Homes, Interiors & Gardens - Irish Examiner

<p>In Celtic culture, the birch tree represented new beginnings and regeneration. During the Celtic festival of Samhain, birch branches were sometimes used to drive out the old year's spirits, making way for the new. File picture</p>

home and gardens

Peter Dowdall: Why birch trees signify new beginnings

These hardy species are linked to regeneration and play a vital role in supporting biodiversity

<p>The recent dips in temperatures will have slowed grass growth, but it's not too late to cut your lawn, says Peter Dowdall. File picture</p>

home and gardens

Garden Q&A: Is it too late to cut my lawn in December?

<p>Tonstad storage/display furniture, €70-€1229.</p>

home and gardens

Revealed: Our top 10 Ikea home interior picks of the year

Wish List: Eight top ideas for hosting, gifting and treating ourselves

home and gardens

Wish List: Eight top ideas for hosting, gifting and treating ourselves

Cork auctions offer everything from doll's houses to diamonds

home and gardens

Cork auctions offer everything from doll's houses to diamonds

Antiques: Rare bird book, handcuffs and a shrine for St Patrick's bell

home and gardens

Antiques: Rare bird book, handcuffs and a shrine for St Patrick's bell

How Jilly Cooper's 'Rivals' has unleashed 80s chic in home interiors

home and gardens

How Jilly Cooper's 'Rivals' has unleashed 80s chic in home interiors

How to make your houseplants look festive

home and gardens

How to give houseplants a fabulous festive makeover

Flat-lay of friends eating and talking at festive Christmas table

home and gardens

How to host a dinner party, from cutlery to tableware and timing

Jennifer Sheahan: Interior design ideas for larger rooms

Jennifer Sheahan: Interior design ideas for larger rooms

Designing for large rooms offers endless possibilities and choices

Wed, 04 Dec, 2024

Gardening events: Christmas workshops and demonstrations

Garden Notes: Events for your diary

Christmas wreath workshops, gala demonstrations and festive meetups

Sun, 01 Dec, 2024

Clover

Garden Q&A: Can I prevent clover from taking over my lawn?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Sun, 01 Dec, 2024

Winter Walk in Wellies

Peter Dowdall: Let's go walking in a winter wonderland

'Low temperatures, frost and snow are a necessary part of our voyage around the sun each year and the garden benefits from this'

Sun, 01 Dec, 2024

Róisín Lafferty: 'I create spaces that foster a sense of discovery'

Róisín Lafferty: 'I create spaces that foster a sense of discovery'

Home Editor Eve Kelliher discovers what inspires award-winning interior designer Róisín Lafferty

Sat, 30 Nov, 2024

Create the perfect festive tablescape this Christmas

Create the perfect festive tablescape this Christmas

Even minimalists will be tempted to indulge when they see what's trending this sumptuous season as we consult three design pros

Sat, 30 Nov, 2024

Antiques: Let's talk about the elephant in the room in Cork

Antiques: Let's talk about the elephant in the room in Cork

Des O'Sullivan's focus is on a spectacular scene-stealer at Marshs in Cork

Sat, 30 Nov, 2024

Why Irish artworks keep breaking records at auction

Why Irish artworks keep breaking records at auction

The art market is proving robust in the face of two years of downturn and continuing global uncertainty, writes Des O'Sullivan

Sat, 30 Nov, 2024

Hot mulled wine with spices for Christmas

How to make the most marvellous mulled wine

Stir things up with our recipes for the best festive warmers, including a spicy alcohol-free number

Thu, 28 Nov, 2024

Jennifer Sheahan: Home design ideas so you can enjoy the freedom years

Jennifer Sheahan: Home design ideas so you can enjoy the freedom years

How to invest in your living space so it's the perfect fit for your retirement

Wed, 27 Nov, 2024

How to scent your home for Christmas

How to scent your home for the festive season

Fragrance is always a powerful tool especially when you’re transforming your living space into a Christmas haven

