Design/life: Eric Byrne - Designer, entrepreneur and stonemason

"I don’t believe in being a slave to fashion, it’s nice to freshen things up a bit with something new, or inject a splash of colour once in a while."

What’s your background?

I am a designer/maker/entrepreneur specialising in tableware and giftware handcrafted from Irish stone like Connemara marble, Kilkenny marble and Dublin / Wicklow granite.

My father was a stonemason and my passion for stone began as a boy, as I learned my craft at my father’s side.

In the early days, I worked in monumental work and then I branched out and specialised in bespoke marble and granite fireplaces and interiors.

With the economic downturn in 2008, demand for luxury marble interiors evaporated, so I had to take a step back and come up with a new career path that would allow me to continue to use my skills and the materials that I loved — and still pay the mortgage.

And it was this reimagining of my stonemasonry skills that led to the creation of Hennessy & Byrne which I established with my wife, Jeanine, in 2010.

What’s a typical work day like for you?

Well I live in Co Meath and our workshop is based within the grounds of Russborough House in Blessington Co Wicklow, so a typical day starts early, with breakfast and the military operation that is getting me, Jeanine and our kiddies out the door in the morning for work and school.

Eric Byrne: The ideas for my designs are firmly rooted in the materials that I use and I love drawing inspiration from others who have used marble.

Then comes the drive to Blessington, about 40 minutes up in to the mountains, but I never mind the drive to work. The scenery is spectacular and on crisp winter mornings, I get to see the sunrise on the Blessington Lakes and it’s such a calming way to start the day.

I open up my workshop which has an adjoining showroom and viewing gallery for visitors, and then I get down to sorting and cutting marble, shaping, grinding and polishing the stone.

It’s pretty physical work but I really enjoy what I do and I feel very lucky to be able to earn a living doing something I love.

I never know who I might meet each day, as I always have visitors popping into the showroom — some locals and some visitors from abroad — and they come to see my work , watch me in action chiselling and shaping.

I chat to them about the processes I use and the history of the marble.

There are a couple of other craft-based businesses situated in the same courtyard as me and I regularly have a chat over lunch with my creative neighbours, bouncing ideas off one another or just catching up on all the news.

It’s back home to Meath each evening then, to recharge the batteries.

Tell us about a recent project or design/ favourite project or design you have worked on?

We have been working on a very exciting collaborative project lately with a Paris-based designer called Francois Leblanc Di Cicillia and Gallery Bensimon.

We have created a very unusual single stem vase handcrafted from Connemara marble.

The vase really showcases the swirls and veins in the marble and incorporates a beautiful magnifying glass that accentuates the single bloom and magnifies it to give the effect of a full bouquet of flowers.

The limited edition vases have just been shipped out to Paris and are already getting a great reaction.

What’s your design style?

I like to think of myself as being quite contemporary in my designs and yet marble always seems to have an art deco vibe.

Then again retro is quite in at the moment.

What/Who inspires your work?

The ideas for my designs are firmly rooted in the materials that I use and I love drawing inspiration from others who have used marble in the past like Pietro Bossi, who is well known for his marquetry work in marble.

My ‘Marmar’ range was inspired by a family holiday in the Algarve, actually.

Marble features enormously in the architecture of southern Portugal and Spain and patterned marble pavements, mosaics, and marble floors in traditional Moorish designs can be seen in even the smallest towns and villages.

Colour combinations, mixing textures and using geometric shapes and adapting ancient techniques to suit more modern methods all have an influence on my work.

What’s your favourite trend at the moment?

I love the recent resurgence in Middle Eastern patterns and intricate designs being incorporated into home wares and interiors.

Chevron and herringbone patterns, and a return to more luxurious textures in the home really appeals to me.

What’s your most treasured possession?

My 1969 Ford Mustang that I bought 14 years ago. The car is my ‘project’ and I have been working to restore it in my spare time.

Who is your favourite designer, or style inspiration?

One of my favourite designers at the moment is a fellow Irishman, and designer/maker Joseph Walsh.

He is an extraordinary talent and makes the most beautiful furniture, bending and twisting wood in ways that seem impossible. For me his work is really something special.

What would be a dream project for you to work on?

I suppose at the moment my work consists of smaller pieces like cheeseboards and marble serving platters, but I do occasionally get the chance to go back to my roots working on commission projects to make furniture and some sculpture.

I would love to have more opportunities to do some larger scale installations.

Have you any design tips?

Maybe it’s due to the fact that I’m from a craft background where I make everything painstakingly by hand, but I really dislike how disposable things are now.

I don’t believe in being a slave to fashion trends, it’s nice to freshen things up a bit with something new, or inject a splash of colour once in a while but if you are buying something for your home, buy it because it speaks to you, because you love it, not because it’s the latest trend.

If you can stick to that principle then every purchase becomes a part of the story in your home.

www.hennessyandbyrne.com/www.facebook.com/HennessyandByrne