Welcome

As we make our way into the better months of the year – allegedly! – this offers a good time to tackle any interior and exterior improvements. A kitchen upheaval is always easier when you can cook outside on a barbecue for example, and no one likes having to work in the garden when it’s raining, but whenever you do choose to tackle any necessary changes we’ve lots of expert advice to help you along the way.

Our four readers’ homes are located in Kenmare where Katherine Murphy has worked with natural materials and accents of bold colours in a home where the beautiful garden rolls into the surrounding mountains. In Belfast Andrew and Alana have recently completed their open-plan kitchen extension, which makes a huge difference to their home. While in Galway interior designer Lynne O’Laughlin welcomes us into her beautiful family home which has been a labour of love over the last few years. Last but not least, Grainne Kavanagh, owner of The Coach House in Dingle, has sensitively renovated, extended and restored the farmhouse she shares with dogs, cats, sheep and horses.

In our living section we share recipes from ‘The Gathered Table: A Taste of Home’, take a closer look at what Portglenone in Co. Antrim has to offer visitors and catch up with Irish woodturner Fred O’Mahony. There’s also travel to Boston, gardens in Marrakech and of course our regular selection of crafters and makers, not to mention our new monthly culture page where Aoife Kelly highlights a selection of events taking place throughout Ireland.

Finally, we’re just back from a busy weekend at the permanent tsb Ideal Home Show in Dublin where myself and the rest of the team enjoyed meeting so many of you and hearing your feedback on the magazine. Hopefully you enjoy this issue as much as the others and remember if you have a home to share with us email me at mconnolly@ihil.net