You’re never too old to write a letter to Santa Claus. As a grown-up, it’s still magical when you find he’s delivered exactly what you wanted under that tree on Christmas morning.
If money were no object and your imagination lost the run of itself, what would you love for your home?
“We have such a huge garden, it’s easily done. We would extend the kitchen to get rid of the dated umbrella conservatory, but more than that, I would love to use the roof as a balcony off our bedroom. It’s so quiet where we live. I have this romanticised vision of having a cup of tea in the morning up there. Is that too much to ask Santa?
Interior designer Peter Irvine.
“In my stocking I’d love to see some new cutlery, new linen bedding and vouchers for a cleaner. Who wouldn’t want to lighten their daily chores list?”
The KitchenAid Pure Powerblender, €159.
“More art and photography,” she says. “Artwork takes time to curate, and we had a busy move-in turnaround, so I recently invested in pieces by Aisling Hennessy and Mary Fallon.
Natasha Rocca Devine: ‘Some cookbooks from Irish chefs would be perfect.’
“For photography, I am especially drawn to black and white prints. I want to add some of these pieces, including our own photos, to personalise our home and give it real character. I admire pieces with a sense of history or story behind them, things that feel meaningful and connect our home to a place, story or a time in history.”
Red is synonymous with the festive season and something practical like a throw will add a sense of occasion; €55, Penneys.
It’s easy to think people in the biz have their interiors sorted, but like everyone else, they have their aspirations. Interior designer and RTÉ Home of the Year finalist David O’Brien, whose Instagram-famous The Black House is only a few years old, is starting to think about change.
David O’Brien: ‘Kitchen countertops can completely transform and refresh a space.’
“I’d love Santa to bring me beautiful new kitchen counter worktops,” he says. “Perhaps in a luxurious natural stone or a sleek Dekton finish. They can completely transform and refresh a space and add that touch of timeless sophistication.”
The Austin seven-piece candleholder; €49, Meadows & Byrne.
Dunnes Stores creative director Helen James is appealing to Father Christmas for some sustainably stylish choices. “Santa, please be good to me and wrap a Superfolk print of The Tree of Leaves in bog oak black, which was made for the recent celebration of The Garden shop in Powerscourt Townhouse,” she says.
“I have followed Superfolk since they began and have the utmost admiration for everything they do and the way that they do it.”
Helen James: ‘I’ll also take some Hadji Bey’s Turkish Delight, please, always my fave.’
“I would like a subscription to ‘Faire’ magazine,” she says. “Ruth Ribeaucourt has bravely begun a magazine, and it’s so beautiful and champions small and independent creatives; and a subscription to Roasted Brown coffee, my favourite roasters who kept me going through the pandemic and continue to do so.
The butter dish from the Considered range holds a full pound of butter in style; €15, Dunnes Stores.
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