RTÉ Guide Homes & Interiors Autumn 2018

Home ome Teal appeal

From duck egg to sky-blue: a flexible range of colours

&

INTERIORS AUTUMN 2018

COLOUR TREND...

Camel How to use this on-trend spiced honey tone in your home

OVERCOME the fear of colour

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Home

& Interiors

Autumn 2018

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s the last chance of an Indian summer fades, we all feel the need to make our homes cosy in preparation for the wet and cold nights ahead. It’s time to get the boiler serviced, buy in winter fuel, maybe even pay attention to those niggling draughts.

A quick way to turn your home into a cosy haven is with some new rugs and throws, perfect for a night on the sofa as the rain pelts the window. We have a selection of these hygge-makers to transform your winter living room.

Many of us hesitate when it comes to introducing colour into our homes, whether it’s on the walls, with appliances or even the decorator’s favourite technique: pops of bright furnishing in an otherwise white home. Industrial designer Ingrid Fetell Lee explores what colour can do to make us more joyful.

Speaking of colour, we focus on two complementary shades in this issue. Camel and shades of sand, caramel or honey are appearing in designer’s palettes right now. We show how to use them without overwhelming your home. And all things teal, pale blue or duck egg show little sign of going out of fashion: luckily these shades are versatile and slot easily into your existing rooms.

Plus! Essentials for first-time students moving away from home.

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the tactile home

Stephen Meyler

the joy of colour

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rugs & throws A warm welcome awaits on a sofa near you!

Spiced honey, caramel, sand, umber, fawn or camel: the spectrum of warm earthy shades has many names, but each can bring a unique warmth to our homes

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Designer Helen James explores how texture works in the home

dine in style

What we want from our living spaces has changed: so should our dining tables

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Ingrid Fetell Lee asks why we are afraid to have more colour in our homes?

first-time for everything

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A light Story An 83-year-old Kilkenny lighting company steers its way into the future

Managing editor: Catherine Lee Editor: Stephen Meyler Designer: Niamh Hughes & Luisa Kenny Pre-press: David Mahon Advertising sales: Karen Foster (contact 01-208 2880) Published by RTÉ Commercial Enterprises 2018 Cover image: Home|Lust Concept Store

spiced honey warmth

Essentials to keep students happy and healthy in their first move away from home

20 safe online

Psychologist Anne McCormack with tips on keeping children safe in social media

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it’s teal time!

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Colour courage We wear bright clothes on holiday, paint children’s rooms in blue, pink or yellow and celebrate festive occasions with red or green, so why do we so often pick bland shades when it comes to decorating our homes? In her new book, leading industrial designer Ingrid Fetell Lee examines the part colour can play in making our lives more joyful

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ew people would name their favourite colour as beige, but our homes are often cloaked in neutral tones. Why is there such a gap? “Chromophobia” was the answer I received from colour-loving architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat.

“People are afraid of colour,” Stamberg told me. “It’s the fear of of making a mistake,” Aferiat said, “and having to live with it.”

The difference between energetic, joyful colours and more sombre hues has to do with how pure and how bright the pigments are. Designers use the terms “saturation” and “lightness”: a saturated colour is its purest version. The truest blue and the sunniest yellow are strong and intense. To desaturate colours, you add grey. Spring green becomes olive; cerulean becomes slate. Beige is a desaturated yellow and grey is the ultimate desaturated colour. Desaturated colours can be useful as part of a colour scheme, but if you look around and all you see are greys and khakis and beiges, then your surroundings are pretty drab.

The lightness of a colour has to do with how much white or black is mixed into it. White reflects light, while black absorbs it. Light pink and sky blue are more energising than burgundy and navy because they

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reflect more light, while dark, desaturated colours absorb light, bringing down the energy in a space.

We dismiss colour as frivolous, prizing neutral hues as a mark of mature taste. I recently met a woman who told me that she loves colour, but she only feels comfortable using it in her child’s room, not in the rest of the house.

Could our world be much more colourful if only people weren’t afraid of looking foolish?

People are unconsciously attracted to the brightest spots: if a space feels dead, a powerful remedy is to create focal points of light. A sofa by the fireplace, a window seat, a dining table bathed in the warm light of a pendant lamp: these places are always alive because we, like moths, cannot resist the light.

