RTÉ Guide Homes & Interiors Spring 2019

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Out with the old

Declutter while you keep what’s important

&

INTERIORS SPRING 2019

COLOUR TREND...

Hint of print Florals, but not as we know them!

Got an awkward corner?

Put a chair in it!

THE LITTLE ONES How to create a children’s room that will grow with them

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BOUTIQUE HOTEL INSPIRATIONS

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Cool as you like.

LARGE Panel 2

RETRO FREESTANDING F/FREEZER – Two Door, Net Fridge Capacity: 241 Lt, Freezer Capacity: 70 Lt, Auto Defrost Fridge, Top Mount Freezer, A+ Energy Rating.

The intelligent choice for smart living.

There’s so much more to the NordMende Retro Fridge than meets the eye, like an A+ energy rating, and advanced NordMende technology, designed to keep temperatures low and running costs even lower. Plus it comes with a 3 year warranty covering parts and labour. So, as well as being very cool, the NordMende Retro Fridge is also very smart.

WWW.NORDMENDE.IE NordMende is distributed by KAL (Kitchen Accessories Limited) a member of the Gowan Group

APPLIANCE PARTNER

Home S

& INTERIORS Spring 2019

pring is here! And whether or not the record-breaking warmth at the end of February was a short-lived

phenomenon, many of us will be looking around our

homes in these brighter days with a critical eye. Spring-cleaning often means a refreshing edit of our homes, whether it’s a lick

of paint in a kid’s room, some new curtains or a more extensive makeover.

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SMALL IDEAS, BIG IMPACT

Decorating a child’s room is a balance between what their needs are right now and what they’ll be using the room for in a few years

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We spoke to some interior design experts with bright ideas for

refreshing our homes. Organisational guru Ann Newton explains

how she found a middle way when it came to decluttering her life, but only after she had over-zealously left herself too few clothes.

We also hear from interiors blog House Edit’s Claire Price and

Elaine Regan about how to create a child’s room that will easily grow along with the little one, as well as some ways to achieve different energies in this room with paint.

Home of the Year judge Deirdre Whelan details some of the ways hotels can inspire with top designers’ ideas to use in

the home and the lively Great Indoors podcast duo of Sophie Robinson and Kate Watson-Smyth share their very different

ideas on cushions and curtains. Finally, if you are shopping for some new pieces to brighten your home, we have a rainbow

of chairs for those difficult corners and a selection of on-trend floral objects to bring the springtime indoors.

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IN HOME NEWS...

Some of the stories that caught our eye

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THE STREAMLINED LIFE

Decluttering expert Anna Newton shares the middle way of keeping only what’s important

An RTÉ Guide Publication ©2019 RTÉ Commercial Enterprises DAC Advertising sales: Karen Foster (contact 01-208 2880) Cover image: Homesense

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THE GREAT INDOORS

Podcast hosts Sophie Robinson and Kate WatsonSmyth live at two ends of the home decor spectrum: one craves simplicity while the other believes more is always better

THE NAUGHTY CORNER Most homes have one: a spot that doesn’t quite work hard enough, so why not make that awkward corner part of your home with an inviting chair?

18 LOBBY INSPIRATIONS

As the number of hotels around the country continues to grow, more and more are using top designers to give their lobbies and bedrooms a unique spin. Interior designer Deirdre Whelan, who is also a judge on Home of the Year, tells us how hotels can inspire home decor

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FLOWER POWER

Floral and botanical prints have been making a strong comeback as a design trend, but how can you avoid a chintz overload to achieve a verdant paradise?

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Interiors NEWS

The creative clash Playful enlightenment

The ÄDELHET candlestick and tealight holder set, €23 for set of 3, are a fun way to brighten up your decor. The geometrically-shaped three holders of different heights are made of coloured aluminium and are stackable so it’s easy to store them away when not in use, or create lighting set ups and dining table centrepieces of different heights when entertaining.

As interiors trends are moving in favour of individualism and self-expression, Danish store Søstrene Grene has embraced this concept for spring. The new collection combines patterns and colours, that might seem to clash, but when put together bring a space to life. For the first time ever you’ll find decorative wallpaper (€23.60 per roll) in store as the sisters behind the brand introduce three new options. FYI, the charcoal/pastel pink paper will be a sell out for sure, soon to be followed by the metal and wood side table (€39.98 and not available until March 21). See sostrenegrene.com to find your nearest store.

