1. IBIZA BLISS
It's holiday time so travel to some of the Mediterranean hippest isles for fresh decor thinking starting with the Balearic bliss of Ibiza. Sipping sundowners as you watch the giant orange sphere slide over the horizon on Benirrás, one of the scrub beaches on the White Isle's northern coast, about a 10-minute drive from San Miguel, really hammers home that you're on holidays. On Sundays you can also enjoy a hippie drumming session that helps the sun to set. Set out your space on the beach using Harlequin's printed fabrics, weaves and voiles from its Zapara range, on floor and scatter cushions, adding some solar-powered carnival lights to add ambiance. Curtain Traders is just one of a slew of fabric shops that sells the range which costs €49-€87 per sq m, to order. Curtaintraders.ie; stylelibrary.com
2. MALLORCA: BRINGING COLOUR OUTDOORS
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Mallorca is one of the nation's favourite islands. Set among the orange groves of its northern coast, Bikini Island and Mountain Hotel at Port de Sóller offers a laid-back way to work contemporary design, starting with the petal power of these tiled steps, a gorgeous way to bring colour into Irish outdoors, especially in small spaces. Designed by German firm Dreimeta, it was shortlisted last year for the landscaping and outdoors spaces category of the Ahead Awards. For something similar try patterns a,b, c and d from Best Tile's 02 range of encaustic tiles. bikini-hotels.com/hotel/; dreimeta.com; besttile.ie
3. A CULTURAL MASH-UP
While Designers Guild channels the east Asian islands of Indonesia for its Palasari range of outdoor fabrics that feature peony and cornflower motifs as well as grass, indigo and cobalt colourways, it's a cultural mash-up that will work well on chichi isles like Italy's Capri, whose crags and grottoes have attracted artists for eons. Order it to drape over four-poster beds to give day bed shade, on dining chairs, as tablecloths and on deck chairs and sun loungers. Prices range from about €52 per sq m to order at Naas-based Ski Interiors, one of several Irish stockists of the brand. designersguild.com/uk/; skiinteriors.com
4. SARDINIA OOMP
The rocky outcrops of Sardinia's Costa Smeralda offer some of the best water clarity in the Med and are best viewed from the outdoor deck of a yacht or from a villa perched high on a cliff. Base cushions and scatters from No 9 Jim Thompson's outdoor range add oomph to the mosaic-detailing on these seating blocks and range in price from about €85 to €170 to order at Kevin Kelly Interiors. kevinkellyinteriors.ie
5. GET INTO THE SANTORINI MOOD
Santorini's terraces offer some of the best views south across the azure blues of the Mediterranean. When the haze lifts and the air is still, the colour can seem to carpet its way to infinity, disturbed only by the wash of yachts and motorboats as they traverse it. This Nirvana outdoor rug by Green Decore is a great way to channel that mood, with its cerulean blue and white crests mimicking this movement. It costs from about €48, for its 90cm by 150cm size, ex delivery from the UK-based firm. Greendecore.co.uk
6. TURKISH DELIGHT
Situated at the entrance of the Dardanelles, opposite Troy, Bozcaada's sheltered bays hid the Greek fleet while it staged the Trojan Horse offensive. This is a Turkish delight that possesses a laid-back cool, architectural windmills and vineyards, as well as homes where mosaic tiling remains a decorative feature. While made in Morocco by sixth and seventh generation mosaic craftsmen, the print on the chimney breast pictured features Ann Sacks Idris Azilal by Ait Manos, and channels the atmosphere of this part of Turkey's Turquoise Coast. The range can be purchased through UK-based West One Bathrooms. Prices are about €1,543 per sq m, ex VAT and delivery. westonebathrooms.com
7. RIVIERA STYLE
If travelling to the French Riviera, then check out the Lérins Islands off the Cannes coastline. Our own St Patrick is said to have studied at the namesake monastery in fifth century on Ile St Honorat, which is the more southerly of the two islands. It is inhabited only by Cistercian monks who operate its ferry service to and from Cannes. Its big sister, Ile St Marguerite, is a better option for a day trip. About a 15-minute boat ride from Cannes harbour you can explore the Musée de la Mer, the location of the cell of the Man with the Iron Mask and work up an appetite for a long Provencal lunch served with the palest of pink rose. Try La Guèrite, a short walk away. And when back home conjure up a similar mood using striped scatter cushions, €46 each, cloth napkins, €33 for a set of four, and serveware, including the Portobello range, from €13 for a side plate, all from The White Company, pictured. thewhitecompany.com
