Talking Property

Interiors shops are falling victim to the recession, writes ISABEL MORTON

IT’S NOT SO long ago Ireland was sadly lacking in stylish fixtures, fittings, furniture and accessories. It was difficult to find anything other than cheap and nasty ceramic bathroom tiles with matching patterned borders and floral china table lamps with frilly shades.

Furniture was invariably either minuscule mahogany-stained reproductions bearing little resemblance to the antique pieces they mimicked, or orange-varnished white deal pretending to be rustic pine, or glossy veneer G-plan dining tables and matching sideboards bought as part of the wedding trousseau from Arnotts.

If you wanted to furnish your home with anything stylish or special, you had to make a trip to England, where you would load up your car with interesting items and hope the customs people didn’t show too much interest in your purchases on your return home.

Alternatively, you might have found a quirky item or two in the then trendy Dandelion Market in Dublin or brought home a souvenir from your student summers abroad or from your fortnight’s package holiday in one of the costas.

Times changed and with it our expectations. As Ireland quickly became obsessed with property and interiors, almost every small town in Ireland acquired at least one shop stocking smart lamps and decorative accessories. But alas, no more, as many have become victims of the recession.

Last week, on a mission to buy accessories to finish off a few rooms in a client’s house, I headed off on the rounds of a few of my usual haunts.

Quite soon I discovered two of my favourite shops in Dún Laoghaire were no longer trading. Doors locked, windows bare, shop cleared of stock, empty, shut, gone. Donaldson Lyttle, which always stocked great accessories, unusual mirrors and a good selection of classic occasional tables and other decorative pieces was one of those places guaranteed to have the right accessories, regardless of the job.

Inside Out did what it said on the tin, stocking quirky items for homes and gardens and annually producing an unusual range of Christmas accessories and decorations you would never find anywhere else.

Peter Thompson recently had to make the hard decision to close Inside Out. “Only chain stores and multinationals have any real chance of weathering the storm,” he said and went on to explain how difficult trading conditions were for small retailers.

Across the road, I was relieved to see the doors of Yours Personally were open for business. I picked up a few pieces for my client and commiserated over the loss of two of their near neighbours.

My next port of call was to the Leopardstown Retail Park, where Interior Image was having a closing down sale. Their six-month trial period in the unit beside Woodies and Clerys hasn’t worked out so they’re returning to their main base in Park West Business Park.

As I was just beside Clerys, I nipped in to pick up some bedlinen and found I was one of only two customers in the entire shop. Admittedly, it was lunchtime on a sunny Friday afternoon, so perhaps people were not inclined to shop in the warm weather. Nevertheless, it was a bit depressing.

I was then tempted to head west to Bob Kate’s in Clane, Co Kildare, a shop I hadn’t visited since around this time last year. It was a great place for lamps, accessories, Lexington bedlinen, cushions and throws, kitchen accessories and items you never thought you wanted but ended up buying.

I thought I’d better phone them before making the trip. And, it was just as well. The call was answered by a message minder service for “Bargain Basement” as Bob Kate’s is no more.

Depressed, I went around the corner to the Stillorgan Industrial Estate where at least Kenneth Hodgins, Bo Concept, Diamond Living and Roche-Bobois were alive, if not exactly kicking.

On the way to the city centre, I cheered myself up with my first visit to Hedge Roe, a wonderful new shop on the Enniskerry Road, Kilternan, and nipped in to O’Hagan Designs in Donnybrook to have a look at their great range of cushions.

In the city centre, on the doorstep of his shop, Quest Interiors on Francis Street, Kieran Morrin and I reminisced like a pair of old-timers about a time when all “trendy” homes were decorated with huge paper lampshades, large rubber plants, irritating wind chimes and brown corduroy beanbags that leaked polystyrene balls.