Box it up

Recycling food waste can be pretty gross, especially disposing of things like leftovers, peelings and food scraps that can become smelly and form that most distressing of everyday hazards, bin juice.

Irish entrepreneurs Liz Fingleton and Kate Purcell (right) have a personal mission to reduce waste one small brown box at a time which is why they developed Obeo bags. These the compostable cardboard boxes for all brown bin waste, and once full can be popped directly into the bin keeping everything contained and pong-free. Available exclusively online at obeoliving.com, alongside other plastic-free solutions like as garden waste bags, lunch bags and cleaning utensils.

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Space saving

How many of us have stacked our mugs like a precarious game of Jenga in order to save space only for one or more to come crashing down? Stack in a far more orderly fashion with these stacking mugs with holder from Aldi, €6.99.

Ideal for an open shelf.

Burbidge at the Panelling Centre

Selected Panelling Centre branches nationwide are now stocking the acclaimed Burbidge collection of luxury painted doors, available in 25+ colours from two popular ranges: Simply Burbidge and the Contemporary Collection.

Simply Burbidge creates elegant, timeless kitchens with something to suit all tastes and budgets. It has three distinctively-styled kitchens to choose from: Kew, Finsbury and Barnes. Kew offers a sharper take on the traditional Shaker form, with a luxury painted finish that reveals the pattern of solid ash framing.

Classically styled with beaded frame detail, Finsbury is guaranteed to draw the eye and works in both contemporary and traditional homes. For those who like a clean and classic appearance, Barnes offers a pared down look.

The Contemporary Collection is available in both painted and non-painted finishes such as gloss, wood effect or concrete. The collection includes the Malmö and Otto ranges, and brings an mix of European design influenced which are popular with customers who want to create open plan living.

Talking about the two Burbidge ranges, Carmel O’Flaherty of The Panelling Centre said:

Expert opinion

You’ve watched Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netlix and are now inspired to declutter and organise your home, except for one small snag.

You haven’t a clue where or how to start. While Marie’s magic is beyond most budgets, we have our very own organisational dynamo here in Ireland. Sarah Reynolds (above) set up Organised Chaos in 2010, as Dublin’s first professional decluttering and organising business with a view to bringing a little more flair and function to people’s homes and offices. Sarah worked under Julie Morgenstern in New York, an internationally renowned expert and best-selling author on time management, productivity and organising. Now Organised Chaos has launched an online Declutter It Yourself service (€129) if you prefer to organise alone and on a budget. It includes a 60-minute video consultation, to take a look around the space virtually and figure out what’s working and what’s not. Then you’ll get a personalised action plan as well as a shopping list of suggested storage products and where to find them. There are 12 slots available per month, released on the first of every month. See organisedchaos.ie

“The kitchen is no longer just a practical area for cooking – it has evolved into a space for dining, entertaining and everyday family living. We provide our customers with innovative, beautifully designed kitchens that serve a practical purpose and take pride of place in the home.”

The Panelling Centre stockists of the Burbidge collection include Santry, Long Mile Road, Deansgrange, Limerick, Chadwicks Galway and Cork Builder Providers (northside branch) See panellingcentre.ie for more information.

Burbidge Otto

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perfect edit

Your

Organisational guru, Anna Newton, shows us how to find the ideal edit for your home, whatever end of the minimalist spectrum you find yourself on

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hanks to Marie Kondo, we’re all a lot happier saying goodbye to the things in our homes that don’t spark joy. Organisation and minimalism has never been so hot. However if you’re a naturalborn hoarder, extreme minimalism can cause more anxiety than it cures.

One person who has managed to find her own happy medium is Anna Newton, founder of blog, theannaedit.com and co-host of popular podcast At Home With... Newton recently published her first book, An Edited Life: Simple Steps to Streamlining Your Life at Work and at Home

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(kilkennyshop.com, €19.95), a manual that offers practical advice on how to curate your home into something that is beautiful, manageable and personal.

Newton began her own “personal editing journey” when she and her now husband Mark moved into a one-bedroom flat the size of a postage stamp after university.

“We devised our own little space-saving hacks like hiding the ironing board behind the sofa but after years of a consumer-heavy lifestyle, my new purchases soon began to creep into every empty crevice. Opening the wardrobe door had become a task that should have its own health-and-safety warning. Nothing was ever messy but there was just an overwhelming amount of stuff.”

