Home improvement guides for Dublin homeowners
Plain guides on kitchens, wardrobes, internal doors and windows for Irish homes. Everything we supply is premium and made to the highest spec, and quality at this level is not a budget purchase.
Kube kitchens compared: price, specification and the design
Both publish a starting price. What each price includes, what the cabinets are made from, and where the design happens.
27 October 2026
Aloco Kitchens compared: price, specification and who fits it
Two companies that design and fit their own kitchens. What each one publishes about price, board and warranty before you commit.
27 October 2026
Vacant property refurbishment grant: what it pays towards windows and a kitchen
Up to €50,000, or €70,000 derelict. The council's limit for each type of work, including €21,000 for windows and €7,700 for kitchen units, and how to apply.
23 October 2026
IKEA kitchen vs a made to measure kitchen: an honest comparison
Carcase board, sizes, the 25 year guarantee, and what IKEA's fitting service does and does not cover. Where IKEA wins, and where it does not.
26 September 2026
Kitchen World compared: price, specification, fitting and warranty
Ten showrooms and nearly fifty years against a newcomer. What each of us publishes before you sign, including the things Kitchen World does better.
26 September 2026
Is my kitchen chipboard? What kitchen units are really made of
Most Irish kitchens are chipboard behind solid wood doors. Where it lets you down, what plywood costs extra, and five questions to ask before you sign.
26 September 2026
Do new windows add value to your house in Ireland?
Rarely euro for euro. Where new windows do pay back, and who is better off waiting.
26 September 2026
New windows or just new glass? How to tell which you need
Sound frames and fogged glass, or frames past saving. A check you can do yourself, and when a glazier is the right call.
26 September 2026
Newcastle Design compared: price, specification and the design visit
Two made to measure kitchens at the premium end. What each of us publishes before you commit, and what is honestly no difference at all.
24 September 2026
Nolan Kitchens compared: price, specification and who fits it
Similar money, different disclosure. How the published starting prices line up, what each of us puts in writing, and who actually installs the kitchen.
24 September 2026
Sliderobes vs a custom fitted wardrobe: how the two compare
An honest comparison on the design visit, guarantee, finance, area covered and door types, including the things Sliderobes do better than we do.
24 September 2026
Cash & Carry Kitchens vs a custom kitchen: what you get with each
An honest comparison on design, carcase specification, fitting, area covered and price, with what to ask before you sign with anyone.
24 September 2026
Kitchen colour ideas for Irish homes, and how to choose one that lasts
Kitchen colour ideas for Irish homes: white, grey, green, navy, black and two tone, with the worktops, floors and handles that suit each. Try it in 3D.
13 September 2026
Kitchen lighting ideas: the layers that work in an Irish kitchen
Kitchen lighting ideas for Irish homes: under cabinet lights, downlights, pendants over an island, plinth lights and colour temperature, planned in 3D.
13 September 2026
Internal door sizes in Ireland: standard sizes, frames and openings
Standard internal door sizes in Ireland, imperial and metric, plus door frame and opening sizes, fitting gaps and how to measure an older doorway.
13 September 2026
SEAI window and door grants: amounts, rules and how to claim
What SEAI pays by house type, who qualifies, the insulation and U-value rules, and the order to do things in so the grant is not lost.
13 September 2026
Built in wardrobe ideas for Irish bedrooms
Box rooms, sloped ceilings, wardrobes around the bed, dressing rooms and what to put inside, with the space each idea needs.
13 September 2026
How long does a new kitchen take in Ireland?
About 12 weeks from signing off your design. What happens at each stage, how long fitting takes, and when to order around an extension.
13 September 2026
Solid or hollow core internal doors: which should you fit?
Which core suits which room, why weight decides noise, and how much a door can be trimmed to fit an old Irish frame.
10 September 2026
Built in or freestanding: when fitted furniture is worth it
When a room is awkward enough to need something made for it, and when a shop bought unit is the sensible answer.
10 September 2026
Replacing the doors or a new kitchen: which makes sense?
How to tell whether your kitchen needs doors and a worktop, or whether the carcasses and layout mean a new kitchen.
10 September 2026
Kitchen design apps: how far do they actually get you?
What the planners get right, where they fall down, and what a measured 3D design of your own room adds.
10 September 2026
What decides the cost of fitted furniture
Media walls, under stairs storage, islands, panelling and alcove units: what moves the number on each, and how to compare quotes.
1 September 2026
Quartz vs granite worktops, which suits your kitchen
Staining, heat, joins, pattern and upkeep compared, and which one suits which household.
1 September 2026
What decides the cost of fitted wardrobes
Why nobody publishes a price, the levers that actually move it, and how to compare two quotes line by line.
1 September 2026
What decides the cost of internal doors
Why the door is often the smallest part of the number, and what to ask before comparing two quotes.
1 September 2026
uPVC vs aluminium windows, which suits an Irish house
Frame width, thermal performance, colour and maintenance compared honestly, including where not to spend the extra.
1 September 2026
Planning permission help for extensions in Dublin and surrounding counties
Do you need permission, the process step by step, the fees and timelines, a guide to each council, and a free plan check for your drawings.
27 October 2026
When a house extension does not need planning permission in Ireland
The exempt limit rose from 40 to 45 square metres on 27 July 2026. Every condition, the garden room rules, and the new garden granny flat exemption.
21 September 2026
Kitchen extension ideas that work in Irish homes
Layouts that hold up in a bigger room, where the island really goes, getting light to the back of the space, and when to design the kitchen.
27 August 2026
Small kitchen ideas for Irish homes: what actually works
The layouts worth considering, where storage is really won, what makes a small room feel bigger, and the four places people waste space.
28 August 2026
Quartz vs laminate worktops in Ireland: how to choose
How the two compare on durability, heat, stains, joins and cost, where granite and solid wood fit, and how to decide for your own kitchen.
28 August 2026
New kitchen cost in Ireland: what actually decides the number
Why published kitchen prices disagree so wildly, the six things that decide the real number, and how to get a figure for your own room.
27 August 2026
New windows cost in Ireland: what actually decides the number
Why published window prices disagree by a factor of ten, the six things that decide the real number, and the SEAI grant that is genuinely fixed.
24 August 2026
What a kitchen renovation in Dublin actually involves, start to finish
The stages of a kitchen renovation, what moves the cost up or down, and how to start without committing to anything.
1 August 2026
Do you need to visit a kitchen showroom in Dublin?
What showrooms are good for, what they cannot show you, and why a 3D design of your own kitchen answers the questions a showroom cannot.
1 August 2026
Sliding or hinged wardrobe doors: which suits your bedroom
Sliding doors save swing space and carry mirrors well. Hinged doors give full access and a classic look. How to choose.
1 August 2026
Fitted wardrobes vs IKEA in Ireland: what you actually get with each
IKEA wardrobes and custom fitted wardrobes solve different problems. A plain comparison of fit, materials, storage and fitting for Irish bedrooms.
1 August 2026
Modern and wooden internal doors: a style guide for Irish homes
Modern and wooden internal doors for Irish homes: flush, panelled, glazed and oak styles, where each works best, and what to check before you buy.
1 August 2026