HABITAT LIQUIDATION SALE!

Today's Irish Times reports that Lidl are likely to take over Habitat's old Dublin premises. Yup, that's what one of Ireland's main shopping thoroughfares needs- a boring discount supermarket. Move aside Paris and Milan - Dublin is set to become Europe's new shopping capital! Ugh.

In other, more exciting Habitat news though, a reliable source revealed to me yesterday that the Dublin branch will be having a liquidation sale with reductions of 50-70%. As this news was shared over a few glasses of vino, I've plum forgotten what the date is for the event, but I'll endevaour to find out. Or if any of you have the inside scoop, please leave a comment below!

A NEW BASSET IN THE FAMILY

Cool your boots, we haven't gotten another dog! This adorable little basset puppy belongs to John's folks. They thought Polly was so cute they went and got a basset of their own. Polly is very timid around other dogs, except for small ones and fellow hounds, so we thought it would be nice for her to get a break from that big galloot Django and hang out with a wee basset. The pup barely gave her a minute's peace and Polly commented when she got home that she's never having children. Just as well, considering that operation she had a few months ago.

ORLA KIELY REFILLABLE WATER BOTTLE

Because it seems I can't let a week go by without mentioning Irish designer Orla Kiely...

Orla has teamed up with water filter company Brita to design the "Wottle", a reusable water bottle featuring her signature stem print pattern. The bottle is made in the UK from 100% recycled materials and will be available to buy online next month (priced £7.95/€10)

Orla says, ‘Being involved in the redesign of such an everyday product is always a challenge. It was exciting to consider the environment alongside practicalities and aesthetics.’

What do you think - cynical marketing gimmick or must-have design innovation? I'm thinking a little from column A, a little from column B...

TROUSER HANGER AS POSTER HANGER

I found a spot in our bedroom for that "Valentine" typewriter poster. I also found an inexpensive, quirky way of hanging it - I bought a pair of mahogany trouser hangers from Dunnes for €1.75, clamped a hanger to the poster and hung it from the picture rail - works like a charm. Recession chic or wha'?

The oversize alarm clock is a recent acquisition too - I bought it in Habitat, London a few weeks ago. I have some sort of Thumbelina complex that attracts me to objects that play with scale.

Anyone who's heard me gripe about magazines taking over my house will be pleased to notice that I now have a tidy little "magazine corner" where they're stacked according to title on a repurposed shoe rack. I wonder how long that will last...

VILLA IN POSITANO

I saw this eighteenth century villa over on Yatzer yesterday and have been thinking since that this is how I would really love to live.

The villa is in Positano, Italy and was restructured in 2004 by Lazzarini Pickering Architetti.

OFF TO IKEA

My IKEA shopping list is increasing by the week and when John swore he'd never again drive to Belfast and back in one day, it turns out he meant it. So tomorrow I'm taking the IKEA Express for the first time.

The current weather is probably the main factor encouraging me to spend my whole Saturday shopping in and travelling to and from IKEA. Lovely as our living room's current flokati rug is, muddy paws are not its friend and we need to take it up every rainy day. It's been rolled up in the living room closet for about two weeks and I suspect that might be where it will remain for the rest of the "summer" if last year was anything to go by. Our living room floor is just too crap to leave bare, so hopefully one of the above rugs will look ok and make it through monsoon season unscathed. I'm undecided whether to get the sisal rug or jute rug - I'll make my mind up when I see (and smell!) them in person. The yellow and white rug is for the upstairs den. And at long last I'm going to get a Docksta table for our living/dining room, something which I'm daftly excited about. Having to be at the bus depot before 9am is something I'm less excited about.

UPDATE : Catherine and Jane have reminded me that tomorrow is Marching Day in Belfast! Duh Zee! I think I'll leave my IKEA trip till next week when there's less likelihood of delays on the roads, and have a nice lie-in tomorrow instead. Thanks ladies!

A FEW FAVOURITE RUGS

Here’s a few affordable rugs which are floating my boat at the moment. With the exception of the one on the bottom right, all are by Arte Espina and available online at Dotmaison from £49/€61.60 (delivery to Ireland starts at just £5.99/€7.50)

The colours and zig-zaggy ikat-effect of the "Fade Away Strips" rug on the top right are bang on trend and make it my top pick. I'm loving the modern folky style of the "Spiritual Focul" rug [bottom, middle]; I think it ought to appeal to any Sanna Annukka fans out there. The rug on the bottom right is "Verdana" from Woven Ground. It's obviously inspired by Marimekko's 'Unniko' pattern, but probably not so much so that there'll be fistycuffs.