When the couple decided to move, Newton realised when she was hauling a box out of the flat, marked OLD MAKEUP – BOX 3 and opening up boxes of useless stuff that had made its way to their new home, that it was time to edit. After reading Marie Kondo’s The LifeChanging Magic of Tidying, five bin bags and a couple of days later, Newton felt a subtle shift towards a more minimal mindset. “In the months that followed, not only did our home feel more functional, my brain took a long exhale for the first time in months, and I found myself feeling more productive in work and more efficient with my time.”

However, being an all-or-nothing type of person, Newton found this feeling addictive to the point where her husband Mark was convinced he’d come home to find the remote control in the bin because it didn’t spark joy. She even bullied her mum into downsizing

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her beloved vase collection. “I’d become the complete opposite of a hoarder and instead became a binbag tyrant, to the point that I was parting with things I actually needed. I realised there had to be a more comfortable middle ground.”

Newton began to devise editing methods that still sat within the minimalist framework but didn’t act as a strict rulebook like all the books she’d read on the subject.

Newton says that minimalism covers a whole spectrum of living-with-less beliefs; the strictest being able to fit all your possessions into a suitcase, and what she’s come to see as the middle ground, is actually to aim instead for a more edited life.

The importance of editing rather than discarding everything came to Newton after she went through her extreme minimalist phase. Quite simply, her home felt empty. “My wardrobe was empty. The drawers were empty. And you know what? I felt empty too. I’d put so much energy and focus into removing as many material things from my life as physically possible, that I’d completely disregarded the ‘but maybe I need that?’ niggle that’s sometimes right and sometimes wrong.

I didn’t even have enough clothes to get through the week without having to do two laundry loads, and our home was devoid of any personality.”

She acknowledges that there is another end to that scale, referring to her mother and her vase collection.

“If you love stuff and your surrounding clutter brings you happiness, then good for you. But if you’re feeling stifled and experiencing the negative effects that an overwhelming amount of things can bring then it’s time to declutter.” Newton defines decluttering as: “curating a space that serves you best, filling it with things that make you happy, no matter the amount and getting rid of the rest that don’t.” With this in mind she devised the very simple F.U.L.L. method, so that everyone can find the ideal edit for their own life. Here’s how to apply it.

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IS IT FUNCTIONAL? HAVE YOU GOT A USE FOR IT?

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HAVE YOU USED IT IN THE LAST YEAR?

34 DO YOU LOVE IT?

DO YOU LIKE THE LOOK OF IT?

If your answer is yes to just one of these questions, then you keep it. The functional part means that you won’t end up tossing away anything which could be useful.

The question of when you last used it means that you won’t end up hanging on to things that you haven’t touched in years.

By asking yourself if it’s an item that you love, you’re saving yourself the heartache of giving away anything that’s sentimental or means a lot to you.

Then, finally, sometimes you just have things that you like the look of and it’s often these odd bits and trinkets that make your house feel like a home.” Turn over to read how best to display the things you love and the things you like the look of.

An Edited Life by Anna Newton is available to buy in store at Kilkenny or online at kilkennyshop.com, €19.95.

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Conceal or reveal Now that you have edited your possessions, the question remains: what should you store away and what should you put on display? “This technically falls into the last two part of my F.U.L.L method – the things you ‘like the look of’ and things that you ‘love’. Extreme minimalist methods lack in terms of the sentimental things and things that are aesthetically pleasing to us. When I got rid of everything, it didn’t look like my home; it looked like a show home. So now I’m all about having these sentimental items out and enjoying them.” Newton’s top tip is to incorporate open and closed storage into your home.

“We have one piece of furniture that has both open and closed storage sections.

In the open storage sections we’ve got sentimental things we’ve been given. For instance, my husband has a grandfather clock from his dad, and I like to display all of our books. Though people think I’m crazy because I have them all colour coordinated. But we’ve also got board games and paperwork that aren’t as nice to look at, but we can put in the concealed bit, so they are still to hand.

