Reach for the stairs ....


It's the first thing you see on entering a hall, but not always the most obvious item chosen to radically change an interior. But by simply replacing the balustrade on a staircase, you can create a completely different look to an entrance. The Richard Burbidge range, available at Brooks outlets, offer designs in spindle, modern metal or acrylic panel format. Incorporating a glass or clear panel is one way to really open up a dark hallway, and it also works well in open plan-homes where the staircase rises from the main living area. By contrast, the heritage collection includes spindles in natural white oak or traditional white primed in eggshell finish. Prices from €620, plus Vat. www.brooksgroup.ie


Stick to the wools this winter


Irish designer Helen McAlinden has come up with a contemporary take on an Irish classic. Her latest collection for the long-established Foxford woollen mill comprises new patterns and brighter colours in rugs, blankets, upholstered fabrics, furnishings, bed linen, bags, and hand-woven scarves and throws. Foxford products are available from: Foxford Woollen Mills, Foxford, Co Mayo; No 6 Castlemarket, Dublin; and House of Fraser, Dundrum.