Trends come and go but style is timeless, says interior architect
I studied Interior Architecture and Architectural Design before heading overseas to Venice and London to practice architecture and interior architecture.
After returning to Ireland nearly three years ago, I set up my own design studio with co-founder and friend Elaine Regan. We then went on to set up House/EDIT, an Irish-based online interiors platform, which we launched last autumn.
We live on the west coast of Ireland, which we love, but from a commercial perspective, we are a little demographically challenged in the work that we do.
Brainstorming in the studio one day we thought: ‘why not take our knowledge and use it to help and inspire others?’ House/EDIT was born. Fast forward six months and the traffic to our site is increasing and there appears to be a genuine appetite for what we do.
We are taking on less studio work to allow us time to focus on what we think is the future in interior design consumption. We will always be designers at heart, but see a need to adapt to a technology-driven generation.
No day is ever the same – our work at House/EDIT is so varied. We could be working on a studio project, content planning for our website or putting together a marketing plan. Most days kick off with a brain-storming session with Elaine to see where we are and where we need to get to, followed by allocation of design and website work.
We have just concluded our first round of Insiders Secrets events where we collaborated with some of Ireland’s leading industry experts to give people a fun and informative day out. We were overwhelmed by how well it was received.
My home is an eclectic mix of ultra-modern, mid-century and vintage. At heart, I think mid-century modern style is timeless — a Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chair or the Eames lounge chair — we will still be admiring these classics in years to come.
My work ethic is inspired by my mother and was instilled from an early age.
Creatively when we are putting a scheme together in the studio, we often draw inspiration from art pieces. Ultimately, I think I draw inspiration from the idea that we have the ability to improve someone else’s sense of well-being by improving their living environment, be they clients or our House/EDIT audience. That’s the driving factor behind everything we do.
Trends tend to come and go quite quickly, so at House/EDIT we don’t get too caught up with them. We are seeing a lot of pattern and texture mixes this year, which can be great if you’re looking to re-accessorise your living area or bedroom.
A small wooden bead box that my grandmother gave me when I was a child.
Architect and furniture designer, India Mahdavi who is well known for the design of Sketch restaurant in Mayfair. My favourite artists at the moment are Australian Michael Bond and Irish artists Daniel Henson and Lola Donoghue.
A project that gives us free rein!
Artwork and accessories are what finish a space, so it’s important to budget to this. Also, experimenting and having fun is what it’s about. It’s not the end of the world if the paint you chose doesn’t look as expected, it can be easily changed.