Take your time Newton believes that when we move into a space, we can put ourselves under unnecessary pressure to fill it and have it Instagram-ready immediately – but that doesn’t mean you’ll be surrounded by things that will make you happy. “We were in a furnished flat before, so when we moved to a slightly bigger unfurnished flat we had nothing, not even a bed. When you’re trying to buy big ticket items like a sofa and a bed, and you end up buying art for the walls or pieces thinking, ‘That’s the right size, that’ll do!’ Now we’re there four years later, looking at each other, saying ‘What were we thinking?’ Newton says that a lot of people put up shelves and have just a cactus and a candle sitting on top because that’s what they see online, but she says that doesn’t tell the story of you. ‘You could just go in and buy those bits in Tiger. One thing I like to do when we go to a new place is buy a piece of art, like a print, that we can hang on the wall. I went to Ibiza and bought a ceramic bowl. It’s a really nice way of collecting these goods, in a way that has meaning.

Equally, it’s nice to save up to buy a piece by an artist that you love which you will really value.”

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Industrial Hall Stand, €610, Vincent and Barn

Storage box, €3.50, Penneys

Fowler Low Shelving Unit, £329, made.com

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Kallax shelving unit, IKEA, €49

Store it wisely

Change it up Newton says that changing up a room can be as simple as changing the books you have on display to make a place feel like new without having to spend anything. You’ve already got everything you need or love, but maybe you’d like it to feel fresh. She likens it to having a seasonal wardrobe – putting away your winter clothing to rediscover the summer pieces you love. “That is what I do with my wardrobe, so you could do it with interiors – a capsule homeware collection that you rotate. All things you like and love but maybe you don’t need them out on display at the one time. You’re never going to fall out of love with something that has sentimental value, like my husband’s grandfather clock, but it can become invisible.

However, if you put it away for a while you can fall back in love with it all over again. It also gives you that spark of thinking you’ve done something new with your home.”

Anyone who watched Friends will remember neat freak Monica’s secret wardrobe of junk. Newton confesses she is a bit of a Monica, but tries her best to keep hers in check with clever storage. “If you have that loft or closet where everything gets dumped then it’s going to take time to sort it out. But it’s worth it. This cupboard can stress you out, because every time you need to get something out – walking boots or ski gear – you can’t find it and it just gets messier and messier. ” She reveals the only way to do this is to actually schedule time in your diary for organising. “It’s so boring and it’s grim but if it’s going to take two weekends then that’s what it’s going to take. It can be a big job, but the only way to declutter the Monica cupboard is one hour at a time. Once this is done the next step is to find storage solutions so you can organise it to work for you, then it’s easier to keep in check and it gives things a home which speeds up tidying. I love Muji’s acrylic drawers for this.” If you’re struggling to keep things tidy, Newton says that the minute you get something new, you should designate it a home or else it is always going to be clutter to you.”

cuckooland.com

Billy Bookcase, IKEA, €62

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Dulux Dining room featuring Easycare Washable Matt in Denim Drift

Room to grow The key to decorating a child’s room is to make one that will evolve easily with the child. Interior designers, Claire Price and Elaine Regan from House Edit, share their top tips for creating a room that will grow with your child. There are also some ideas for using paint to make a kid’s room pop without spending a fortune Paint is best – Children’s interests change and they get into and grow out of fads quickly. We would always recommend avoiding the latest cartoon wallpapers and window treatments and instead opt for a versatile wall colour or a classic wallpaper. Some of our current favourite colours are Stork Feather and First Cuddle from Dulux’s kids easy care range. These warm neutrals give so many options for styling and have a timeless quality that ensures that the room will not date easily. They also leave open the possibility of adding bolder colours, fun and personality with accessorising. Framed prints, bunting, wall decals and favourite toys are the perfect way to personalise children’s rooms.

concentrate, which usually means their bedroom. The Caden cabin bed by DFS is one of our favourites for older children. It gives the option to incorporate both a desk and the all important storage element.

Surfaces – Washable or wipeable matt paints are best for children’s rooms, especially with younger children who have a tendency to draw on walls. Many paints designed for this use are water-based with stain repellent technology, making it that bit easier to wipe away marks.

Even more storage – Purpose-built storage such as bookshelves with openings for wicker baskets are a great way to organise small toys and books while also creating a valuable addition that will last. Beds with built-in storage beneath them are also a good option, particularly for smaller spaces.

Nursery Design, House Edit. Photo Claudio Salviato

Future-proof furniture – It is important when buying big ticket items to consider their versatility. As with wall coverings, steer away from themed beds and towards quality functional furniture that is adaptable. Bunk beds for growing families are a great idea, both for space saving and fun for the kids. Day beds are also a good option for both storage and sleepovers, while also ticking the aesthetics box.