Sun, 24 Nov, 2024

Elegant winter and Christmas flowers

Garden Notes: Christmas demonstrations and events

Evenings and charity fundraisers for your diary

Sun, 24 Nov, 2024

Rose garden

Garden Q&A: What is the best time of year to prune roses?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Sun, 24 Nov, 2024

Beautiful backyard with vintage glasshouse and Christmas wreath on winter

Peter Dowdall: How to enjoy your room outside this winter

This season's beauty is not as obvious as summer's blooms, but frost patterns, icy dew and stillness are also magical

Sun, 24 Nov, 2024

Jennifer Sheahan: Ensure your home's a fab fit for middle age

Jennifer Sheahan: Ensure your home's a fab fit for middle age

Design priorities evolve with life. Maybe your space is your own again, or you may be welcoming older relatives as you care for them

Sat, 23 Nov, 2024

How we use manifesting to create our dream lives and living spaces

How we use manifesting to create our dream lives and living spaces

As Cambridge Dictionary names ‘manifest’ its word of the year, Irish designers tell Eve Kelliher how they put positive thinking into action

Sat, 23 Nov, 2024

Antiques: Huge choice in Killarney, Carrigtwohill and Durrow

Antiques: Huge choice in Killarney, Carrigtwohill and Durrow

Winter selling season reaches its zenith with a rare lots at big sales by Aidan foley, Sheppard's and Lynes & Lynes

Sat, 23 Nov, 2024

Artist John Doherty put vanishing Ireland in the frame

Artist John Doherty put vanishing Ireland in the frame

Des O'Sullivan focuses on a virtuoso painter of an Ireland that is fast disappearing

Sat, 23 Nov, 2024

COLLINS BARRACKS

Ireland's tasty housekeeping and interior design history

Dramatic domestic history displays at the National History Museum show how our forebears lived and entertained. The curators spill all

Fri, 22 Nov, 2024

Cheerful dog sitting in a chair by the Christmas tree

Here comes Santa Paws: Eight great gifts for pets

The most fabulous, fun, and enriching presents for deepening our bond with furry and feathered friends this festive season

Fri, 22 Nov, 2024

Sofa Chairs And A Center Table In The Living Room

I tried the one-touch rule to organise my home. Here's what happened

Kya deLongchamps wants to know if the discipline will transform her household into the well-ordered environment she craves

Thu, 21 Nov, 2024

Scandinavian loft interior

What you need to know to winter-proof your home

Keep the wolf from the door: How to weather-proof your property and take the worst of the chill off your winter palace

Thu, 21 Nov, 2024

Dry November: Stay snug with our advice on dry-lining your walls

Dry November: Stay snug with our advice on dry-lining your walls

Generally, dry-lining is suited to both solid block, cavity block and timber framed walls

Sun, 17 Nov, 2024

Gardening events: Christmas workshops and demonstrations

Gardening events: Christmas workshops and demonstrations

November events for your diary

Sun, 17 Nov, 2024

Wooden chair and bayleaf bush

Garden Q&A: What's the best season to prune a bay tree?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Sun, 17 Nov, 2024

Daniel and Sandra Davey reap rewards of the One Shop Stop Retrofit

Daniel and Sandra Davey reap rewards of the One Shop Stop Retrofit

Daniel and Sandra Davey are among a growing number of homeowners availing of grants as part of their personal commitment to sustainability. They talk to Conor Brumell

Sun, 17 Nov, 2024

pink Christmas cactus flower on the windowill

Peter Dowdall: Plants engage multiple senses at once

'Whether it's the rabbit's ear plant from childhood or a Christmas cactus passed down through generations, specific plants are living reminders of those we love'

Sun, 17 Nov, 2024

See how a vacant Cork farmhouse got a glamorous new lease of life

See how a vacant Cork farmhouse got a glamorous new lease of life

Ciara O'Brien transformed her mid-1800s property in sight of the Galtee mountain range into her dream home and business. We pay a visit

Sat, 16 Nov, 2024

A modern barn house with a mezzanine, large windows, and a lovely terrace with a garden - 3d render

It's a wrap: External wall insulation for your home

All you need to know about this type of insulation — which is generously supported by a grant managed by the SEAI

