Look out for unusual accessories in Next homeware shops. Eoin Lyons goes shopping with interior decorator Carol Kelly.
Interior decorator Carol Kelly works with her husband Kevin at their shop in Donnybrook. As well as undertaking decorating commissions, they supply fabrics, wall coverings, carpets and furniture, mostly in a traditional style. For The Irish Times, Carol visited the Next store in Liffey Valley shopping centre and chose items from the homewares department. What were her first impressions? "Pleasantly surprising. A lot of trends are copied quickly by high street stores but what's nice about Next is that what they have is a little different to other shops."
However, she has specific ideas about how to approach the shop. "There are so many people doing really good furniture that I don't think you should come here for bigger pieces. Instead look at the accessories because the quality in this area is really good. Accessories are things you might want to change often anyway. I wasn't very familiar with the shop before today, but now I know I'd come here if I needed to mix inexpensive things into a job. That's how you get good results, combining top-end and cheaper stuff."
Red faux suede throw: "We're doing a lot of curtains in real and faux suede at the moment and I'm always looking for something like this for clients. It feels real and the colour is fantastic. It's great that it comes in so many other colours instead of just the usual beige and brown, which is all you used to be able to get in suede. I'd use it at the end of a bed - less hardwearing and lovely with white linen." This is available in three sizes: small €51; medium €102; and large €116. Other colours include pale blue, raspberry, aubergine and burnt orange.
Twisted glass vases: "These are nice and weighty - and the twist at the end makes them a bit different. I'd put cellophane in the bottom of the larger one. It looks like crushed ice and raises the stalks of the flowers so you don't have to rob a florist to fill it." The small vase costs €26 and the large €36.
Juicer: "My daughter gave me this for Mother's Day. It's lovely just sitting on the kitchen counter, and it works very simply - slide in the fruit, pull down the handle, and juice comes out into a container. It's easy to clean too." Stainless steel juicer costs €29.
Wood sculptures: "Most young people can't afford to buy sculpture, but these are so reasonably priced. They are a little ethnic, but not so much that they look like something you brought back from your holidays. Use just one on a sideboard to give a little height." Teardrop sculpture €22 and round scultpture €15.
Wall art: "These would bring a little colour and detail to a small space. I'd use them in a hall - you need to be quite close because they're three-dimensional and sunk back into the frame. You won't see the detail from far away. And the price is really very good." Cala Lilly filled frame €26 and magnolia filled frame €26