Harmony Design Studio

IKEA launched a new range of bedroom sets recently and I was invited along to the launch along with members of the press.

The press event which I attended at IKEA was one of those surreal events.  The event was to launch the new bedroom room sets and was go-hosted by the Japanese IKEA designer, Michiko Nakata http://michikonakata.com/work.html

Michiko is based in Sweden and is influenced by the openness and nature. Having been to Sweden back in the 80’s I could see exactly where she was coming from.  Having grown up in the large city of Tokyo and now living in Sweden, Michiko has married the Japanese and Swedish traditions into her designs. Simple shapes and forms with subtle colour and pattern.

IKEA were launching their new bedroom room sets. Following some consumer interaction and surveys/feedback they have updated the room settings from the standard layout of room sets across their new stores to one which suits consumers in the local region.  Room sets suit a range of homeowners whether singles, young couples, families or older couples. 

The sets also show how each person is an individual and rather than have all bedrooms looking symmetrical the way most bedrooms are, IKEA have some rooms with different types of lockers and bookshelves for each occupant.

So whether you have an alcove in the bedroom or a chimney breast or even a large bay window IKEA have thought of how you can make the most of the space you have in your home to have a comfortable bedroom no matter how you use the space. 

As you can see from the photos below - cutlery need not be boring, but it can be used as part of the overall look of the table.  Whether in terms of colour of just sculpturally these items can give a lift to any table setting.

I visited Showcase recently at the RDS in Dublin and spent the best part of the afternoon chatting to the craftspeople who were exhibiting.  I had arrived earlier in the day and had tea and a good catch up with Lorna from Garrendenny Lane.  Meeting at Showcase is becoming a regular event for both Lorna and myself, last year a group of bloggers met – but this year it was just the two of us,  as events beyond our control meant the Paula from Mabel & Violet and Angela from Livingroom were not able to make the get together.
 There were some newly launched enterprises along with more established craftspeople exhibiting and displaying their crafts.
Some of my favourites from the show are listed below, they are just a small sample of the vast range of crafts available and on display.
A big feature of the show this year was jewellery, with plenty of variety from Button & Co.

to By Yvonne.

Slated
Based in Wicklow, this family business offer a range of handcrafted products made from slate.

Jerpoint Glass
An old favourite of mine, I just love the range of glass and tableware the Jerpoint Glass manufacture.

Klickity
Klickity Design who are based in Dublin were the winners of the Best New Product 2011 award in the Tabletop and Interiors category.

Garvan De Bruir
I didn’t get a chance to speak to Garvan, each time I passed by his stand he was busy with a que of clients waiting to speak to him.  Garvan had a range of his leather work on show.

Karen Morgan Porcelain
Karen works from her own premises in Kilkenny, her pottery has a simplicity and fluidity to it and was displayed in the current trend setting colours of cream/off white along with pastel shades of blue and green.

Irish Linen House

Greg and Mary Whelan from Irish Linen House, were at the Fingal Enterprise Board catchment area and were displaying a range of individually designed and made table runners.  Greg sources all the materials in Ireland, fine Irish linen is the main material used.  The patterns and designs are both traditional and contemporary in their style.

The balcony was where the County Enterprise Boards had craftspeople from around the country, some of which were start-ups in innovative areas. 
I really enjoyed the show, the Craft industry is thriving in Ireland.

I discovered this chair and just had to share it with you all, the twist is in the coffee cup.   The designer and other information about the product can bbe found at this link http://www.hewasborn.com/2010/projects/coffeechair_gallery.html

I like tha simplicity of the design, taking a familiar item - in a familiar type of shape and adding a twist to both the use and the look of the design and making it a very different item.

With the Christmas season over and the New Year just started we are getting back to normal.  We would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year.

If you are thinking of doing some spring cleaning or even some spring decorating then get some inspiration from Designers Guild.

Some of the rugs from their new collection are posted below.   They have a lovely range just for the children along with more elaborate designs.

Colourful accessories like those pictured can be found at La Chaise Lounge a lovely interior design shop which is located in the Le Passage Pommeraye which is in the city of Nantes.

