Inside Out: Danish homeware, wall art and a bed to dream of

Eve Kelliher checks out three new additions to the arts and interiors scene to brighten up our living spaces this autumn

I don't know about anyone else but autumn gets me in the mood for hibernating.

Some people browse the stationery aisles as soon as August arrives — no matter how many decades have zipped by since they opened their Leaving Cert results — but give me a lookbook of duvet sets or bedroom furniture promising blissful relaxation any day (or night) — no smirking in the cheap seats, now.

Check out the Joules Thornton king-size bed frame in Festival Floral, €1,625, and storage ottoman in red ticking stripe, €649, both available exclusively at DFS.

Joules Hambledon king-size bed frame in blue ticking stripe.

The bed features an oversized statement headboard and Lou Petersen of DFS says: “When it comes to styling your bedroom if you prefer a maximalist look then go for a patterned bed frame with a statement headboard, as it’s always going to be the most dominant piece of furniture in the space.”

The Joules Thornton king-size bed frame in Festival Floral exclusive at DFS.

What if you want to go all-out and continue the country-house look this season? Lou says: “Mixing plains, patterns and stripes is key to this trend, so try introducing a couple of accent pieces in a contrasting fabric to get this balance — it also helps you achieve that boutique country hotel feel.

“And if you fancy dialling up the playfulness of this look, introduce an additional, contrasting shade — here, a rich sunshine yellow lifts the space and gives it a contemporary edge.”

The Joules Thornton bedroom range is available exclusively at DFS and includes a double, king and super-king bed frame, all available with or without ottoman storage, together with a storage ottoman footstool, and a range of scatter cushions.

Each piece in the range comes in a choice of Festival Floral print, blue ticking stripe, or red ticking stripe.

• See Dfs

WONDER WALLS

Art lovers will have noticed a bit of action on Cork’s streetscape in time for the new school year: Ardú Street Art has returned to the streets of Cork for its 2023 edition, as the first artists take their positions to create a striking new large-scale mural for the city.

The mural, currently a work in progress on the corner of Bridge Street and Coburg Street, has been designed as a collaboration between co-organisers of Ardú Shane O’Driscoll and Peter Martin.

Ardu Street Art, Cork.

Ardú is the brainchild of Shane and Peter. Shane is a visual artist from Cork and has painted in a number of street Art festivals throughout the country, as well as having two largescale murals in Cork City.

Ardu Street Art, Cork.

Peter Martin, also based in Cork, has worked predominantly in public art over the last few years where he creates large-scale figurative artwork in mediums such as murals, tiled mosaics, and stained glass.

History, culture, and identity feature strongly throughout his work, and he aims to create work which is a commentary and often a celebration of place.

Their mural design commemorates Tomás MacCurtain. The artists point out that this is a man “that contributed so much not only to the revolution in Ireland and Cork over 100 years ago but also for his contribution to arts and culture in the city”.

Shane and Peter’s creation is the culmination of a project with transition-year students from St Angela’s and Christian Brothers College.

Ardu Street Art, Cork.

Ardú Street Art was established in Cork during the lockdown of October 2020, originally bringing seven of Ireland’s most respected and renowned street artists — Deirdre Breen, Maser, James Earley, Peter Martin, Shane O’Driscoll, Aches, and Garreth Joyce — to create large-scale murals at key Cork city locations.

• See Arducork

DANISH DESIGN

Danish homeware brand Jysk opened its third store in Cork this week as it flung wide the doors of its Ballincollig business on Thursday. This brings to 22 the number of Jysk stores in Ireland, as the Ballincollig premises joins the Youghal and Eastgate stores in the Rebel County. 

Mason Roche at the opening of Jysk, Ballincollig, on Thursday. Picture: Gerard McCarthy

The Scandinavian-inspired retail store will create approximately 10 new jobs and the store will be managed by Karolina Kudtye.

The new store is located at Unit 4, Innishmore Lawn, Ballincollig, Cork, P31 D256, and is open from 10am to 6pm daily.

• See Jysk