Space saving & storage – Beds that incorporate a desk within or beneath them work well for children of schoolgoing age. Older children need a place to study and

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Soft furnishings – Restraint at the start of the process gives ample opportunity to have fun and bring a child’s room to life with soft furnishings. Canopies and teepees prove a big hit with many of our clients.

Younger children love the idea of having a place to hide and play. Finally, sheepskins, rugs and contrasting bed linen provide an opportunity to add pattern, colour and texture, which is a good way to finish off a scheme without breaking the bank.

DFS Madison Bunk Bed with Under bed Storage €845

Dulux Nursery featuring Easycare Washable Matt in Stork Feather and First Cuddle

DFS Winter Bunk Bed €845

DFS Caden Bed & Mattress €649

DFS West Bunk Bed €845

Claire Price and Elaine Regan are the co-founders of the Irish design studio & blog, House Edit (houseedit.ie). This spring, they are holding three interior design workshops in Galway (March 23), Dublin (March 30) and Cork (April 6).

Tickets on sale now at houseedit.ie

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Before

Think

flying colours With

Transform your children’s room with minimum effort (and spend) by creating a feature wall to wow, that still works with your home “Consumers are spending ever more time, attention and money on turning their children’s bedrooms into wonderful spaces to grow up in,” says Heleen Van Gent, creative director at AkzoNobel, the parent company of paint-maker Dulux. She explains that the overriding theme for interiors at this time of year is to let the light in.

Van Gent and her team used the Dulux Colour of the Year 2019, Spiced Amber, as the unifying shade to create four unique looks for nursery or a child’s room. “Spiced Honey has a warm amber tone that can be calming and nourishing or more stimulating and energizing, depending on the light and colours surrounding it. Truly versatile, it complements a broad spectrum of interiors.”

Here you can see how four paint palettes work in real rooms to create a striking feature wall that also suits the tone and energy of the rest of your home, while still feeling like you have created a space for a child to enjoy.

Act

Muted warm neutrals A space to think with an atmosphere of calm. The Spiced Amber is mixed with rich neutrals and touches of soft pink, intense burgundy and sophisticated deep blue. Bold geometric shapes and a calming palette work well together.

Pop-y brights A space to act that encourages you to be bold. The playful palette combines vivid red and green with paler pink and blue, underlined by crisp greys and whites. The golden tones of Spiced Amber ensure that the palette stays warm and inviting. Pops of colour are grounded by golden honey tones.

Dream

Soft pastels A space to dream, to sit and be still. A gently muted mix of romantic powder pinks and blues create calm, with Spiced Amber bringing depth and sophistication to the look. Pair with plain pale woods and pretty fabrics.

Rich tones A welcoming space to love and share. This is filled with richly pigmented shades including deep forest green, bold teal and intense terracotta red, tempered by Spiced Amber, pale neutrals and herby greens.

Love

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Before

Think

Act

Dream

Love

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Strong

€750, Oliver Bonas

accents Solve the problem of ‘that awkward corner’ of your living space with an occasional chair.

An appealing colour and stylish shape will make it a focal point rather than a troublesome blot on your living room landscape

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€1465, Nest.co.uk

€208, John Lewis

€249, Littlewoods Ireland

€349, Michael Murphy

€1033.60, Houseology

€1246, Sweetpea & Willow

€1270.80, Houseology

€299, Michael Murphy Home Furnishing

€349, Made.com

€380, M&S

€349, Very @ Littlewoods Ireland

€328, Cuckooland.com

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€384, Made.com

€769, French Connection @ DFS

€434, Cult Living

€495, IKEA

€1270.80, Houseology

€1367, Sweetpea & Willow

€1090, Houseology

€267, John Lewis

€494, Made.com

€454, Oak Furnitureland

€651.50, John Lewis

€799, Harvey Norman

€356, Amara

€389, DFS

€510, Oliver Bonas

€699, Harvey Norman

€522.50, John Lewis

€535, Oliver Bonas

€562, Cuckooland.com

€570, Audenza.com

€1049, Harvey Norman

€495, IKEA

€589, DFS

€268, M&S

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Clash of the titans Hosts of The Great Indoors podcast, Sophie Robinson and Kate Watson-Smyth, were in Dublin recently to thrash out the big interior design issues of the day.

