Jazzing up meal time

While fashion is my main love, there has been many a week gone by where I barely met anyone and, like so many others, I just didn’t feel like investing in my wardrobe.

I’ve pretty much got a whole wardrobe of last summer’s clothes ready to go. However, with all of us spending more time at home, finding unique interiors brands and fun pieces to jazz up mealtime has never been more popular and as I’ve been redecorating my home, I’ve become even more interested in interiors.

It was something I wasn’t much bothered with before.

Tablescaping is the new gardening, so they say and in these past few months when getting out into the garden proved difficult at times, I have been focusing my attention on creating beautiful table settings at mealtimes. Not every meal obviously but I do love to make an effort at weekends and might dress the table for a leisurely brunch of a Sunday. It’s the next best thing to being in a restaurant.

When it comes to tableware, don’t feel like you have to have full sets of crockery straight away. Remember it takes people years to build up a collection of beautiful pieces. I’ve inherited pieces, picked bits up on holiday like gorgeous napkins I bought in Italy and I’ve been given present of items too. I always look at what I have and how I can add to these with other pieces to create a unique tablescape.

Etsy, markets or online Instagram vintage markets are great places to pick up cool plates like some Arcopal floral plates I got from a vendor in France.

I then spotted some bowls that Dee Hickey Vintage was selling, and which picked up on one of the colours in the flowers on my Arcopal plate. Simple but effective table styling.

There are also so many Irish websites doing amazing interior pieces and some of my favourite places are Nest in Waterford for really unusual homewares including vases, candlesticks and cool prints and Mira Mira for candles.

I recently bought some neon dip dye candles from them and they are such a cool feature to add colour to a table or to a room in general. Just fabulous and quirky pieces all round. Also I couldn’t discuss interiors without mentioning Cork’s very own Interiosity who have beautiful, classic and durable pieces that would certainly give your home an air of style.

I’ve gotten some gold and glass side tables from them in the past and they still remain some of my most loved pieces of furniture. Similarly, I’ll always find something I love in O’Farrells of Bandon whether it be a colourful vase or a tasteful plant pot or lamp.

Also, and very excitingly, online accessories shop BLONDEthestore.com has moved into homeware. They also launched their first homeware brand with &klevering Amsterdam. &k Amsterdam was founded in 1992 and over the years grown into a tasteful, original and recognisable home accessories label. BLONDEthestore.com is an Irish stockist, stocking quirky home and tableware to add character – and you’re sure to get a conversation started at your next dinner party with the cowboy boot salt and pepper shaker! Which just happen to be a personal fav of mine along with the lemon jug and dessert plates. Prices start at €20.