Design Solutions: Lita Notte lives in Sandymount, where her collection of handbags decorates the tiny hall beside her bedroom and bathroom.

"It was a dead space," says the marketing consultant for Bank of Ireland of the room with a high ceiling but not much else.

"Bags are my thing, so when I moved to this apartment, it was partly lack of storage space that made me hang them here.

"But I also wanted to create the effect of a French boudoir - much to the disgust of my boyfriend - so there are decorative mirrors on which I hang my jewellery as well as the bags. I saw the idea in a small house in Paris I stayed in and it worked really well."

The handbags are hung from tiny tacks ("not big ugly nails") on blue walls, a colour chosen to enlarge the room. "It's easy with these because they're evening and summer bags which are all fabric. You couldn't really hang a heavy leather bag up there."

Lita likes the idea of making a decorative feature from things you love or collect unconsciously. "Take what you naturally love out of their boxes and put them on the wall. Fabric bags have been fashionable for the past few years so every woman must have some.

"In another apartment I had a wall of hats and one of handbags. Some women could make a display from lovely hair bands or jewellery. "It makes it easier to get dressed anyway. It doesn't take much time to choose a bag when you're going out at night!"