Wish List: Eight top home buys to jazz up your January 

Esther N McCarthy is wowed by a window vacuum cleaner, curated homeware and inspirational art

Pre-loved homewares

This House of Klax Interiors' Oriental table folding screen is ticking all our boxes. It's sustainable and unique and the price point isn't bad either at €55. The virtual vintage and antiques store offers a collection of carefully curated, beautiful pre-loved homewares and decorative pieces to brighten up any home this new year. With items starting from just €10 for a handmade milk jug from the 1930s right up to €400 for a large mirror or painting. This mid-century gold and wood six-panel lacquer folding Oriental table screen dates from the 1970s with vibrant birds and flowers, we love it.  See houseofklaxinteriors.com.

IBAM award

Huge congratulations to Bray-based artist Róisín O’Farrell who is following in the footsteps of Irish art and cultural icons such as Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne, Sharon Shannon, Daniel O'Donnell, Marian Keyes and Robert Ballagh for collecting a 2023 IBAM award in Chicago recently. Named 2023 Visual Artist of the Year by the Irish American Arts ‘non-profit’, O’Farrell is known for her colourful paintings of light-filled period interiors, with vintage furnishings and china teacups, as well as her charming whimsical gatherings of Wellington boots on doorsteps and in hallways. See roisinofarrell.com.

Made Local

Cork maker Diane Southey of Saille Baskets is a member of the Design and Crafts Council Ireland’s Made Local Campaign. She represents local makers in the Cork area, aren't her pieces just gorgeous? Made Local highlights the originality, quality and value of Irish-designed and craft products. For a full list of Irish craft and design makers and retailers visit DCCI’s online directory at madelocal.ie and for more information on Irish craft and design visit dcci.ie.

Window vacuum cleaner

Tried and tested this week is one of the practical and satisfying products we used. There were fights in our house over who got to vacuum the windows in the morning. We used the handheld Kärcher WV 6 Plus window vac every morning for two weeks. 

Our windows are typically wet with condensation when we wake up — it only seems to happen in the bedrooms and it's particularly bad in the box room at the front of the house. The window vac is exactly what it sounds like — it sucks the water off the window. It's lightweight enough for the eight-year-old to easily use it, and it left us with streak-free sparkling clean windows — a rarity believe you me.  

It's rechargable, and claims to clean surfaces up to three times faster than the traditional method but I can't remember the last time I tried to clean a window by hand so I'll have to take their word for it on that one. I liked the nifty narrow suction nozzle (170mm), and the older boy made a bit of pocket money using it to clean the car windows. Twenty cent is a fair wage, right? This is €129.99 with free delivery. Made 2024 the year you can see out your windows, it's working so far for us. See kaercher.com.

Elegant but strong

We love this Freedom mixed media and embellished print from the Solus collection at Merrion Gallery. Part of the 'elegant but strong' Ballet Chromatica collection by international artist Solus, these unique pieces, based on Solus’s iconic ballerina images, showcase a subtle charm and individuality. €490, see merriongallery.ie/ for more.

Gummy vitamins

Check out this award-winning gummy vitamin brand, Novomins: We tried these collagen gummies around the office and everyone loved them. They really are delicious plus they are boosted with added vitamin C, biotin and hyaluronic acid. Made with natural flavours and free from artificial sweeteners and colours, they are non-GMO and gluten-free. Available to buy at Chemist Warehouse, for €16.99, see  novomins.com.

Bathroom Shelf

On the Bathroom Shelf this week we have a new brand ORI Lab. It blends organic haircare with clean beauty science and is made by NAK Hair, which you might recognise as a fab Australian brand. ORI Lab is all about products being kind to your skin, to your hair and kind to the environment. With four core collections, there's something for everyone. Prices from €13.80 to €37.50.  ORI Lab is available from salons and beauty e-tailers, see nakhair.com.au/products/ori-lab.

Ottoman sliced

How smart is this? We love the round ottoman with a clever slice to hold your newspaper, book, or magazine. Yours for €259 from Meadows and Byrne; meadowsandbyrne.com.