Wish List: Eight fabulous finds for your living space
We are in absolute awe of artist Aida Austin's latest creations. These lovable lobsters tick all the boxes, sustainable and stunning. They are papièr machè base on a wire frame with paint scrap collage on the top surface. Aida tells us that each scrap is wiggled into position with tweezers and glued so they are most certainly bespoke and utterly unique. With well over a hundred hours' work in each lobster, Aida says they are created from completely recycled materials. 'I found hundreds of paint scraps on the shingle at base of Reen pier - it must have been an old paint spill of some sort. There was lovely weathering on the edges and amazing colours and patinas. When I ran out of those scraps after using them up on my first two lobsters, I went to a boatyard near Baltimore to ask if I could forage for paint litter and they let me. They gave me some very pitying looks as I scavenged around in the rain under boats but I was on a mission and found a load. Literally, one man's rubbish is another woman's treasure.' Each lobster is €650 and you can find out more on Instagram @aidaaustinart.
Huge congrats to Midleton artist Yvonne Condon whose piece Yellow Nude has been blown up to more than three times the size of her original acrylic painting to be exhibited on a billboard at Project Arts Centre in Temple Bar as part of Distinct, the visual arts exhibition on Disrupt festival’s programme. Yvonne is a member of Crawford Supported Studios, a group of disabled artists who are supported in their arts practice by Crawford Art Gallery and MTU Crawford College of Art and Design. Yellow Nude will be on display until April 20; catch it if you can. The picture is by Kenneth O'Halloran.
Fancy yourself a dab hand at DIY? The PTSB Ideal Home Show is set to return to the RDS Simmonscourt on April 26 to April 28, bringing the best of Ireland’s home improvement professionals and suppliers under one roof to showcase the latest innovations in home renovations. The show sponsor, Irish company Fleetwood Paints, is inviting all DIY enthusiasts to get creative and give a new lease of life to preloved pieces in their homes with the Fleetwood Paints Challenge. Entries have been asked to recreate an everyday item in their homes using Fleetwood Paints and accessories. First prize is a €500 Fleetwood Paints voucher and you can submit before and after photos of your projects at www.idealhome.ie.
Irish family-owned business Meubles has some gorgeous pieces, all from homegrown brands- from Galway Crystal, Celtic Candles and Mindy Brownes, to the more boutique brands such as Image Furnishings, The Soft Bedding Company, and Briody Beds. We love this occasional table from the Belle Dining range. Crafted from beautiful oak antique wood, each piece shows craftsmanship and durability; from €299-€1,249, visit www.meubles.ie.
Big Wish List congratulations to Irish Yogurts Clonakilty, a family-run business who are marking an impressive 30 years in business this year. Diarmuid O’Sullivan and his wife Mary, use local farm fresh Irish milk, live yoghurt cultures, and real fruit in their products, and no artificial colours or flavours. Irish Yogurts Clonakilty is a member of Origin Green, Ireland’s food and drink sustainability programme, and the extensive Irish Yogurts Clonakilty range is available in Supervalu, Centra, Spar, Eurospar, Costcutter, Londis, Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Lidl and Aldi as well as other independent stores nationwide. It is also available in Sainsburys in the UK. Our favourite? The Sicilian lemon gourmet live yoghurt — divine! See www.irish-yogurts.ie.
On the Bathroom Shelf this week, it's the latest drop from Narciso Rodriguez, the tantalising For Her Musc Nude. Promising a 'softly sensual fragrance that delicately embraces the wearer's skin, creating a second-skin sensation', it was created by perfumer Sonia Constant, and combines musk with delicate floral petals and warm facets; 30ml is €70, 50ml is €124, available from Arnotts and pharmacies nationwide.
Now, to the most interesting release in our inbox this week, from Lynx no less. They say that since its inception, its most iconic product (Lynx Africa, what else?!) has been worn by 85% of Irish men and has sold enough products to fill Dublin’s convention centre over 54,000 times. Lynx has just launched their Fine Fragrance Collection. Formulated by world-renowned perfumers from two of the world’s premier fragrance houses, the development of the collection was led by Ann Gottlieb, a veteran in the fragrance industry behind some of Calvin Klein and Christian Dior’s best-selling fragrances. Jennifer King, Lynx Ireland, said it’s performing better than Tom Ford in a sniff test, with 74% of men aged 16-24 preferring Lynx Black Vanilla fragrance to Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille fragrance. The new collection features five 150ml scents available in the traditional body spray can, available to buy in supermarkets and pharmacies, including Dunnes Stores, Tesco, and Super Valu for €8.99.
Tried and tested this month — a pressure washer! We properly put it to the test, and when I say we, I mean my sons. We got a lot of chores done — they cleaned the deck, and then the car and a manky wall at the end of the garden with the high-pressure hose and spray gun. But then we upped the ante with the raft of accessories that came with the Kärcher K 5 Power Control pressure washer. We went mountain biking at the weekend and the slowest had to clean the bikes — shocker, it turned out to be muggins here. But by the end of it, they were fighting to take over the job. I logged into their home and garden app, and the consultant on there helped me figure out the best pressure level for a bike and assisted me with everything from how to attach the vario power spray lance. It was very satisfying and we did the runners while we were at it! Included in the kit is a very effective surface cleaner, a three-in-one stone cleaner, and the Plug 'n' Clean detergent system, which meant it was really easy to change the detergent for a fresh batch. The bikes looked like new and next weekend, we (they) are going to tackle the gutters. See www.kaercher.com/ie for more information.
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