All fired up

Philosopher John Ruskin's advice that "It's unwise to pay too much, but it's unwise to pay too little" is easy to apply to the scrumptious Fired Earth range of products, to which just about everyone aspires.

People on tight budgets who tend to head reluctantly for one of the cheaper, but infinitely blander, tile emporiums disregard another Ruskinite truism - "when you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing you bought it to do."

Ruskin's remarks are quoted on the inside cover of Fired Earth's thick new brochure, which will be available at its new Irish showroom, due to open at 31 Lower Ormond Quay on May 5th.

In 1984, founder Nicholas Kneale sold his hand-made tiles door to door from the boot of his car. He did well and two years ago the company was acquired by the venture capital wing of the giant Prudential company. Nicholas's business plan was brought forward from five to two years and the company's profile has quadrupled worldwide.

The Fired Earth shop at Blackrock, Co Dublin - a licensee operation - has now closed, and the parent company has decided to trade from the more central location at Ormond Quay.

Although best known for its range of hand-painted tiles, a much wider range of products, including a new set of designer-led bathroom accessories, will be on display.

Bathrooms have progressed since the days of a boring 6 ft by 8 ft room designed to get into and out of as quickly as possible. Fired Earth is producing hedonistic bathrooms with Bauhaus and Corbusier marble and glass basins and others in beech-covered Corinthian stone. There's a wonderful Bain de Bateau old-style curved bath specially made for Fired Earth by an Irish company. And taps to die for in every conceivable shape and style.

Fired Earth's flooring will also be a cut above average. Apart from the usual colourful range of Kilims and Kashgai runners, customers can buy Aubusson and Needlepoint rugs, parquet flooring in maple, cherry, black walnut and red oak, and a huge selection of natural fibre carpets.

Tiles are where the Fired Earth story began in 1984, and its eclectic selection of wall and floor tiles, and paint colours, will always be the bread and butter of the firm.

Fired Earth's hand-painted wall tiles, for instance, have an extra depth, due to special glazes and several firings.

In advance of the opening of the new shop, Fired Earth is currently sourcing specialist local tilers to recommend to clients. The manager of the new store will also advise customers in their own homes.