Jess O Sullivan spoke to them

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he Great Indoors is a podcast that celebrates all things interiors, hosted by TV presenter and designer Sophie Robinson and best-selling author and journalist Kate Watson-Smyth . They were in Dublin recently to record a special episode, where they discussed the hottest interiors topics of the day,

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including the great cushion debate: exactly how many is too many? Other subjects covered were how to work clashing prints and colour in your living room using cushions, curtains and upholstery or what is known as ‘the look and feel’ in the interiors industry.

If you are not a regular listener of the podcast, the two friends and interiors experts have very different styles and opinions. Kate favours a minimalist approach to colour and pattern, whereas Sophie describes her house as a riot of colour and clash. Needless to say, the conversation is always lively.

Sophie: For me upholstery is what really brings a scheme alive because I’m a massive fabrics person. I love clashing patterns and colour, mixing texture. I have got a complete cushion problem. If there was an AA for cushions I would have to sign up. I think at last count I had nine scatter cushions on my sofa, so myself, my husband and the dog are perfectly supported as we watch our box sets.

Kate: We are the opposite at home. We have three cushions on the sofa and I got some little ones and put them on – so three larger ones and three smaller ones and I thought they looked really nice. Then my husband walked in and said, ‘Bloody Instagram’ and took them off.

Sophie: But I get asked a lot, about how do you mix them? People often collect them. And you don’t want them all matching really. There are two ways to do it.

There’s a co-ordinated look if you’re that way inclined.

For example, if you’re using a tonal colour palette, or a neutral, you could mix your colours that way. Having one colour palette or a very limited colour palette makes it very easy to mix patterns.

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Make sure you have things with lots of lovely different textures like velvet, linen and silk, in order to create the contrast, otherwise it will look really flat and boring.

Kate: That’s if you’re in the neutral zone. But I like a complete riot on my sofa. The more clashing and bashing the better. I don’t buy all my cushions in one go, I collect them.

Sophie: But the way you can start mixing patterns – florals, stripes, geometrics – works if you have different scale. Some nice big blousy florals with gingham or tight geometrics. I don’t think there’s any limit to how many patterns you can have – I’d say three minimum if you’re going for this look. But one tip to make it not look like you just walked into a charity shop is to have a bit of a cohesive colour palette going on. So you might have one hero fabric, like a fabulous chintz, and that might have all your colours in there, and you can extract those out to mix with the other patterns just so they do pull together.

Sophie: Another important thing is length. You cannot stop the curtains just above the radiator. You’ve got to have the curtains down to the floor. If you put a blind with them, then you can have the blind closed if you have the radiator on, and when the room is warm, close them up.

Kate: Long curtains make a room look more furnished, more elegant, and not like you’ve run out of money. If you can’t have curtains then just have blinds instead.

Joules Burnham, exclusive to DFS

Kate: I like to do it the other way, so I might go for a really bold patterned sofa and have plain dark cushions to bring it down. Another trick is that if you’re in a small space and if you have your sofa matching the colour of the wall behind you, that can make the room look bigger.

Sophie: I am a fan of a patterned sofa, and we are going to be seeing lots more bold floral, jazzy printed sofas soon. Then you can be like me and pile more pattern on top of that, or be like Kate and add the plain. If you find a patterned sofa too big an investment, buy a patterned, upholstered footstool. I prefer this to a coffee table as it gives you an opportunity to add another pop of colour.

Then I add a large tray or a pile of books to create surfaces to make it a bit more practical.

Kate: Windows are another way to bring patterns into a room. With blinds, you can always mix striped with florals.

So if you’ve got lots of patterned cushions with plain cushions you can bring stripes in on the windows, say with Roman blinds.

Sophie: I have stripes on my windows, curtains but not blinds. However, I love a Roman blind and one of the reasons is that you don’t need a lot of fabric. So if you’ve fallen in love with a fabric that’s really expensive, you could either make a cushion out of it, or create a really amazing Roman blind. If you were to create a curtain out of that fabric you would be into telephone numbers before you knew it. I tend to use my really luxe designer fabrics as a blind. In my house I’ve got three large windows, so what I did was buy cheap ready-made curtains and then sewed two pairs together to get the width. They came with eyelets, the bit that goes on the round metal pole, but personally I don’t like eyelets because they just look a bit too contemporary for the style of my house and also I find them really awkward to draw – they get stuck. So I dropped them off at the seamstress, who cut off the eyelets, put in a pencil pleat and it was so cheap to do.

