Designed to lift your spirits

INTERIORS:WE MIGHT all find it hard to resist the lure of contemporary flatpack furniture because it's cheap and functional, but our homes can look sadly sterile without a few pieces that stand the test of time. Its like eating only convenience food; without the occasional blast of soulful home cooking.

This idea of quality over quantity informs the annual Interior Design Art Fair, which will take place next Friday to Sunday at the RDS in Dublin 4. Now in its sixth year, it’s popular among design devotees and art aficionados alike on account of its stylishly edited mix of exhibitors and the wide range of collectibles on display.

Unlike, say, London’s achingly hip contemporary design show, 100% Design, the fair isn’t necessarily the go-to destination for those keen to get the skinny on the next big thing. It is, however, an increasingly important platform for some of the best Irish designers and an opportunity to see the work of both established names and up-and-coming talents.

The event also functions as a showcase for some of the country’s furniture and accessory retailers, here you’ll find everything from minimalist to maximist furniture, wallpaper and lighting flooring and fabrics. With almost 90 exhibitors confirmed, the fair promises to be pleasingly diverse. From classic and vintage pieces to modern designs and antiques of the future, these items are a testament to designer Florence Knoll’s credo: “Good design is good business.”

Fans of contemporary furniture will certainly find a lot to like. Bo Concept, for instance, will be showcasing items from its latest collection, such as the Anders Norgaard-designed Milos modular sofa (from €999 for a two-seater); and the BC54 table (€699 for the duration of the show, €839 thereafter), available in white lacquer, black oak and walnut and extends from 183 centimetres to 233 centimetres.

Roche Bobois will be unveiling a number of large statement pieces, as well as a selection of colourful rugs and accessories. Watch out for designs such as the curvaceous Allusion sofa (from €4,237), the cloud-like Cirrus suspension lights (from €230) and the Tenere dining table (€5,470), whose square glass top is curiously juxtaposed with cement patina lags.

Alongside such high-end European fare, the event will include a generous serving of contemporary Irish design. Lighting specialist Shane Holland, for example, should provide an illuminating experience, while pieces (from €120) and sculptural vessels (from €80) by Michele Hannan are likely to please ceramics fans.

Ceadogán Rugs’ display will show how the humble rug has been transformed from something you merely walk on into a desirable design statement.

Also flying the flag for Irish design will be one of out favourite, longstanding retailers, Duff Tisdall. The company’s latest collection, Irish By Design – inspired by the discipline of classic Irish furniture – encapsulates Arthur Duff and Greg Tisdall’s commitment to quality and craftsmanship.

It is difficult to resist the urge to sweep a hand over the smooth, gleaming surface of the duo’s New Wave Quarter-Moon console table (€1,850), a handsome waxed oak piece with a honed Kilkenny limestone top and matching mirror (€950).

There’s plenty, too, for those with a penchant for classic designs. Wild Child Originals specialises in retro pieces, many of which are limited editions. Designs such as Charles and Ray Eames’s EA 107 chairs (€895) and Le Corbusier’s iconic LC 1 chairs (€5,000 per pair) prove good design doesn’t date. Pricier still, but very beautiful, is a limited edition PK 22 chair (€3,750) by Poul Kjaerholm.

Prospective buyers are warned to arm themselves with chequebooks and credit cards rather than coins and coppers. Prices, although multifarious, tend to reflect the quality of the designs and many, though by no means all, of the pieces come with a proliferation of noughts on the price tag. Cheap it ain’t. But, then again, neither are you.

The Interior Design Art Fair takes place at the RDS next Friday to Sunday. See idafair.ie