Renovate, don't relocate - that's the spirit of the moment says  Eoin Lyons

NOW IS A time when we all need some cheer and one of the best ways to bring some joy into your life is to create a home that makes you feel good. Everyone knows that being in a nice environment has a positive effect on one's mood. The spirit of the moment is to renovate rather than relocate by improving what you already have and, in theory, everyone can have a nice home, even on a modest budget.

One good thing about the economic downturn (for home renovators at least) is that there's suddenly plenty of expert help available. The builders, painters and joiners who were run off their feet last year are now eager for work.

Today, you should be able to get your money's worth and demand a top class finish to boot. And as the property market spirals downward, it may soon get to the stage where people will begin to start renovating houses for a living again.

Decorating isn't something you have to do in one fell swoop or with an open cheque book. First, decide which changes will make the greatest impact quickly and bring you the most pleasure and which jobs can wait a while.

Like getting a new haircut, shaking up your wardrobe or getting fit, redecorating is about making a change. Even the smallest update can result in a feeling of renewal.

Your home should be highly personal, but it pays to look for help from others.

Some people feel that they ought to be able to design their own home but simply cannot get it together; others would prefer to hire an interior designer but feel they cannot afford one or that it would be self-indulgent.

In fact, it can cost relatively little to get expert advice. Whether for flooring, bathroom or kitchen design, consulting an expert in a particular field will probably save expensive mistakes or throw up options you might not have considered.

I hope that my new book, Home Comforts, provides advice and ideas to those who have limped over the hurdles of looking for, finding, buying or renting a home. But you will also want to talk to experts one-on-one, which is why, to coincide with the launch of the book, next weekend there will be a number of experts from different decorating fields on the shop floor of Bottom Drawer at Brown Thomas. They will answer questions and give free advice.

Making a positive change in your home is about having confidence. And confidence is about knowledge. So the idea with having these experts on hand is to help you feel at ease with colour and pattern, scale and texture, furniture and objects.

Bottom Drawer will host some of those that feature in my book: curtain-making doyenne Mary Wrynne, long established upholsterers Furniture Services and interior designer Grania Murray, who will advise on wall-coverings.

There will be representatives from Colortrend paints and Willie Duggan Lighting among several others.

For something seasonal, on the evening of Thursday, December 5th, interior designer Sarah Cruise will advise about Christmas table decoration.

Each will draw inspiration from some of the ingredients available today, because decoration is much like cooking: fabrics and papers, floor and wall-coverings can be chosen and mixed together and seasoned with accessories in just the same way one experiments with flavours.

In both cases, familiarity with the ingredients is half the battle; interest and the desire to experiment the other.

Experts from different decoratoring fields will answer questions and give free advice at a "Meet the Experts" session in Bottom Drawer, Brown Thomas, D2, from Thursday, December 4th until Sunday December 7th. See www.currach.ie for times.

On December 11th, Roche Bobois in Sandyford will also hold an event from 6pm to 8pm where Eoin Lyons will offer advice.

Home Comfortsis published by Currach Press, price €24.99