A London restaurant interior by Dublin design firm Kingston Lafferty and some lavish home renovations are among scores of projects ranging from textile designs to movie effects shortlisted in this year’s Institute of Designers in Ireland Irish Design Awards. Four hundred entries were received across several different categories, and the most interesting include a football kit designed for the Afghanistan men and women’s football team that incorporates the hijab. The superb GPO Witness History exhibition makes the shortlist, as does the Wind and Rain Bridge, a timber bridge designed by an Irish architect in southern China following the floods of 2014,both fitting given the theme of this year’s awards, DESIGN:RISING. The shortlisted works will be exhibited at the annual IDI Irish Design Awards Exhibition at Fumbally Exchange, 5 Dame Lane, Dublin 2, from Monday, October 24th to Saturday, November 5th. Winners will be announced on November 17th.
New scents from an old company
Rathborne Candles knows a thing or two about wax and wicks, having been in business in Dublin continuously since 1488 when one Joseph Rathborne came from Chester in England, later establishing a chandlers in Winetavern Street. Rathborne spent most of the last century in premises in East Wall, where a small factory shop was mostly frequented by priests and nuns. Now located in Blanchardstown, the company has a busy religious division – Lalor's Church Candles – and sells about 20 million tealights a year . But with churches increasingly closing outside Mass times, Rathborne – which is now owned by UK candle company Charles Farris – has entered the scented candle market with a small range. The range has been on sale for the last 12 months exclusively in Brown Thomas but now it is more widely available, through Arnotts, Meadows & Byrne and other outlets. A diffuser has been added, along with a travel kit of three smaller candles. Expect heady scents from these rich, beeswax and oil-filled candles; the most popular is Dublin tearose, oud and patchouli. Prices start at €19, rising to €54. The diffuser is €46. See arnotts.ie
Posies in the post
Bloom & Wild, the UK florist that sends brilliantly packaged flowers through the post, has launched in Ireland. Flowers in the post, how does that work? Basically your bouquet arrives flatpacked in a slim cardboard box with the heads and stems in protective covering. Put them in water, fluff them out and there's your bouquet. In fact, it's the old way of doing things: in times gone by, flowers were often delivered straight from the grower to the household in cardboard boxes without florists fussing with them. The benefit is that, for those with a decent sized letterbox, the flowers can be delivered to the house, or left discreetly on the mat if there's no one home. Bloom & Wild claim their flowers, which are presented prettily, will last for 10 days and there's one more plus: you don't get a lot of the unwanted greenery that often comes with expensive arrangements. The flowers come direct from Holland, with prices starting at €24 plus P&P. See bloomandwild.com
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Pale and interesting
Pale and slim, but with that all-important wide seat, Neptune's Wardley dining chairs in shingle and natural oak is a classic. Inspired by traditional farm kitchen chairs with a nod to Shaker designer, it costs €330. Occasional boxes to match start at €72. See neptune.com for Irish stockists
Threads that count
White & Green, a new Irish company selling simple but luxurious bedlinen and throws, does most of its business online but it has just opened a pop-up shop in Monkstown that will run from now until Christmas. The company was founded by the Winckworth family, and the mother and daughters team have spent the past year travelling to and from India, where the quality organic cotton bed linen, throws and baby items are produced. The softly textured fabric is 100 per cent Fairtrade certified and the designs are simple and sharp. The pop-up shop is at 18a The Crescent, Monkstown, next to Cafe du Journal, and there's a party on the premises next Tuesday from 7pm to 9pm to celebrate the opening. Do drop by. See whiteandgreen.ie