The colour-loving architects Stamberg and Aferiat designed a house on Long Island. They added a front door in bright yellow. From the outside, the door is a cheery beacon, but from the inside, the effect is totally different. The door acts like its own light source. The white walls pull the colour into the centre of the home. It takes the invisible light and turns it golden.

If you want a brighter, more energised space, the

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Home & Interiors

“If you look around and all you see are greys and khakis and beiges, then your surroundings are pretty drab”

experts agree that the best first step is to lighten the largest surfaces: walls, floors, cabinets and counters.

Dark walls may look sophisticated, but they’re going to reduce the amount of light bouncing around the room. Many designers start with a canvas of white walls, bringing colour into the space through furniture and objects. But even if that’s not possible, small pops of pure colour can energise a dingy space.

We may be aware of the way that colour affects light in, but we rarely notice the reverse. There’s a good reason for this, according to lighting designer Rick Shaver: old incandescent lightbulbs give off the same colour of light. “When you would screw in a lightbulb,” says Shaver, “you knew that it was always going to burn at a colour temperature of 2700°K, which is warm and flattering to the skin.” With more energy-efficient technologies, such as LEDs and fluorescents, suddenly a lightbulb was not just a lightbulb any more. “People don’t know they should be looking for 3,000°K, or what we call warm light, so instead they come home with 4,000-5,000°K, which is cool light.” This information is on packages, but most people don’t know to look for it.

Shaver’s advice is to look at the colour rendering index (CRI) of a bulb. Incandescent bulbs have a rating of 100, so choosing LED bulbs with a CRI close to 100 will keep you and your spaces looking bright and colourful.

Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell Lee (Penguin Random House) is in bookshops now.

Ingrid Fetell Lee is founder of the blog Aesthetics of Joy, a leading resource in the field of emotional design. She has many years’ experience in design and branding, for companies such as Condé Nast, American Express and Diageo, as well as the US government.

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Home & Interiors Argos Home Lawson Geo Rug, Ochre, €65

Debenhams brushed herringbone throw, €67.50

Argos Home Check Throw in Mulberry €16

Cosy up for winter

IKEA Innehålsrik

Argos Home Midnight Opulence velvet throw, €32

As the nights draw in and the days get colder, rugs and throws provide the comfort factor every home needs.

Here are just a few to warm you up

Homesense yellow throw, €24.99

Homesense grey check throw, €26.99

Homesense cream & blue patterned rug, €79.99

Michael Murphy tassel throw, €64.99

Homesense black & white wool blanket, €26.99 IKEA VÄSSAD blue

Debenhams Nordic throw, €37.50

DUNNES Helen James Considered panel throw with tassels, €50 6

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Home & Interiors Next flatweave stripe rug, €55

IKEA ALVINE rug, €199

Michael Murphy Aztec design rug €69 Marks & Spencer statement floral rug, €299

Next fleece check throw, €18

IKEA VÄSSAD red

IKEA Vagmalla green, €15

IKEA VÄSSAD grey-black

Argos Home herringbone dove grey rug, €30 Michael Murphy knitted look throw, €79

Next red Ikat rug, €65

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Kitchen You’ll need to see the food you are preparing, but equally the kitchen needs to be a relaxing area as it is the most used room in the house. Central lighting will not light up the whole space and light from behind you will cast a shadow on whatever you are doing in front of you. Overhead spots or downlighters will give an overall light to your kitchen and putting these on a dimmer switch adds an extra layer of control. If you have an island or dining table, then overhead lighting serves as both task lighting and makes a feature of those areas.

Light up

your life How can you use lighting to get the best from your home? Madeleine Carroll has some ideas

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hen we consider lighting, most of us think about what will match the carpets or furniture. We don’t think about how lighting can transform and enhance our

lives. When I help people to choose lighting, I try to get an insight into what they need for their space. I look at three Fs: Form, Function and Feeling. As consumers, we already look at the form and the function, but the right choice goes beyond that to the intangible: how does it make us feel?

Here in Ireland, we have lots of natural light during the summer but then we spend half the year under artificial light, so it’s important to get it right! Here are some tips to light the different areas of your home.

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Living Room You can create different layers of light in your living room to create a relaxing and functional room. Central pendants along with floor lamps, table lamps and wall lights easily transform this room from work space to chill-out zone.

Bathroom A practical point: bathroom lighting needs to be IP (ingress protection)-rated, especially if there is a shower. Moisture will damage light fittings so they need to be enclosed. However, this doesn’t mean you have to have a typical central globe; IP-rated downlighters can be used with decorative wall or ceiling lights.

