “I was thinking of a man’s ruffled shirt - the ones that were big in the 1970s,” says Daly. The Puff armchair costs from ¤3,500 plus fabric.

While Daly’s work represents the haute couture end of the trade, recessionary budgets have dictated the return of upholstery, since it makes far more sense to refurbish quality furniture than to replace it with a cheap alternative. It’s also more glamorous and environmentally friendly.

Late last year, Kela Hodgins set up Plush Upholstery. Her craftspeople can advise on restyling, fabric selection and furniture repairs for a relatively small outlay compared with the purchase of new furniture. Hodgins charges ¤200 plus fabric for a small armchair and about ¤350 plus fabric for a standard one. Sofas start at ¤500 and headboards cost from ¤300.

For minimalism fans, Tom Dixon by George Smith is a contemporary upholstery brand that unites traditional upholstery and contemporary design.

With unusual forms, stark and strong colours and innovative fabrics including mohair velvet, there is nothing stuffy about them at all. The range is stocked in Ireland at Terry Furniture in Portadown.

Tank Goodness

2009-07-14T14:54:00.002+01:00

The Tall Tank lamp in bright green is the brainchild of the young British designer Alexander Taylor for Established & Sons, the contemporary-quirky furniture retailer. It is a floor-standing addition to Taylor’s range of Tank lamps, with a cast-aluminium base and tubular steel stem. It measures 1.8m high and also comes in black or white. Stocked in Ireland at Terry Furniture in Portadown.

Colourful Extraction

2009-07-14T14:51:00.002+01:00

The Mini OM is a smaller version of Elica’s extractor hood, and comes in a range of colours. The silk-screen painted glass front makes it possible to change the colour when you want, by simply changing the glass. It is ideal for compact kitchens. It costs ¤1,074 for the black or white version and ¤1,245 in colour. From KAL.

Carving out a future in design

2009-07-09T18:41:00.012+01:00

From The Sunday Times Ireland, July 5 2009 © Dara Flynn
When a self-taught furniture-maker sells a table for a reported ¤72,000, it’s clear that things are happening in the world of Irish design

As soon as the Interior Design and Art Fair at the RDS had wrapped up in May, the rumour mill in the Irish interiors industry began to creak and churn. “Pssst! A furniture designer sold one of his tables at the fair — for ¤72,000.”

“In a recession? It must have been one hell of a table.”

San Martin Table, Joseph Walsh

It was a hell of a table — a Joseph Walsh table. Its lucky buyer may have been relieved of wads of cash, but not merely for the pleasure of spilling ciabatta crumbs on a nice piece of polished French walnut. As an owner of an original Walsh, he or she is now a collector, sitting on a long-term investment.

Walsh belongs to a select group of artisans whose work straddles the worlds of furniture making and art. His tables, cabinets and consoles have transcended the relatively small Irish furniture making scene to make a splash with private collectors across the Atlantic, where he is represented by two leading galleries. In short, Walsh has done what was once unthinkable for an Irish craftsman: he has “made it” in America.

When the Mint Museum of Art in North Carolina was selecting 10 artists to create a piece for the opening of its new museum in 2010, Walsh was the only Irishman and also the sole furniture maker to be chosen.

His work has been lauded in Architectural Digest and several other respected design publications, and he was invited to exhibit a large art installation at Sofa (the Sculptural Objects and Functional Arts fair) in Chicago in 2007.

Last year, he presented his first solo US exhibition at the American Irish Historical Society, in New York, and these days nobody balks when his importance on the Irish art and design
spectrum is compared to that of Eileen Gray’s. That’s not bad for a self-taught furniture maker from Co Cork.

Prism Cabinet, Joseph Walsh

“I started young and had no formal education in it, so I sort of grew into what I’m doing today,” says Walsh, who describes his work as falling “between the different worlds of furniture design and sculptural design”.

He is as obsessive about what a piece says as about what it does.
“The past 10 years have been about defining my own path,” he says. “I’ve worked in a number of styles, but my work has become more consistent and defined. I can see a more distinctive expression in it now. My work is more sophisticated in form and in structure.”

Last month, Walsh had his work exhibited at Design Miami/Basel, in Switzerland, by Cristina Grajales, a New York Gallery. He has just been accepted to show at Grassimesse, an international forum for applied art and product design in Leipzig, Germany.

“Where I’m taking my work is an area that not many people participate in,” he says. “The design art market involves pieces collected for their expressive value, and the market for it is small.”
Walsh’s newest piece, the San Martin (the one allegedly sold at the RDS), is a sculptural table consisting of two interlocking forms made of walnut and bronze, but it is entirely functional.
Walsh is averse to the buzz about his success, particularly when it is measured in monetary terms. He admits that he did sell a table at the fair but won’t reveal the amount.

His Prism series (below), meanwhile, is a further step away from traditional wooden furniture. The Prism console, cabinet and suite are all loosely based on the human form — geometric and yet delicate.

Crann Coat Stand, John Lee

Walsh is a realist about the Irish furniture design scene: it’s healthy and it oozes talent, but it is restrictively small. There is no sophisticated furniture-manufacturing industry in Ireland; it revolves around studios. Walsh is proof that larger-scale success on an international platform is possible. He cites John Lee and Laura Mays as furniture-makers who “stand tall internationally”. Lee’s Carrigeen, for example, was bought by the National Museum of Ireland, and Farraige, his sculptural chest of drawers, was selected to be shown at Sofa.

Farraige, John Lee

Golden Delicious table, John Lee

The Cream of Irish Design exhibition at the RDS Interior Design and Art Fair showcased the best of the country’s designers, many of whom have garnered reputations abroad. Featured were 21 of what Shane Holland, its curator, considered to be the best Irish designers who are running full-time workshops. They included Stevan Hartung, the McGonigle sisters, Zelouf & Bell, Garvan de Bruir, Liz Nilsson and Ceadogan rugs.

All are creating high-quality, design-led furniture, sculpture and glass, and all aim to make work that will hold its own internationally.

Hoopla light, Shane Holland

Holland has also had the international spotlight shone on his own business, Shane Holland Design Workshops, since he designed lighting for the new Jurys hotel in Kensington, London, as well as a bar in Paris. When Swarovski, the luxury crystal glassbrand, pulled out of a lighting installation at a London design fair last year, Holland was asked to step into the breach.

Last year he travelled to Dubai with fellow Irish designers Michelle O’Donnell and Klimmek Henderson to meet some of the biggest developers working in the Middle East.

“People aren’t concerned with where a work is from; they’re interested in its quality,” says Holland. “You have to be able to work with the best. People simply won’t buy something just because it is Irish. The only way to achieve in this field is by being good enough.”

More house tours

2009-07-09T11:58:00.006+01:00

Apartment Therapy has posted yet another selection of drool-worthy house tours, Stateside. I love the mod-retro kitchen above, quite neutrally decorated with cream shades and pine butchers blocks and splashed with that big red poster.

Cool blues, dark floors, big beige rug. Perfectly balanced.

What draws me to this one isn't the Marimekko pillow covers; it's the way the owner has used framed art creatively - various types, shapes, sizes, all bunched together.