Sat, 16 Nov, 2024

Pippa Jameson: ‘I create spaces that don’t overwhelm the senses’

Pippa Jameson: ‘I create spaces that don’t overwhelm the senses’

See inside the leading interior stylist's home as she tells Eve Kelliher how she balances panache with practicality

Sat, 16 Nov, 2024

Work by John Behan at Woodward's Cork sale

Work by John Behan at Woodward's Cork sale

Des O'Sullivan previews the online auction which features a piece by the renowned contemporary sculptor as well as art, furniture and collectibles

Sat, 16 Nov, 2024

Irish art from the Hobart Collection at Christie's in London

Irish art from the Hobart Collection at Christie's in London

Paintings from the private collection of Mary and Alan Hobart, founders of the Pyms Gallery, will be on sale on Tuesday

Sat, 16 Nov, 2024

Wish List: Eight awesome ideas for gift hunters this festive season

Wish List: Eight awesome ideas for gift hunters this festive season

Esther McCarthy eyes presents for the music and art fans, farmers, homebodies, chocolate lovers, and writers in your life

Fri, 15 Nov, 2024

It's success on the double for EZ Living Interiors

It's success on the double for EZ Living Interiors

Leading home furniture and décor business wins Large Online Retailer of the Year award for the second consecutive year

Fri, 15 Nov, 2024

How 'intentional clutter' can bring joy to our homes

How 'intentional clutter' can bring joy to our homes

More is more with considered use of some of what we fancy, writes Kya deLongchamps

Fri, 15 Nov, 2024

Home: Deck the halls with Scandi-style festive décor

Home: Deck the halls with Scandi-style festive décor

We're making subtle statements this Christmas as we choose organic décor and natural textures. Think chic simplicity with a little sparkle

Thu, 14 Nov, 2024

Jennifer Sheahan: Undertones are key to perfect paint colours

Jennifer Sheahan: How to create a child- and pet-friendly home

If you're designing your living space for a young family that includes small children and/or pets, these are the key considerations

Thu, 14 Nov, 2024

Figs

Garden Q&A: Do fig trees grow and bear fruit in Ireland?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Sun, 10 Nov, 2024

Erica white perfection in spring. Kubota Garden, Seattle, WA, USA

Garden Digest: Dates for your winter diary

Munster gardening events for your calendar

Sun, 10 Nov, 2024

Caoimhe McGinley's secrets to creating child-friendly festive decor and tablescapes

Caoimhe McGinley's secrets to creating child-friendly festive decor and tablescapes

'It's chaos here most days. I've learned to embrace the mess'

Sun, 10 Nov, 2024

Vase designed by coronation chicken creator for auction in Bandon

Vase designed by coronation chicken creator for auction in Bandon

Constance Spry is best remembered nowadays as the co-creator of the spicy mayonnaise concoction — filling for millions of 21st-century airport sandwiches — in 1952

Sat, 09 Nov, 2024

On the treasure trail to Limerick, London, Cork and Geneva

On the treasure trail to Limerick, London, Cork and Geneva

London, Limerick, Cork and Geneva calling for art, jewellery, vintage fashion and antique hunters

Sat, 09 Nov, 2024

Read, see, make and do: This week's must-haves

Read, see, make and do: This week's must-haves

Home Editor Eve Kelliher checks out must-sees, must-reads and must-haves

Fri, 08 Nov, 2024

Jennifer Sheahan: Make your starter house a home — within budget

Jennifer Sheahan: Make your starter house a home — within budget

'Owning a house offers the chance to create a space that truly feels like home. You can paint it whatever colour you want, or tear down walls'

Fri, 08 Nov, 2024

Revealed: Top tile choices to refresh our home interiors

Revealed: Top tile choices to refresh our home interiors

Considering a DIY splashback or plotting a floor or full bathroom or kitchen renovation? Here's your one-stop guide

Thu, 07 Nov, 2024

Blue Tit

Peter Dowdall: Winter berries are not just for the birds

As our feathered friends tuck into haws and holly berries, let's feast our eyes on the colourful display

Thu, 07 Nov, 2024