Bottom Drawer has long been known as the place to find some of the finest things for the bedroom and bathroom. Just arrived are towels and bathrobes by Missoni, the Italian fashion label.
They're a particular taste - not everyone likes their strong patterns - but that's also the appeal: great jarring colours, optical patterns and 1970s velour-like cotton. Like the clothes, they're not cheap but the quality is of a last-forever standard: bathrobes cost €195 and a towel set of two guest towels, two hand towels and a bath sheet costs €175.
While you're in Bottom Drawer, take a look at the new bed linen by Etro, another Italian brand - heavily appliquéd cushions sell for €395.
Bottom Drawer, Brown Thomas, Grafton Street, D2 Tel 01 6056666
Clerys has revamped its homewares department with everything now together on the third floor. It's not the place to go for special bathroom items but they do have some good value in basics.
In particular, there are three soap dispensers, toothbrush holder units all with an extra container for bits and pieces. A rectangular stainless steel set costs €45; three white ceramic globes on a wenge base cost €34 and tall narrow ceramics, also on a wood base, cost €29. They're all pretty simple and not the kind of thing you need to spend a lot on.
Also good value is a mirrored two-door medicine wall cabinet for €169. Chrome towel rails cost €30 and a long narrow mirrored bathroom cabinet is €395. if you want inexpensive towels, there's an offer on white bath towels for €6 and sheets for €10.
Clerys O'Connell Street, Dublin 1
Eve Home Accessories, a new store in Greystones that focuses on small things for the home such as glassware (from €10), scented candles (from €5), napkins and placemats (from €6) and curtain tiebacks (from €20).
Owner Eve Sheehan, who has a background in marketing and is ex-Brown Thomas, sourced goods from Denmark and France, a great many of which are for the bathroom: towels, bathmats, chrome towel rails, hooks for the door and so on. Styles in the shop vary - you'll find a mix of the traditional and minimal.
The shop is in the fancy new Meridian Point Shopping Mall, which officially opens today, where you'll also find upmarket clothing stores including Ashanti Gold for women.
Eve Home Acessories 1B Meridian Point, Greystones, Co Wicklow
Tel 01 2016358.
If you're in London before Christmas, it's worth paying a visit to Zara Home that opened a few months ago next to Harrods. Its bathroom accessories are excellent. Soap dispensers and dishes covered in gold spots, antique looking glass jars and toothbrush holders, Perspex toilet roll holders . . . it's a mix of styles but most things have a chic old-fashioned look. Prices are reasonable enough, despite the sterling conversion. No news of Zara Home opening here yet.
Zara Home, Old Brompton Road, London Tel 00 44 207 5906961