Book Light

2009-07-02T17:50:00.001+01:00

The limited-edition Thérèse lamp by the Irish design team Unleaded features a series of Penguin Classics resting on its purposefully bent steel stem. It works on a few levels — your choice of book gives the lamp a personalised look, it serves as a bookmark so you’ll always find the right page, and if you get bored, you can change it. The base is eco-concrete with a restrained 15-watt light source; the arm is stainless steel.

Black shower anyone?

2009-07-02T17:49:00.002+01:00

It used to be the case that if you wanted an electric shower, you could have any colour as long as it was white. Now Triton has made a range of coloured glass showers, such as this black glass model with minimalist appeal — and a 1980s Wall Street bachelor feel. The shower also comes in white glass, black granite tile, aqua blue glass, deep blue glass, a sun-ray glass pattern and arran stone tile. Tritonshowers.ie, 01 628 6711

Foaty tree

2009-07-02T17:45:00.003+01:00

The Fotofalls floor-standing frame tree by Umbra was designed by Tom Vincent. It holds 36 photos or notes on clips and is easy to assemble. The tree provides a more interactive photo browsing experience than peering into a frame on a wall. Available from Fitzmawn Interiors, 01 289 8822, and good photo accessory shops nationwide.

Along the right lines

2009-07-02T17:21:00.016+01:00

From The Sunday Times Ireland, June 28 2009 © Dara Flynn
It isn’t often that a decorating trend pleases everybody — hence the enduring appeal of stripes, in all their many guises. They can be playful and colourful enough for a child’s bedroom, but they can also be feminine enough for women and strong and serious enough for even an alpha male.
The return of the stripe to our floors, walls and accessories tells us two things: first, we’re embracing pattern with open arms again; and second, there’s no beating a classic.

But it wasn’t always like this. Since the Middle Ages and until relatively recently, the stripe carried a negative connotation. Some biblical scholars believed the Bible forbade the wearing of two separate colours on one garment, while marginalised members of society throughout the ages were forced to adopt two-tone clothing to mark them out as being of dubious character.
Medieval prostitutes, jugglers, clowns and hangmen all wore striped garments, and ancient paintings of the devil depict him in striped clothing. Later still, stripes were the preserve of convicts, servants and, most poignantly, prisoners in concentration camps during the Holocaust. Most recently, stripes have become associated with bankers and gangsters. To this day, the wearing of stripes is seen as an act of defiance. It takes confidence to pull off a strong striped pattern, but the same is true in the home. You must know where to draw the line.

The trend for juxtaposing florals with stripes is beginning to wither, and the stripe is emerging in all its boldness, unsullied by flowery distractions. Witness the ongoing dedication to all things linear by the British designer Paul Smith. His At Home collection has his signature lines drawn all over it: his fabrics have adopted that menswear classic, the pinstripe, and infused it with colour. His carpet, entitled Stripe, designed for The Rug Company, is made of hand-knotted Tibetan wool and costs about ¤600 per sq m.

Even Cath Kidston, who was responsible for adorning nearly everything with the English rose, has seen the merit of the stripe and reworked it with a feminine yet strong-patterned stair runner, also for The Rug Company (about ¤100 per linear metre). For a slightly more subtle stripe on a stairway, Roger Oates has the herringbone Trent and Ashby (60cm x 60cm) in 100% wool, for about ¤112 per linear metre from the Carpet Showrooms.

So long as furniture remains low-key, stripes are easy to get away with underfoot. On the walls, though, more care and skill is required. The stripe traditionally associated with wallpaper is an aristocratic one: unfussy, confident, bold and just a bit boring. A few wallpaper companies have reinvented their striped ranges for less staid tastes in the past few years and opted for horizontal, rather than vertical lines, for style and impact.

Harlequin has produced a few ranges featuring horizontal lines: Attraction, from its Indulgences collection (¤45 per roll from Dekor Distribution) is a sophisticated modern design, teaming this year’s “It” colour, acid lime, with muted brown and olive in giant, horizontal stripes. Harlequin’s Identity range has a similar look but with skinnier lines. It also contains a skinny vertical candy stripe that makes walls resemble a giant sweet wrapper. A feminine-posh take on skinny stripes is Elite, from Harlequin’s Romanie collection (¤45 per roll).

The House Couturier makes similarly unhinged statements with its giant horizontal stripes in unlikely colours, such as the blues of Horizon Ocean (¤170 per roll) and Moroccan (¤195 per roll).

Collette Ward interiors stocks a range of formal classic striped paper by Sandberg (¤68 per roll), available in a variety of colours. William Sandberg’s extra-wide bold red vertical stripe on white background (also ¤68 per roll) is just the thing for a barbershop feel.

Cole and Son, the specialist in damask and floral, has an attractive striped range, too. Carousel Stripe, from the The Cole & Son New Stripes and Plains collection, costs ¤80 per roll, from Liz LaCumber Interiors.

While everybody likes a bit of stripe, some are more daring than others. Those who bore easily and shudder at committing to big, expensive, bold lines all over their walls and floors can stick to accessories or small items of furniture.

The television chef Rachel Allen is obviously a fan of kitchen stripes, since they feature heavily in her homewares range, available at Garrendenny Lane Interiors (which also stocks the pattern obsessed Designers Guild fabrics and linen). Allen’s pretty half-apron costs ¤9.95 and a muted stripe oven glove is ¤4.99. Ulster Weavers has a similar range of classic chef’s stripes in black and primary colours, with prices starting at ¤14.99 for an oven glove.

Tableware is an easy way to experiment with stripes. Inreda, the Dublin contemporary design shop, stocks the Origo range of Scandinavian dinnerware designed by Alfredo Haberli. The range was designed so that each piece fits together and is stackable and inter-changeable (from ¤16 at Inreda).

Roche Bobois stocks the L’An V Cinq striped chair (¤4,350), an elegant French-style armchair with a regal touch but also a sense of humour. It is upholstered in an acid-hued, striped, velvet fabric from Designers Guild that looks anything but stuffy.

Electric Dreams

2009-07-02T17:03:00.017+01:00

From The Sunday Times Ireland, June 14 2009 © Dara Flynn
The neon look of the 1980s was nobody’s finest fashion moment. Most of us are still trying to erase the memory of those bilious yellows, gangrenous limes and unflattering hot pinks. To this day, the word evokes that other four-letter, dirty word: tack.

Well — brace yourself — tack is back. There’s enough designer couture to prove it. This season Gucci, Chanel and Dior were flaunting it, Jimmy Choo and John Galliano were all over it and even the normally reserved Diane von Furstenburg gave it a go.

So enthusiastically have the world’s taste-setters welcomed the return of artificial colouring that models who once would not have got out of bed for less than $10,000 were pushed down catwalks wearing the outrageous shades.

Now neon has seeped back into the home, too. And it works — depending on how big a dose you take. It’s safest to mix and match at first. Before committing to a full-on lemon-drop sofa, accessorise neutrals with layers of flashy turquoise, yellows and pinks. Neon shades, incidentally, work a treat against beiges and browns. To avoid acid overload, remember a little goes a long way.