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Home & Interiors

Lighting Kilkenny homes for 83 years

Willie Duggan is an Irish family business supplying lighting since 1935. Now the third generation of the family has taken the business into lighting design and consultancy. Monica Duggan describes her family history

Bedroom You need to think about what you are doing in your bedroom. Is it a space to crash at the end of a long day or do you do homework or read in it for hours? Functionality is important: do you read and your partner doesn’t? Do you have a walk-in wardrobe or alcove that needs illumination? Extra lighting doesn’t always mean

M

y grandfather Willie Duggan was one of the first electrical

contractors in Ireland. Dad started working here from the time he left school, and I started working in the business from the time I could walk. We have

getting extra cables put in: a pendant can be hung away from the

always been adaptable: Dad

main ceiling rose or run up the wall and plugged in.

saw an opening for lighting

Key trends in lighting

products in the Irish market in the early ’80s and he created lighting in hotels, pubs and restaurants throughout the ’80s, ’90s and into the 2000s. My brother, also Willie, saw a gap

Metallic

The metallic trend is still going strong, but moving forward to brass tones and shades with more reflective surfaces.

in the market and an opportunity to bring the business a step further into the field of lighting design, which is now central to what we can offer.

Biophilic

There’s an ever bigger demand for biophilic design and products that link us back to nature and natural-based products.

Three of the family work in our business: my brother Willie, my sister, Helena and I. My mother Ellen is also involved, being our sounding board. Our office is an open forum, where everyone has a voice and each member of our team makes us who we are.

I remember when I was a kid and Dad would point out light and dark, and how it can affect how you feel. Walk down any road on a dark evening, and you will feel uneasy. But have this properly lit and the feeling is completely different. This is where lighting design comes into its element. It can change how you feel, how you look at a space, how you interact with it.

Lighting gives us such an amazing medium to create. To design

Opulent

After years of frugality, opulence is becoming a key trend, with customers investing in statement lighting pieces and lighting technology.

Romanticism

An ethereal play with light in soft forms that creates cosy spaces and a warm feeling.

really amazing spaces, use light, paint with it. Design is not just about aesthetics though, it is also about technology and there have been immense advances over the last 15 to 20 years, from the old halogen to LED and moving toward OLED lighting.

Lighting design is not just for big clients. Some of the nicest projects we have done are modest residences. It doesn’t have to cost the earth either. It is about creativity; do you really just have to use downlights centred in your ceiling or can I do a light and dark effect using these same downlights in a different way?

A little bit of thinking outside the box can create something you never expected.

Madeleine Carroll is showroom manager at Willie Duggan Lighting. willieduggan.com

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Looking ahead E

Janice Butler tries on a classic camel coat for interiors

ach of us has a few reliable wardrobe staples; a classic black blazer that works from day to night or that camel coat that goes with just about everything Just like that classic, paintmaker Dulux has chosen Spiced Honey as its colour of the year for 2019. Each year, a team of Dulux designers, as well as architects, colour creatives and trend experts, forecast the colour they think will be making

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waves. Spiced Honey is a soft and amber toned and sophisticated shade that works as a feature colour, or as an accent tone.

Creative director of Dulux, Marianne Shillingford, said: “Like that classic camel coat, Spiced Honey’s versatility means it works as part of different colour palettes to achieve a variety of looks, all depending on the atmosphere that you want to create. Here we have mirrored Spiced Honey with honeycomb hexagonal patterns to add a dark and decision punch.”

Spiced Honey has a warm amber tone that can be calming and nourishing or more stimulating and energising, depending on the light and colours surrounding it. Versatile and contemporary, the colour of the year complements a broad spectrum of life and interior styles.

How is the colour of the year chosen?

Each year, a team of designers, architects, colour creatives and trend experts become the eyes and ears of Dulux around the world. It’s their job to spot

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How to use Spiced Honey in your home…

A space to THINK

Thinking needs an atmosphere of calm and clarity where we feel free to be ourselves. It’s a simple contemporary space, combining hotel chic with realhome warmth. In this space, there’s a chance to re-boot the brain, away from the sensory overload of the outside world. Thinkers love to be surrounded with a careful selection of inspiring objects and art. The relaxed paint colour palette has Spiced Honey at its heart, combined with an inviting mix of rich neutrals and touches of soft pink, intense burgundy and sophisticated deep blue.

