08/10/2026
The Ideal Home Show 2026 at the RDS Dublin runs from 16-18th October, and if you're planning going this year, there's a short list worth going through before you go.
Most of the advice for home shows is the obvious stuff, bring a tape measure, don't buy on impulse. True, but not what actually catches people out, especially when you're so excited to get some sort of work completed in your home!
🛋Here's what I'd tell a client before the 16th. Showroom stands are built around the pieces within them to make them look their best for selling, so furniture that looks right there can read totally different in your own home.
đź’ˇThe lighting is chosen to make finishes pop, often cooler and brighter than what you'll live with day to day, so that paint or fabric will shift once it's under your own lamps.
Also ask for the spec sheet, not just the swatch, how something looks on the day tells you a lot less than its durability.
A home show is brilliant for ideas. It's not where the final decisions should necessarily get made, unless you are 100% sure and have planned to make certain purchases/decisions on the day.
Seeing something at the RDS you're not sure about? Send me a photo, happy to give you my honest opinion.
