From Art Deco to Tibetan antiques, all sorts of home furnishings will be on display at the Interior Design Show, at the RDS in Dublin this weekend
A surplus of interior-design shows on TV has turned decoration into a spectator sport in which formulaic ideas are put forward as the last word in style. Whatever happened to the idea of adding your own stamp? This should be the purpose of your visit to the Interior Design Show, running this weekend at the RDS, Dublin.
You will see merchandise from 100 of the best shops and suppliers in the country, providing a great opportunity to find the special table, chair, sofa or whatever you might be looking for.
One of the organisers is interior designer Helen Mason, who kept an eye on the exhibitors and the standard of furnishings. Some design is Irish; some is international; some is traditional. There will be antiques on display, too. There are items with real character that will help make your home individual.
Here are six exhibitors to give a flavour of what will be on show.
NIALL MULLEN ANTIQUES Art Deco has never been more desirable, or a sounder investment, appealing to young people and young money. The antiques market is tough, but this fits with contemporary furniture. Mullen has amassed a collection of Deco pieces such as a Makassar ebony and amboyna dining table and chairs, a black leather three-piece suite with "cloud" armrests and smaller, relatively inexpensive items, such as mirrors. You should find great stand-out items such as console tables or trumpet-shaped chrome up-lighters on his stand. Mullen began working with antiques early, due to his family auctioneering business in Oldcastle, Co Meath.
MERRION SQUARE INTERIORS Interior designers Helen Roden and Joseph Ensko will show their new custom-made furniture, lighting and mirrors. The pair met while studying fashion; a big part of their work is the idea of giving tradition a subtle kick. Well versed in different periods, they have the ability to combine them in a cohesive way. Get a glimpse of how they do this on their stand: it's about comfort and a "finished" look. www.merrionsquareinteriors.com.
DESIGN CLASSICS DIRECT Reproductions of furniture by designers such as Le Corbusier, Eileen Gray, Charles Eames and Mies van der Rohe can vary in quality and price, but Janie Lazar is importing high-quality copies for competitive prices - she puts this down to dealing directly with Italian factories. Classic can equal cliched, so consider less well-known pieces, and if you choose something celebrated, order in an out-of-the-ordinary colour or fabric. www.designclassicsdirect.ie
WILD CHILD ORIGINALS The shop on South Great George's Street known for its vintage clothing is branching into vintage furniture and lighting. Owner William Walsh's collection includes pieces by Charles and Ray Eames, Finn Juhl, Herman Miller and Arne Jacobsen. There's piles of stock: two 12m (40ft) containers arrived last week filled with 400 occasional chairs, 250 standard lamps, a dozen leather suites, bolts of fabrics . . . you get the picture. Walsh is storing his haul in a warehouse in Wicklow (Unit W1, Wicklow Enterprise Centre, The Murrough) that will be open on the first Sunday of every month from June 4th, but you can see choice pieces at the show. Call 01-4755099 for details.
JENNIFER GOH Her shop in Carrick-on-Shannon is packed with the spoils of trips to Mongolia, China and Tibet, the best of which she will show this weekend. Born in Malaysia and married to an Irishman, Goh says her furniture blends with lots of types of home. Everything is antique. Versatile pieces, such as lacquered chests, can be used for linen or crockery; altar tables can go in a hall or behind a sofa. www.jennifergohdesign.com
DAVID SKINNER WALLPAPERS This small company makes traditional hand-printed wallpapers. Wrap a wall with a design from its Great Houses of Ireland line, a collection of wallpapers reproduced from original designs found in Georgian houses. Think delicate, but vivid rather than fusty. All are available in a range of stock shades and custom colours; prices start at about €100 a roll. The company also conserves wallpaper - recent projects include the restoration of Lissadell House, in Co Sligo. See www.skinnerwallpaper.com for pattern examples.