Style Stories with EZ Living Interiors

The journey to finding a home is often fraught with uncertainty and moments where confidence can drop, long before the keys are officially in your hand. This search phase can feel emotional and overwhelming in a challenging property market. 
This episode tackles building confidence, developing resilience, and setting realistic expectations. We discuss knowing when to hold your ground, when to expand your search options, and how having professional support can completely change how the home buying process feels.
Joining us is Liz O'Kane, a highly respected Buyer's Agent and TV host of Help Me Buy A Home. Liz works exclusively on the purchaser side, advocating, advising, and guiding people through every complex step.
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
Buyer's agent exclusively represents the purchaser.
The slow, antiquated Irish property process.
Bidding strategically and leveraging relationships.
Expand home thinking; consider extension options.
Advice for buying during uncertain market times.
GUEST DETAILS
Liz O'Kane is a Buyer's Agent who runs her business, Get-Sorted. She is also known as the TV host of Help Me Buy A Home. Liz pioneered the service of acting exclusively for the purchaser in Ireland to source and negotiate their new home. She is known for her firm, no-nonsense approach in providing sound advice to clients. Additionally, she hosted House Hunters and House Hunters in the Sun for seven seasons.
Connect with Liz:
Website: lizokane.ie
Media: storied.ie
Instagram: lizokanebuyersagent
QUOTES
If you want to engage with a buyer's agent, for them to take your hand and lead you from A to Z successfully, you have to have complete faith in that individual. - Liz O'Kane
My job is to know everybody involved in the property industry on this island, and if they don't answer the phone when they see my name coming up, I'm doing my job wrong. - Liz O'Kane
It's knowing how to bid strategically. And the average punter who's out there in the bidding market doesn't really know how to bid on a property. - Liz O'Kane
MORE INFORMATION
This podcast is produced by dustpod.io for EZ Living Interiors
EZ 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 #IrishPropertyMarket #BuyersAgent #HomeBuyingAdvice #StrategicBidding #PropertyIreland

Starting a simple home refresh often leads to unforeseen complications and a complete overhaul of your original plan. Many homeowners enter the renovation process underestimating the hidden problems, especially in period properties, which can quickly turn a quick paint job into a full ground-up restoration.
This episode dives into the brutal honesty of the renovation learning curve: discovering wood rot, damp, and losing original features. We talk about developing confidence in your decisions, designing a compact 65 square metre space, and how thrift shopping and personal style choices can keep you motivated when the budget is swallowed by unglamorous foundational work.
We are joined by Gráinne Gillett, a content creator who meticulously documented the transformation of her small red-brick cottage on Instagram. Gráinne shares her expertise in combining vintage finds and colour, along with her practical, honest approach to compact living
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
Always budget for emotional contingency
Demolition grows your renovation confidence
Focus on foundations before furniture
Design a small space for yourself
Build style from objects you love
GUEST DETAILS
Gráinne Gillett is a content creator who documented the renovation of her period cottage from start to finish on her Instagram account, @grainnegillett. She is skilled in developing a clear and confident interior style, combining colour and vintage finds, and finding practical solutions for compact living spaces.
Connect with Gráinne:
Website: https://www.grainnegillett.com
Instagram: @grainnegillett
TikTok: @grainnegillett
QUOTES
You don't really know until you start uncovering things. So just to have a contingency, an emotional contingency, and a financial one as well. - Gráinne Gillett
I spent like, a few days there, just like, walking around the different streets, going to the cafes, and just got a real good sense of the place. - Gráinne Gillett
If you take the wallpaper down, you uncover everything. - Gráinne Gillett
MORE INFORMATION
This podcast is produced by dustpod.io for EZ Living Interiors
EZ 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
#PeriodPropertyRenovation #DublinCottage #SmallSpaceDesign #InteriorDIY #VintageFinds