Polished woods, mid-century furniture, graphic rugs and textiles emphasise the smart, yet soothing, coherence of the look. the cutting-edge trends that are going to have the biggest impact on our lives in the future. The experts then share their insights with the colour team, at an intense but inspiring three-day trend forecasting session. They bring vital information about societal, cultural, design and lifestyle trends as well as details about the colours and styles that are being adopted by the most influential fashion, product and interior designers. Together, they build a clear picture of where the world is going, which helps them to define the mood of the moment and the key consumer trends for the coming year.

“When you look at how our ColourFutures palettes have evolved over the years,” says Heleen van Gent of AkzoNobel, which owns the Dulux brand, “you can chart the fluctuations in consumers’ appetite for different colours and spot connections with what is going on in the wider world. For example, in 2017, our consumers felt a need for balance and calm, the palette was dominated by cooler shades of blue and grey. While in 2018, there was a great sense of uncertainty that was reflected in a desire for warm, comforting colours.”

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A space to DREAM

The DREAM home creates a space where we can be still and silent. Somewhere to sit and drift in perfect peace and become lost in the moment. A dreamer wants their surroundings to allow them to stop rushing and relish the here and now. They appreciate a home that is elegant but relaxed, with playful touches. The dream palette is a muted mix of romantic powder pinks and blues that create calm, with Spiced Honey bringing depth and sophistication. Plain pale woods, simple hand-thrown vessels and pretty fabrics add to the contemplative feel of this home.

A place to ACT

Home can spark action and allow you to give things a try, whatever the outcome. The actor is bold and brave but also fun and uncomplicated. They look to their home to charge them up with energy and momentum. The playful palette combines vivid red and green with paler pink and blue, underlined by crisp greys and whites. The golden tones of Spiced Honey ensure that the palette stays warm and inviting.

This home is brought to life with reclaimed furniture that has been personalised by the owners. Bold graphic shapes, low-key cork and plywood with vintage rugs, create a space that inspires action.

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A space to LOVE

A happy and welcoming ‘open house’ atmosphere, where we can surround ourselves with the people and things that matter to us. The lover cherishes things that have a special meaning for them and this is reflected in the unusual objects that adorn their rooms, as well as the lush plants that they like to nurture.

This palette is filled with richly pigmented shades including deep forest green, bold teal and intense terracotta red, tempered

by Spiced Honey and pale neutrals. With wooden furniture and botanical prints, it creates a relaxed yet cosy home that’s perfect for sharing.

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10/3/2018 12:17:30 PM

Home & Interiors Neptune Arundel extending table, prices from €1,920 and fourseater bench, price €960 with Milo stool in Chloe Ash, €420 and Keats large pendant in Snow, €125. neptune.com

Gather Round A dining table is a place where memories are made, where families meet for celebration dinners, regular meals and sociable chats, so getting the right one for you is essential

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n many homes, the formal dining room has largely disappeared or been turned to other uses such as a kids’ TV room. Now, it’s more usual for eating areas to be part of a kitchen, an open-plan living room or somewhere between the two.

This change in habits also means the large rectangular dining tables designed for more formal meals are no longer fit for purpose – so it’s worth finding a dining table that works for the space you have and for your actual lifestyle (as much as we may dream of smart dinner parties!). Here are some tips for choosing a dining table that is perfect for you.

Firstly and most obviously, think about the room the table is going into: will it suit the size and shape? Will it allow easy access to other essential pieces of furniture like storage cupboards, dressers and side tables? A good rule of thumb is to have at least 1m of clearance space behind chairs so people can sit and get up easily, and get around seated guests.

For example, a big open space can easily fit a large round, oval or square-shaped table. If your room is narrower, a long table is better suited.

Consider placing your table so it follows the lines of the room and draws the eye along it. This can help make a small room seem longer than it is and also helps with natural movement in the room.

In a small space, such as a cottage kitchen or a studio flat, a round table may be the best option. Not only does it make moving around easier, but it will also create breathing space, helping the room to feel less ‘boxy’ and more ‘cute’.

Conversely a round table also works well in a knockedthrough open living-dining space that can feel a bit tunnel-like and overwhelm pieces of furniture. A rounder shape at one end of the space will soften this impression, as well as providing a focus and identity for one part of the room.