Of all the neons, acid limes dominate — everybody, it seems, from Italy’s designer monarchy to plain old Ikea has at least one signature piece sprayed the colour of chlorine gas. The Artala bin by Umbra (¤22.50) is one way to inject this green.

For a more powerful, block-colour statement, there’s the Togo sofa from Ligne Roset (from ¤2,046).

Moroso, the Italian design house, has the Ripple chair (¤330 from Minima), designed by Ron Arad, which comes in a variety of electric colours. Shaped like figure eights on their side, they are stackable and durable.

For the entire neon spectrum in one spot, try the expressive Mah-Jong modular sofa by Roche Bobois. Yes, it’s loud, but since you purchase it in sections (at ¤1,450 for seat and backrest), you decide how amplified things get: choose from stripes, blocks of bright or dark colour, or bright florals.

Ligne Roset also has the Jul and Jil armchairs (¤1,419 and ¤1,390 respectively), a duo of sherbert-hued, cerise and lime chairs with enough personality to fill a room. In smaller homes, use with caution.

The same applies to their Alster chair (¤2,205) in raspberry velvet.

If your preference is to nod in the general direction of neon, rather than to embrace it fully, you could opt for a temporary measure. Fabric slipcovers, cushion covers, throws and rugs are simple ways to enjoy the colour for as little or as long as your novelty-meter can take. Bemz.com, which manufactures fabric slipcovers for Ikea sofas and armchairs, has a range of cotton fabrics designed by Marimekko. It includes the bright-red and hot-pink Fandango, the turquoise and zesty lime Kirsikka and the boldest of all, Unikko, a bright floral print (from about ¤200 for a two-seater sofa cover, plus delivery). Designers Guild (available at Kevin Kelly Interiors) puts the trend together well with its wallpapers, fabrics and furnishings.

To achieve a backdrop, the Dulux Honesty range contains certain hues of greens that, while not strictly neon, can achieve a similar, bitter-apple effect. Dulux also teams these with hot pinks, and the effect is surprisingly homely.

One of the easiest places to achieve a neon glow is in the garden, where sickeningly bright colours have plenty to compete with and cannot dominate. House of Fraser’s summer range by its own brand, Linea, has zesty-coloured accessories including striped, leaf-print, bird-print and polka dot cushions (¤28), striped candles and cerise rose lights (¤28), and lotus-flower candles in hot pink or acidic lime (¤8.50).

Garden furniture is reflecting the trend this summer, too. The Leaf range of dining chairs and loungers by Arper (from ¤588 at Walls to Workstations and Minima) are made of steel and painted in a bright, weatherproof granny-apple green.

To help you find more neon accessories and pieces, Alessi helpfully allows you to browse its online catalogue by colour, as does the colour-coded contemporary online furniture and accessory retailer Nest.

The Sunday Times: Bask in reflected glory

2009-07-02T16:35:00.017+01:00

From The Sunday Times Ireland, June 7 2009 © Dara Flynn
We peer into them umpteen times a day, we position them strategically to make our houses look bigger and we fear them when they crack, yet design-wise, we tend to take mirrors for granted. While we’ve been busy coiffing and preening, however, young style-conscious designers based in Ireland, France, Britain and Italy have been updating the looking-glass for the 21st century, with off-beat results. Here’s a list of the top 12 off-the-wall mirror designs out there:

1 This charming, humorous full-length mirror started life as a prototype when its creator, Irishman Colm Keller, was a student. Christened Made by Eimear (after the designer’s sister) the mirror is a success story: it now has a manufacturer, de Nord, based in Sweden, and is stocked in Ireland at Inreda. It measures 190cm x 47cm and costs ¤350 from www.inreda.ie.

2 The classic oval, with a funky twist. This oval silver decorative mirror has a modernist frame in a brushed silver finish, and can also be hung in landscape format. It’s ¤355 from Waterford-based mirrors.ie.

3 In a fame-obsessed society, it was only a matter of time before some cleverclogs enabled us to describe our height in celebrity terms. This tongue-in-cheek mirror from Suck UK lists 120 celebrities by height, so you can gauge if you’re more of a Tom Cruise than a Morgan Freeman; ¤92 from Suck.uk.com.

4 The Appendispecchi mirror, from Tonelli, is a double-sided, 1.8m-high mirror that doubles as a free-standing hanger for scarves, bags and jewellery. ¤830 from Tom Caldwell Gallery in Belfast, www.tomcaldwellgallery.com.

5 Often it’s the simplest ideas that are the most impressive. Wipe mirror condensation (and anything scribbled in it) away with this handy chromed wiper inspired by those on a car windscreen. ¤115 from Suck UK.

6 A free-standing, full-length mirror that mimics a person on the move, the Walking Mirror is designed by the young Irish duo Vaugh Shannon. “Its anthropomorphic form helps to create a bond with its owner, acting as a friend reflecting an opinion,” explain the designers. It’s made of birch plywood. ¤650 from www.vaughshannon.com.

7 The Click mirror by Irish designer Colin O’Dowd reinvents the iconic image of a polaroid photograph. “Whilst a photograph is permanent, the polaroid mirror is ever changing,” says O’Dowd. It’s made of 2mm mirrored acrylic with a white vinyl border and measures 107mm x 88mm. ¤14 from www.colinodowd.com.

8 An example of how a series of small mirrors can be used to trendy effect, the Bungalows range designed by Giovanni Tommaso Garattoni for the Italian firm Tonelli adds a retro touch to any feature wall. It’s also available as a series of squares, in various compositions. From ¤380 for a 4 x 2 composition from Tom Caldwell Gallery in Belfast, www.tomcaldwellgallery.com.

9 Kate Fine was one of the first Irish designers to meddle with traditional mirror design. The “No, I really love you” mirror, featuring a design by Aidan Kelly, is one of the most striking examples from her mirrored art range. It measures 600mm x 280mm and costs ¤450 from finedesign.ie.

10 The ingenious designers at Established & Sons have taken the idea of the rear-view mirror of a bus, over-sized it and prettied it up for the home. ¤379 from Leigh Harmer, www.leighharmer.co.uk.

11 Available from Montana Furniture in Sandyford, the Bubbles mirror is made of various sized circular mirrors inlaid on a white panel, measuring 1m across. ¤229 from www.montana.ie.

My Perfect Bathroom

2009-07-02T14:48:00.004+01:00

Note how teeny the space is and yet, how pretty? Simple as white tiles, a feature wallpaper and a decent red spray paint for the old clawfoot bath. Perfect. (Via Desire to Inspire via House Beautiful)

Vive la France

2009-06-30T15:51:00.002+01:00

I've just returned from a five-day sojourn in the country, south of Toulouse, France, where I used to live. Needless to say, as usual I had to be dragged onto the plane home and am already missing everyone over there. It's also left me thinking about French interiors - Ludo and Laurence, our friends, have just renovated a ruin in the country and made everything using wood from the forest next door - even their kitchen! I'll post some photos of the place here soon, but in the meantime, this is Miette & Mirou on a tableau designed by French artist Emilie Vas, for hanging in a child's bedroom. I'd hang it in my own bedroom. It costs 85 euro from Deco-in.com.

We'll be back after these messages...

