The Ideal Home Show 2025 returns to the RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin, from October 17–19, 2025, cementing its reputation as Ireland’s largest and most-attended home exhibition. For over 30 years, the event has been a trusted hub for homeowners seeking practical solutions, design inspiration, and expert guidance. With over 230 exhibitors and an impressive annual attendance of around 32,000 visitors, the show stands as a major gathering point for the Irish home improvement sector. e

Organized by SDL Exhibitions Limited, the event spans multiple zones and advice theatres, providing everything from energy efficiency upgrades to self-build solutions, décor trends, and smart technologies. Visitors gain direct access to free expert advice, live demonstrations, and workshops led by leading industry figures and celebrities.

Highlights of the 2025 edition include the PhoneWatch Ask An Expert Hub, where attendees can get tailored strategies for energy-saving and home improvement; the Home Interiors Fair, showcasing the 2025 Fleetwood and Dulux colors; and the Mitsubishi Electric Ecodan Home Advice Theatre, where top experts will share insights on emerging home technologies. Culinary enthusiasts can enjoy live demonstrations by celebrity chefs Neven Maguire and Donal Skehan at the Dunnes Stores Chef’s Live Theatre, while outdoor lovers can learn from award-winning garden designer Diarmuid Gavin.

With its 13 themed zones, the event ensures every aspect of home living is covered—from kitchens and bathrooms to electric vehicles, energy retrofits, and lifestyle accessories. Free admission perks like product samples, expert consultations, and live talks make the Ideal Home Show both educational and enjoyable. For anyone planning a renovation, new build, or interior refresh, it is an unmissable event.

Key Highlights of the Show

What Visitors Can Expect

Expert Hubs and Theatres

• PhoneWatch Ask An Expert Hub – Guidance on energy-saving and interior design strategies.

• Home Interiors Fair – Explore the latest décor trends and meet the Fleetwood and Dulux design teams.

• Mitsubishi Electric Ecodan Home Advice Theatre – Sessions on home technology, energy, and sustainability.

• DFS Interiors Theatre – Discover curated room designs and design consultations.

• Self Builder Zone – Advice for those planning or starting self-build projects.

Culinary Experiences

• Dunnes Stores Chef’s Live Theatre – Celebrity chefs Neven Maguire and Donal Skehan demonstrate how to prepare accessible and delicious meals.

Energy & Sustainability

• Electric Ireland Superhomes Home Energy Upgrade Pavilion – Insights on retrofitting, insulation, fixtures, and fittings.

• Electric Vehicle Showcase – Dedicated space to ask questions about transitioning to electric living.

Lifestyle & Outdoor Living

• Kitchens & Bathrooms Showcase – Explore new solutions for the most used spaces in the home.

• Home Accessories & Lifestyle Section – Inspiration for finishing touches that personalize living spaces.

• Garden Talks by Diarmuid Gavin – Practical planting and outdoor design ideas from one of Ireland’s most renowned garden designers.

Architectural Analysis

The Ideal Home Show is not a built project, but its spatial organization reflects architectural logic in exhibition design. The 13 zones are structured like interconnected “rooms,” each devoted to a specific aspect of the home, creating a navigable journey for visitors. Materiality plays a role in the visual experience—color palettes in the interiors fair, the tactile presence of flooring and fixtures in energy upgrade pavilions, and the staged mock-ups of kitchens and living areas.

This segmentation into zones echoes the fragmented yet holistic nature of domestic architecture, where each part of a house—kitchen, garden, bedroom—serves a unique purpose but contributes to the whole. The live theatres add a performative layer, turning knowledge-sharing into a spatial event.

Critically, while the show excels in bringing together a diverse set of products and experts, one limitation is that it remains exhibition-driven rather than immersive. Full-scale living environments or simulated homes could enhance the narrative by showing integration rather than isolated solutions.

Project Importance

For architects and designers, the Ideal Home Show offers lessons in how exhibitions shape public perception of domestic space. It demonstrates how segmentation, zoning, and curated storytelling can influence how people think about home design and renovation. By presenting design as an accessible and interactive experience, the show encourages visitors to see the house not just as shelter, but as a customizable and evolving environment.

Its relevance today is tied to sustainability, energy efficiency, and lifestyle integration. With the growing need for greener homes and smarter technologies, the exhibition becomes a platform for testing public response to innovation. For professionals, it highlights how architecture is increasingly connected to everyday decision-making and consumer engagement, making events like this critical to bridging practice and lifestyle.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

The Ideal Home Show 2025 acts as a living catalogue of domestic design, translating abstract architectural trends into tangible experiences. Its zoning strategy mirrors the compartmentalized structure of the home, with a visual richness in displays, materials, and live demonstrations.

However, the format raises a question: does presenting home elements as isolated zones limit the audience’s understanding of the home as an integrated whole? A more immersive, full-home installation might bridge this gap.

Still, the event succeeds in positioning design as approachable and participatory. Its continuity and scale ensure it remains not only a consumer fair but a cultural lens on Ireland’s evolving relationship with home and lifestyle.

Conclusion

The Ideal Home Show 2025 is more than a tradeshow—it is a cultural and practical landmark for homeowners, designers, and industry professionals in Ireland. By combining expertise, live demonstrations, innovative products, and celebrity-driven experiences, it has established itself as a one-stop destination for inspiration and solutions.

Celebrating its enduring success over three decades, the show reflects both tradition and innovation. It teaches that the home is not static but continuously evolving with new technologies, energy demands, and lifestyle aspirations. For visitors, it offers real-world advice and connections; for professionals, it highlights the importance of engaging with the public directly in shaping design awareness.

As sustainability, energy efficiency, and personalization continue to dominate architectural thinking, the Ideal Home Show remains highly relevant. It empowers individuals to take control of their home environments, ensuring that design becomes not only aspirational but accessible.

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