Kate: If you’re doing curtains you have to do them generously, that’s the key to a curtain. You’ve got to have enough material in it to make it look generous, so quite often blinds are a good idea. My granny used to say, “You must never, ever buy velvet curtains because they will never wear out and you will never have an excuse to buy new ones.” Cheap ready-made curtains all the way and then you can change them when you’re bored.

What about the woodwork?

Kate is a vocal advocate of banning white paint and Sarah is with her on that point for once, particularly on the woodwork in a room such as skirting and doors. But what colour should you paint your woodwork if not white? As well as the wall colour, Kate says it depends on what other furniture you have in the room. Sophie reveals you have two options. “Paint it so that the skirting is not jumping out. Or paint it something like navy and pop it out and contrast it.”

Kate points out that painting everything in the room the same shade to match the wall is very Georgian.

“They painted all the woodwork, doors, windows, skirting boards all the same colour. Partly, I think it was because they couldn’t get the bright white that came later.”

The Great Indoors podcast is sponsored by DFS, and is available to download now.

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Lobby inspiration Many of us are guilty of acquiring toiletries from hotels, but what about taking advantage of another hotel ‘freebie’ – the interior design expertise they use to lure us in the first place?

Home of the Year judge, Deirdre Whelan, who has worked on hotel interior design projects for more than 20 years, has some take home ideas

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very year on Home of the Year is different. This year we had a lovely mix of small, very large and everything in between. There were new builds, extensions and getting old and new to work together. It’s so interesting to see how people make things work for themselves and it’s always nice to see authenticity rather than something that’s styled because it’s in fashion.

I think people are travelling so much more now and staying in hotels with great design as well as all the inspiration of websites, Instagram and design books.

This year we had a few houses where there was a problem with acoustics, which is something that can be a big problem in busy hotels and restaurants.

Someone might have built a beautiful extension and created a magnificent space, but you’re in the room and if there’s three or more people talking, then it becomes really uncomfortable. It’s something that’s often not thought about when people are designing a space and they may not have lived in it long enough to realise they need curtains or rugs to soften it up and reduce sound bouncing off all the hard surfaces. In restaurants or the big spaces of a hotel foyer, where

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there is obviously a problem of a lot of people speaking at once, a cushioned fabric or felt put in the underside of the tables can improve the acoustics. There was more than one place in Dublin during the Celtic Tiger years that had that problem. Rugs, curtains and big soft sofas can help in the home after the build, but from an architectural point of view, before the build, you could consider acoustic plasterboard to help with sound absorption and reverberation.

Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin

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Home & Interiors Bartra Suite, Ice House Hotel & Spa, Mayo

Hunter’s Yard, Mount Juliet

In general, hotel rooms have to be really functional, where things have to be easily accessible and with good lighting, switch control, a spot for a TV or a desk. The layout needs to be such that you have enough space around the bed so people can circulate comfortably. All of these are essential in your home too, especially so in newer homes, where the rooms aren’t so big.

I think keeping the decor simple and uncluttered is another lesson from hotel rooms that we can use in our own bedrooms – it’s supposed to be a space where you chill out after all.

Modern hotels are more casual and flexible spaces, so for example, people can work in the bar area or have meetings in quiet parts of the foyer – building this kind of flexibility into your home is also good, especially if you have an open-plan living area. Spaces need to be multifunctional, which I think is something that many hotels do brilliantly – creating a home from home.

Faithlegg Hotel & Golf Resort

In bathrooms, lighting is often the biggest thing that people get wrong, so you look in the mirror and all you see is shadows when you’re doing make-up or shaving. You need good practical lighting, which hotels do really well, even if the bathroom is little more than a small shower room. They will also have touches of luxury like great towels or underfloor heating.

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The Devlin Hotel, Dublin

Get the boutique look

Even if the bedrooms are small, many hotels are offering really good places to eat and socialise or even adding a cinema, in the case of the Devlin in Ranelagh that opened a few months ago. They will also provide lots of small informal breakaway spaces, where people staying in the hotel can do business as they may not necessarily be going to meetings in offices.