2009-06-18T18:47:00.007+01:00

There won't be any new posts for a while, as I'm off on holiday for a week to South-West France. While I'm gone, though, take a look at these new pics I've dug up. Above is the bean sofa, designed by Tom Dixon for George Smith. It's very characterful and unusual and sort of looks unfinished, and is perhaps even a bit blokey. You can get it in any colour you like, though.

Stripey Oceania Wallpaper from House Couturier in London, which delivers to Ireland.

One of three mixers I covet...and...

Another novel frame idea!

Right, I'm off.

Cushy numbers

2009-06-11T16:20:00.007+01:00

From Design House Stockholm.

*ka-lickkk!!!!*

(*sound of every single reader clicking on link to DHS webshop)

...and the above, also DHS. For days when you feel like you're just banging your head off a brick wall.

Cute Kittens. Because sometimes you just need a cute kittens post

2009-06-10T16:38:00.018+01:00

One lucky interiors blogger in the US is about to get delivery of this guy (above) and his best little buddy (below) from a cat shelter.

I admit I was overcome with feline envy for a moment. But below is Catwithnoname, my cat (or half mine, rather). Equally cute, or even more so, no? For a second, I coveted the wrong cat. I'm sorry, catwithnoname!

But the real question is: which one would look better in this?:

Modkat. Coolest kitty litter EVER. Not ready for order yet, but soon, my sweet, soon.

Design cravings...

2009-06-10T15:04:00.008+01:00

Above are some roomspirations from one of my favourite websites, Desire to Inspire, which has just been featuring photography by the uber-talented lady-photographers Sylvie Becquet and Carolyn Barber, as well as Oz architect Scott Weston's latest project down unda (below).

I am in love with the wallpaper in this shot, and although I'm not a fan of hard-lined armchairs such as these, I adore the colour.

I am inspired by the use of plates, above, not just for the blue colour-coding, but their positioning towards the corner and right up to the top. Nice.

No such thing as plain Dane / How Swede it is

2009-06-08T16:14:00.004+01:00

I'd like to thank Eimear from House & Home for making me aware of Illums Bolighus through her great blog. Finally, on their website, I found one of these wall storage moulds, which I have wanted for ages, but when I tried to buy one here, they were all gone.

I like it in black, too, but I think the red is slightly more striking and will encourage me more to keep it tidy. Like Eimear, I'm a fan of all things Danish, but since it has been covered a lot by Eleanor, my predecessor on The Sunday Times interiors pages, my interest now is purely personal, lustful coveting. Yes, yes, Mr Fly and I did just get back from a world trip, but we didn't get to Scandinavia, so I'm thinking, next stop Copenhagen. But I'll have to get some serious shillings together first as I know when I get there I will want to SHOP. IN A MAJOR WAY.

I am also a big fan of Design House Stockholm, where I first saw this lovely bicycle carrier basket (below), though I have since learned it's available nearly everywhere. Don't laugh - I don't even have a bike. So???

Half price sofa loveliness...and no, it's not DFS

2009-06-02T17:55:00.007+01:00

Regular readers know what a HUGE fan of Roche Bobois I am... and here is more of the why.

This is the curvy Formentera sofa and matching ottoman designed by Roberto Tapinassi and Maurizio Manzoni for Roche Bobois. It comes with removable slip covers in Tutti Frutti fabric, while the cushions are from the Kenzo Dixième Edition. Back cushions are goose and duck feather, while the seat cushions are made of firm foam and cotton wool. Originally priced at ¤13,307, it has been reduced to ¤8,900.

From Roche Bobois, Sandyford, 01 653 1650.

How phat is that

2009-06-02T17:52:00.005+01:00

The popular Fatboy beanbag has a new outdoor version that its maker says will be tough enough even for a typical Irish summer.

The outdoor Fatboy’s fabric has replicated the original, but is rain-, stain- and UV-resistant. It can even be left on damp grass with no ill-effects.

It comes in lime, orange, turquoise, red, brown, black and white and has a strap for transporting it. ¤259 from Montana Furniture, Stillorgan.

Linum up

2009-06-02T17:46:00.010+01:00

The 2009 range from Linum, the Swedish fabric maker, is all about cheerful florals, stripes and checks. The fabrics are 100% cotton and priced from ¤24 per metre, and the acrylic-treated oil cloths are about ¤30 per metre. Linum also offers cushions, bed linen and throws. Available from the Blue Door in Naas. For other stockists, go to www.linumireland.ie or call 01 627 0080.

I cot you babe

2009-06-02T17:41:00.004+01:00

The Leander Bed is a Danish-designed walnut cot with the ability to grow — as the child matures from new-born to toddler, the oval, 70cm x 120cm bed can be adapted to suit. Place the mattress near the top for tiny babies, and lower it as the child becomes more mobile, pushing it to the bottom for an older child. The mattress has a removable, hypoallergenic cover and is washable at 60C. Co-ordinating bumper sets are available. The
cot comes in a natural or walnut finish. ¤825 from various stockists. For dealers, see www.
cleverclogs.ie or call 01 828 4823

The Sunday Times: Petite and sweet

2009-06-02T17:26:00.013+01:00

From The Sunday Times Ireland, May 31 2009 © Dara Flynn
If, like many people, you have paid a king’s ransom for a paltry property but never adhered to the adage “Those who live in tiny houses shouldn’t buy normal-sized furniture”, chances are you’re not sitting very comfortably. It’s clear that a home and its contents are out of proportion when you can’t get off the sofa without grazing a knee or sit up in bed without a whack from an overhead shelf. Yet it is possible to live in a miniature space with minimal bruising — it’s just a matter of being clever about your furniture.

The commandments of buying furniture for small spaces are: make it smaller, make it multi-functional and, if all else fails, make it disappear.

Luckily, the furniture design industry is on our side. Unlike the fashion business, it hasn’t forgotten those for whom size is an issue. For every gargantuan sofa out there, there’s a small-scale, well-designed piece for people who consider 500 sq ft palatial.

The “smallest room” is as good a place as any to begin. Last year, Laufen, the Swiss sanitaryware specialist, came up with the colourful, pint-sized and slightly girly Mimo range that should suit the spatially challenged: with their pink, black and white geometric patterns, the pieces are perfect for a small bathroom.

Among the range’s neatest innovations are its bathtubs, which match the size of a shower tray, so that dwellers in smaller spaces need no longer forego a proper soak. The Mimo sanitary acrylic bathtub, at 140cm x 80cm x 58cm, has a baby footprint but a deep enough tub for the tallest of adults (from ¤923 at Surface Bathrooms). The smallest, asymmetrical washbasin measures just 45cm x 32cm and costs ¤144. The wall-hung lavatory is ¤432.

Ideal Standard, one of the first bathroom-makers to acknowledge how cramped modern bathrooms can be, has the Space range of basins and bathtubs designed to fit nooks and crannies. Its smallest “micro” basin measures just 40cm x 20cm (¤92).
Whereas our Georgian ancestors enjoyed expansive rooms, modern Irish property developers have managed to make open-plan areas a must-have, convincing the homeowner to trade
separate rooms for the fashionability of the functional spill-over.

