Tag: iconic offices

Before and After Video: Iconic Offices South Point

South Point office design was a pivotal project with Iconic Offices, as their largest office fit out yet. The brief for this project was to push the boundaries of what a co-working space could be. In order to do this, the design drew influence from the hospitality industry, in particular the design of boutique hotels. The project was as such an opportunity to express strong creativity and create a multitude of environments within one building.

Head over to the Iconic Offices South Point page to find out more about the project.

Two weeks ago we took a visit to Versatile showroom in Navan, County Meath. There is a myriad of tiles and styles of tiles on show at this and indeed at any given tile show room. With this in mind, we thought we’d take a little look at tiles and find out why we use them, why they endure and remain so popular. It is also a great opportunity to look back at some of our favourite projects and showcase some of the beautiful tiles we have worked with.

Why tiling?

Tiling is actually a very cost-effective way of making a statement, and for the most part is environmentally friendly. Tiles are hygienic and hypo-allergenic, hard wearing and water resistant.

Tiles are also a great way to achieve a seamless look and they come in a wide range of colours and styles. Overall, they are easy to clean and low-maintenance. These factors go a long way to explain the endurance and continued ubiquity of tiles.

There are five types of tile

• ceramic
• porcelain
• natural stone
• encaustic
• glass

Most common of these and the ones you are probably most familiar with are ceramic and porcelain.

Ceramic tiles are made from clay that has been permanently hardened by heat and often having a decorative glaze

Porcelain tile is a hard, fine-grained sonorous, nonporous, and usually translucent and white ceramic ware that consists essentially of kaolin, quartz and a feldspathic rock that is fired at a high temperature – also called hard-paste porcelain or true porcelain.

Natural Stone tiles are exactly that and can include slate, quartz and sandstone tiles.

Encaustic tiles are ceramic tiles in which the pattern or figure on the surface is not a product of the glaze but of different colours of clay. They are usually of two colours, but a tile may be composed of as many as six.

Glass tiles are pieces of glass formed into consistent shapes and are often used in mosaics.

In the photo above, beautiful emerald Equipe Evolution InMetro Victorian Green subway tiles, whose glistening concavities work splendidly surrounding the custom table inlaid with azure Mainzu ceramic tiles while a patchwork of patterned Vives ceramic tile completes the exquisite vision. We really do love tiles.

So here are two tile trends of 2019:

Slabs in bigger and more ostentatious marble patterns

New technology means new ways of using marble or marble substitutes and on scales not seen before. Remarkable new products and designs are emerging. Sizes are practically unlimited where once a tile 600mm x 300mm was considered large, they can now be made up to 3m x 1m in polished, matt, semi polished and anti-slip finishes.

Terrazzo in bold colours and sizes

Probably the fastest growing trend in tiling, terrazzo has taken the design world by storm. Not only used in tiling, terrazzo has appeared in in glassware, wallpaper and furniture. Terrazzo uses natural stones and materials consisting of embedded rock and concrete, and its use can literally be a piece of art in its own right.

So if you want to add class, art, beauty and sophistication to any design, then tiles in their many forms are most definitely the way to go.

When I heard my name called out as joint winner of the emerging talent at the KPMG Irish Independent Property Industry Excellence Awards 2017, it felt really, really good. There was a certain validation, a validation of our creative approach and execution and the value and importance of our contribution in a highly competitive and thriving industry. In a year where one of KLD’s goals was genuine collaboration, sharing the award for emerging talent with Joe McGinley, founder and CEO of Iconic offices, after recently collaborating on a series of projects together, was further cause for celebration. It was also wonderful to see other brands and businesses that we continue to collaborate with including Cairn Homes Plc as winners on the night. Creative collaboration is a hallmark of how KLD work.

What is it like to be a woman in what is a male dominated industry?

There is no doubt 2017 and 2018 were extraordinary years for women. The #MeToo movement was a global phenomenon, a wake-up call that demanded both women and men to look at themselves and question their whole belief systems and what was acceptable and not. There has never been a better time to be a woman in this industry, women now have more agency than ever before – witness the stunning work done by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley Mc Namara of Grafton Architects who are trailblazers and very inspirational to women like me. Of course there is a way to go, but we are moving in the right direction.

Property and construction is a male dominated industry and sometimes interior design and interior architecture can be seen by some as fluffy and secondary. However, it is the interior of a building that everyone experiences most. Irrespective of how our home or workplace looks like on the outside, how it is inside that is what is most impactful. The spaces you surround yourself with impact on you hugely, and what is important for KLD is to make these spaces beautiful, unique and exciting and this has been at the core of our success.

Interior architecture and design is a carefully researched and crafted discipline placing human behaviour at its core to provide improved ergonomic environments. It is important for us to create exciting spaces for all our clients. What we look at in KLD is how these spaces are inhabited and experienced, be it work spaces, hospitality, retail or residential. For example, in the workplace we look at the human form and its actions in the space and endeavour to design a holistic embodied sensory experience, creating connection between the human body and the architectural body. All aspects, from the initial layout to the integrated lighting, furniture and buildup of materials and finishes are considered. The KLD approach ensures the best result for our clients; adding value to people’s lives and to businesses and brands.

Upcoming projects

Times are extremely exciting for KLD with a cluster of thrilling creatively led projects ongoing across hospitality, student living, office and retail sectors to name a few. We are privileged to be working with some very creatively minded clients and getting to experiment and push concepts and design boundaries. One such project has just completed. The Vaults, a new tourist attraction based in central Dublin in a stunning Victorian schoolhouse, is the first of its kind in the city. Fusing Irish history, drama and experiential design, The Vaults takes visitors on an exciting and unexpected journey culminating in a stunning parlour, which we designed. The parlour is a combined café and retail space with whimsical and playful references, delicious food and drinks. Look out for it.

I love my job, I love the industry and the amazing creative and talented people it attracts. I feel very lucky I get recreate my dreams and imagination for a living. I have worked hard to get where I am, I have had to build my business acumen up from zero, exercising that muscle to come somewhat closer to my creative ones. I am so proud of KLD and what it has achieved. We currently employ people from all over the world, which adds further diversity and design perspectives.

I could not have done this without all the amazing designers, artists, collaborators and mentors I have worked with over the years. At KLD we are uncompromising about the relationships we build and the stories we tell. We come with a creative passion matched with and deep understanding of the industry we are in.

This blog post is based on an article originally featured in the Irish Independent on 26 July 2018. This article can be viewed here.

Róisín Lafferty is the Founder and Creative Director of Kingston Lafferty Design. She believes firmly in the power of creative collaboration and has received a string of prestigious accolades, including Young Designer of the Year at the 2015 Fit Out Awards, a number of IDI Awards for both residential and commercial projects and the Emerging Talent Award at the 2017 Excellence in Property Awards.  She is a Brand Ambassador for INM’s House Event and for the past three years has worked closely as Brand Ambassador for DFS and Fleetwood Paint. KLD continues to grow and gain international recognition and their work has been featured in many Irish and International publications such as Living ETC, Italian Vogue, Architectural Digest and The Wall Street Journal.