Style Stories with EZ Living Interiors

Join us to discover more about the art and science of exceptional retail, celebrating EZ Living Interiors' Sandyford store being crowned Furniture Store of the Year. We unpack the 10 core pillars of retail excellence, the power of visual merchandising, and the surprising trends shaping the future of physical stores and e-commerce.Joining us is Matthew Brown, one of the world's leading retail trend futurists and founder of Echochamber. As the lead judge for the Retail Excellence Awards, he shares his global perspective, tracing the evolution of retail and explaining what elevates a physical space into a destination. EZ Living's Regional Visual Merchandising Manager, Aimee O Donovan, also joins to take us behind the scenes on the creative, passion-driven effort behind the store's award-winning visual displays and major store openings.THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUTRetail excellence is all customer journey Physical stores offer unique inspiration Responsible retail goes beyond sustainability Omnichannel must link online and offline Only own things both useful/beautiful GUEST DETAILSMatthew Brown is a world-leading retail trend futurist and the founder of Echochamber, a global creative retail consultancy. For over two decades, he has documented and analysed the most innovative stores and customer experiences globally. He is a high-demand keynote speaker known for his energetic insights, and he serves as the lead judge for the Retail Excellence Awards in Ireland, bringing a global perspective to recognise outstanding retail experiences.Connect with Matthew:https://echochamber.com/contactQUOTESThe great retailer is there to surprise and delight. - Matthew BrownThis is the real unique advantage that physical stores have, and they also pull you into the brand and the story and show the expertise and the passion and creativity behind it - Matthew BrownThe point of a room set is to create different enclosed worlds, each that have their own style, their own feeling, their own flavour - Matthew BrownMORE INFORMATIONThis podcast is produced by dustpod.io for EZ Living InteriorsEZ Living Interiors is a family-owned home furnishing retailer which sets the standards for quality, style, and design in the industry. We advise on how individuals and families should furnish their living spaces to create homes that are both beautiful and functional. Our mission is to inspire and elevate the art of interior design through the promotion of high standards of product sourcing, craftsmanship, and customer service. We achieve this by providing innovative and thoughtful design solutions for our customers to support them to create stylish and comfortable living spaces.Visit EZLivingInteriors.ie to learn more.KEYWORDS#RetailExcellence #FurnitureStoreOfTheYear #VisualMerchandising #OmniChannelRetail #RetailFuturist

Retail finance shouldn't feel intimidating—it should feel as natural as paying for Netflix monthly. Adam Sullivan, Head of Sales at humm finance, explains how his Australian FinTech company transformed arduous phone applications into two-minute digital approvals whilst maintaining ethical lending standards that protect customers. From helping first-time homebuyers furnish entire homes with up to €30,000 interest-free credit to understanding post-COVID psychology shifts towards quality investment pieces, discover why humm invented buy-now-pay-later, how 0% APR actually works, and why biometric heartbeat payments represent retail finance's future.THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUTHow humm finance evolved from phone-based applications to making retail finance as seamless as logging into social mediaWhy 0% APR finance allows first-time homebuyers to furnish entire homes with up to €30,000 credit.How consumer psychology shifted post-COVID with people spending more time evaluating furniture quality Why humm maintains lower approval rates than buy-now-pay-later competitorsHow biometric payments and AI automation will shape retail finance's futureGUEST DETAILSAdam Sullivan is Head of Sales for UK and Ireland at humm finance, bringing 12 years of experience with the Australian-founded company that's been operating globally for approximately 40 years. Regulated across Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland and the UK, humm transformed from stereotypical phone-based finance into a fully digital FinTech platform under Adam's tenure. His role encompasses sales, marketing and partnership development with retailers like EZ Living Interiors, where he champions ethical lending practices and consumer-first approaches. Adam's philosophy centres on "AI versus AI"—artificial intelligence balanced with actual interaction ensuring technology enhances rather than replaces human connection in financial services. A passionate advocate for transparency, responsible lending and regulatory compliance, Adam navigates the complex intersection of innovation and consumer protection in Ireland's evolving retail finance landscapeConnect with humm finance:Website: shophumm.comApply for finance through partner retailers like EZ Living InteriorsQUOTESWhat is retail finance? Just a way to get everything that you actually want, not need, but what you want, have the ability to spread out that across a certain term that suits your budget. - Adam SullivanIf we can make it feel the same way as Facebook or Instagram, then you're comfortable. - Adam SullivanIt's their choice. They get to choose. We're not enforcing a certain programme on a customer. - Adam SullivanWhen you are showing a monthly price and your budget sofa is maybe five euro less than the sofa that you really want per month, it just makes it attainable  - Adam SullivanMORE INFORMATIONThis podcast is produced by dustpod.io for EZ Living InteriorsEZ Living Interiors is a family-owned home furnishing retailer which sets the standards for quality, style, and design in the industry. We advise on how individuals and families should furnish their living spaces to create homes that are both beautiful and functional. Our mission is to inspire and elevate the art of interior design through the promotion of high standards of product sourcing, craftsmanship, and customer service. We achieve this by providing innovative and thoughtful design solutions for our customers to support them to create stylish and comfortable living spaces.Visit EZLivingInteriors.ie to learn more.KEYWORDS#retailfinance #0percentAPR #hummfinance #furniturepaymentplans #BlackFridayshopping