As a result, an alarming number of people have a kitchen/living/dining room in houses too small for it to work. Attempting to wedge large furniture into such a miniature space won’t work: an over-sized sofa will ruin the proportion and interrupt the sense of flow. Bo Concept is one of a handful of furniture stockists in Ireland that designs with small spaces in mind. Its modular sofas, for example, can be customised to fit your room perfectly — extra-skinny armrests are even available. Sofas start at about ¤800.

In small spaces, multi-functionality is your friend. Why have two pieces of furniture when you can have one that does two jobs? Sofa beds are the obvious example, and the range is huge, running from high-street budget versions (Ikea’s Exarby sofa bed, for ¤99) to the designer lavishness of the Reflet open bed (¤2,670), a storage bed from the high-end French store Roche-Bobois.

Clei, which delivers to Ireland, offers something in between — a series of wall beds that look nothing like wall beds used to. The Atoll 000 wall bed unit (¤8,300, below) can be fronted with the buyer’s choice of contemporary sofa, while the Ito (¤6,585) has its own built-in sofa. Both can be transformed with one simple movement into a king-size bed with a slatted base suitable for
everyday use. The shelf becomes a support for the bed, and the sofa covers are fully removable. Be warned, however, that you’ll have to put it together yourself.

The Doc XL sofa (¤3,875), meanwhile, is a sleek, modern sofa that has perfected the art of deception: with just a few simple steps, it becomes a bunk bed. In either role, it’s almost impossible to tell that the Doc XL, below, leads a double life.

Bookcases can perform dual roles, too. Apart from their storage function, they can be used to partition open-plan spaces. One of the best is the Box range by MDF Italia, which has a swivelling system for maximum storage without taking up more than a small amount of precious floor space. Multi Box is the tallest version and costs ¤1,022, on a swivel base, from Minima (below)

Another take on the optical illusion is the “G” coffee table (¤9,380) by the Irish interior designer Greg Kinsella. Made of Plexiglas, its edges are tinted to form a G-shape giving it definition and character, as well as colour.

Flower Bed

2009-05-27T12:43:00.004+01:00

More of this lovely blue on white malarky. A summery, two-tone statement for the bedroom created by Art Deco-inspired, delicate, embroidered floral Fantine set by Linea, the middle-market brand created for House of Fraser. The double duvet cover costs ¤85, the standard pillowcase ¤17, and the Oxford pillowcase ¤22. From House of Fraser, Dundrum Town Centre.

Lotus Position

2009-05-27T12:40:00.002+01:00

This lotus-flower design, drawn from 19th-century French archives and influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, is available in 30 colours and two pattern sizes, small and large, from Farrow & Ball. It is stain-resistant and washable. Each roll is individual and has tiny variations; this is the hallmark of traditional paper. There is now 15% off Farrow & Ball wallpapers at Liz LaCumber Interiors, Gallery 23, 6 Coolmine Central, Coolmine Business Park, Dublin 15.

Join the dots

2009-05-27T12:39:00.002+01:00

The classic polka-dot pattern should never date. These Dot glasses from The Blue Door would made a lovely gift and are perfect for summer entertaining. They come in three styles: wine glasses (¤48 for six), water glasses (¤50) and champagne flutes (¤50). From The Blue Door.

The Sunday Times: The right things on the wall

2009-05-21T18:53:00.013+01:00

From The Sunday Times Ireland, May 17 2009 © Dara Flynn
Just as novelists are taunted by the blank page, DIY home decorators understand the pressure of bare walls. Which colour should we chose? Which brand is best? Even more crucially, should it be wallpaper or paint? Unlike writers, however, decorators do not have a delete button for an ill-chosen colour scheme or inappropriate wallpaper once it has already dried on.
So for those with commitment phobia, there’s an affordable solution: the wall sticker, or decal. Essentially a piece of adhesive vinyl, a wall sticker mimics a paint effect or a wallpaper pattern. They create instant colour contrast against a painted wall and cling to almost any surface.

And the real beauty of it is, if you change your mind you can peel the sticker off. It’s possible to achieve the effect you want for as little as ¤30 per wall.
One of the most creative and extensive ranges of stickers is made in Ireland at a small, family-run factory in Clonmel, Co Tipperary. Wallstickers was set up last July by Eric Rosenfeld, a Polish entrepreneur who has been living in Ireland for nine years.

“I saw a growing trend for stickers in Europe and realised there could be a market for it here,” says Rosenfeld.
The company has just three staff, but Rosenfeld hopes to add to his team as the business grows. The designs are created by a group of young freelance designers and artists based in Poland, Britain and further afield. Seventy per cent of the company’s orders are international.
Wallstickers’ top-selling designs, aside from the florals, are Thumbelina (¤32), a simple fairy motif for
young girls’ bedrooms, and its range of celebrity one-liners and film and television quotes (from ¤38).
It also offers a range for single men, who can adorn their walls with visions of Angelina Jolie, Gisele Bundchen, Kylie or even a topless Kate Moss (¤32). The pin-ups line is a series of silhouettes of curvy, glamorous women, which, when correctly positioned, create the effect of a woman’s shadow in various poses: perched on the arm of a sofa, seated at the end of a table or leaning back suggestively with a cocktail in hand. They start at ¤34. Delivery is free throughout Ireland. Application is easy, even for those who can’t hammer in a nail.

“A standard 1m x 1m sticker won’t take any more than about 10 minutes to apply. It’s not the sort of thing you need a professional to do,” says Rosenfeld. “The most important thing is to have a flat, clean wall. We supply the instructions and will help customers with installation queries by e-mail. Anybody with even a little DIY ability can do it.”
Domestic, the French graphic design company, invented the wall sticker in 2003 and launched it in 2005, making it the most established member of the decal fraternity.
“Wall stickers are no longer just a trend, we see them becoming a permanent standard in wall decor, alongside paint and wallpaper,” says Stéphane Arriubergé, a director of Domestic.
It uses France’s bright young things in the graphic art world to create funky stickers aimed at the design-led youth market. They include the design team Ich & Kar, which has created a range of oversize, modernist florals entitled Jungle (from ¤61) and Pom (¤88), as well as Constantin and Laurene Boym, who came up with Souvenirs (from ¤74), a tongue-in-cheek series of stickers portraying everyday objects on shelving, for those who are too tragically hip to hang actual shelves or, indeed, to buy the kitsch to display on them.

Les Invasions Ephémères, also a French company, has a more mainstream range of chic stickers, stocked in Ireland by Arnotts and Avoca. Its florals are among the most stylish available, dodging the quaint, wallpaper-bouquet trap with large, striking decals, such as its blue Oeillets (carnations, ¤49.95) and simple roses (¤7.50).
The company also produces heavy-duty stickers for floors, which imitate rugs and mats (available in large, ¤79.95, and small, ¤39.95), as well as stickers for ceiling pendant lights, made to look like ornate ceiling roses.
In a graceful take on the flying ducks theme, the company has also produced Envol d’Oiseux, a series of stickers depicting birds in flight (¤34.95 for five).
Another firm, Wilson Graphics will also customise its designs. It was set up by Paul David Wilson, a Florida-based designer, in 2006. By 2007, Wilson had quit his job to make his wall decals full-time. His stickers are available through the international crafts website Etsy.
However, the temporary wall tattoo is not a trend to be toyed with, no matter how removable it may be. It’s easy to come unstuck by overdoing it and ending up with walls that resemble those of children’s playrooms from the 1980s.
The choice of sticker is crucial, and it’s worth paying extra for something original and high quality, rather than the cheap, generic designs found in many DIY warehouse superstores. The last thing you want to cultivate is an irresistible urge in your dinner guests to peel off your ugly, oversized paisleys while you’re off peeling the potatoes.

