Golly gosh, do I love waggish Dublin painter Kieran Crowley's portraits. Using himself, friends and acquaintances as subjects, Kieran captures a dynamic side of the human condition with a distinctive rambunctiousness. Miss his solo show at The Mill Theate Gallery, Dundrum at your peril. It runs from 5th July - 1st August.
For the last number of years, Touch Wood has been a real hidden gem for furniture in Dublin. Owner Maud sources new and vintage furniture and accessories (mainly from the Netherlands, Belgium and France) and sells it directly from her conveniently-located, lovely home on the South Circular Road. However, Maud contacted me to pass on the news that Touch Wood is shutting its doors and that the closing down sale will take place on Friday and Saturday of this week (4th and 5th of July). I will definitely be going along to the sale and am sad that Maud’s wonderful resource won't be be available for the forseeable future- but I'm happy to hear that it's because she's expecting a baby! Congrats!
Gah. Due to a technical hitch the scheduled posts for last week didn’t go up on Homebug while I was away in London - although you don’t need me to tell you as you probably noticed! Big apologies! To make matters worse, I’m a little under the weather today and have a pretty hectic week ahead of me (isn’t that always the way when you come back from a break?) but I will endeavour to get back on track with the Homebug posts ASAP.
The Garrison Public House, London
So what sort of summer do you call this, huh? That weather over the weekend was positively biblical! I’m hoping that things will turn around so that J and I can resume slogging away in the garden. And the sun had better be blazing once we finish, as I have dreams of hosting a big garden party to celebrate. I spotted this “Weber One Touch” BBQ in Arnotts (also available in Meadows & Byrne, priced approx. €180) and its cute retro design has even managed to get a vegetarian like me excited about barbequing. Bring on the tofu kabobs! 
I absolutely love letter press art prints, and this brand new, limited edition "Water Lilies" print set by Yoo-ii (in collaboration with Satsuma Press) is one of the most beautiful examples I've ever seen. The delicate, geometric representation of the botanical forms knocks me out. Buy from LA-based artist Yoo-ii's Etsy shop for just $40 + $5 (€25.76 + €3.22) international delivery.
If you’ve been dreaming of a Polder sofa by Hella Jongerious for Vitra (seriously, who hasn’t?) but have been brought back down to earth by the €5,000+ price tag, you might be interested to know that the Polder sofa is currently half price in UK company Geoffrey Drayton’s sale – and they deliver worldwide. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a pretty reasonable price to pay for what I consider to be The Most Beautiful Sofa In The Whole Wide World. 
Wild Child Originals are having a moving sale! Yup, they’re leaving their George’s St. location, but before they do they’ve knocked at least 20% off everything in store. It took all my willpower not to hand over a mere €150 for a white Bertoia wire chair, but sadly I have no place for one. Please somebody give it a good home!
The updating of traditional forms with a contemporary twist is one of the main design zeitgeists I’ve been noticing (and enjoying) this year, and this chandelier by UK design team Studiomold (£420/€531.70) is yet another great example of the trend. The “Spaghetti Princess” chandelier was inspired by the beautiful chandeliers of the 17th century. Designer Brendan Young has captured an essence of their silhouette using the electric flex itself. The cables are drooped and looped through a transparent disc of Plexiglas to give the chandelier its form. 
Holy moly; I am so, so in love with these graphic figures set against geometric backgrounds. They're etchings by Irish-based Japanese artist Yoko Akino. Yoko is a member of Graphic Studio Dublin and has exhibited in Japan, Sweden and New York. Her work is currently on display in the National Gallery's "Revelation" exhibition in collaboration with Graphic Studio Dublin.
We’ve made not one but four wallpaper decisions for the house this week. For the stairway, we’re going to put in a dado rail (or “chair rail”) half way up the wall and below it hang Graham & Brown’s “Corduroy” textured wallpaper [above, left], and above it, Cath Kidston’s "Mono Rose" wallpaper [above, right]. The painted stairs “runner” we’re going to do in a chartreuse-y green. I had really wanted to go with something hip and edgy for the hallway but I had to accept that something like that just wouldn’t suit the house’s personality. As the Cath Kidston option is a bit girlicious I feel it’s only fair to offset it by introducing John’s all-time favourite wallpaper (Cole & Son’s “Woods”) into the house somewhere, namely the kitchen wall below. I think it will look great and I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before.
Our kitchen / Kitchen via DAPStockholm
On my quest for the perfect hallway wallpaper I discovered what I think could be the perfect bathroom wallpaper. As our house was built in the 1930s, I like the idea of having a few decorating nods to that period around, and this art deco wallpaper designed in the early 30s by architect Raymond McGrath is exactly the kind of style I can get with. The bathroom renovation is still so far away that I could change my mind a gazillion times in the interim, but right now this is my ideal bathroom wallpaper. (my other bathroom ideas are the “Tokyo” tub from Victoria Plumb, Sanna Annukka “Flock of Gold” screenprint, Habitat “Shiro” lantern and a tulip-style table from Instore).
