Lisburn home and interior blogger to host new Belfast 'interior discount' event offering end of line, out of season or sample stock

A Lisburn-based home and interior blogger is hosting a new sustainability event in the heart of Belfast City, alongside top Northern Irish businesses with proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity.

Jill McDowell, owner of Home at Rose Cottage, will be hosting the “Rose Cottage at Home: The Spring Edit” event at Banana Block, Portview Trade Centre next month. Homeowners who attend can expect to save up to £700 on RRP to give their home a Spring makeover!

The Rose Cottage at Home event, sponsored by family-run business Tweeds, will allow people to buy high quality items for their home at a heavily discounted price. Examples of items include: end of line, out of season or sample stock. Businesses already on board include: Wardens of Newtownards, SPAR, CFC Interiors, Beaufort Interiors, Jenny Bond Interiors and live in-person demonstrations will be hosted by award winning DIY expert, Aislinn Higgins.

Intentionally choosing Saturday, April 22 as the day of the event, to coincide with Earth Day’s theme of ‘Invest in Our Planet’, Jill said: “I want this event to give people the opportunity to embrace the Earth Day theme and play their part, by promoting sustainability whilst supporting our local businesses, especially in this current economic climate.

“The event will offer people a space to come and acquire all the items necessary to complete a home interior project. For example, if someone was looking to makeover a chair, they could source the material, the paint, the staple gun, watch a live in-person demonstration and know exactly how to up-cycle it into the perfect piece for their home.”

“I feel Banana Block is an extremely apt location for the event, as it is a new living museum and events space, set within an historic linen mill. The idea of taking something old and giving it new life is what my event is all about and Banana Block perfectly reflects that.”

She continued: “I am delighted that Habitat for Humanity have come on board as our charity partner for this event. Not only am I passionate about this charity and all that it stands for, but I am a regular visitor at their ReStore Stores. I first worked with Habitat for Humanity back in 2019 and since then have enjoying making use of their ReStore Shops and creating social media content around my fantastic finds.”

Lisa Walsh, manager of ReStore Belfast, explained: “Habitat ReStore is the low-cost DIY store that builds sustainable communities. Every year, ReStores divert thousands of tonnes of reusable materials from landfill. We're looking forward to celebrating Earth Day at 'Rose Cottage at Home' with local people and companies who are passionate about sustainability."

Judith Tweed, owner of Tweeds, added: “As a family business, serving the community is what we do, so we are delighted to be supporting the important work that Habitat for Humanity do by sponsoring this event. As specialists in outdoor living, shoppers will receive never before seen discounts across our huge range of garden furniture, BBQ’s, patio heaters and more, just in time for summer 2023. Jill has pulled out all the stops, with nothing else like this event in Northern Ireland, it’s not one to miss.”

The Rose Cottage at Home event, runs from 11am to 3pm and is an Eventbrite ticket-only event.

With a total of over 40,000 followers across her social media platforms, Jill has featured in multiple lifestyle magazines and local press. Hugely passionate about supporting businesses, Jill travels across Northern Ireland, visiting local & independent retailers, to bring more awareness to their brands and connecting them to her highly engaged social media audience.