Check. This. Out.

2009-05-14T17:43:00.004+01:00

How beautiful these Mah Jong couches from Roche Bobois. Oh, the humanity...

I think I need a minute.

Ok. So FYI - Mr Fly and I purchased two large Thai triangle cushions on our travels earlier this year. They cost us about 60 squids to post home from Thailand and we don't regret a penny of it. They are in storage for now, but this is the kind of look I've been fantasizing we'll achieve when we do finally get around to unrolling them.

I shall take a picky and we'll do a compare and contrast and have ourselves a good chuckle when the time comes.

Florals just keep on crawlin' back and I just keep lettin' 'em

2009-05-14T17:35:00.004+01:00

No matter how many seasons go by, I cannot get enough of florals. Especially now. They're cheery at a time when not alot of other things are.

Look at these, for example, in a gorgeous pic which I have robbed from the very lovely Garrendenny Lane interiors blog. Click on through and have a look at GL's blog/store/general good taste and more images and info of these fab cushions. But don't forget to come back, children, y'hear?

I need a new concealer

2009-05-14T17:24:00.002+01:00

and this is the one I want. The award-winning Conceal bookshelf by Umbra is a play on optical illusion, where the book itself becomes the shelf. A thin, die-cast metal floating “shelf” is attached using concealed mounting hardware. Simply add your favourite books to hide the hardware and create your own unique look. Words to the wise: stick to medium-density hardbacks for best results. Conceal comes in large (14 x 18 x 17cm) for ¤20 or small (13 x 13 x 14cm), which costs ¤15. Available from Stock Design or Fitzmawn Interiors, Dublin and Umbra stockists all over the land.

Again, in unrelated news, only 32 days until my birthday.

For Peat's sake

2009-05-14T17:17:00.002+01:00

Not sure how long ago the seed for this idea was sown, but it's finally here: a novel garden planter. No, folks, turns out they don't have to be one-pot jobbies, not must they be made of terracotta or glazed, or giant, or teeny tiny, or liable to blow away, or even expensive. Check out this: Deroma’s Repeat, a series of rotomoulded plastic pots designed to partition outdoor areas and create enclosed spaces indoors too. Architectural Pottery!

They are frost and UV resistant and have a cavity wall that acts as a water reserve, with a plug to drain off excess. Prices start at just ¤65 from Owen Chubb in Terenure, Dublin.

The Sunday Times: Going Green

2009-05-14T16:58:00.012+01:00

From The Sunday Times Ireland, May 3 2009 © Dara Flynn
At the height of the property boom, it was hip to live the good life in mono. When it came to paint, we embraced minimalism, shamelessly copied showhouses and cloned our colour schemes off those of our neighbours. No more.

Nowadays, as one-time compulsive trader-uppers are staying put, homeowners are less at the whim of the market and no longer need to decorate with a view to offending as few potential buyers as possible. We can now decorate to please ourselves. If the cloud of recession has a silver lining, then, it’s the return of real colour and the freedom to let our inner Pollock roam. And according to the trends set by the paint world’s big three — Dulux (above) Crown and Farrow & Ball (below) — the future is blue and green.

The reappearance of blue in stressful times is a no-brainer. Blue is the valium of the colour spectrum, calming and reassuring the user with minimal side effects. It’s no coincidence that hospitals, churches and offices tend to favour blue-tinged colour schemes. The new blues popping up in the latest trendbooks are of a different breed, however — warmer, earthier and kinder
on the eye.

Uniqueness is Crown Paints’ keyword for 2009, ushering in an era of experimentation and self-expression on our walls. Blues feature heavily, alongside earthy pastels and pinks and neutral or “safe” shades that consumers revert to in times of insecurity. The company’s blue palette for this season includes Stepping Stone (above), a dark variety of turqouise that’s subtle enough for a heavy-duty living space such as a lounge or dining room. The paint maker has introduced contrast, too, suggesting that if we still use grey, last year’s “it” colour that still carries a whiff of glamour, we should aim to team it with a contradictory colour, such as the company’s Expectation, an acid-hued lime green from their Solo range. It sounds more abrasive than it looks — in fact, the result is subtle, neat and beautiful (below).

Liz LaCumber, the interior designer, chose a shade of aqua blue to dominate her Farrow & Ball colour scheme for the entrance foyer at this year’s Interiors & Design Fair, which takes place next week at the RDS. LaCumber agrees that the latest colour trends are nudging us away from the era of wealth. “The consumer reaction to the current economy is definitely affecting the 2009 colour palettes,” says LaCumber.

Green, blue’s closest cousin, is also set to become such a staple colour in our interiors schemes that it is poised to be considered a neutral. One of Farrow & Ball’s three key trends for 2009 is entitled Nature, with emphasis on greens and mother nature’s softer palette. The shift towards green, LaCumber says, may be a subconscious move away from conspicuous consumption and towards eco-awareness — literally “going green”. “The return of green has evolved from the emphasis on getting real regarding eco-awareness and our duty to the environment,” says LaCumber.

Being rich is out; being environmentally aware is trendy. Paint makers, for their part, have noticed the emergence of green, not only as a colour for walls, but as a consumer preference when choosing household products. Farrow & Ball, for example, has rebranded its packaging as eco-friendly and introduced water-based paints and ingredients such as linseed oil and china clay to replace solvents. Most of its new ranges have reduced VOC (volatile organic compound) content by 94% to 99%. Dulux, meanwhile, has come up with EcoSure, a similarly environmentally-friendly paint, while Earthborn Paints , the UK-based eco-paints, are entirely made from natural materials such as clay pigments and are now stocked in Ireland.

One of the top three paint trends conceived by Dulux, meanwhile, is Modular (above), which takes green as a neutral and suggests its use to practical effect. In smaller homes with open plan spaces, the company says, greens can be used to break up and define areas. Louise Smith, a member of the Dulux creative team, says the appeal of this trend is about merging the outdoors with the indoors, as much as it is about environmental causes. “It’s a new green attitude that regards a piece of architecture as a living organism that needs to breathe,” she says. The company’s two other trends foresee the use of fairytale pastels with powerful brights, and predict the era of wealth giving way to understated style with a sense of humour. Respectively, they are called Honesty and Satire, both of which could be taken as good maxims for a nation in economic meltdown.

A whole lot of blue...

2009-05-08T14:14:00.004+01:00

...but a nice dusty homely blue. This is emulsion by Crown. Which goes great with the brown in those original floor tiles. Nice how this foyer is broken up with a dab of white at ceiling level, lest everything in the space drown in a deep blue sea. A strong, effective and attractive way to greet your guests, or show them out.

