Ciara Jordan’s journey from site work to interior designer
It would be a sexist question for sure and one I wouldn’t ask a man.
But Ciara Jordan of Amour Design does a lot of work on building sites and since she’s the sort of woman whose presence could never go unnoticed in a male dominated environment, I decided I’d embrace political incorrectness and be damned: How does she feel about the builders’ cat whistles that are doubtless part and parcel of her working life?
“Ah, I don’t mind,” she laughs, “sure they’re only whistles.”
Of course with 16 years’ experience in the building trade, it’s hardly surprising that Jordan would take such predictable displays of macho behaviour in her stride.
We’re in a 4,500 square foot house in South Dublin’s Rathfarnham; a harmonious fusion of stone, glass and wood.
We’re here because she project managed the design and fit of the interiors.
As we talk, my eye is distracted by shadows crossing the kitchen’s glass wall; I turn to see an ostentation of peacocks strutting across the lawn.
Despite the peacock, Jordan couldn’t be more down to earth.
“When I left school I decided to become a tiler,” she says.
“So I registered with Fás and trained with Frank Kavanagh. I wanted a trade because my dad’s a plumber who built his own house and I remember from a very early age wanting to go to work with him so that I could be fixing things.”
Most of Jordan’s four year apprenticeship was spent working on site, with two symesters being spent at a college in Ballyfermot.
“When I started in 1999, I was 19 and one of only two girls in college. The rest were 15- and 16 year-old guys.
"I was glad the other girl was there. If she wasn’t, I’m not sure whether I’d have stuck it out.”
Apprenticeship completed, Jordan went out on her own.
“I set up a tiling business and worked for myself for 13 years. I had no website, nor did I advertise. Even so, I’d usually be booked up for long periods of time; often for nine months ahead.”
In time she started supplying the carpenters, plumbers and electricians for the jobs she got.
“I decided then, that given that I was running the full team and only charging for the tiling, I’d turn my business around to reflect the fact that what I did was more than just the tiling.
“I then got married and came home pregnant from my month-long honeymoon. I tiled for the first three months of the pregnancy then realised I wouldn’t be able to do that for much longer.
"So I took a job in retail, working for someone from whom I used to buy building materials.”
When her boss said he didn’t have anyone to project manage his building jobs, Jordan began doing that for his company.
“I stayed working at that for two years, making loads of new contacts and learning the full interior design side of things through my work with carpets, wood floors, paints and wallpapers,” she says.
Jordan set up her own business, Amour Bathrooms, and was back at work six weeks after delivering her youngest child.
“I went back because my phone started ringing again,” she says.
“The house we’re in today was being built for my sister, Louise, and her family.
"So I agreed to project manage the building and fitting of this house, and to do the interior design. I then did something similar for the house next door.”
At this time, Jordan changed her business name to Amour Design, to reflect the fact that the projects she managed encompassed entire buildings and not merely bathrooms.
As for her sister’s house, which overlooks a vast expanse of woodland, it’s a splendid showcase for Jordan’s work with its exposed sandstone walls, ceiling to floor interior doors, Kube kitchen and delightful roof garden.
From the limestone kitchen floor to the polished plaster on the bathroom walls, evidence of Jordan’s flair abounds.
Given the expanse of the house and the quality of the fittings, this is the sort of home to give the impression that hiring an interior designer is for the more privileged. Is that Jordan’s experience?
“Some might be put off by the idea of hiring designers or project managers because it costs money to do so. But the reality is that if you get the right help you save money.
“I think very practically. I tell clients to think long-term, as in flooring for example. I suggest they spend on what’s important, what’s lasting.”
Through the years, Jordan has often encountered those who have had bad work done by rogue tradespeople.
“I’ve seen people cry while telling me that whoever botched their job then disappeared.
"I reassure them that when I’m hired for a job, not only do I project manage, supply and fit the whole thing, but the entire job is done with my insurance and my crew.
"If there’s a problem, I’m the go-to person. I take responsibility for everything.”
She has a reassuring air of confidence about her, one that indicates she’s a safe pair of hands.
“If there are problems on site I decide the solution myself,” she adds.
“I don’t call somebody else. I never tell someone a wall is crooked and ask what should be done about that.”
Given that it’s part of her job to notice things, I wonder what with her practised eye she tends to notice first when she walks through someone’s front door?
“That depends on whether the house is beautiful or not,” she says.
“If it’s fabulous, certain features will stand out. But if it’s an average house that needs work, I’ll notice if the tiling is bad or if there’s a patch of horrible grey grout on view.
"If something is off square I’ll think: that’s crooked. Straight away, I see all of these things. But my priority is always the people, what they want and how I can deliver that.”
Acknowledging that some clients want or need more help than others, she says: “At the outset I ask, ‘Do you want me to take over? If so, tell me what style you like and I’ll make suggestions and do the whole shebang’.
"If they want input, I bring my fabric books and we go through those together.”
It’s clear that Jordan enjoys her work.
This was, I suppose, to be expected, given that in research published last year in the TINYpulse Industry Building Report, construction professionals were hailed ‘the happiest in the workforce,’ ranking higher than those in technology and finance.
I wasn’t surprised when she told me she wants to become ‘one of the top designers in the country.’
She may very well do that, but I think she’d also be great fronting her own building design programme on TV.
Ciara Jordan is after all, a woman to watch.
Insurance
Ensure that the tradespeople you hire are insured. If they break an arm in your house, you are liable.
Receipts
Get detailed receipts, so if there’s a problem you have proof that this person did the work for you.
Time
Time pressures can lead to some builders not allowing flooring materials sufficient drying-time. This can have a disastrous impact, especially on underfloor heating, or tiling on screed.
Bathroom
If an entire bathroom needs to be refurbished but there isn’t a budget for that, it’s usually better to postpone the job until the whole thing can be done.
Tiling
Bathroom tiles should be the last thing to be considered. Instead, prioritise your tank, pump and cylinder and ensure the bathroom is waterproof.
Wet-room effect
If you don’t want to splash out on a wet room but like the look, low-level shower trays that are almost level with the floor tiles can give the appearance of a wet-room in an ordinary bathroom.
Carrara marble
Wainscoting / wood- panelling
Stone-cladding
Polished plaster bathroom walls
Wet-rooms
www.amourdesign.ie
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