I've been looking for the perfect candlestick holders for our dining table since forever. I came across these chunky, oversized ones in Dunnes Home and they’re exactly what I’ve been searching for. Only €8 a pop too.
I'm off on a quick jaunt to London next week, ostensibly to visit my brother. I've started compiling some lists though... Does anyone have any London recommendations I should add to my itinerary? Obviously I intend to get a bit o' culture and touristy stuff in too (oh and familial bonding of course), but that stuff I can plan on the plane journey, like.
Orla Kiely "Flower Blossom" wallpaper [above] - £60/€76.12
Anthropologie "Dotswold" wallpaper [above] - €58.91
Florence Broadhurst wallpapers [above] - available from Lost Weekend
Atelier LZC wallpaper [above]
Cole & Son “Parasols” wallpaper [above]
Isak "Tulip" wallpaper [above, left]- £20/€25.40 per metre squared; Scandie "Graphical Layers" wallpaper [above, right] - €198
Mibo "Clacket Lane Cream" wallpaper [above, left] - £40/€50.79 per roll; Kuboaa "Hepburn" wallpaper [above, right] - £55/€69.82 per roll
Ferm Living "Bindweed" wallpaper [above] - €39.90 (image via Design in Dublin)
Cath Kidston "Mono Rose" wallpaper [above, left] - £18/€22.84 (image via Yvestown); Walls Like Pictures "Fiftyflowers" wallpaper [above, right] - €25.50
I used to collect vintage typewriters. The only noteworthy typewriter collector I’ve ever heard of is Tom Hanks. So that goes to show how rubbish a hobby it is. Alas one day I had to accept that typewriters were too heavy and bulky a thing to collect, and parted with my small collection. I simply had nowhere for them. Like this limited edition “Valentine” poster print, available from the Design Museum Shop in the UK. I snapped one up as soon as I came across them, but I have absolutely no idea where I can put it. Hmm.
I’ve been meaning to run a series about charity shopping here on Homebug for some time. With the recession bug a-biting I keep coming across fashion writers, etc. saying “OMG. We’ll be reduced to charity shop chic!” when in reality what they mean is “I hope no-one notices that all my clothes are from H&M now” because in all my years of charity shopping, I’ve never encountered a single fashion writer. Although to be honest, apart from the occasional handbag or belt, Dublin charity shops are hardly fashion treasure troves. What they can be great for though is vintage homewares and furniture at scandalously bargainous prices.
While charity shopping in Rathmines last Saturday I came across this unusual little fellow – a mid-century brass horse figurine by Walter Bosse. It was a snip at just €1; when I got home I discovered that Bosse’s figurines can fetch 50 times that! Sweet! That’s probably one of my most braggable charity shop finds to date, but by no means my favourite. So I think I’ll make “Charity Shopping” a regular Homebug feature, wherein I highlight the hidden treasures in Ireland’s charity shops. Hurrah for guilt-free, recession shopping!
I’m getting in touch with what I consider my “mature and masculine” side recently and have a new-found love of rich walnut woods and warm olive greens. The only way this new “Yves” writing desk by the fantabulously talented Russell Pinch could be more perfect is if it had a gold anglepoise lamp sitting on it. (I spotted one in the window of Lamps & Lighting in Rathgar recently and damn near swooned.) 
Have you noticed the new “Favourites Under €50” feature on the right sidebar? I’ve been updating it over the last week with some of the choice things I come across which aren’t really worth writing a whole blog post about, but which certainly deserve a place on Homebug because (a) they’re only gorgeous, and (b) they won’t break the bank. Each image links to the spot online where it can be bought. It’s taking all my willpower not to (a) update my favourites under €50 non-stop all day long, or (b) buy everything myself. Keep your eye on "Favourites Under €50" as it will continue to be updated often!
The lovely folks at The Irish Georgian Society sent me out invites to their picnic at Leixlip Castle this Sunday and look - they come in plaid, picnic blanket-style cards; how cute! Hopefully while we're in the area on Sunday we'll drop into Castletown House for a tour- saving the grand house was one of the Georgian Society's greatest achievements since its formation 50 years ago.
Since spotting B&B Italia’s “Fat Fat” tray tables (designed by Patricia Urquiola) in the above picture of the Anemi Hotel in Greece, I have become obsessed with them. An unusual anomaly within Ireland is that while homes keep getting smaller, furniture gets bigger. Aware of this, I always have my eye out for neat, compact and elegantly designed furniture for small spaces. The “Fat Fat” tray table is just that and is available in Ireland through Haus. My tray table obsession has now extended to all tray tables and below are my favourites – available in Ireland or online.
1. Design House Stockholm's Tablo Teak (from €160.56) - Scandinavian Design Center
Tray by Calligaris (from €153) - Irish retailers