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Neptune Carter extending dining table, €2,080 and two seater bench, €590, with open Carter shelving and Tennyson pendant lights, €130. neptune.com

Also useful in open-plan spaces, is to make a feature of the table without making it feel overly formal and use it as a dividing zone between the kitchen and the living area.

This will help to bring the whole room together and also bridge the gap between everyday and special occasions. It’s also practical, as you will have easy access with hot dishes from the kitchen without the obstacle course of the everyday mess of the family living room.

If space is tight, forget about dining chairs and choose benches and/or stools as a more ergonomic way of fitting several people around the table. Most benches are designed to tuck neatly under the table when not in use, further reducing the table’s footprint in a small space.

What should your table be made from? Wood is the obvious choice – it comes in a range of natural shades and can be stained or painted any colour you want. It’s also hard-wearing (with a little care and attention now and again) and for many of us, the dings and scratches family life inevitably create make it a more precious belonging.

However, if you are not blessed with much natural light in your dining space, a glass-topped table is a better choice. It will open up and lighten the space and a swipe of glass cleaner will keep it shiny. The other advantage is that it allows you to make much more of a design statement with the dining chairs, so it’s an opportunity for some bold shapes and colours.

Finally, metallic finishes such as gold, silver, copper and iron are a strong statement and will work with whatever colour or pattern you choose elsewhere in the room for rugs, wallpaper or textiles. You could go all over metallic (a copper effect surface works really well with on-trend monochromes) or just have the table legs in metal.

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Next Ellison bar set, £250 HomeLust Concept Store, velvet dining chair, €330

Neptune Balmoral rectangular dining table in seasoned oak, from €4,060, with Henley dining chair in rich russet Isla fox, €490, Hanley candlestick, €39 and Hoxton red wine glasses, set of six, €64. neptune.com

Michael Murphy Davis fixed 2.2m dining table, €899

IKEA Granås table and four chairs, black glass, €225

Neptune’s Chichester round table in shingle, from €1,040 and Long Island Dining chair in Hugo Pale Oat, from €377. The Garrick Chandelier, €480. neptune.com

Neptune Hebden trestle table in Chalked Oak, from €1,400, and Montague Lloyd Loom chair, €340 with Byron small pendant lights in grey, €59. neptune.com

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10/3/2018 11:26:27 AM

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Tactile home The

dfs Trafalgar Grand Sofa, €1599

Ho lo

Designer Helen James makes use of textures, both natural and crafted, in her interior design and cookware collections. She describes what we can achieve in our homes by paying attention to the sense of touch when choosing furnishings and accessories

Create contrasts!

Hard

• Plush velvet against a cool marble • Metal and sheepskin • Worn wood and deep-pile rug • Gloss and matt – matt walls with gloss woodwork in the same hue.

Stone is long-lasting but expensive.

Limestone, travertine and marble are all porous stones. They will need to be sealed and maintained.

Granite and slate are more resilient and better for high-traffic areas like hallways.

Marble, technically a stone, deserves a unique mention.

A small amount of marble can make any room look dfs Topaz luxurious. Be careful if selecting marble for kitchens as it pattern chair, can damage easily. If you don’t mind the wear and tear, €549 then go for it. Marble is expensive though, so if decking out your entire bathroom is beyond your budget, go for accent pieces like marble accessories. bathroom floor tile, they have a ’70s vibe I like (think vintage Wood, in the form of a solid wood floor, is a material that Habitat catalogue) and a natural shading in the tiles which has gripped us in the most mainstream way in the last 20 I also find appealing. Terracotta pots are also a favourite: years. Wood is also great as a kitchen counter. Vintage exquisite in their simplicity. and weathered wood is an instant way to add texture and Encaustic tiles are expensive but stunning. The pattern on interest to a room. these is made by colouring the clay and firing it so they Linoleum is having a bit of a comeback as it is available have a real depth and are highly durable. in a large variety of colours and is relatively inexpensive, Brick is a great way to bring character to a new build. Look hard-wearing and easy to clean and maintain. Did you out for vintage bricks in salvage yards. know it is actually made from linseed oil combined with Brass has a warmth to it that stainless cork dust, limestone and mineral steel is lacking. A brass surround on pigments and so is also an ecoa mirror or frame can add a nice friendly option? dimension of texture. I love brass taps, Cork provides eco-friendly flooring but you need to accept that they will that is soft and warm underfoot. I laid mark and stain. a cork floor in my own home and loved Silver is something you can pick up in it. It can also be dramatic as a wall vintage form at flea markets and in junk covering in a bathroom or study. shops. I like using vintage silver-plated Ceramic tiles are a great way to cutlery every day: the weight is beautiful add colour. The handmade ones and it can be picked up for a good price. are incredibly beautiful but equally You can use old silver jugs and sugar expensive. bowls as containers for fresh flowers.

