Spring cleaning often turns into redecoration. Glean inspiration from these new, or improved, shops.
Interiors shops are opening around the country on a monthly basis. One of the loveliest is Lost Weekendon Trimmer's Lane in Wexford (053-9180090). The owner, Emily Maher, was a designer at Ceadogán Rugs for seven years before setting up on her own. She sells vintage furniture, fabrics, rugs and lighting. She also sells Danish pieces from the 1950s - for example, a fine rosewood sideboard for €3,800 - and furniture by Established & Sons, a London company that recruits star designers such as Jasper Morrison and Alexander Taylor to design relatively affordable pieces. Check out the latter's elegant, green pleated ceiling light shade.
Francis Street in Dublin is enjoying a renaissance of sorts with several new shop openings, including Corcoran Antiques(01-4548744; www.myantiques.ie) at No 57. Brian Corcoran has some interesting things at prices that aren't excessive. For example, a Georgian window balcony, from a townhouse on Mountjoy or Fitzwilliam Square, is selling for €2,900 and in his shop Corcoran shows how it can be used as a radiator cover, with a glass top and wood base. Also on show are four restored Art Nouveau ships' chairs, made in Belfast and with brass protective panels on their sides - they cost €800 for the set. Corcoran worked for Bonhams in London and William Doyle Galleries in New York before setting up his own auction house in Larchmont, NY. He returned to Ireland a few years ago. What's nice about this shop is that everything can be seen clearly and at once.
Limited Edition, the long established Francis Street shop (01-4531123; www.limitededition.ie) owned by husband and wife Laurence and Maureen Benezra, has spawned a second outlet, further down the street at No 67, next door to Jones Antiques. The original shop will focus on fabrics and flooring, while this new space is a showroom for furniture from Spain and France. If this shop has a philosophy, it's about furniture that is colourful and fun. You'll see great statement pieces - things that will give a room a big dose of personality, such as a bevelled copper-leaf sideboard, a tall gold and pink satin chair, or a Tim Burton-esque clock. These things are anything but bland and so different from the ubiquitous painted French or tiresome brown and beige look in other shops. Yes, some things are expensive, but they are unusual and well made.
Also on Francis Street, Michael Connell Antiqueshas moved from No 54 to No 58, which was once Sean Eacrett's premises (he has relocated to Co Laois). This much larger premises will show a greater variety of furniture than was previously possible. One affordable piece on show is a masculine mahogany Victorian bedside locker with inlaid detail, selling for €750.
Murphy Sheehyon Castle Market in Dublin 2 (01-6770316) is selling end-of-line fabrics by Sanderson. Owner Jane Adams recently bought 400 metres in London and is selling it off at €20 per metre. These top quality prints and plains, for both curtaining and upholstery, usually retail in the UK for between £30 and £100. Some are this season's fabrics and others are from last year. She has at least 10 metres available in any one style.
At Niche Interiors(Unit 2, Blackrock Shopping Centre, Co Dublin; 01-2104538; www.nicheinteriors.ie) owner Dearbhla Meaney sells everything from furniture to mirrors, lighting and tableware. Some of her best stock is seating. She has 1950s-style slipper chairs, sofas with a high flop-factor, and studded upholstered dining chairs. It is a polished mix of traditional styling, with a very American feel. Furniture can be bought from the shop floor and delivered a few days later, there are no 12-week waiting periods.
The Dawson Street, Dublin 2 branch of Harriet's House(01-6777077) has been renovated. While the shop used to be crammed with small items, it is now showing larger pieces of furniture in an environment that's a little less cluttered. Things that stand out include a very neatly-sized suite of button-back sofa and armchairs, covered in biscuit coloured linen; a leather chair with chrome semi-circle armrests; 1930s style chairs from The Dining Chair Company and enormous, 4ft tall lamps. There is also a branch in the Blackrock Shopping Centre in Co Dublin.
If you want a smart kitchen but you don't want to take out a second mortgage to pay for German-engineered drawers, perhaps the best solution is In-Houseat The Panelling Centre, which recently opened a branch in Galway (Oranmore Business Park, Galway, 091-388020; www.in-house.ie). The Panelling Centre has gone beyond its basic-kitchen origins. You won't see cheap laminates but rather zebrano wood, walnut countertops, black gloss finishes, and gizmos designed to make the kitchen less like a workstation and more of a live-in space. You'll get something that approaches "the works" for about €10,000 and can get a basic fit-out for €4,000. Bring your architectural plans and they'll design a layout to match. In-House doesn't fit kitchens (you just buy the components) but they can recommend good local tradespeople who do.
A new Aga and Rayburn showroomrecently opened at City Quarter on Lapps Quay in Cork (021-4937320). The Aga Masterchef, which was first introduced in the 1990s, has undergone a redesign that keeps the traditional look, but with fresh styling. It features a thermostatically controlled slow cooking oven, two large independent ovens, a high-speed ceramic electric grill and five gas burners. It costs €4,850. Another Aga store is due to open in Galway next month.
If you're looking for tiles and bathroom fittings, Porcelanosa(Unit B Western Retail Park, Nangor Road, Dublin 12, 01-4584976) has a great new showroom. This Irish franchise of a Spanish company is well run, and offers a complete bathroom design service. Some of the most popular tiles are ones that mimic black and grey damask wallpaper (€79 per sq m), bamboo-effect tiles, coloured glass tiles and large format sizes for floor and wall. One of most interesting is Ruggine Alumino (€94 per sq metre), which has a shimmering, industrial metallic effect.
Despite all these openings, other shops are closing, and selling off stock. One closing down sale worth checking out is at Amelia Arran(71 York Road, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin; 01-2805877) where cute children's furniture including bunk beds, cot beds, chests of drawers, wardrobes and desks have been marked down by 50 per cent. There is 70 per cent off some items. But you'd better be quick, as today is scheduled to be the last day of the sale.