BETWEEN TWO STOOLS It might not be the first piece of furniture on your decorating checklist, but don't be surprised if a footstool ends up as the one that adds the most welcome bit of zing to a bedroom, writes Eoin Lyons
Whether at the bottom of a bed or under a window, footstools are endlessly useful. At the expensive end of the market, The Collection (122 Lower George's Street, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, 01-2147700, www.the-collection.ie) does long beautiful suede ones with cute details for €700 (ask about the Warhol range); KA International (Jervis Centre, Dublin 1, and Main Street, Blackrock, Co Dublin, 01-8781052, www.kainternational.ie) has numerous styles at middle-of-the-range prices.
TOP TABLES Looking for a chic little breakfast table? Here are a few that are so versatile it doesn't matter whether you call them breakfast tables, kitchen tables or side tables. Inreda (Camden Street, Dublin 8, 01-4760362, www.inreda.ie) isn't cheap, but owner Frank Goodwin can order styles that could be the classics of the future, such as the Sandra round table, by Thomas Sandell, which could go well in a bedroom. It costs €1,100. Another good one is the charming (and light) Tavolo table by Magis, for €625, which would equally be at home in a kitchen, garden or livingroom. Another neat one is the €495 Striped Tavolo (which is not striped but black). Unlike some modern pieces, it could go from a country house to a city apartment.
HAVE A DECO Mitofsky Antiques, Ireland's longest-established dealer in art-deco furniture, sells some serious stuff with serious prices (think tens of thousands of euro). As well as top-notch furniture, it stocks exquisite glass, porcelain, earthenware, lighting and silver. At the moment it has a very fine French three-leaf lacquered black screen with ivory inlay from about 1930; a mahogany and macassar commode with fruitwood inlay and gilt bronze from Louis Süe and André Mare's Paris workshop, on Rue du Faubourg-St Honoré, from about 1920; and a French art-deco commode of palisander and macassar from about 1925. Despite the high prices it's a joy to visit the shop, and the owners are always happy to share knowledge. It's also a place to find very good art-nouveau and arts-and-crafts furniture. Mitofsky is at 8 Rathfarnham Road, Terenure, Dublin 6, 01-4920033, www.mitofskyantiques.com