For more information about this shopping mall here’s the link http://www.passagepommeraye.fr the site is in French at present but there is an English version due, you can however see the layout and the architecture.

It’s great when you get a welcome surprise.  I was surprised recently when I was featured in the current edition of Munster Interiors, the article was written by Lorna of Garrendenny Lane Interiors.  Lorna writes a Blog Watch article in the magazine, she is a blogger and shopkeeper at the online shop http://www.gdlaneinteriors.ie/

The article link is here http://www.gdlaneinteriors.ie/blog/index.php/2010/07/3948/  So if you’ve come by this site as a result of the article in Munster Interiors then “Welcome, do leave a comment and say Hello”

Now I’m off to check out Lorna’s other recommendations!

Liven up your summer.  As we look forward to the long summer and spending days in our gardens, this is the time of year when we can treat our outside spaces as rooms and extend our living areas.

No matter what size of outdoor space we have it can be used for a wide variety of occasions and can be decorated in a number of ways to demonstrate our personalities.  Our gardens and patios can be used for entertaining, relaxing, playing and enjoying spending time together. 

Colour can play a very big part in this area of our lives, whether in the form of planting and flowers in bloom or indeed colourful planters, in a variety of colours and finishes.  Our outdoor furniture can also show our personalities and add that all important colour and vitality to our living space.

These areas are not only for use by grownups, but can also be enjoyed by the children, whether having a picnic on the grass, or with the use of toys and play areas.

Using our outside space as a dining and entertaining area can be a great way to spend time.  There is a large variety of colour in the form of picnic sets, salad servers and even glassware available which can add atmosphere and bring your scheme together.

Lighting can be added whether in the form of fairy lights or colourful lanterns, be aware of the safety issues though and make sure that these items are suitable for outdoor use.

Another way to use colour in the outdoor space is with brightly coloured bunting, similar to that pictured, which is normally stocked by Mabel & Violet the online boutique shop.  Also available are many items to create the perfect outdoor space, lovely picnic baskets or garden lanterns.   Whatever style you’re looking to put into your garden this summer you are bound to find something special at Mabel & Violet.  www.mabelandviolet.com

Enjoy the summer.

Photo supplied by Mabel & Violet, www.mabelandviolet.com

We are all very conscientious of the food we eat and whether or not it is organic.  But if we’re thinking about the sustainability of the planet and the ecology and use of land and water, then we must consider the fabrics that we use.

I was carrying out some research in this very area when I remembered meeting a lady who produces organic cotton fabric for use in interior design.  I meet her at the Ideal Homes Show a number of years ago and earlier today I phoned her and also revisited her website.  I gathered a lot of valuable information for my project, but also decided that this topic should also be discussed in general from an ECO point of view.  The lady in question runs the website Eco Creations http://www.ecocreations.ie/ 

So spread the news - organic cotton is available and Fair-Trade organic cotton is available you just have to search it out.

I’m pleased to let you all know that I am now a contributor to the Child and Parent focused free magazine which is distributed to schools and businesses in the the Kildare and West Wicklow area.  The magazine is called Optimum and the link to their site is www.optimummagazine.net

The launch issue was released just before the Easter Holidays and the next issue is due out prior to the Summer Holidays.  I’m happy to receive suggestions for the next article or answer any interior design questions in the OptiMum Interiors section.

Its a wonderful magazine packed with useful information and valuable articles that are child focused. 

I’ve always been a fan of Designers Guild, I love the fabrics and accessories which they produce.  The colour schemes always appear to be bright and fresh.  So I was delighted to receive in my inbox today their newsletter which announced that they have a new and imporved website.  I couldn’t resist and had to check it out and I’m still very much a Fan!

I just love some of the items in the Childrens range and just have to share them.

I had a great day on Monday last at Showcase 2010 at the RDS in Dublin.  It turned into a bloggers meet up, an unexpected one at that, I had been planning to met Lorna from Garrendenny Lane Interiors.  While there Lorna had been planning to catch up with Paula from Mable & Violet and Angela from LivingRoom, so the four of us had a great chat about blogging and business. 

