Home in on this winter's winning sofa, the Sidney from Habitat, which allows spaces to be redefined with its modular magic. Coming in a textured fabric with a palette of warm neutrals, the backrests and seat units are sold separately, facilitating variation.

New York-born Todd Bracher's first piece for Habitat, the Masai, in muted putty-coloured high gloss, creates a feel of contemporary modernism, either as a storage unit or a room divider.

A hip home for magazines, books and other bits and bobs has been created by the Bouroullec brothers for Kartell. The polycarbonate Panier comes in eight colours and is a clear winner in the living room.

Dublin furniture and lighting designer Leo Scarff is known for his funky multifunctional pieces. They include a Totem lacquered MDF portable side table, that can be used as magazine or book storage and a stool. Available in several hues, it can be ordered directly from his Dorset Lane studio for 95.

If tripping over toys is the bane of your life, Scarff has the solution . . . a mobile toy box in birch plywood and steel.

This nifty number provides toy access from one side and a double sided drawing surface on the roof, made to order for 195.

Scarff has also developed A Box, a lacquered birch plywood portable drawing equipment and drawing surface. It's a prototype and further information on it is available from the studio.

Armagh-based furniture company McDonagh, which supplies Arnotts and Casey's of Cork and Limerick, incorporates dinky drawers into lots of its pieces including its Obin square coffee table and hall table. Its dining table has a hidden extension leaf while its entertainment unit has adjustable shelves. With most modern dining rooms now having a diversity of uses, the simple and straight lines of McDonagh's loft dining range aim to meet numerous demands. It includes a sideboard, storage unit and a square flip top table.

O'Driscoll Furniture in Dublin previously designed a Zig Zag table. Created as a hall or writing table with an inand outgoing mail rack, its zig zag section offered the opportunity to sort paperwork. It incorporated a hidden drawer to the side. A similar table is also available in a wall-mounted version in finishes including veneer, polished steel or chrome and a choice of colours.

The tables are available in different sizes to order.

German company Die Collection won a 2006 Red Dot design award for Sino, a sleek relaxation armchair with foldable headrest and footrest, part of its Chillout range. Its Stretch programme features an innovative extension system that allows a sideboard, high unit and low unit to adapt to every situation. The Stretch high unit can also be used as a room partition. A circular display cabinet and circular wall shelf unit add the finishing touches.

Sofa beds have come a long way in recent years, with some of the new models real eye candy. Die Collection's Bond is a lounger on fixable castors with a bedding box. Any size is possible depending on the width, from a single bed to king size. Pedro is a footstool that comes with or without storage and can work as a table or a bed. Although Die Collection's striking designs are not on sale in Ireland, they are available in the UK.

For those in search of a slick sofa bed closer to home, Muji's microfibre version at 995 is a stylish option. The store also does fun foldaway cardboard speakers at 69.95.

If you want to go with the glow and light up your home with Dutch ceramic artist Jet Mous's self-cleaning candles which can also display flowers to fab effect, you'll also have to take a trip to London.

Her vases sell at Mint; Mous will be at the Islington Art and Design Fair from 25 to 28 October to promote her products.

Meanwhile those who are dab hands at DIY, or who know a good carpenter, can look to boat and caravan interiors for inspiration. A table cantilevered off a wall; a foldout study concealed in a kitchen cupboard and a built-in bed can add a dash of capsule cool to contemporary interiors.

USEFUL CONTACTS Leo Scarff Furniture and LIghting Design:

www. leoscarffdesign. com Habitat: www. habitat. ie O'Driscoll Furniture:

www. oddesign. com McDonagh Furniture:

www. mcdonaghfurniture. com Die Collection: www. diecollection. de Jet Mous: www. jetmous. nl Muji: 5 Chatham Street, Dublin 2, 01-6794591