Eco-spresso cups

2009-05-07T19:01:00.003+01:00

Swiss ceramic company Terra Keramik has partnered with glassmaker Glasi and the German espresso accessories crew Café Kultur to make sustainable tableware! Only available in the US right now, and while there are plenty of looky-likey cups about over here, it's worth making the extra effort to ensure your important purchases - like good espresso cups - come from sustainable sources. If nothing else, you'll feel better about yourself as you naughtily sip your non Fairtrade coffee.

God, are you still in there?

2009-05-07T18:27:00.004+01:00

If there is a God, and if he does in fact answer the call of nature, he probably uses the Freedom range by VitrA. I don't know if he would stare at it afterwards like that though. That's just bad potty training.

I've come across loads of sanitaryware from heaven so I'll be posting more potty related finery in blogs to come.

Eclectic Shock

2009-05-07T18:09:00.010+01:00

I fully realise this is some people's idea of an extreme clutter control problem, but I LOVE this pad, which apartment therapy sent around in one of their recent mailings. Heart it, Covet it, and I mean in the Biblical sense. I'd like to achieve roughly (but not totally) similar effects in my own home, and reckon I'm already off to a great start, since I own the same lampshade (below) which is in fact, an IKEA product, and not really the product of any sort of design mind-meld between Sam and I, no matter how much I tell myself otherwise.

The house belongs to Sam and is a carriage house in San Francisco (umm, helloo? is this girl, like, living my dream life?). Anyway, just loooook at it. (All pics © 2009 Apartment Therapy).

This is my kinda lady. She's designed a home that really is, a home, by gathering together all of the things she loves, the things that would probably make her come out in a stress rash if she ever had to throw them away. It's also pretty obvious that she hasn't just gone out and splurged loadsabucks on things she saw in magazines. The style here is what organic was before organic was ever a byword for hip. Kitchen cabinets in non-matching colours, btw? Yes please.

Niiice. Sam, my place isn't quite as cosy, but if I promise to line my walls with more of my own little collection of pretty (I'm working on it), fancy a house swap sometime???

This kind of originality can never be replicated of course, but here's a list of where Sam got everything. Curiosity killed the cat...

Furniture:

Craigslist, garage sales, Ikea, side of the road finds

Rugs:

Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters

Lighting:

Ikea, Urban Outfitters, The Pickled Hutch (used to be on Church Street, now moved down to Pacifica), Doe (the mushroom lamp in the kitchen), Global Exchange, flea markets

Mirrors:

The Pickled Hutch, flea markets

Pillows:

Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Garnet Hill, handmade by me

Plates:

Diana Fayt, Anthropologie, Doe, flea markets, brought home from travels

Bedding:

Target, Garnet Hill, Ikea, Z Gallerie

Artwork:

Salvation Army (my favorite trio of laminated bird paintings), The Shiny Squirrel, Doe, Etsy, Betsy Walton (she is one of my all-time favorite artists), Abby Powell Thompson, Nikki McClure, ebay (search for vintage paint-by-numbers; and for vintage bird paintings), Ork San Francisco Poster, my own polaroids and enlarged framed photos, Babar posters from The Land of Nod

Accessories:

Doe (wooden bowls, white ceramic branch vases)

Let's go chopping

2009-05-06T17:56:00.002+01:00

Those wedding gift list favourites, the popular cheese, bread and chopping boards from the Irish company Bunbury Boards are made by the firm behind the Lisnavagh Timber Project, in Co Carlow. Each board is sourced from sustainable, reclaimed Irish hardwood and is given its own log reference number, which can be
used to trace it back to the parent tree on the firm’s website, bunburyboards.com. Boards range in size from the smallest Paddle board (7.5in by 10in) to the XL Handle, the mother of all chopping boards, at 29in by 16in. Available at the Kilkenny Shop and selected stockists nationwide.

Why...

2009-05-06T17:53:00.002+01:00

...bother transporting your expensive crockery out into the garden when you can brighten up barbecues with these perfectly stylish melamine impostors? Prices for the Hampton’s range of melamine tableware from Dunnes Home start at just a couple of euro and they won’t smash if you drop them on the patio slabs.

The Sunday Times: Commercial Bent

2009-05-06T17:35:00.008+01:00

From The Sunday Times Ireland, May 3 2009 © Dara Flynn

A flat-pack table took top prize in a student challenge to create designs that would sell — even in a recession, writes Dara Flynn

Students are often accused of being oblivious to how things work in the real world. That accusation cannot be levelled at Jens Kosak, the winner of this year’s House and Home Crafts Council of Ireland student design awards. His versatile flat-pack table is firmly rooted in at least two realities: the impact of the recession and, with the opening of Ireland’s first Ikea store this summer, the enduring popularity of flat-pack furniture. Kosak, a second-year student at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Letterfrack, says of his table: “It’s super flat-pack, as in I don’t believe it could be any flatter.”

Kosak’s lightweight, easy-to-assemble table consists of just three pieces and was applauded by the judges for its simplicity, affordability and maturity. Kosak’s maturity extends to his vision for marketing his product. “It’s the recession table. It could be produced in Ireland and the labour costs would be low,” he says. “I think it would sell for about ¤199, which is pretty cheap for a table.”
The judges were Karen Hesse, House and Home’s publisher, Stevan Hartung, an award-winning furniture designer, Milo Fitzgerald, an interior designer, and Roisin O’Brien, the homewares buyer for Dunnes Stores. Of the initial 77 entrants, five were shortlisted as finalists and there were three runners-up. The awards took place last Tuesday at the new National College of Art and Design gallery in Dublin. Harting described Kosak’s design as “a very pared back, mature design for a student”, adding: “It’s extremely well thought out.”
The awards, which were set up to promote commercial design as a career, are five years old. After a four-year relationship with Habitat, whose Irish stores ceased trading last year, House and Home has teamed up with the Crafts Council of Ireland. With the theme of “Future Classics”, students were encouraged to consider the commercial viability of their products.
“The students rose impressively to the challenge of designing a future
classic,” says Eimear Nic an Bhaird, the editor of House and Home. “All of the designs were beautifully executed, clearly bearing in mind the people they would envisage buying and using them.”
This year, the awards had an international flavour. While Kosak comes from Germany, Zbigniew Strzebonski, 30, is from Krakow, in Poland, and was shortlisted for his sleek, angular
plywood-and-steel chair with walnut veneer.

He says: “I am inspired by 1930s Scandinavian designers such as Arne Jacobsen. I think you can see that in the chair’s straight, clean edges.” As an apprentice with Wedge, the Irish furniture design firm, Strzebonski has a realistic view of production techniques for a mass market. “If it was mass-produced, using a slightly cheaper chromed steel, I think it could retail for ¤180 to ¤200.”
Colleen Sands, of Colaiste Dhulaigh College of Further Education, Dublin, was shortlisted for her honeycomb helix lamp, while Rory Brown, of South West College, Omagh, created a chaise longue in the shape of the human spine. Brown, who at 18 is the youngest finalist, says: “I’ve always liked the shape of the spine. It doesn’t look it, but the chaise is quite comfortable to sit on. I can’t see it as a mass-produced thing; it’s more of collector’s item.”
Ciara O’Sullivan, of the Limerick School of Art and Design, also made it to the final five with her ceramic bowls, influenced by the sea.

