News

If you're looking for child-friendly, hygienic and energy-saving window coverings this summer, Luxaflex Duette shades deliver on all fronts. As well as coming in a great array of colours and transparencies, there are two child-safe operating options ensuring peace of mind for parents: the Literise has no cords and allows you to push the blind up and down by hand, while the Smartcord operates by a single pump action with the cord retracting neatly into the headrail.

The Brocante Market, held every third Sunday of the month, hosts an awesome collection of wonderful antiques, stylish furniture and quirky collectables from past and present. Nestled in a quiet area behind Clanbrassil Street, Newmarket Square comes alive between 11 and 5 and is teeming with everything from the bizarre to the beautiful, the unique and the strange.

Oxfamhome 'DIY' is a design initiative whereby a select panel of journalists, interior designers, artists and bloggers have been invited to choose a piece of Oxfamhome furniture and add their own inimitable style and imagination.

It's going to be hard to keep up with the high-standard set by Environment Furniture. Pioneers in the world of eco-conscious design, the company has been shortlisted as one of the Top 5 Green Retailers in Ireland. Environment Furniture came ahead of the hundreds of finalists who were competing in this year's Green Awards.

GMIT Letterfrack, the Furniture College is delighted to invite you to attend its first design-led conference, "The Presence of the Past: influences on contemporary Irish furniture design" on Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd of October 2009.

An Israeli woman who bought her elderly mother a new mattress threw out the old one unaware that it had $1 million hidden inside it.

Israeli newspapers reported today that the woman was left scrabbling through landfill sites in an, as yet, fruitless search for the mattress which contained her mother's life savings.

Ceadogán Rugs and TRIPODIII are delighted to announce that they have teamed up to celebrate the Galway stop-over of the Volvo Ocean Race this May. This collaboration, which will bring the best of Irish craftsmanship by Denis Kenny and cutting edge design by Ger Lambert together, will produce eleven custom designed, handmade rugs inspired by all things nautical. The source of inspiration was endless with a particular focus on the themes of weather patterns, sail details, vessels, tidal charting and sailing instrumentation.

Top Irish landscape designer and horticulturist Mark Grehan has the ultimate top ten tips to ensure your garden is in full bloom this summer without breaking the bank. You can create a fantastic space, no matter what the size beautifully and even get your garden to give you more than just a place to relax with economic vegetable gardens. With more and more of us choosing to entertain at home why not ensure you have a garden to be proud of this summer and truly make the most of your outside space!

John Lewis today announced a move representing a €50 million investment that will bring over 800 new, high quality jobs to Dublin. Trading over five levels, the 250,000 sq ft department store will anchor the proposed Dublin Central development on O'Connell Street and is expected to open in 2013.

The outlet will be the first John Lewis store opened outside of the UK.

The centre is being developed by Chartered Land and will form part of the largest retail destination in Ireland, regenerating 5.4 acres of the city centre. The €1.2 billion development is due to open in 2013.

The 250,000 sq ft Dublin John Lewis will trade over five floors and represents a €50 million (approximately £40 million) investment.

Furniture Maker Glenwood have recently been award the Guaranteed Irish mark as a symbol of it's commitment to Irish Industry. Furniture manufacturing once thrived in Ireland; but in recent years has seen the closure of many furniture factories as cheap imports have flooded in from China. With a major investment in product development, it's good to see a company like Glenwood fighting back to promote Irish industry and protect Irish Jobs.

The Top Oil Ideal Home Show returns to the RDS Simmonscourt this coming October bank holiday weekend, Thursday the 23rd through to Monday the 27th.

Since its inception in 1994 the show has grown to become the largest and most successful home, interior and lifestyle exhibition in the country. Geared towards existing homeowners and those about to step onto the property ladder, this event is the perfect one stop shop offering visitors a comprehensive choice of inspirational, best quality and value for money products available under one roof.

Aga is delighted to announce the launch of the new 30amp electric night storage Aga, as part of the heat storage Aga cooker range. This model offers the same unique look that has recently seen Aga become the only cooker recommended as a "Number 1 kitchen design classic" on Channel 4's Grand Designs Live! The night storage Aga captures all of its energy requirements during the overnight heating period and the beauty of this model is that it is ready for use at anytime during the day or night, while offering big savings on energy bills if you have a Nightsaver meter.

Swarovski, the world leader in cut crystal has crystallised its mark in Cork with the opening of a glitzy and eagerly awaited new store that opened it doors on Princes Street. The company which has created an unparalleled name in crystal glamour and innovation over a hundred year history, cited Cork as the ideal city to open its third Irish store and is sure to provide local shoppers with a new retail experience in fashion, jewellery, gifts, home accessories and 'must have' collectibles.

Bathroom aesthetics are fast becoming as important as functionality, as the trend moves towards larger bathroom spaces, designer bathrooms and other luxurious touches that help turn your bathroom into as stylish a room as any in your home. One strong trend emerging in bathroom design is the minimalist, wet room look, which sees shower spaces on or just above floor level, giving a more sleek integrated look to shower enclosures.

Since 1995, Swarovski has offered its customers a unique collection of limited edition, numbered pieces. This year, a mere 10,000 copies of the "Numbered Limited Edition 2008" have been produced worldwide, for which Swarovski Crystal Society members have first right to purchase.