Keep up with the latest trends and buzzwords …
Photograph via @NICOLEZARRASSOCIATES
BAR-CHITECTURE
Over the last two years, as we took to cocktail culture at home, we incorporated tiny home bars into the living room or kitchen, styling up these dedicated spaces with great barware, glassware, trays and accessories. The design of home bars has become an art form. Marble and pewter-top bars, freestanding cocktail cabinets and trollies, and occasional furniture that’s geared towards gathering – a home bar is the perfect place to go all out. And when entertaining, a well-stocked home bar adds to the sense of occasion. The bar at Gwyneth Paltrow’s new California home is a singular sculptural form constructed from solid onyx marble. “I really wanted it to be a showstopper,” says Paltrow. No surprise it was designed by New York firm Roman and Williams, renowned for their incredible hotel and restaurant design.
A dedicated cocktail cabinet can be a smart addition to your interior, but a wet bar with sink, dishwasher and fridge (with snack drawers!) takes your home bar to the next level.
NZEB
In these times of rising energy costs, Nearly Zero-Emission buildings (NZEB), or low-energy homes, are so airtight and energy efficient that they produce as much renewable energy as they consume over the course of a year. Choosing the right windows, like Fairco A++ rated windows, will reduce heating costs and lead to a healthier and more efficient home. www.fairco.ie.
GLOW UP
When terms from the beauty industry – “Glow Up” being one – infiltrate the world of interiors, you know you need to make more of an effort. If your kitchen is primed for a Glow Up, consider a tap that will literally add sparkle. Quooker have long been market leaders in instant boiling water taps, now taps can dispense chilled and sparkling water. See the range at the In-House Appliance Centre at The Panelling Centre, Deansgrange Business Park, Co Dublin; www.thepanellingcentre.ie.
BOOTILITY
The boot-ility room, a hybrid utility/boot room, is fast becoming the most practical space to have in your home, bridging the gap between indoors and out. This is where you house your laundry set-up, cleaning products, muddy boots, sports kit, coats and umbrellas. Best to shelve floor-to-ceiling and squeeze in a sink if you can.