Are you tired of seeing flawless, highly-stylised homes that feel more like a show-house than a sanctuary? Many people are feeling weary of the 'perfect' life presented on social media, leading to a shift in how we approach our living spaces. The perfect-looking home often comes at the cost of feeling truly relaxed.
This episode explores how homes are becoming warmer, softer, and more personal cocoons against the outside world. We dive into the colour trends set for 2026—from dark, moody shades to terracotta and green—and discuss how to confidently incorporate textures, antiques, and art. Listen for essential tips on finding your own style, from the right paint finish to incorporating global design influences.
Our guest is Penny McCormick, the Contributing Editor at The Gloss. Penny is a respected tastemaker with a unique perspective on interiors, drawing from her extensive travels and work shaping conversations around what is truly relevant and enduring in design.
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
Imperfection and personalisation are key
Dark, moody colours replace stark white
Comfort, colour, print are future essentials
Reclaiming home spaces from work clutter
Mixing vintage pieces with modern design
GUEST DETAILS
Penny McCormick is the Contributing Editor at The Gloss. Her primary specialties are interiors, luxury women's fashion, and international travel, and she is known for securing exclusive interviews with high-profile figures.
Connect with Penny:
linkedin.com/in/penny-mccormick
QUOTES
I think art is something that is very personal, and you should never pick piece of art to match your sofa. - Penny McCormick
I think homes are becoming a cocoon and sanctuary, and that is shown in lots of different ways. - Penny McCormick 
You can't beat investing in comfortable chairs and a sofa. - Penny McCormick
MORE INFORMATION
This podcast is produced by dustpod.io for EZ Living Interiors
EZ 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
#InteriorDesignTrends #HomeDecorating #ColourInInteriors #InteriorStyling #HomeSanctuary

Modern life teaches us to perform constantly, rushing from task to task whilst our homes blur into workspaces and rest becomes guilt inducing luxury.
Niall Breslin's new album The Place That Has Never Been Wounded emerged from complete rejection, dropped by label, publisher, manager and podcast platform within two weeks, forcing him back to classical roots with mother as violinist and piano teacher.
This conversation explores morning rituals preferring quiet over rushed starts, meditation room design separating work from rest, breathing techniques marking transitions between spaces, and community peer support as radical acts against cultural division.
Niall Breslin is musician, former professional athlete, mental health advocate and PhD researcher whose classical neoclassical album invites listeners to slow down, breathe and rediscover wonder through a beginner's mind approaching the world with curiosity rather than cynicism.
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
Morning rituals seasonal approach waking
Meditation rooms separating work rest spaces
Album creation rejection creative direction
Community peer support mental health
Wonder curiosity experiencing world freshly
QUOTES
I don't rush into the day. I work for myself so it's important for me to take time to get into my day. - Niall Breslin
There has to be rooms in your house where you're not allowed work. - Niall Breslin
Our walls are black, but it very quickly feels like a nightclub, and that's not what I want in my home. So we've just completely rejigged it and painted. - Niall Breslin
GUEST DETAILS
Niall Breslin is musician, former professional athlete and mental health advocate whose new classical album The Place That Has Never Been Wounded explores stillness and emotional honesty. He is currently completing PhD research examining 200 years mental health intervention in Ireland focusing on community and peer support importance. His diverse career spans professional rugby, songwriting across multiple genres, The Voice of Ireland, and founding meditation practice rooted in Buddhist mindfulness principles.
Connect with Niall:
https://www.niallbreslin.com/contact
MORE INFORMATION

This podcast is produced by dustpod.io for EZ Living Interiors
EZ 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
#Breathingtechniques #TransitionRituals #StressManagement #MindfulLiving #NervousSystemRegulation

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 ABOUT
Retail 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 DETAILS
Matthew 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/contact
QUOTES
The great retailer is there to surprise and delight. - Matthew Brown
This 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 Brown
The point of a room set is to create different enclosed worlds, each that have their own style, their own feeling, their own flavour - Matthew Brown
MORE INFORMATION
This podcast is produced by dustpod.io for EZ Living Interiors
EZ 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