Porcelain tiles are more expensive than Don’t worry about polishing them often, ceramic as the dye seeps all the way as the patina is what makes them through the tile, giving a richer colour. beautiful.

Terracotta floor tiles are a go-to dfs New Lark tub chair in blue fleck, €419 16

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Home & Interiors Home|Lust

Home|Lust Butterfly lounge chair, €439

Home|Lust

Home|Lust

Debenhams jute basket, €35

Homesense white grey furry basket, €22.99

Soft Linen is a fabric that will get better with age. Embrace the wrinkles. Look out for vintage linens in flea markets and mix your textures from fine to thick and slubby.

Cotton in its pure form is the only thing that should go on your bed (unless you are investing in linen sheets).

Heavy cotton can also be used in rugs, curtains and cushions.

Wool, whether knitted or woven, is versatile and hardwearing for carpets, rugs, cushions and more. You can use boiled wool as an upholstery fabric for a cosy effect with great durability.

Harvey Norman brushed champagne and green, €110

Homesense

Michael Murphy Halo antique pink cushion, €29

“Sheepskin, used as a rug, is something every home should have”

Tweed is essentially wool, but woven into a tweed pattern (herringbone or twill). It can add a lovely masculine touch to a living room either by using a couple of throw cushions or covering an occasional chair or armchair.

Velvet and silk are great for adding texture and luxury, although they are generally not very hard-wearing.

It’s best to use these in low-traffic areas such as the bedroom or on an occasional sofa.

Coir is made from the husk of coconuts so is very environmentally friendly. The only drawback is that it has a coarse texture so is not a good flooring choice for bathrooms or bedrooms where you might be walking barefoot. It is however perfect for doormats or mats in a pantry.

Seagrass is a very durable material and naturally water repellent, making it good flooring for high-traffic areas such as hallways and stairs. Seagrass is also used to make baskets and containers and is a great material for adding texture.

Jute is used in rugs; it’s very soft but not that durable.

Use it in low-traffic areas like bedrooms.

Sisal is very coarse and though sturdy, can become slippery with wear and tear so is not suitable flooring for stairs. Sisal is also used in making rope and string.

Sheepskin, used as a rug, is something every home should have. It adds warmth and texture, has a very accessible price point and is portable.

Leather couches are the saviours of Taken from families everywhere. A good leather A Sense couch will stand an incredible amount of Home of battering from small, sticky hands.

by Helen Beware of new leather couches James with rock-hard upholstery that are (Hachette overstuffed. The leather should be soft Ireland) and have removable seat cushions.

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That

first

big move Sooner or later, whether it’s for college or for work, children will want or need to move away from home. How can parents and fledglings make sure their first home is comfortable and provides them with the basics of adult life?

F

irstly, travel light – whether you’re moving into a college room, a studio flat or houseshare, chances are you won’t have enough space for the belongings stored in your bedroom at home.

If possible, find out what your accommodation already has, so you don’t double up, and if it’s a houseshare, perhaps splitting the cost of any essentials – kettles, microwaves etc. – is possible.

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Bedroom

A duvet, two or three sets of sheets (which you will actually have to wash now and again), duvet covers and pillow cases. A double duvet makes a single bed cosy on cold nights and mornings after the night before. If hygiene is a concern, then think about pillow protectors and a mattress topper to ensure the bed is comfortable.

Extra pillows and a blanket or two will mean a good night’s sleep too.

Hangers – Avoid the mess with a few hangers, especially if your college life involves a part-time job with a dress code.

Hanging clothes in the wardrobe reduces ironing time and leaves the floor space clear.

Ear plugs – A house share can be a noisy place, even if you haven’t moved into a party house. For times when you need a full night’s sleep, ear plugs are a must.

Cleaning products – Yes, you may want to occasionally clean your room, so sponges, J-cloths, air freshners and a functioning vacuum cleaner will go a long way.

An extension lead – You may not have enough plugs in your room to charge a phone, laptop, Kindle or any other electronics.

