To this writer's eye, it's the sort of elegant disarray that the cluttermongers among us can only dream about. A gossamer fine, cashmere throw is flung over an Empire- style chair, a silk chemise drapes a vintage screen. Dominating one corner of the first floor is a four poster bed, scattered with woollen rugs, and lace-edged bedlinen. All of which gives the feeling of being in someone's home rather than an impersonal retail outlet.

Not just another lifestyle shop then, but a more intimate glimpse into the individual style of the Belfast woman who has been behind some of the classic names in Irish fashion and textiles in the past, including Ramsey and Foxford.

Having launched her own fashion collection six years ago, the Helen McAlinden name is synonymous with classy design . . . the hallmark of which is smart tailoring combined with luxury fabrics. Her fashion collection is stocked in Brown Thomas, Cork, and also in two UK outlets. That look has expanded to include her take on interiors at the new destination shop, right on the corner of Castle Market and Drury Street . . . a 221 sq m, two storey premises in what is quite a bohemian area compared to the hard sell of two streets away.

McAlinden is not taken with the generic 'high street' chains and mobile phone shops of Grafton Street, preferring the less frantic ambience of this corner across from the Georges' Street Arcade. She also has a boutique on Belfast's Lisburn Road . . . an area of Belfast with a truly eclectic mix of outlets including Hobbs and Space NK. Does she feel there is a difference in shopping tastes, north and south?

"I do think there is . . . Dublin is a more affluent city. But it's important to consider that the market is generally becoming more global. You could site this store in New York, and it wouldn't look out of place. We've had Americans coming in and saying that this is 'very Manhattan'."

Part of that appeal is McAlinden's fresh take on an Irish stalwart . . . the hand-woven, pure woollen rug. Her joint venture with Foxford is one that suits her good taste to a 'T' - presenting the challenge of giving a contemporary freshen-up to old favourites without smothering their classic image. Double layer, woollen rugs now, for example, in either deliciously tactile merino or mohair, now come in pinstripe or polka dot pattern. She even manages to make a grey flanellette blanket look covetable. An aspect of the company that she admires is the long tradition it has in Irish craft history.

"Foxford was set up around the mid 19th by the Sisters of Mercy, with the aim of bringing work to an impoverished area of Mayo, just after the Famine. It was actually run by the Order until the early l980s when it then underwent a period of reconstruction. I was invited to come in and look at the product.

"From weaving basic blankets, we went on to produce rugs and bed linen, including the introduction of cotton waffle robes and towels. I had a few pieces of antique lace and bedlinen and these inspired creating the very soft, almost faded colours that enhance the sense of heritage, such as old rose, silver, mink, sage and soft blue."

The after care of beautiful fabrics is something that many other designers overlook, but No. 6 also stocks a full range of prettily packaged laundry solutions, such as cashmere shampoos, stain solutions for delicates, and fabric freshener. These are among the smaller items for sale, serving as the backdrop for both the fashion collection and the furniture and lighting.

A London based designer, Brigid Israel, sources many of the one-off antique furniture items for the shop. The most dramatic pieces currently on display are two vast Spanish chandeliers, plus a unusual range of full-sized mirrors from New York. It's the story behind each individual piece that adds to the charm.

"The chandeliers came from a Spanish farmhouse north of Cadiz. They are around 200 years old and are probably the most expensive pieces in the shop at ?4,000 for the pair. Vintage furniture is expensive, but we try to be both aspirational as well as realistic with prices.

"The mirrors are actually made made from the reclaimed tin and copper that came from the ceilings of brownstone buildings in New York, when these homes were being refurbished in the l930s. Some of them still have the name of the street stamped on the back, such as my favourite one overlooking of 42nd Street and Madison Avenue."

Given that there is such a big market for anything with the vintage tag, it seems that McAlinden's plan to mix in a few antique collectables with her brand new designs will be sure to appeal.

"I didn't plan to expand the label into interiors. That's just the way retail is going, everything is moving to lifestyle . . . if people like your taste in fashion design, then it follows that they might like to go beyond the wardrobe into other areas. If I had to describe my particular take on style it would be that I don't favour decoration just for the sake of it. Everything should have a function, and if it's clothes, then garments should fit well, be comfortable, and the quality of the cloth is where the beauty is.

I also love the fact that older, vintage pieces can be given a new lease of life."