With many people looking to take advantage of generous new energy efficiency grants, the permanent tsb Ideal Home Show at the RDS, Dublin is the place to go for inspiration, expert advice and service providers.
For external wall insulation the free money has gone from €6000 to €8000 for a typical detached house. McConnell, a regular exhibitor at the show, says sustainability has moved centre stage among self-builders and renovators and many have questions they’d like to ask. “People want to know why they should change to a heat pump, what is the cost, and whether or not they have to change their radiators,” he explains.
She is creative director of the DFS Interiors Inspiration Centre at this year’s permanent tsb Ideal Home show. She and three other influencers and interiors experts – Joanne Mooney, David O’Brien and Anne Marie Boyhan - have each staged room sets based on furniture retailer DFS’s marketing campaign which asks “What’s your thing?”, with floors by Grain & Groove.
Good interior design is not about fashion, it’s about only bringing things that you love into your home, she says. “Your home should be your own style but very often people are afraid of that because they like so many different things and styles that it can be hard for them to put it all together. My job is to take the things clients love and make them feel fresh,” she says.