It’s something that we are planning to do again in the future, to catch up and swap ideas.  I really enjoyed meeting my fellow bloggers.

I finally finished my January exams and have to catch up on my blog and friends from the networking groups.

January is a great time to put some plans together for spring decorating, chack out the hot trends for the New Year and even the New Decade.  The current edition of House and Home has the low down on all that’s hot for the “interior” you’d dream of.  My good friend Lorna from Garrendenny Lane Interiors is featured in the current edition, as is Zee from Homebug and some other notable bloggers. It’s well worth checking out!

Farrow and Ball have always been a favourite of mine, I just love the quality and finish that their paint gives.

They have a new ‘Estate® Eggshell’ range, which is a unique high performance paint finish which offers an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional oil-based eggshell paints.

According to the Farrow and Ball website the product is a pleasure to use as it is easily applied, quick-drying, and has virtually no odour. It offers excellent opacity and is hard wearing and washable.

Suggested uses are

· Update old kitchen or bathroom units to give them a new lease of life.

· Paint children’s bedroom furniture in contrasting colours to create a fun, bold scheme.

· Create a unique feature by painting picture frames, shelves and cupboards either to coordinate or contrast with a room scheme.

· Hide pipework and radiators by painting them in the same colour as the wall paint, or use a bold contrasting colour to make them stand out as features in their own right.

· Recycle some old furniture or finds from your local skip or even from jumbletown.

You can benefit by personalising these items or finds to suit your interior or why not build up a new scheme around a newly revamped piece of furniture.

Furniture to be revamped can be given a new lease of life, particularly items that are finds from jumbletown. Jumbletown for those of you who are not familiar with it, is a great site for finding old pieces of furniture that people are giving away free, you register on the site and when you spot an item that you’re interested in you post a request and then if you’re lucky you get to collect the piece. There are some great before and after pictures posted on the site so check it out for inspiration.

I’ve just relased two new items of stock at the shop, they take the form of Gift Vouchers - Gift Certificates.  The come in two sizes and two price ranges, one of which is a half day, 4 hour consultation and the other is for a full day 8 hour consultation.  The full day can be split over two 4 hour sessions by prior agreement.

The vouchers are valid for an initial twelve month period and can be extended by prior arrangement. Futher details can be found at the shop.  http://www.harmonydesignstudio.ie/index.php/products-page/

These would make an ideal Christmas Gift for that special someone who has everything!  

I had reason last week to visit a kitchen and bedroom showrooms and was really taken by this kitchen with curved doors.  They’d make a great statement in a large kitchen or as shown in the picture when placed over a similar shaped bottom unit.

The staff at Collier Kitchens were so helpful, I recommend a visit to their showrooms at Airways Industrial Estate.   Or visit their site which has a great variety of the kitchen, bedrooms and accessories that they stock,  http://www.collierkitchens.ie/index.htm

The French designer Pierre Paulin, famed for his unusually shaped chairs, 
has passed away, at the age of 81 on Saturday,  June 14th in Montepellier, France.

Throws and blankets can reinvent a space and can be done on the cheap.  Add a splash of colour to a bland item of furniture or use to add some sophistication to a space.

My Designers Guild brochure arrived today and there are some lovely throws in there.

I just love the Designers Guild range of products.

The weather is looking good for this weekend and it has me looking forward to the summer.  Bloom in the Park is on in the Phoenix Park Dublin this bank holiday weekend.  While checking out Designers Guild I came accross some lovely items which would entice anyone out into the garden - particularly on sunny warm evenings - you can almost smell those fragrant blooms.

The bright, fresh greens in the above pictures are a great reminder of the summer, zesty lime green - just sooo cool.  

Bloom in the park will take place during the June Bank Holiday weekend, that is next weekend.  Tickets can be purchased online at http://bloominthepark.com/ 

Kids are free, which should go some way towards making the cost a little easier for families.  Now we just need the weather to make it a wonderful weekend.

I love this chandelier, its a real twist on having a glasss of wine.  It would be just lovely in a Wine Bar.