Five fab finds for your living space, from sofas to artwork

Eve Kelliher spots sleek seating with the French connection and an island of amazing art off the Cork coast

The DFS Milani cord four-seater sofa in olive green.

I recall a house share from years ago when days after a weekend stay, we found a stray guest under the kitchen table, strumming a guitar, completely content. Different times and fun to look back on.

But nowadays everyone's mindful of that classic advice: “Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.”

Because who wants to overstay their welcome? Or be a put-upon host?

In recent years, our homes have become hubs not only for living and working, but for socialising too, and this has impacted how we use and style our spaces.

And don’t we all love a sleepover? (Within reason — I might just still be a bit wary of the guitar-toting girls and guys of my acquaintance.)

The desire for connection underpins one of this season’s key trends at DFS: Called Gather, it aims to create rooms which encourage guests to relax.

So, the furniture you choose plays an important role. To tap into this trend and create a space made for connection, Lou Petersen, head of design innovation at DFS, says: “If you’re looking to create an area where the whole family can gather together, go for a generous corner sofa.

“Our new Gather sofa features a discrete pullout mechanism under the sofa seat, which transforms the sofa into a daybed, making it perfect for stretching out and chilling out together.

“This is a pared-back look that’s easy on the eye, so bring depth and interest through texture rather than overt pattern — think cord, bouclé, wood grain and linen. Our new Milani sofa from DFS in olive green cord is a great statement piece to anchor this look.”

That said, you might prefer to create cosy little conversation nooks, in which case two sofas or accent chairs facing each other can work well, like the Calix accent chair in forest green bouclé or the Calix ripple accent chair in a latte bouclé.

• See DFS

SITTING PRETTY

This year, Roche Bobois celebrates 50 years of the Mah Jong sofa. The iconic seating first hit living rooms in 1971. It was the brainchild of Philippe Roche, co-founder of the French Roche Bobois brand, and Hans Hopfer, a design genius who had a flair for anticipating changing lifestyles.

The iconic Roche Bobois Mah Jong Missoni sofa.

Avant-garde at the time of its creation, the sofa’s been “dressed” over the decades by all the leading catwalk names such as Kenzo Takada, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Missoni Home.

But most of all, the seating is a benchmark of modularity. Starting with three basic elements that can be combined or stacked together, the Mah Jong allows limitless options of composition, ranging from simple to complex. 

The Mah Jong can be an armchair, sofa, lounge chair, bed or living area. 

Roche Bobois explains all prices are on demand, depending on the sofa combination chosen.

BACK TO BLACK

Monochrome is having a moment. There has long been a shift away from the traditional white bathroom fixtures towards colours, and now black is having its turn on the spotlight.

Sonas Bathrooms' Stockholm countertop.

“Black has emerged as a dominant and enduring choice within interior design due to its simplicity, timeless appeal, and elegance,” says Anne-Marie Craig, Sonas nationwide showroom designer.

Reflecting the growing demand for black products, Sonas has seen an increase in demand of over 100% since 2020 across various product categories, including shower enclosures, brassware, accessories, and even sanitary ware.

Anne-Marie says she loves working with black and creating monochrome spaces in her designs. “It’s a simple yet incredibly effective choice,” she says. 

“Some people worry that the absence of colour might make the space feel cold or clinical, but in reality, it creates a restful and tranquil atmosphere.”

• See Sonasbathrooms

ART ISLAND

Let’s expand our horizons and pick up a unique piece of art for our living spaces this summer.  Sherkin Island has attracted a population of professional and non-professional artists, musicians, writers, and photographers.

At the opening of Sherkin Island’s community art exhibition, from left, Fiona Collins, Aisling and Ellie Moran, curator, Mona O’Driscoll, Majella O’Neill Collins, Maria O’Driscoll, John Simpson and Terry Farnell. Picture: Robbie Murphy

This weekend, the Sherkin community opens its series of summer art displays, starting with the annual art exhibition in the community hall on the island until tomorrow, Sunday, July 2. Numerous exhibitions will follow throughout the season. Textile artist Jordyn Lynch and multimedia artist Dara Simpson will hold a joint show from July 3-9. Threads of Magick is inspired by the changing of the seasons, local legends and landscapes. 

Catching the Light, a joint exhibition with artist Jo Ashby and island photographer Robbie Murphy follows from July 10-20. 

Strawberry Moon rises behind Baltimore Beacon by Robbie Murphy, at Sherkin Island’s annual community art exhibition.

Richard Winfield’s photographic display, The Magic of Trees, runs from July 22-27 followed by an exhibition by Nigel Towse and John Simpson from July 29 to August 9 and college artist Tara O’Donoghue’s Call a Spade A Spade, from August 10-17, with artist Tina Reed’s Sherkin Island Hedgerows exhibition from August 18-27.

• For the summer sailing schedule from Baltimore, see sherkinisland.eu/ferry

OUTSIDE IN

We’re still obsessed with the biophilic aesthetic and introducing nature to our interiors. Colourtrend offers several paint shades that let you complement the look on your walls, including Larkspur (a soft blue, below) and Silver Birch (a grey-green), as well as more neutral tones like Nude Bisque and Arctic Blonde.

Colourtrend's Larkspur.

As we continue to see the positive effects of being closer to nature, we are “grounding” our interiors thanks to this design trend, bringing the outside in.

• Colourtrend paint is available to shop in-store and online at Colourtrend; prices start at €35 per litre