Wish List: Classy place-setting to cute snowmen to get through the shortest days

Esther N McCarthy raises a toast (or even a bagel) to household kit and bright ideas to cheer you through the shortest days, from a classy place-setting to the cutest snowman.

1. Festive dining table set-up

Stylish yet not overly formal, this Christmas dining set up is by Neptune.

Featuring the Carter rectangular dining table, €2,080, and Carter bench, price €590, along with Neptune’s Fenton tableware in white.

The dinner plate is €21, the soup plate is €18, the side plate is €16, Ellis linen placemats, a set of six is €64/£50, Barnes red wine glasses, set of six is €67, the Hanley candlesticks start at €32, and the Blyton pillar candles are from €6.

See www.neptune.com for Irish stockists

2. SMEG toaster

I love the pop of red in this retro SMEG toaster. There are six levels of variable browning, if you don’t mind, and a bagel function. €199.99 from Curry’s PC World. www.currys.ie

3. Irish-made gifts

Louis Copeland, yes, he of the famous menswear store, has recently launched Made of Irish.

This is a hand-picked collection of Irish-made gifts, with a focus on homewares, cosy throws, handmade pottery, stationary, skincare, and candles. We’ve picked two of our favourites here — a very manly Tobacco and Black Pepper candle (above), €16.95, from Rowen Beg candles designed in their Connemara Studio and this Conor Lynch beech salad bowl (below), €60. See www.madeofirish.com

4. Unique Irish products for those abroad

We’re excited about a new initiative that the Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development, Ciarán Cannon TD, announced recently.

Through DesignIreland.ie the online selling platform presented by the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland, it offers a by-county, searchable database to help the Irish abroad to source unique products made in their home county and to explore maker workshops they can visit on their next holiday to Ireland.

For more info, see www. togetherwecreate.com

5. Chrstmassy pieces

Flying Tiger Copenhagen have so many cute Christmassy pieces, check out this Snowman mug, it’s €5. For more, see https:// ie.flyingtiger.com

6. Hydration for the sensitively-skinned over party season

This is my pick for the bathroom shelf this week. The party season can be hard going for sensitively-skinned revellers.

This Avène Hydrance Kit could be your Christmas miracle, it is €34.50 from pharmacies nationwide and www.avene.ie

7. Lighting the dining area

Get ready for hysteria over the Asteria. This minimalist pendant light brightened my day when it popped into my inbox.

Available in a range of colours and the price point is switched on too, €198.

It is available through Meadows & Byrne’s 13 stores nationwide and online on www.meadowsandbyrne.com