Good interior design needn't break the bank – EOIN LYONSasked several of Ireland's design names to pick their favourite interior items that cost less than EUR100
Lucy Clarke, interior design graduate
I love wall vinyls because they can be placed on any interior wall and are an easy way to bring some fun to an interior. You can get them online at etsy.com. My favourite company that makes them is Wow Wall. They are priced from between €30 and €60 (depending on size). They’re easy to apply and come in a large variety of designs – some classics, others experimental.
Francis Tansey, artist
Moth To A Flame (mothtoaflame.ie) candlemakers in Co Kilkenny create large wax globes with a smaller candle inside that I think have a unique design. It’s very simple but very effective, casting a beautiful warm light and bringing atmosphere to a table. It’s also hand-crafted which has its own special beauty. They cost from €25 to €65 and are economical to burn because of the smaller candle inside.
Carmel Allen, creative director at the Conran Shop
The piece Im loving at the moment is the Picasso cushion showing a portrait of his mistress Dora Marr. It’s one of three exclusive tapestry Picassso cushions we’ve introduced and they have been a huge success. They’re so colourful and striking that they make for a perfect summer update. Each one costs €87 – who wouldnt want an authorised piece of Picasso for that price?
Peter Johnson, interior designer
The Eclipse lamp by Objekto costs €99.99 and became a design icon when it was introduced to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York a few years ago. It’s a fascinating combination of simplicity and complexity. You can change both its shape and inclination so the lamp takes on a different look. We have used it in many styles of room – it’s a must-have.
Susan Zelouf, furniture designer, Zelouf Bell
We don’t wake up in the morning for less than 10 cups of espresso from our Bialetti. Until Alfonso Bialetti brought out this Moka Express design in 1933, Italians had to put on their sunglasses and go down to the bar for their wake-up call. The Bialetti’s symmetrical, eight-faceted metal body is a design classic but costs just €32 at cubascoffee.com. I love the way it cinches in at the middle and spills over top and bottom, a little Sophia Loren for your stovetop. We’ve had fancier percolators but we couldnt figure out how to open them – we cant abide a percolator smarter than we are.
Joanne Hynes, designer
Ive worked with crystal embellishment in many of my collections over the years and have an ongoing love affair with the beauty of cut glass. This bowl by Tipperary Crystal is something that has always appealed to me. It’s called Kinvarra and its beauty lies in the refinement of its traditional pattern. I don’t like minimal crystal. This piece is very decorative, yet the bowl shape is so simple, so there’s a nice contrast between those qualities. It can be bought in different sizes but the 10-inch bowl at €90 is a lovely size for holding jewellery on a dressing table or using as a serving dish
Kathy Murray, homewares buyer at Brown Thomas
Something I’m going to buy myself is the new DeLonghi kettle. It’s called Brilliante and you really have to see it to get the full effect of the design and finish. I think it’s a wonderful piece of design that takes an everyday object and makes it glamorous. It almost sparkles. What I love most is the hint of art deco in the styling but with a technological edge. It costs €70.
Helen Kilmartin, furniture retailer
Philippe Starck designed a stool called Bubu with zigzag legs, suitable for indoor or outdoor use. It’s great for bathrooms and children’s rooms or it could be used as a fun side-table. It comes in lots of colours such as orange, grey or purple, and cost about €70. They can actually only be bought in a set of three from Minima (minima.ie) but I think for the price it’s a really useful, cool piece from a celebrated designer.
Maria MacVeigh, interior designer.
“One of my favourite items is a simple Japanese paper lantern. It is dateless. The three foot diameter size is very beautiful and costs just under €30 at Stock on Clarendon Street. Choose one that is made using wire and not bamboo, as they retain their shape better. To turn a paper lantern into a design detail, it can be hung with traditional cable (such as chandelier restoration cable available in a gold colour at good electrical suppliers) from the source in the ceiling and hooked to wherever you would like it to hang elsewhere in the room. Put it on a dimmer switch for a beautiful glow that transforms the mood of a space.”
Milo Fitzgerald interior designer
I love well-considered design in an appropriate material and smartly packaged. The Ming storage piece ticks all these boxes because it’s clever and has that intriguing allure in that what you see at first belies what the piece actually is. The Ming looks like a vase but breaks down to reveal a series of dishes that are individually decorated. When the party is over and you’re finished using the dishes, it can metamorphosis back into a stunning storage display piece. When stacked, the Ming stands at 39cm. Made in melamine, it is both beautiful, durable and costs €98 from gorgeousgiftsandinteriors.com.
Joe Lawrence, Lawrence Long Architects
The Savoy vase, with its white luminous curves, was designed in 1937 by the Finnish Architect and furniture designer Alvar Aalto. Its natural form was a reaction to straight lines popular in design at the time. Its contoured shape immediately appealed to me the first time I saw it. The inner face of the vase is finished with white, opaque glass and the outer layer is clear – so the vase has a luminous quality, which catches light in countless ways. It’s a simple household vase that has been elevated to a beautiful object of art. It can be bought at Inreda on Camden Street in various sizes. A 120mm vase costs €73.