Built-in offices, best of bed linen, customised Agas, stone suppliers, choice furniture and chic lighting surveyed by
Eoin Lyons.
Hunt down a classic
Hunter Dunn, the interiors shop in Mullingar, is running a promotion this month with 15 per cent off all furniture orders. That means large-scale Collins & Hayes sofas are reduced from around €4,000 to a slightly more appealing €3,400. That's still expensive but the sofas, made in the UK by a 130-year-old company, are high quality and very classic.
Hunter Dunn isn't having a sale as such but some display furniture on the floor is marked down, so it's worth a browse. The owners, Sarah Jane Murphy and Sarah Smyth also sell some lovely wallpaper by Cole & Son. The one hung behind Smyth is called Chantilly and costs €100 per roll. Hunter Dunn Interiors, 21-23 Dominick Street, Mullingar, Co Westmeath. Tel. 044-9330370, www.hunterdunn.ie
Range of colours
H&F Enterprises in Cashel, Co Tipperary, is one of the few companies in the country that will re-enamel an Aga, Waterford Stanley or Rayburn range. Even Aga itself no longer offers the service. Changing the colour could be done when re-doing a kitchen - black can look very smart. The cost is from around €1,000.
H&F Enterprises, Ladyswell Street, Cashel, Co Tipperary. Tel: 062-61511, www.handfenterprises.ie
Massive marbles ensure no stony silence
Among the new stones in the Antica showroom is a beautiful Syrian variety called sea storm, which comes in 800mm by 400mm pieces. There's also a red Jordanian sandstone that's very earthy with a matt finish suitable for bathrooms, and a Lebanese green marble. Owner Paddy McQuaid has a very hands-on role in selecting the cuts of stone he sells. Antica is not about huge productions and this exclusivity is reflected in higher prices.
Antica, 7 Earlscourt Industrial Estate, Beaumount Avenue, Churchtown, Dublin 14. Tel: 01-2960136, www.antica.ie
On the subject of marble and stone, Gillian Ronan, sister of property developer Johnny Ronan, is importing exotic strains from Portugal, Spain and Turkey. She has created a showroom at her home on Burlington Road and her business, with Mary Kavanagh, specialises in massive pieces of extraordinary marble - perhaps for a dramatic wall panel or a grand entrance hall. Their service is not suited for small jobs but rather a whole residence. They also deal with cobbling and paving.
K2 Stone, 1 Burlington Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, by appointment only. Tel: 01-6603299, www.k2stone.ie
Good lines
Three generations of the Roche family have been making furniture under the Oakline name for 30 years. Their original premises are in Ranelagh, followed by a second showroom in Tallaght and now they've opened a third in the Hearth & Home store near Liffey Valley. There they display the mainstay of their business: built-in home office desks and storage units. Shelving with presses below and corner desks with storage above are what they're best known for. Everything is made to order and although the look has changed little, they've hit on a style that works for those who want well-made furniture that's traditional but fresh looking.
The pieces that combine walnut with a cream paint finish are possibly the smartest. Aspects of each design can be altered, such as panelling. There's no mess when the units are installed as they are all made in their workshop and then slotted into place. Oakline at Hearth & Home also has two kitchen displays by Italian manufacturer Berloni but more attractive are the high-gloss affordable wardrobes by the same company: they cost about €3,000. There is also a great kid's wardrobe display in bright green with metal hand-shaped handles.
Oakline, Fonthill Retail Park, Dublin 22, tel. 01 6208671; 8 Ranelagh, Dublin 6, tel. 01-4977435; 1 Greenhills Business Park, Tallaght, Dublin 24, tel. 01 4626676; www.oakline.ie
Bottom Drawer, top threads
Bottom Drawer at Brown Thomas continues its sale with reductions on Frette, the Italian bed linen company that's usually scarily expensive. Prices are slightly more palatable when reduced by 50 per cent. Cream damask and gold jacquard king-size duvet covers were €495 and are now €250; pillowcases were €99 and are now €47.50.
Frette's thread counts aren't always as high as those of other brands, but this is irrelevant, according to Bottom Drawer owner Lisa Duffin.
"A higher thread count doesn't mean better quality," she says. "A 400 thread count from Frette is much better than a 700 thread count from another brand because [Frette] uses better cotton. If linens are made in Europe they tend to be top-quality fibre and are therefore very hard wearing. Before buying, look and see where something is made: Indian and Chinese cottons are not good. Always feel the fabric . . . it should feel cold, smooth and crisp. There are 800 thread-count sheets that feel like cardboard because they're made from short-fibre cotton."
Also included in the sale are really good, pure down duvets. A king size was €295 and is now €165. "We never have pure down reduced so low because there's not much margin, but we got a good deal so can reduce them further."
Bottom Drawer, Brown Thomas, Grafton Street, Dublin 2. Tel. 01-6056666
The light touch
Hiring a lighting designer might seem extravagant but Shane Crowley of D-Light could convince you otherwise. This is partly due to his infectious enthusiasm but also because he knows how to use lighting to bring excitement to a room. He will help you find the most appropriate light fittings and has access to things you can't buy in any shop because he imports directly from Italian and French manufacturers. Best of all, he has good taste and won't lead you astray.
Hotels and restaurants often provide inspiration for home decoration so if you've seen an extraordinary light somewhere, the chances are Crowley will be able to source it. Crowley will also come up with clever ideas such as building a frame around a doorway into which LED lights are recessed, so that the door appears to glow. Running beams of light behind a wall mirror or using LEDs to highlight the tops of kitchen units can radically enhance the atmosphere in your home without carrying out a major redecoration, for a reasonably modest financial outlay.
Shane Crowley is available for consultations around the country. Tel: 086-3421538, e-mail: info@dlight.ie