Diffuser, pot-pourri or room spray – Inviting friends into a smelly room isn’t the best, so a non-burning source of freshness is highly recommended. Also, even in winter, ocasionally opening the windows is a good idea.

White tack – The blue stuff can leave a stain that landlords hate almost as much as the holes left by nails, so use the white version if you have posters or pics to put on the walls.

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Home & Interiors

Bathroom

Apart from the everyday stuff like shower gel, soap, shampoo, conditioner, moisturier, toothpastes, hair products and condoms, find a spot in the smallest room for a firstaid kit. This can contain: plasters in different sizes and shapes, sterile gauze dressings, safety pins, disposable sterile gloves, tweezers, scissors, alcohol-free cleansing wipes, sticky tape, thermometer (preferably digital), skin rash cream, antiseptic cream, painkillers such as paracetamol, aspirin or ibuprofen.

Other bathroom items you’ll miss if they aren’t there are a bath mat, large and small towels (although you may want to keep your own supply) and a toilet brush.

Other essentials

A torch – Even if there’s never a power cut, trying to find a trip switch or a water valve in the back of a cupboard in the dark is no fun.

Clothes horse – Tumbledrying clothes is expensive!

Umbrella – This is Ireland.

Kitchen

Crockery – Four plates and four bowls are probably enough but make sure they’re microwave safe.

Cutlery – Also four sets of knives, spoons and forks.

Gadgets – A wooden spoon, spatula, colander, scissors, kitchen knives, a chopping board, a grater, a casserole dish, a baking tray, pots and pans, sealable plastic frood containers and freezer bags, tea towels, glasses and mugs.

Coffee machine – There’s every chance you will have developed a serious caffeine habit by the time you finish college.

Toasted sandwich maker – A toasted ham and cheese makes for likelong friends –guaranteed!

Staying home?

Working and studying from home has its perks: low travel expenses, readymade accommodation and of course, the comfort (in fact, luxury!) of your own parents’ home. One downside may be the distractions of home when there’s a deadline to be met, but restructuring your childhood bedroom to turn it into an efficient study area is easier than you think.

These tips from Harvey Norman will make your home study a breeze.

This Porter bookcase has a painted hardwood frame, also available in white, complemented by oak shelving which gives it a Scandi appeal. The four shelves offer ample storage for books, binders and office utensils.

Like the matching bookcase, the Porter desk is a minimal design that maximises space. Its painted hardwood frame, in either grey or white, perfectly contrasts the oak top, a great size for a home study, with plenty of space for a computer and your work materials.

There’s yet more Scandistyle with the Stockholm Office Chair. With oiltreated imitation leather upholstery and sumptuous padding, the chair also has 360° rotation and a gas lever that allows you to adjust the seat to the optimum height. Lastly, leather padded slimline arms add a touch of style and comfort.

The Nest office chair has steel legs with five wheels which allow you to easily navigate your workspace. The winged arms are set at an optimal 90 degrees, while the foam seating and curved back allow you to work in comfort.

The height of the seat can also be easily adjusted.

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10/3/2018 11:15:02 AM

Home & Interiors

Keeping kids safe online

Psychotherapist Anne McCormack has some advice for parents to create a safer online environment for their children at home

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ccording to a recent study by Cyber Safety Ireland, 32% of children talk to a stranger online every week, yet 15% of children report that they rarely, if ever, talk to their parents about online safety.

I think parents need to lead by example on setting rules about using technology in the home. As adults, we sometimes forget that kids need to have us present at certain times of the day, so if we don’t have our own screens at the dinner table or don’t bring screens into the bedroom at night, that will have a knock-on effect on the kids.

For a lot of parents of course, the screen is a tool for work, so they can have a different perception of their screen time to their child’s. But they need to reflect on what message they are giving their child if they are on their own screen at night and they have told their child they aren’t allowed to do the same. It creates a context for conflict, which is not really necessary if you’re clear from the start that we’re all going to follow the same rules. And of course, it’s good for parents to not have their screens at nighttime too, as it aids sleep and winding down.

Screens are very engaging for children, so there is a temptation if you want to get things done to give them something which will keep them quiet or entertained. The problem is that it can then be harder to put limits on the child’s screen time when they’re older, so better to think about limits from the very start. It’s useful to have devices and apps that set time limits, as this avoids the conflict that arises from a ‘just five more minutes’ scenario.