When Sabrina Hill's 2-year-old Robin's juice landed on her Santorini sofa, it didn't soak into the fabric—it just rested on top, thanks to aquaphobic texture she didn't even know she'd chosen.  The owner of Cork's Kopper salon, known for its urban jungle aesthetic with copper planters and hanging greenery that makes people ask "is that a restaurant?”.Sabrina perfectly blends creativity, style and business know-how. From building a salon designed entirely around Instagram lighting (they closed for a full training day just to find best filming spots) to creating a family home that transitions from dark Georgian-boho living room to bright ocean-inspired kitchen, Sabrina's philosophy is simple: trust your gut, prioritize texture over trends, keep your five closest people supportive, and never paint walls before choosing furniture. Planning to build soon with 20 years of design lessons learned, she's trading five-bedroom mansion dreams for functional multi-generational spaces—because home is really about the people insideTHINGS WE SPOKE ABOUTSantorini sofa's aquaphobic fabric survives toddler juice spills remarkably wellTexture matters more than trends for creating unique personal styleDark moody colors work beautifully when you trust your gut instinctKopper salon's urban jungle aesthetic creates clients' Hollywood experience feelingBuilding family home prioritizes functionality over five-bedroom mansion dreams nowGUEST DETAILSSabrina Hill is the owner of Kopper, one of Cork's most loved and respected hair salons, known for its beautiful aesthetic and incredible reputation. As a true expert in the hair industry, Sabrina now shares her knowledge on Ireland AM, bringing professional hair insights to a wider audience. She's a creative business owner who has built Kopper from the ground up with a distinctive vision creating an urban jungle atmosphere with copper planters, hanging greenery over wash basins, and a large communal table running through the salon that makes passersby mistake it for a restaurant or café.Connect with SabrinaKopper Salon: Cork, IrelandFollow Sabrina on social media for hair tips and interior inspirationWatch her segments on Ireland AMQUOTESI've never been drawn towards a trend, I think I was always trying to shine through with my own personal style, whether it's in my home or whether it's in my business or with what I'm wearing. I always love texture and styles. - Sabrina HillThe feeling of home really is everybody together in it, and all my family. My happiest when I am at home is when my older son Aaron, he's 24, when he's at home, Robin is there running around the place, and my mom and dad come over for dinner. And then I really do feel I've actually made a beautiful home. -  Sabrina Hill"I had the vision of Kopper in my head. It was literally a Pinterest type salon that I wanted. I knew that I wanted that big, huge table running down through the salon where we do toning and different services. People still stand outside the window looking in, asking 'is that a restaurant, or is it a café?' I wanted to look entirely different. -  Sabrina HillMORE INFORMATIONEZ Living Interiors is a family-owned home furnishing retailer which sets the standards for quality, style, and design in the industry. We advise on how individuals and families should furnish their living spaces to create homes that are both beautiful and functional. Our mission is to inspire and elevate the art of interior design through the promotion of high standards of product sourcing, craftsmanship, and customer service. We achieve this by providing innovative and thoughtful design solutions for our customers to support them to create stylish and comfortable living spaces.Visit EZLivingInteriors.ie to learn more.Our podcast is produced by dustpod.io for EZ Living InteriorsKEYWORDS#TextureOverTrends #UrbanJungleStyle #InteriorDesignHacks #FunctionalDesign #DesignPhilosophy #MoodyInteriors

