ULIFEINTERIORSPURPLE

LIFESTYLE
Tie your home together with walls that do the talking

DESENIO GALLERY GAL

12 34 Gallery walls are really having a moment.
Whether you want to create a statement
in your living room or make a blank wall in
a hallway come to life, a simple scroll on
Insta or Pinterest will throw up countless
wall décor inspirations. But for some
reason, starting our own has seemed like
too daunting a feat. That was, of course,
until we discovered Desenio.com. On the
website, you’ll find the widest selection
of prints and mounting solutions – all
postable and inspired by the ever-trendy
Scandinavian interiors style. It does
advise having a plan though, before
you go about reaching for the hammer.
That means deciding on a loose colour
scheme or theme, starting with your
largest print first and nailing* a layout
that you love. *Pun intended.

5

1 Ceramic jug, €19.99, H&M 2 Frame wall art, €42, Ben Di Lisi @ Debenhams 3 Imitation cheese plant, €10, Penneys 4 Large framed eclipse print, €135,
FCUK 5 Metal chair, €300 (for set of two), Next

The Colour Purple URBAN FUNKY @TODAY INTERIORS

The most regal shade to usher
you into autumn

HOME BY MONSOON WILKINSON
PENNEYS
CHRISTOPHER KANE
Moroccan lantern, PHILLIP LIM
€35, Very.co.uk

The evenings might PENNEYS
be getting colder
but we’re warming Jewellery box, €18, Plush
up our interiors Star by Julien Macdonald PURPLE
palette this season @ Debenhams
with tones of Soft textures, metallics,
mulberry, dusty mauves JASON WU Velvet cushion, and vintage trinkets will
BALENCIAGA €8, Penneys help make purple pop
and rich purple. The perfect
foil to the minimalist trend, MIU MIU 1Mix soft fabrics like
which can seem a little stark velvet and fur with
for winter, Balenciaga and embellished materials and
Phillip Lim both embraced textures, especially metallic
purple and other jewel tones embroidery.
on the catwalks, showing
that this shade works well 2Scour the shops for
when mixed and matched vintage-looking trinkets,
with other dynamic shades of such as vases, jewellery and
teal and sapphire. candle holders.

We Want 3Metallic tones of gold and
rose gold complement
12 34 this warm hue best. Don’t
hold back; ornate trimmings
1 Candle holder, small, €34, and large, €41, by BIBA @ House of Fraser 2 LED star, €11.99, New Look on furniture and mirrors
3 Shell dish, €13, House of Fraser 4 Ombre glass, €12.99, Homesense can turn any room into a
regal affair.

LAYER CAKE To make the cake Almond & Blueberry
dairy-free, serve Polenta Cake
This polenta cake is almost too pretty to eat. Almost! it without the Gluten free and gorgeous, this
frosting or simply
cake is the perfect treat with tea
ice it instead

INGREDIENTS
150g Trex vegetable fat
150g caster sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
½ tsp almond essence
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
200g ground almonds
200g instant polenta
Pinch of salt
2 tsp baking powder
120g blueberries
TO DECORATE
200g cream cheese
Few drops of vanilla extract
A few toasted flaked almonds
Edible flowers – we used violas

make sure to visit Eden Bar & Grill METHOD

Located on South William Street, Dublin 2, Eden is the maximalist 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan oven 160°C,
answer to pared back pop-ups. This is where amazing food gas mark 4. Grease a 20cm round cake tin
meets the Irish art world, as the light-filled space features works with a little of the vegetable fat, then line with
by some of Ireland’s most celebrated artists such as Robert baking paper.
Armstrong and new talent, Leah Hewson and 2 Beat the Trex and caster sugar together in
Brian Lowry. Proprietor Brendan Rogers says a large mixing bowl until light in texture, then
his aim is to “fill Eden with talented Irish artists gradually beat in the eggs. Stir in the almond
and musicians, and make it a creative hub where essence, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add the
anyone can hang out and enjoy the space”. Eat ground almonds, polenta, salt and baking
al fresco brunch on the heated terrace, or grab powder, mixing thoroughly. Reserve a few
a glass of wine or a cocktail at the antique bar blueberries for decoration, then stir the rest
before dinner. Edenbarandgrill.ie into the cake mixture.
3 Transfer to the prepared tin and level the
surface. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven
for 50-55 minutes, or until a fine skewer
inserted into the centre of the cake comes
out clean. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then
transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Remove the lining paper.
4 To decorate, mix the cream cheese and
vanilla extract together and spread it onto
the cake. Scatter with toasted flaked almonds
and the reserved blueberries. Finish off with
edible flowers.

Time for Tea?

Transform an average afternoon into an occasion with a pretty cake stand. And lots of cakes, obvs

GOLD CAKE STAND, FLORAL CAKE STAND, PINK CAKE STAND,
€12.50, HOMESENSE €22.50, HOMESENSE €33.66, H & G DESIGNS
PURPLE CAKE STAND,
€95, ANNABEL JAMES