ANYONE planning to invest in a new kitchen should pencil February 19th in the diary. It’s when the Irish Kitchen and Bathroom Association is hosting a design seminar in Dublin’s Paramount Hotel in Temple Bar at 11am.

The organisers say it will be a relaxed event with tea and advice on offer, and there’ll be no hint of the hard sell.

Participants are advised to bring their their kitchen or bathroom plans (dimensions should be in metric) and photographs on the day and there will be design and building professionals on hand to offer inspiration and advice on everything from structural planning and layout to colour scheme . There’s also a seminar outlining some handy hints. The event is free but places are limited and those interested should register their interest online at ikba.ie .