Creating a home that looks beautiful on Instagram is one thing but building a space where your family actually lives—with mess, fingerprints, and scattered shoes—requires a completely different approach. Vicki, the creative force behind Elibank, shares her four-year self-build journey from breaking ground during COVID to evolving her Georgian-meets-modern home into a true family sanctuary.Discover why she prioritizes storage over aesthetics, how historic houses influenced her bold woodwork choices, and why that natural smile when you walk through your door matters more than any design trend.THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT How prioritizing function over aesthetic creates homes that truly work for busy families. Why building through COVID and Brexit became a blessing when compared to today's costs. The psychology behind choosing dark woodwork inspired by historic Georgian houses, How breaking a self-build into achievable phases allows your home to evolve naturally Why that natural smile when you arrive home matters more than Instagram perfectionGUEST DETAILSVicki is the creative mind behind Elibank, a beautifully designed self-build family home in Cork that has captivated the Irish interiors community for four years. Together with her husband, Vicki spent years renovating homes in both Ireland and Edinburgh before embarking on their dream build in 2020. Their 18-month build journey through COVID, supply chain challenges, and Brexit taught them invaluable lessons. Vicki shares her build journey, design tips, and family life honestly on Instagram, where she has built a loyal following through her emphasis on function-first design, clever storage solutions, and creating homes that feel like sanctuary rather than showrooms. A passionate advocate for supporting Irish businesses and championing local craftspeople, Vicki balances full-time work with raising three children while continuing to evolve Elibank room by room.Connect with Vicki: Instagram: @elibank_housQUOTES A home should just make your body relax and forget whatever's happened during the day  - Vicki It is not easy building or renovating. Don't rush it, and don't feel the pressure of social media having to have this picture perfect home. - Vicki I'm looking at a room going, what will I use this for? And where can I store all the stuff I need to come in here and relax so it's not on show? - Vicki It's not about walking in and seeing this pretty space. It's that feeling of being able to release everything that's gone on and just sit and enjoy what you have now. - VickiMORE INFORMATIONEZ Living Interiors is a family-owned home furnishing retailer which sets the standards for quality, style, and design in the industry. We advise on how individuals and families should furnish their living spaces to create homes that are both beautiful and functional. Our mission is to inspire and elevate the art of interior design through the promotion of high standards of product sourcing, craftsmanship, and customer service. We achieve this by providing innovative and thoughtful design solutions for our customers to support them to create stylish and comfortable living spaces.Visit EZLiving-Interiors.ie to learn more. This podcast is produced by dustpod.io for EZ Living InteriorsKEYWORDS#selfbuild #interiordesign #familyhome #homerenovation #irishinteriors

Emmy-winning broadcaster Baz Ashmawy joins EZ Living Style Stories to share the profound lessons he's learned from DIY SOS Ireland—where transforming homes means transforming lives. From heartwarming stories of community volunteers rallying around families in need to his own renovation journey and the design tricks that have inspired his personal space, Baz reveals why homes should tell our stories, the power of changing things up, and his one golden rule for creating spaces that truly support how you live. Whether you're here for the laughs, the tears, or practical design advice, this conversation goes beyond the surface.THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUTHow DIY SOS reveals the extraordinary kindness of Irish communitiesWhy homes should evolve with your life rather than staying staticThe transformative power of thoughtful design detailsLearning to be comfortable with failure and building resilience through repeated attemptsHow communication and talking to people remains the most undervalued foundational skill The importance of seeking expert advice along with being open minded QUOTESI think sometimes people get very tied to things being a certain way. You need to just mess it up a bit, change an atmosphere or a mood. Sometimes it's good to do drastic things. It's good to change things up - Baz AshmawyPitying people does nothing for them. Being empathetic and thinking, if I was that kid in a wheelchair, what would help me live a better life? What would give me confidence? That's what DIY does. - Baz Ashmawy"The biggest problem people have is they go, I'm too old, I'm too late to do this. You're just not at all. I think people have a terrible fear of failing at things. It's not luck, I've just failed more times than you've tried. - Baz AshmawyBe careful what you say about yourself to yourself. The world will beat you, it'll do all the beating you need. You just don't need to do that to yourself. So it's nice to be nice to yourself. - Baz AshmawySometimes you might have a clear vision of what you want, but talk to someone who knows what they're talking about because they can just give you a great steer. Have an open mind and be able to take people's advice and mix it with your own feelings. - Baz AshmawyThis podcast is produced by dustpod.io for EZ Living InteriorsEZ Living Interiors is a family-owned home furnishing retailer which sets the standards for quality, style, and design in the industry. We advise on how individuals and families should furnish their living spaces to create homes that are both beautiful and functional. Our mission is to inspire and elevate the art of interior design through the promotion of high standards of product sourcing, craftsmanship, and customer service. We achieve this by providing innovative and thoughtful design solutions for our customers to support them to create stylish and comfortable living spaces.Visit EZLivingInteriors.ie to learn more.KEYWORDS#homedesign #interiordesign #DIYSOS #homerenovation #communityspirit