My experience of meeting families in a therapeutic setting is that many parents don’t realise the risk until something goes wrong for their child, so online filters are a big step towards controlling what kids can see online as well as what can be sent to them. I feel very strongly that every device that gives a young person access to the internet should have a filter on it.

That’s not to say that every time a young person goes online that predators are waiting for them, but bad things can happen, so it’s better to be prepared.

A young person is still forming their identity, so they have a lot of questions about how the world, how relationships work and how they fit into all of that. Anything they see online is going to inform their view of relationships, of what’s normal or acceptable So if they are viewing inappropriate sexual or violent content, that’s going to mix in with their ideas of what’s expected of people in relationships. It can be difficult then, because if they view inappropriate content, they may feel that they can’t ask their parents questions about things that are

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troubling or disturbing because they shouldn’t have been looking at those things in the first place.

As young people grow, they will feel entitled to – and will be deserving of – a greater degree of privacy. I think, going right back to the start of their relationship with technology, it’s important that parents begin a long conversation with their child, letting them know that they want their child to have an increasing level of privacy as they get older. The other side of that agreement is that the parents must feel they can trust their child. I think having this conversation every six months and reviewing how much freedom the young person has is a good way to approach this – an ongoing negotiation and renegotiation.

As the use of smartphones and tablets at home continues to rise, I hope these tips will give parents peace of mind and the tools they need to manage what their children are accessing online.

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Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you must be technologically savvy as a parent in order to protect your child online. Set rules around technology, when and where children can use technology.

For example, no internet use until homework is complete, no screens at the dinner table, no screens in bedrooms at night, time limits on social media sites and passwords must be shared with parents. Be open to renegotiating the rules as your child gets older.

Before allowing your child onto social media sites, have a look at the channels yourself so that you are familiar with how they work, the content and features and most importantly, the security settings.

Enjoy the internet with your child: after all, it is a useful tool for both

education and entertainment. By joining them in the fun part of this journey into their life online, you will be in a better position to mentor and support them as the need arises.

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Home & Interiors

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Don’t say yes to your child having certain apps or social media sites because of peer pressure. If your child experiences peer pressure, turn this into an opportunity to teach them to manage this well rather than feeling the peer pressure transfer to you as a parent.

Speak to your child about how to treat other people online with respect and make sure they understand the importance of not sharing personal data with people they do not know.

Anne McCormack is a psychotherapist accredited to the Family Therapy Association of Ireland (FTAI) and the Irish Council for Psychotherapy (ICP). She works in private practice in north Co Dublin and is a contributor on mental health topics in national media. She works with adults, adolescents and children experiencing depression, anxiety, eating disorders, relationship difficulties, self-esteem issues, post-traumatic stress or suicidal ideation. annemccormack.ie Anne developed these tips for child safety online in conjunction with Carphone Warehouse. The iKydz range is an easy-to-use, plug and play solution that can be installed in less than ten minutes. The device connects to the broadband router and is controlled using the free iKydz app. This allows the user to manage all the connected devices in the home. iKydz is available at Carphone Warehouse stores and at carphonewarehouse.ie

Stay tuned in to who your child is following online. Ask why a particular person/game/celebrity interests them. Talk to them regularly about their experiences of people online and ask how the content they view makes them feel.

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10/3/2018 12:39:41 PM

Home & Interiors DFS

Debenhams table light, €127.50

Debenhams planter, €21

What’s the deal with

Teal?

dfs Eden large sofa in aqua, €1399

REX bunny storage flask, €20.95

Designers have been telling us that teal is a must-have shade for a long time now, but luckily, it’s a versatile range of colours, from palest duck-egg greens right through to strong but warm blues

Argos Home Kari three-seater sofa, blue, €599.99

Rex wooden elephant ornament, €6.95

REX blue retro alarm clock, €18.25

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Tiger Stores desk tray, €2

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Home & Interiors

dfs New Lark tub chair in teal, €319

Home|Lust Concept Store vase, €18

Debenhams cushion, €60

Heatons chenille duck egg throw, €6.72

Rex ’50s style table, €83.95

Next Wilson sofa in teal, £799, Colour block side table, £30, Colourpop cushion £14, Kira table lamp, £12

Home|Lust Concept Store

IKEA

Michael Murphy Spirit chaise, €265

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10/3/2018 11:20:14 AM

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10/3/2018 11:16:51 AM