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Appeal for public help in double murder probeA double murder investigation involving more than 50 gardaí got under way in Killorglin, Co Kerry, after autopsies confirmed a Lithuanian woman and her young daughter had died violently.
US research links autism to pollution levels Pregnant women who were exposed to high levels of air pollution were twice as likely to have a child with autism as women who lived in low pollution areas, a US study shows.
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Whitey Bulger shot Boston bar owner, says convicted murderer Accused Boston mobster James "Whitey" Bulger and one of his associates shot dead a bar owner in a phone booth for bragging about helping the "Winter Hill Gang" with another killing, an ex-convict and confessed murderer has testified.
Brand divorced me by text, says Perry Pop star Katy Perry has revealed that Russell Brand told her he was divorcing her in a text message.
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Aircraft leasing firm buys 10 Boeing jetsShannon-based aircraft leasing firm GE Capital Aviation Services have bought 10 new Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners for an estimated $3bn (€2.24bn) at list price.
20% of rich see value of assets halved Nearly 20% of Ireland's wealthy people have seen the value of their assets halved as a result of their over-reliance on property.
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GPA may get involved over Friday night championship dictatThe GPA could yet act on the behalf of the Carlow and Laois football panels as they have confirmed neither they nor the players were consulted about Friday week's All-Ireland round one qualifier.
Kearney keeps eyes on main prize Rob Kearney might not have felt like putting his best foot forward today as the Lions continued to prepare for Saturday's all-important first Test against Australia but he is experienced enough to know that after this midweek defeat by the Brumbies, it is essential for the main mission of the tour.
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Bradley bares his soul Soul singer Charles Bradley found fame late in life, but is haunted by his past, writes Ed Power
Body of evidence: do we fear nudity or nakedness?Do it together and it's harmless, do it alone and it's criminal, says Suzanne Harrington
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White way to Scandinavian modern
Scandinavian design, perkily dubbed ‘Scandi-chic’, has evolved over the last 75 years.
THE WHITE WAY
An overwhelming whiteness is typical in Scandinavian interiors, encompassing walls and, occasionally, even the floor and rangier pieces of furnishing, from dining sets to tables, shelving and the wood-work framing chairs.
The whiteness stemmed from the need to maximise the thin northern light of winter, coaxed through narrow, rippled panes of glass into rural homes for just a few hours each day. White is the perfect backdrop for beautiful, modernist furnishings designed in the years between the wars, and bright colours sing joyously against it. Pure white under an Irish sky, filtered through cloud, has a keen blue tint that can dish it up as cold. This doesn’t forbid you from taking the ‘Scandi-chic’ vag (road) and going to smudged, putty neutrals. Darker, edgier, metropolitan colours are becoming popular in this style, picked out in metallic accents of gold and silver, if you dare.
MINIMALISM
Scandinavian minimalism is a bow to the 1930s schools of domestic design aesthetics: Everything given a place in the home should be practical, but it doesn’t have to look ruddy awful. Function is a guiding principle to seize the look. If you think about withdrawing even some of the things that just sit there doing nothing, and which don’t have the looks to deserve it, you might find the room has an echo by work’s end.
Household objects often look better with their lines held in check. IKEA holds this idea in high esteem, blending the beautiful with the useful in so many of their best designs, making it available to all. Their creations are pared back to the bones, so that set out on the floor or nestled on a shelf, they become tranquil, working art, not just irrelevant stuff. If the job of something is to be looked at, it has an ornamental job. Be selective in what you celebrate in a pared-down ‘Scandi-chic’ space.
CELEBRATING HUMAN-MADE THINGS
The tender, traditional sensibilities of arts-and-crafts movements from the 1880s, and the influence of modernist design from the 1930s, using new technologies to shape exciting and affordable objects, both feed into the Scandinavian love of well-made things. What we’re looking for are pieces that look like they might have been handmade or were at least machine-pressed by the right hand of someone not holding a raw-herring sandwich on rye in the left hand.
If you’re interested in collecting, keep an eye out on eBay for emerging areas, such as 1970s, Danish neoclassical design in ornaments and furniture. The work of Arne Jacobsen (Artek in Finland still carry his work), silver work by Georg Jensen, of Denmark, and the demi-god Alvo Aato, provide an inspiring picture ramble on the internet, even if the pieces are beyond your financial reach.
Wood, glass, and wrought metal are the sort of honest traditional materials that turn up repeatedly in ‘Scandi-chic’ spaces. Modern materials, shaped into things from plywood to acrylic, well-designed and seamlessly put together in furnishings and finishes, are worthy contenders. It’s not even country- or budget-specific. A good, affordable, unlimited glass tumbler made by an Irish craft house, like Jerpoint, is as relevant as a classic plastic Jacobsen chair.
MODERN TRENDING AND GETTING THE LOOK
Scandinavian’s not bleak, and you can assemble the style new or second-hand on any budget.
¦ White rooms: Take a step away from pure, unadulterated white if your sensibilities shiver, but keep as close to it as possible. White eliminates shadow, lifting the other elements in the room a finger’s breadth above the floor and gifting a searing clarity. An off-white with an ochre note will still be floaty and fresh, and cool grey is another chic choice.
¦ Blond wood set on white has a refreshing edge. Look for pieces with good figuring (grain pattern) to add interest to a pale surface. Choose a veneer of real wood, rather than a printed impression. Bent, plywood stacking chairs with groovy whiplash lines, cleared out of schools and offices, turn up second-hand and can go unrecognised for just a few euro at auction. Set them alone or mix them up as a harlequin dining set.
¦ Natural materials with a purpose: Even if served up in modern form, natural materials, such as granite countertops and real-wood boards, speak to the spirit. In floors and big fixtures, they are an investment that can last decades. Function is key to choosing anything that wins inclusion in your design.
¦ Texture on white: Rippling up against those clean, pale spaces, add the rub of some rag rugs underfoot, woven cotton cushions, the arresting ripple of handmade glass and three-dimensional art work to interrupt the flow of smother surfaces. For a real treat, take a wander in Lost Weekend next time you visit Blackrock, in Dublin, to enjoy the high snowy peaks of Scandinavian design; www.lostweekend.ie. Scandium, in London, also deliver to Ireland if you have a major buy in mind.
¦ Pops of colour have appeared in the snowy expanses that once described Scandinavian rooms. Kick things up with some graphic pattern, folksy prints, and colour blocking in accessories, small furnishings and contemporary art work. If you can stick to a white-painted room, colour will sing against it. Mid-century modernist prints on textile are widely available and perfect for curtains, cushions, wall hangings and more. If you can’t take all this contemporary swing, return to a gentler age with Scandinavian country styling. All white but softened with plain, rustic wood furniture, plenty of fresh cotton check, clouds of fresh flowers, and wide plank flooring.
The paintings of Swede, Carl Llarson, are a major inspiration for this look and you can find a good selection at http:// www.clg.se/encarl.aspx.
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