In her book, Hotel Chic at Home, travel writer Sara Bliss takes us to some of the most stunning hotel rooms and public spaces that provide a global take on inspirational design ideas. Here are just a few ways to borrow from the masters of interior design who make boutique hotels special Cover walls in fabric

Fabric-covered walls instantly make a room feel cosier and warmer in a way that paint or wallpaper doesn’t.

Add glamour to a basic chair

The Moy Suite, Ice House Hotel & Spa, Mayo

Sheepskin on basic wood chairs creates a softer perch – an easy move on any chair or sofa.

Add drama with dark paint

The easiest, least expensive way to make a big change in a room is with paint. Inky blues, rich greens, charcoal grays and striking aubergine are current. In a bedroom, dark colours create a cosy, cocooning effect, while in a living room, deep hues can be entirely unexpected and create a fantastic backdrop.

Find dining chairs you want to sit in for hours What if instead of basic wood chairs, you invested in generously proportioned armchairs that envelope you in fabric?

Make your bathroom more glamorous

A bathroom doesn’t have to feel sterile. A pretty stool, an interesting mirror, art, and pretty lighting will immediately warm up the space.

Go bold in a hallway

A stand-out pattern is the perfect way to enliven a dark, narrow hallway. Marble-ised wallpaper adds some pizazz to the space, while doors and trim in charcoal gray enhances the pattern.

Tiles as art

Richly patterned tiles can act as art in a bathroom bringing enticing colours and patterns to the space.

Enliven floors with a herringbone pattern Monk’s Lounge, Muckross Park Hotel, Kerry

Wood floors warm up any space, but why not do more with a herringbone pattern to create an eye-catching twist?

In my home, the couch and the dining room table are the places where multiple activities happen. I think many homes have to work this way now. You may need furniture that you can move around, rather than large fixed pieces. In smaller homes, you need to think about scale, so maybe a huge sofa is not the way to go. In that case, dining chairs become important as extra seating, so choose comfortable ones that you can sit at to work as well as to eat.

The George Hotel, Limerick 20

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Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa

What lies beneath?

In June 2014, three friends in Amsterdam made their hobby of taking photos of their feet on interesting floors they had encountered into an Instagram account that has grown to 825,000 followers. While #ihavethisthingwithfloors might seem like a simple idea, it has the unique effect of making us look down on occasion and spotting some beautiful surfaces that will perhaps inspire our own floor choices.

The Trinity Hotel, Limerick

The Library at the Savoy Hotel, Limerick

Hotels are becoming exciting places to be, but with a relaxed atmosphere, that appeals to a broad spectrum across the generations. Visitors want a room with a story to tell – something similar to what the Danes or Swedes have been doing for years – a contemporary Irish design that relates to the location, but also has plenty of ideas for home decor too.

Delphi Resort, Mayo

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Debenhams

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Spring Forward

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Floral and botanical patterns have been a growing interior design trend for a number of years now, but avoid the granny’s parlour look by choosing cooler, more stylised interpretations

Kyoto Double Duvet Cover Set, Harvey Norman, €40

Amelia Charcoal Cushion, Oasis Home at Littlewoods Ireland, €33.99

Magnolia Cushion with Fringe, Harvey Norman, €35 Mint Green Marrakesh Dipping Bowl, Rex Ireland, €2.95

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Kimono Ochre Cushion, 45cm, Michael Murphy, €29

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Home & Interiors

Coastal Reed Shade, Argos Home, €12 Floral pendant light, Home Sense, €139.99

Astrid trinket tray, Rex Ireland, €5.95

Desert In Bloom Bamboo Lunch Box, Rex Ireland, €12.95

DFS brionna accent chair

Abigail Ahern Artificial Flowers, Debenhams, €14-16

Leaf Drinking Glass, Rex Ireland, €4.95

Vintage Ivy Cushion, Rex Ireland, €12.95

Heritage photo frame oval with hyacinths, Rex Ireland €5.95

MW by Matthew Williamson large metal planter, Debenhams, €37.50

Murcia Design Small Stoneware Bowl, Rex Ireland, €7.95

Mid century Biscuit Barrel, Rex Ireland, €9.95

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Cosmo Palm Print Cushion, Debenhams, €22.00

Set Of 4 Mid Century Poppy Espresso Cups And Saucers, €24.95 Rex Ireland

Snow leopard statue, Home Sense, €199.99

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