Rich fabrics, expert help - inspiration for a new look comes in many ways, writes Eoin Lyons.
Hilda O'Connoris passionate about getting details right. Her first foray into interiors was her shabby-chic shop, Yesterday Once More, but demand from customers has led her into spending more time on the interior design side of the business. Her shop has changed, too. It's now called Hilda O'Connor Interiors(Carysfort Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin, 01-2108410) and it has a whole new style.
"We used to be more about a vintage look," she says, "but the shop now has a more polished feel."
There's still a nostalgic vibe to the place, and it's easy to imagine Dita Von Teese shimmying around the dark, rich, sexy décor with its silver walls and plenty of velvet. You can buy a lamp or mirror off the shelf, while larger pieces of furniture can be ordered.
Many of the sofas she stocks (from €2,000) have Victorian shapes, updated for modern living, and are very comfortable. There are button-back bedroom armchairs, upholstered dining chairs with lovely studded detail, and a range of padded stools which could be used at the end of a bed. All can be ordered in fabrics from the likes of Zoffany, Beacon Hill and Osbourne & Little.
The point of going to an interior designer is to take the hassle out of decorating. O'Connor will find everything and project-manage the job, be it a room or a whole house. Windows are another area of expertise: she might suggest suitable treatments, help choose fabric, get them made up and fit them herself. Bliss.
Antique dealer Michael Connellis another retailer who has recently redeveloped his business. Long-established on Dublin's Francis Street, his Michael Connell Antiqueshas just moved to a larger premises at No 58. The new shop is subtly lit with dark green walls showing off large pieces of Irish furniture. Upstairs is mostly given over to antique light fixtures. Prices start at about €1,250.
For all the inspirational shops, sometimes there's no better solution than commissioning something from a furniture designer. John Doolinis young, talented and works mostly with wood. A personal favourite is his coffee table in pale coloured plywood - an inexpensive material used in a luxurious way. Casual but modern, it costs €850 and takes eight weeks from commission to delivery. Also worth a look is his black oak stained eight-seater dining table with gray glass top for €1,795. This kind of low-key furniture looks best in a room that's painted an unexpected colour. See www.imbuefurniture.com.
The popularity of Farrow & Ballhas reached almost epidemic proportions and while many shades are lovely, there's more paint than the wackily named "Elephant's Breath" and "Mouse's Back". If you're planning a paint job, revisit some old, familiar names. Dulux(www.dulux.ie) has jazzed up its colour chart, and colours are softer than you might expect although there's still plenty of punchy bright shades that could be a welcome relief to putty/beige. MRCB Paints(Tel: 01-6798755 for countrywide branches) are stockists and the staff give sound advice.
A friend recently asked where she'd find children's bunk beds. Flanagans(Mount Merrion, Co Dublin; www.flanagans.ie) has solid bunks for €750 in varnished wood, but much nicer is the creamy paint finish that lets the grain of the wood show through. It has just received a new delivery of children's bedroom furniture from an agent for Laura Ashley; Flanagans is selling it for half the price. For example, a single bed is €435; a wardrobe, €765 and a chest of drawers, €495 - all painted in a white finish. Flanagans is also an excellent source for that livingroom staple - the neat club chair. Theirs are in soft, tan-coloured leather with a slightly worn finish. Some have ribbed backs, others have 1930s-style curved armrests. Prices range from around €700 to €1,200.
