A trip to the Interior Design Show could provide the inspiration, and the contacts, for a total revamp
The scale of the Interior Design Show at the RDS offers a good insight into the great variety of furniture and fittings now available. While re-decorating usually means a lot of traipsing around, a visit to this show means you'll see a whole lot in one fell swoop. The styles of furniture on show range from a few 19th-century antiques to lots of Art Deco to the best of contemporary and almost everything in between. This year there's also a fine art section featuring galleries such as The Cross, Taylor and Jorgensen.
A visit to the show is also a good way to learn how new technology can be employed in your home, and to garner eco-friendly ideas. Gather as many brochures as you can - it's easy to forget what you see. Do this and the €10 entry charge is money well spent.
Here are a few things you might like to keep an eye out for. For the living room, go to the Lost Weekendstand. This wonderful new shop in Wexford has a Portion sofa by UK Company Nought One. They cost about €4,000 for a large size. See also their Trace coffee tables, with a steel frame and glass top over various photographic images. The shop sells furniture by in Co Down (great quality) and has upholstered their Devon armchair in fabric by Missoni. Lost Weekend also has very unusual lighting by Established & Sons. Alanna Gallagher, who imports vintage furniture, is strong on chairs. Check out the 1950s Jetson-style navy armchairs at €990 each; 1930s slipper armchairs for €690; a 1930s tubular steel office desk for €1,600; and plenty of neat chairs for a hallway.
Mimosa, the shop in Montrose, Dublin 4, has a new brand of Italian sofas that are extra deep and low-slung. They can be ordered up to 12ft long. Also see Minima'schic Premomoria sofas. Global Villageoften has attractive traditional sofas.
Duff Tisdallwill be showing their custom-made furniture. It's elegant stuff - usually in walnut or oak. They will design dining furniture and storage pieces, among other items. At the show they have some intriguing hanging lights, as well as accessories such as throws. "Comfortable and soft is the look, but not woolly," says Clodagh Duff, sister of designer Arthur.
It's a little more expensive to have something specially made, but it means you get exactly what you want. There are several really good designers attending the show who can do this, such as Michael Bell, Duncan Russell Furniture, O'Driscoll Furniture, Joseph Walsh Bespokeand John Lee Design.
Art Deco has never been more popular and dealers attending the show include Mitosky, Niall Mullenand The Antique Warehouse. There are other antiques, too: George Stacpoolehas a lovely 3ft x 2ft, 1820s French chest with marble top for €2,350. Ashgrove Interiorswill have a mix of antiques and new furniture and a few stands will show Asian antiques.
For the kitchen, Clive Christianhas a glamorous display - kitchens with fluted columns and mock-Georgian details. Lomi Design won't have a kitchen on display, but you can arrange to see their showroom - they have some of the nicest contemporary kitchens. For bathroom inspiration, see Anticaand Fitzmawn Interiors & Tiles.
Lomi Design's stand will have a home-office set-up, and a bedroom with a floating wenge bed and red glass back panel that lights from behind and matching red glass wardrobes. This company will fit your walk-in wardrobe with Italian units with every possible insert. Also see the Komandor Sliding Robesstand.
For some fun, Limited Editionwill show a dressing table in high-gloss purple lacquer with a purple velvet interior. Mobiliais one of the best for clever storage at prices that are fairly reasonable, such as large TV sideboards, finished in wenge, with multiple drawers and compartments, which start at €1,050.
Carpets are represented by Curragh Carpets, Donegal Carpetsand Ceadogan Rugs. The best fabrics, such as those by Andrew Martin, are at Furnishing Distributorsand Jem Textiles.
For walls, one of the coolest companies is Imagine Wallpaper. Based in Co Kilkenny, owner Tom Watts produces digital wallpaper that reproduces images from photographs, paintings and illustrations. They've made wallpaper with star constellations, historical paintings, fashion photography, seascapes, forest glades and desert landscapes.
• The Interior Show runs at the RDS today and tomorrow, 11am-7pm. See www.interiordesign2007.ie for participants. Tickets, €10 at the door