Texture is a sensual thing. At home you want an environment that soothes rather than stresses you out, with creature comforts that feel as good as they look. From the sheets we sleep on to the flooring underfoot, these finishing touches are what turn a house into a home.
People overlook the power of a rug to pull a room together, says architect Eva Byrne, who runs Houseology, a home consultation service . “If a room feels a little cold – you may have tiles or wooden floors – or isn’t hanging together, a properly sized rug, one that extends to almost the edges of the furniture may be what your space is missing. It feels soft underfoot, adds colour and texture, and softens acoustics .”
On the windows of her new floor-to-ceiling glass extension Byrne has installed matte aluminium micro blinds that are the same colour as the hinges and door handles. “You don’t see them from the outside but you have privacy. They also allow you to modulate light.”
Curtain and Blinds
Helen Kilmartin of Minima affixes her curtains to wave tape on Silent Gliss tracks or poles, sometimes using Perspex poles. She likes Baumann and Larsen fabrics. The former comes with blackout blind already in the fabric. In new build extensions Kilmartin has the track recessed so it's not seen.
For curtains to properly fit in with a room they need to be made to measure. For a subtle style that blends into the background, Casamance's Arizona collection is a great range of neutral curtains (available in Ireland from mixnmatch.ie). Home Focus at Hickeys has decent off-the-shelf options, as does Ikea (its Dignitet curtain wire can create a lean silhouette for modern windows.
Swaggy curtains are more suited to period homes and need to be well lined and interlined. Curtain and Gift Traders, in Blackrock, Co Dublin, sells super swaggy secondhand silk curtains. And Noel McEntee makes made-to-measure curtains in everything from tweed to velvet and silk. Before you commission someone to make curtains , make sure their style suits yours.
As well as roller and Roman blinds consider Luxaflex Twist roller blinds, which filter the amount of light coming through or simply close like a roller blind for privacy. They work well on period sash windows – and in bedrooms if you prefer something less bulky than curtains.
Carpets and rugs
People are making a big swing back to carpets, says Brendan Comiskey of TC Matthews. "They want more comfort. They want warmth, and carpets also provide insulation . Vivid colours are popular in a secondary room but people play it safe in the hall, livingroom and master bedroom."
Before you buy a rug ask if you can bring it back if it doesn’t work with your colour scheme. It prevents expensive mistakes. A low-pile style that can be scrubbed is good in a room that gets a lot of day-to-day use.
Tapestries
Framed properly, rugs work as well on a wall as on the floor, and can soften sound in an open-plan room. At the Listening Suite on Wicklow Street, in Dublin, for example, Ceadogan Rugs keep the acoustics and aesthetics in perfect harmony.
Textile artist Liz Nilsson accepts commissions, and dealer Michael Mortell on Francis Street, in Dublin 8, sells beautiful mid-century designs by Jean Lurcat and Rene Finneron.
Walls
Florals are a perennial trend in fashion and interiors , and this year the mood is fierce. While it looks great in two-dimensional magazines, it may drive you doolally in a domestic environment. How do you tame the trend ?
Restrict yourself to accents that you don't have to live with forever. The palmeral print on fabric, wallpaper, accessories and homewares from House of Hackney (houseofhackney.com) – cofounded by Dubliner Frieda Gormley – is utterly OTT but fun for spring. Marks and Spencer is also mining this trend.
Sofas
If you're buying a new sofa, choose one with removable covers – and invest in a second set of covers at the same time. Consider summer and winter cover options (and cushions). Large format cushions have more impact, and a throw is a great way of transforming a sofa and also protecting it.
Degrade fabric
Selam is a colour-graduated linen from US fabric firm Zak + Fox. It comes in stylish shades of charcoal, indigo and purple and can be sourced through George Spencer, London; costs about €184 per metre; georgespencer.com.
Bathrooms
Colourful towels are a cheap way to enliven bathrooms. Byrne likes Ikea's striped range and tidies her shower curtain away by looping it through a circular towel rail.
Bedding
New bed linen is a simple way to update a bedroom . Duvets layered with throws and cushions – even sheepskins – in winter can be pared back in summer. Scion's Navajo and Shibori fabrics, for example, would make fresh summer spreads; scion.uk.com.
