The Irish Times Home and Design Theatre

Join us at The Irish Times Home & Design theatre, an exciting venue where experts will help and inspire you to improve or transform your home.

Located in the front hall of the RDS, within the Interior Design section of the Permanent TSB Ideal Home Show, the IT theatre will host talks and demonstrations on all aspects of Home and Design including interior style, garden design, kitchen and furniture design as well as advice on planning and architecture, home purchase and more.

THE LINE-UP

FRIDAY APRIL 15th

1:00pm KITCHEN DYNAMICS

It’s the heart of the house, so the kitchen deserves a lot of attention. Chef Eunice Power shares expert advice on how to make the most of the most important room in the home.

1:30pm Ideal Home Show guest Melinda Messenger talks to Sybil Mulcahy about her personal home style and what trends are coming down the tracks.

2:15pm THE TRANSFORMATIONAL POWER OF COLOUR

Artist and colour expert with Orla Kelly, on how colour is the simplest way to transform your home. In a talk with Dominique McMullan she explains the latest colour trends and technologies and gives advice and suggestions on which shades to use in different spaces.

3:00pm ON VIEW: What to look for in a home - the art of viewing a house

Irish Times Property Editor Madeleine Lyons talks to interior designer Denise O’Connor and SherryFitzGerald estate agent Kelly Marshal about first impressions and how to see past them during open viewings

4:00pm MAKE YOUR HOME A WELCOME SPACE FOR VISITORS

Joining Joan Scales will be one of AirBnB’s top hosts in Ireland, Karen O’Rourke, with lots of tips for making your home a comfort zone for visitors and an earning zone for you.

4.45pm MAKE YOUR RENTAL FEEL LIKE A REAL HOME

Roisin Lafferty and Alanna Gallagher share smart design tips on how to add style to the temporary let look without breaking the bank.

SATURDAY APRIL 16th

12:15pm STORING IN STYLE

Sybil Mulcahy talks to interior designer Philippa Buckley about the art of keeping a wardrobe; what to keep season to season and what to throw away; how to preserve classic good buys and how to make sure the good things don’t get forgotten.

1:00pm HOW TO HOUZZ

Alanna Gallagher talks to Andrew Small of Houzz, the internet source on everything from kitchens and bathrooms, to storage and landscaping. How to use the site which is launching in Ireland at the show; hearing about Houzz stories, where to buy what you see and more.

2:45pm THE TRANSFORMATIONAL POWER OF PAINT

Colour is the simplest way to transform your home, but choosing the right shades is a minefield. Orla Kelly from Colourtrend will advise on how to choose colours for each part of the home and explore the latest trends in colours.

3:45pm HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR ARCHITECT WITHOUT FALLING OUT

Emma Cullinan talks to architect Michelle Fagan of FKL Architects and Max O’Flaherty of Aughey O’Flaherty Architects about the ideal client/architect relationship.

4:30pm FURNISHING THE PERFECT MAN CAVE

From leather recliners to somewhere to put your whiskey – what do men really want in a room they can call their own?
Gary Quinn and broadcaster Fionn Davenport

SUNDAY APRIL 17th

12:15pm GET INTO THE GARDEN

Join Irish Times garden writer Fionnuala Fallon as she leads you through her guide to creating the perfect flower garden

Sunday 1pm MAKE YOUR HOME A WELCOME SPACE FOR VISITORS

Joining Orna Mulcahy will be one of Airbnb’s top hosts in Ireland, Karen O’Rourke with lots of tips for making your home a comfort zone for visitors and an earning zone for you.

2:00pm GETTING ON TO THE PROPERTY LADDER

What’s happening now in the Irish property market? We ask Angela Keegan of Myhome and financial experts to analyse and advise.
Fiona Reddan, Angela Keegan, Permanent TSB

3:00pm KITCHEN COOL

Chef and party planner Andrew Rudd gives expert advice on how to make your kitchen design work for you. What gadgets do you need and which are not worth the shelf space? And for those who want to make a career of cooking, the equipment that you need to get started.

4:00pm STARTING AN ART COLLECTION AND GETTING THE HANG OF IT

So you have all these pictures but don’t know where best to put them? Gemma Tipton talks to RHA curator Ruth Carroll about how to arrange art and photographs to best effect.

5:00pm HOMES OF THE FUTURE

Robot butlers? Beds that make themselves, Sensors that will pick up your every mood and change the lights and music to match? Let’s hear it from the tech experts. With Conor Pope