INTERIORS:Creating a look that works in your home doesn't mean you have to stick to a theme, writes Eoin Lyons
MICHAEL GREHAN AND Cormac Woods opened Eden Home & Garden in Blackrock, Co Dublin, late last year. Both have a background in restaurants and have turned their hand to retail. The result is a shop that's stocked with a selection of things they love.
The furniture you'll see isn't about hard-core modernism or old-fashioned reproductions. A table or bookcase might reference the past but is new not déjà-vu.
Although there are now many good furniture shops in Dublin, Eden Home & Garden has more personality than most. "We wanted to mix pieces of furniture that you mightn't necessarily put together," says Woods.
An interesting room, he says, is that one in which old and new sit side by side. "People say the shop is like Europe meets the Hamptons, but we try not to have one definitive style," says Grehan.
Instead, the idea is that each piece of furniture is different but complimentary. The aesthetic is not surprising when Grehan reveals that his favourite interior is a friend's loft in New York filled with antiques, modern furniture and contemporary art. Paintings by Grehan's wife, artist Laura Cronin, decorate the shop and complete the look.
"We'd been to a lot of furniture shows around the world and tried to gather what we think are the best pieces from the companies we liked. The shop is all about merchandising things in a different way - there's a gap in the market for showing people how to put things together."
Grehan owned Dali's restaurant in Blackrock and says that time trained his eye to small details that make a difference.
"Small touches matter, but the trick is to make it look natural and not staged," he says. The most important thing is lighting. "You can have beautiful furniture, but if the light isn't right, it's wasted."
Woods' pet hate is a themed room ("things shouldn't look contrived"), while Grehan says furniture that's too big for a room never works. "Scale is really important - many people often buy a sofa that's too bulky for their room."
Woods previously worked with Pia Bang Home and he has noticed a change in how people spend.
"Now it's less about the impulse buy and more about buying when something is really needed," he says. "People will always spend money on quality. Sofas and armchairs are the biggest investment pieces we sell.
"We use two UK companies that make the sofas especially for us in hardwood frames. One person works on each piece, so while they might cost several thousand euro, they're guaranteed for 15 years.
"They can be ordered in different fabrics and it's obviously good to spend more on a really robust fabric and scrimp elsewhere."
Grehan says solid wood storage pieces are the thing in which to invest rather than furniture made from ubiquitous lacquered MDF.
"For example, we have solid oak cabinets and bookcases in classic styles that will last a lifetime," says Grehan.
One of his favourite pieces in the shop is an Andrew Martin steel chest of drawers with leather trim.
"It's a piece of furniture that will stand out in any environment and is also durable and practical. It's the kind of thing that will be an antique in the future."
Another nice storage item is a wall-mounted storage unit with four detachable boxes. It costs €295 and is great because it's adaptable and can be used in almost any room. "People have bought it for children's bedrooms, kitchens, playrooms and bathrooms," says Woods.
Eden Home & Garden doesn't technically offer an interior design service, but both men are happy to dish out advice when they can. For example, the wall paint they're recommending at the moment is Colour Trend's Paris Grey.
Eden Home and Garden, 1-4 Temple Grove, Temple Road, Blackrock, Co Dublin; www.edenhomeandgarden.ie