Brutal interiors
Brutalism is an architectural style that emerged in the 1950s, in postwar reconstruction projects, and featured exposed materials such as concrete. Coined by Swedish architect Hans Asplund, it is a word play on the French phrase for raw concrete “beton brut” and was popularised by British architecture critic Reyner Banham.
Exposed concrete
Exposed concrete walls and floors are very much on trend but need something to soften the look. This soft-form Lagoa chair by Tacchini – available to order through Bushell Interiors – is just the thing. The low-slung style costs from about €2,200, ex VAT. bushellinteriors.com
Frill-seeking fripperies
The return of dressing the table, or 'tablescaping', has seen linen napkins and place mats take centre stage. Get in touch with your feminine side with this Huckleberry range from Gillian Leavy's Liquorice Interiors. Gillian explains: "Gingham is a classic for summer but when combined with eclectic tableware, mix-and-match pieces, coloured glasses and blooms it can have a very contemporary rather than rustic feel." Made from Irish linen woven at heritage mills a set of four napkins costs €75, while a matching set of froufrou place mats costs €105. liquorice.ie
Texture and colour
Following a pandemic and more than a decade of grey ruling walls, floors and furnishing choices , there's been a sea change in home decor shades. Colour and texture are back with a bang. A simple but effective way to marry these two trends is to use this Crown Paints collaboration with Elle Décor to bring in a botanical vibe. The lush Enchanted Ivy number 362 green will look great on walls, especially if you bring in a simple textural element with the use of vertical timber battens. A 2.5l tin of emulsion costs from about €39.99, while timber battens cost about €4.99 each if you bulk buy up to 23 from Goodwin's in Mulhuddart, Dublin 15. The price goes down the more you purchase. crownpaints.ie, goodwins.ie
Precious metals
It's a gilded age for lighting with all manner of precious metals to choose from including rose gold, copper, brass, blackened steel or gold to help bring visual warmth into a space. A new pendant can switch up the look of a room in the time it takes to hang it and the Drizella, pictured, which also comes in black, will add lustre as well as illumination. Its largest size, shown, is a 61cm cage, and costs €339 to order from MKelly Interiors. The 46cm size costs €199 while the 26cm sizes, perfect as bedside lights, are €69 each. mkellyinteriors.ie
Bohemian rhapsody
Mixing pattern with verve takes a certain know-how but leading London creative William Yeoward, affectionately known as the king of stripes, always made it look easy. Yeoward died in 2019 but his brand continues to rock an upscale bohemian look that has already been put together in a way you can artfully use at home without too much effort. This is demonstrated with its new Almacan collection, available from Designers Guild. The soft chenille Perzinia zigzag weave, about €123 per metre, comes in four colourways including the red and citron shown and contrasts with the similarly priced Bandha, an linen/viscose digitally-printed ikat. Both are suitable for upholstery, curtains, cushions and blinds and available to order from select Irish stockists listed on its site. designersguild.com
