1) It’s not quite warm enough to spend all day outside so get the conservatory or sunroom shipshape and make a move towards the light that will make you feel like you’re outside – whilst still being inside. The new collection by Abigail Ahern Edition at Debehams (Debenhams.ie) has the brand’s usual dark touches, like this black beaded chandelier, €375, for instance and other elements that are fife with personality; an octopus candle holder, €60, set on the side table and print patterned cylinder vases, from €37.60. The large cushions scattered throughout cost €63 each and the rug underfoot costs €210. What ties the look together is the ontrend peacock rattan chair. Debenhams will have a range later in the season but if you can’t wait you can find something similar on Amazon.co.uk where HK Living is selling a very retro design for about €707, ex delivery.
2) Prints have the power to transform. Ikea (ikea.com) has joined forces with two design groups to launch limited edition collections. Launching in May is Avsiktlig, a range featuring 14 powerful patterns by design collective 10-Gruppen. Founded in the 1970s to promote Swedish design, their colourful handwriting adorns scatter cushions, pictured, €7 each, and as seating, covered in fabric that costs €12 per metre well as bedding, plates, trays and rugs. The rattan chairs in their striking blue colour cost a very affordable €69. Then in June the Swedish behemoth launches Stunsig, a collection of illustrations and unique prints that will adorn everything from quilts to tote bags.
3) Get your kids engaged with the idea of growing your own plants and green from seedlings. Arboretum (059 972 1558 arboretum.ie) in Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow, sells a really smart Basics grow table that when mature will help adorn your sun room or patio. It comes in leaf green, lime green and black and costs €37.95, a lid, to keep seedlings warm, costs an additiona €22.95
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4) Vincent Sheppard’s (vincentsheppard.com) Roy cocoon lounge chair is a wonderful-looking seat. Its aluminum frame has a polyurethane wicker surround that is available in five colours; verdigris green, sooty grey, black, mineral blue or shingle sand that will work with most garden types. The range is available to order through Ventura Design (01 820 8480 ventura.ie) and where the chair costs €569.
5) Turn the sunniest room in the house into a real lounge by installing a daybed complete with scatter cushions. Add a relaxing Congo armchair by Australian furniture firm Uniqwa (uniqwafurniture.com.au/international), which can be bought online from Norwegian-based Savannen Interior (00 47 9012 5455 savanneninterior.no) where it costs about €635, ex-delivery.
6) * Redolent of the 1970s but also very modern thanks to its chlorella green finish this Paperclip rattan stool can double as a plant stand and costs about €104 from UK-based MiaFleur (00 44 116 2986393 miafleur.com).
*These wheel-based Luggy baskets from Sandymount-based Mira Mira (01 219 6668 miramira.ie) come in two sizes and can be used as log baskets or to help lug picnic paraphernalia down to the bottom of the garden with you get a sunny spell. The small costs €50 and comes in pink, blue, white, yellow and natural while the large is €135 and comes in natural only.
*This pebble-shaped decorative mirror has a rattan trim that softens its look considerably and still lets it reflect light into the room. It costs about €185, ex delivery, from French-based webshop KSL Living (00 33 4 82 53 54 81 ksl-living.fr).
Three of a Kind: Al fresco food
It may not be warm enough to sit outside for long but it is temperate enough to crank up the barbecue. You can dine inside – what the Germans call winter barbecue. The wood-burning Uuni 3 lets you serve wood-fired pizzas in the comfort of your own back yard. The brushed stainless steel table top design costs €235 from UK-based Cuckooland (00 44 1305 231 231 cuckooland.com)
This Breton stripe tin barbecue by Danish company Bloomingville costs about €58 from UK-based Amara (1800 939 372 amara.com)
The Master Touch charcoal barbecue from Weber is a classic. It costs about €329 and it comes in burgundy, black, slate blue, smoke grey, crimson red and spring green from Outdoor Scene (01 296 0212 outdoor.ie)
Trending: A Life Extraordinary
There was much to admire at this year’s Milan Fair from cool concepts and prototypes that will take years to filter down to the shops to big brands partnerships with superstar designers – Jaime Hayon’s kaleidoscopic pavilion for Cesarstone being one that garnered a lot of coverage. The Dutch firm Moooi opted for a very luxurious approach, one that you can expect to see in soon-to-open design hotels across the globe. Hanging alongside the new pieces by Moooi, Meshmatics, a chandelier by Rick Tegelaar and Woody, a side-table-cum-stool that has the posture of a deer are large format photographs by Levon Biss whose collection of insects, Microsculpture, is printed larger than life to create compelling centerpieces as pictured here by Andrew Meredith.
Moooi.com; Microsculpture.net; Andrewmeredith.com