Although O’Sullivan’s firing techniques mean no two pieces are the same, they are suitable for batch production.

Sticker fun for grown ups!

2009-05-06T17:13:00.010+01:00

When I was little, I collected stickers. My favourites were ones with a glossy surface featuring Barbie and the Care Bears, as well as those scratch 'n' sniff jobbies you got in fancy paper shops. Which is why my imagination is totally captured by the latest wall stickers. It's wallpaper, DIY style, refashioned a la francaise with a hithertofore unseen panache. But why not just wallpaper instead?

Now, I know that wallpaper as a trend is justifiably hanging around (see my latest post on wallpaper) but I have two issues with the proper stuff, however great it looks. Firstly, it's all gluey-messy, it's hard to roll it out to get the paste on when your space is limited, and it's difficult to cut it right if you're trying to align a pattern.

Secondly, once it's up there, it's literally stuck there. That's all waaaay too forever after as far as I'm concerned.

Wall stickers on the other hand, are mostly made of vinyl, they're easy to apply since there's no glue involved, and you can peel them off if you do it wrong or get a bit sick of it. Perfect for a commitment-phobe with blank canvas walls.

What's more, you can even put them on ceilings and floors to look like rugs and arty cornicing!

...and finally, the genre has yet to be monopolised by high-end, posh and over-priced wallpaper designers so you can get a really good effect without spending too much dosh - as little as 30 euros should cover it on an average sized wall.

The French, bien sur, are well in there. Les Invasions Ephemeres and Domestic are just two of the firms based over there that specialise in designer wall decals, but here in Ireland we have Wallstickers.ie, which has plenty of choice and will deliver all over the country, and to the UK, for free.

I am going to do a piece on this for The Sunday Times, methinks. No reason why these can't become a standard for walls, along with paint and paper. Imagine the creativity unleashed!

Droogling...

2009-04-29T13:45:00.006+01:00

...is a verb I just invented that refers to the act of looking up Droog Design online just to drool/ogle their gear. Or drogle it. Here's their latest, from the Milan shows last week:

This is Skin Furniture by Studio Nacho Carbonell for Droog. I'm not entirely sold on the concept of furniture designed so you can wedge stuff beneath its 'skin' (eeew!) but I do like how leggy the table and chair is. It's all about seeing stuff from a new perspective, in this case, just a few inches further away from the ground. I'll post more Droog stuff on here as time goes by, as I'm quite sure y'all will droogle it too.

Disclaimer - bloke not included, sorry lasses.

The Sunday Times: Shelf Worth

2009-04-28T16:55:00.012+01:00

Clearing up clutter can be a chore, but a designer storage system could help things stack up nicely...
From The Sunday Times Ireland, April 26 2009 © Dara Flynn

It seems recession is making hoarders of us all. Not only have spending sprees come to a halt, but we’ve also stopped offloading our old gear, to the extent that charity shops are suffering. Enable Ireland, which has 19 outlets nationwide, reported last week that since the recession hit, donations have completely dried up in some shops.

It’s decluttering season again. Before you begin, however, ask yourself this, where are you going to put all the stuff you plan on keeping? If your answer is, “in that pile over there,” it’s time to rethink your storage.

Fiona Wilson, the presenter of RTE Television’s Desperate Houses, in which she works against the clock with a limited budget to render homes clutter-free, has firm opinions about storage.
“Storage is a massive issue,” says Wilson, who is also an interior designer. “Many new apartments are so tiny — people have less wall space, less floor space and less overall storage capacity.”

If decluttering is rule number one, number two is to be realistic about your storage needs.
“The worst mistake is to have nice furniture but to neglect the capacity to store anything and underestimate how much stuff they have,” says Wilson. “You end up noticing the clutter rather than the furniture, and this makes the room look even smaller.”

Interior-design shops are crammed with storage ideas, from all-encompassing modular storage solutions to small-scale, fun design statements.

For anybody fortunate enough to have generous wall space in their living or dining areas, a storage system — an entire wall of either built-in or free-standing shelving — is ideal.
Minima stocks the Metropolis, below, a sleek, adaptable system that can be used in the living room as a wall of storage or as a room divider. It comes with a ladder rail and is available in white lacquer (¤8,651), coloured lacquer (¤9,788) or in a wood veneer. Houseworks carries the Wackenhut range of upmarket floor-to-ceiling units. Prices start at ¤6,200.

In smaller homes it’s even morecrucial to use the walls, rather than floors, for storage.
Commissioning a built-in piece by a designer like Wilson herself, or by a company such as the Dublin-based duo Wedge, is the most logical solution, especially for rooms with alcoves that “scream out for a built-in system”, according to Wilson.

Ready-made storage systems are increasingly clever and stylish and there are plenty of good-looking off-the-rack units out there. Howards Storage World stocks Elfa shelving, a modular system made from triple epoxy-coated steel, whose wooden Decor range of open shelving carries the eye through to the wall behind it, giving an illusion of space The firm has a free measuring service and gives quotes to order.

While the Elfa may seem to disappear into the wall, the Boogie Woogie bookshelf (above), by Stefano Giovannoni for Magis, deliberately draws attention to itself. It comes in glossy white, red or black lacquer and has a playful shape. The unit, which can also be customised, is priced from ¤128 on Nest, an online furniture shop that delivers to Ireland.

If you have space for a larger, free-standing unit, the angular, quirky Lines bookcase by Ligne Roset (above) is an attractive option. Available in anthracite or white lacquer, it costs ¤2,963.
For a child’s room, or merely for the inner child, there’s the comical Stack, below, created by Shay Alkalay for the design team Established & Sons. Units start at ¤1,800 from Lost Weekend in Wexford.

Feeling the 'blues' isn't always a bad thing

2009-04-23T19:52:00.005+01:00

Now, I'm not a huge fan of Tyra Banks, but she had this wallpaper on her show, and let's face it, it is FIERCE.

I am drooling over various examples of the blue and white combo at the moment and it's still pretty huge so I might even try and do a piece on it for de paper.

It's available from Mabel & Viole t and costs 67 euro a roll, which sounds expensive until you realise that this is wall art and you probably shouldn't ever - ever - use more than one roll of it in any given room, no matter how much you want to.

Sometimes...

2009-04-23T19:33:00.002+01:00

...someone comes up with an idea that is so completely brilliant you can't believe...bla bla bla, you know the rest. Anyway, this thingiwant is a case in point.

It's the Totally Novel Picturebook and they're selling it at Delight, but I am keeping my eye out for a stockist closer to home for y'all.

The notion is, you put your favourite novel - or just the novels you like the cover of - inside and show it off. Book-braggers and literary liars will love it, as do I - despite being in only one of the aforementioned categories. Ahem. I like the idea of a short row of those orange and creme Penguin classics in frames just as much as the idea of an eclectic selection of book cover-art.

On a totally unrelated note, it's just 54 days until my birthday.