The Irish Times

If someone commissions an architect to build a snappy new home you would assume that they will take an aesthetic-minded approach all the way through to the interior. So it can be surprising to find beautifully detailed, carefully crafted homes filled with cheap pine furniture and some forebear's brown Dralon sofa hurriedly hidden beneath a crumpled white cloth. Well, it's understandable. The money dwindles and the nerves are shot, what with all the building work, so smart furnishings are put on the 'distant dream' list. And really, who cares what the house looks like? Once a home has been built it's handed over to the owners and they can do what they wish with it - although it can pain architects to see their carefully considered project adorned with cheap frills.