Tag: irish design

The Hatch Rooms and Hatch Student Living launch in Cork.

Hatch Cork is the flagship location for the new student living brand. In a highly competitive market, Kingston Lafferty Design were appointed to define the brand’s visual identity and tasked with creating an impactful, experiential and collaborative ground floor space, encompassing reception, co-working, chill out, study, canteen and interactive spaces to provide inhabitants with an exciting environment and ultimately to add significant value and visual appeal to the brand. KLD also consulted on the rooms, fixtures, fittings and palette, design and decoration.

Nest Area including Cinema 

The Hatch Rooms and Hatch Student Living have launched in Cork city. The business model works in a similar way to co-working spaces with an entry base level cost which has additional extras to increase spend. KLD worked with the client on these aspects to increase the overall offering. These items to include gym, laundry, private cinema area, coffee kiosk, yoga studio space and a hotel offering for the summer months.

The 265-room property opened in June 2019 after having undergone an extensive €25 million upgrade.

The property at Copley Street in Cork city is controlled by Hatch Student Living with financial backing from Elkstone, a multi-family office based in Dublin. Hatch acquired the property in February 2018 and set about upgrading a co-living property for students driven by increased demand in the city.

The story of Hatch Copley Court was to create a happy and unique space, tailored to the students’ needs and wants by using flexible simple creative design. The vision of HATCH was to expand, create and inspire by employing a modular system and creating a template to enable HATCH to grow. This template can now be adapted to each location, creating brand recognition on a global scale.

EXECUTION

With our design we energised and brought the space to life, making it not only aesthetically pleasing but also a nice place to be. Every perfectly framed space is a performance opportunity with the immersive design imploring interaction from its users, ensuring that every day tells a different story.

THE RESULTS

A garden zone connects the outside in, frequented with olive trees, hanging plants & floors covered in grass. The connection with the outside and biophilia was important as there was a lack of natural light in certain areas. Other finishing materials such as mirrors allowed light to bounce throughout, creating infinity spaces and allowing spaces to appear larger. The use of playful shapes in acrylic & perspex, with stripes enveloping walls/ floors and ceilings along with giant lollipop lights make for a magical Willy Wonka type mood.

As well as the playfulness, it has also a grown up feel with a muted colour palette in tiling and upholstery details to counterbalance the childlike, sculptural elements. The apartments & corridors are an extension of the entrance social space, carrying the same design concept throughout each apartment but adapting it to make it more liveable. The bedrooms and living spaces have complimentary finishes with a muted colour palette to contrast against the slick rich charcoal coloured joinery finishes with subtle tiling detail. The element of playfulness was carried through with colourful and sculptural pieces of furniture added in the form of chairs, rugs and lighting. Large scale architectural artwork was hung to add a sense of colour and comfort.

THE LAUNCH

The Hatch Rooms launched on June 19 2019.

Getting the Hatch Rooms open on time and on budget was a major feat.  The hotel was fully booked on its first weekend. Bookings continued to be strong and right now almost all of the student accommodation has been taken. The magic of this project is how well everyone worked together. KLD’s vision was bold, daring and innovative and required a lot of specialisation and commitment. Whether it was luck or whether you make your luck, everybody came on board and shared the vision. The devil was in the detail. Now each room in the hotel has beautiful finishes, art on the wall, stylish furniture and finishes. The common area is impactful, fun, suited to its audience and caters for a range of facilities. Hatch is the next evolution in student living.

Check our this article in Wallpaper Online magazine which features the The Hatch Rooms.

Collaborators

Client ………………………………………………Hatch

Architects…………………………………………Reddy Architecture

Contractor ………………………………………John Paul Construction

QS & Project Management………….. KSN

Joinery ……………………………………………Greengate Joinery

3D Render ……………………………………..3D Design Bureau

Róisín Lafferty to design House of Peroni 2019 at Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin this August.

We have been waiting for quite a while to share some amazing news with you. Earlier in the year our KLD Creative Director, Róisín Lafferty, was asked to design the House of Peroni installation which will be feature at the RHA in August 2019.  House of Peroni is returning to Dublin this summer for its fourth instalment, from Thursday, 22nd August, until Sunday, 1st September, 2019. Part of a global House of Peroni series, which includes events in Barcelona, Paris, Stockholm, Santiago and Johannesburg, this year’s Dublin residency will see the Royal Hibernian Academy on Ely Place, Dublin 2, transformed into a stylish Peroni inspired experience.

Earlier in spring, Peroni Nastro Azzurro took nine creatives, known as the Creative Council, on a trip to Puglia in Italy, including three Irish creatives – KLD’s Roisin Lafferty, multi award winning designer; Killian Crowley, chef de partie at Michelin-starred Aniar restaurant in Galway, and Kev Freeney, creative director of Algorithm, who are widely known for their highly technical and creative productions. They were immersed in the style of Peroni along with the beauty of authentic Italian design, culture, architecture, food and craftsmanship, and will bring this inspiration back to Dublin to create this year’s House of Peroni residency experience.

Roisin Lafferty will be tasked with designing the aesthetics of the RHA interior. Following her trip to Puglia, Roisin commented:

‘Brimming with sophistication and elegance, Puglia’s aesthetic of refined arches, understated whites, and glistening jewel seascapes, framed the chilled and inviting environment. I am really excited to capture some of its charm and character in this year’s House of Peroni design’.

In Italy, Roisin stayed in Masseria Ceravolo, a farm house steeped in history and tradition that was lovingly restored and now is an elegant country house. Rosin will combine the style of Peroni with the beauty of Puglia in her creation. To say this is exciting is an understatement, all of us at KLD are looking forward to working with these great talents to create something incredible, and in such an amazing location the RHA.

The following is a short video we made behind the scenes at a promo shoot for House of Peroni at the RHA.

The House of Peroni is open to the public from Thursday, 22nd August, until Sunday, 1st September, 2019, in the Royal Hibernian Academy on Ely Place, Dublin 2. No admission fee and no booking required for general entry. Over 18s only.

Kingston Lafferty Design longlisted for Emerging Interior Designer at the 2019 Dezeen Awards

We are absolutely thrilled with the news that KLD has been longlisted in the Emerging Interior Designer category for the Dezeen awards 2019. We are huge fans of Dezeen and we could not be prouder to be announced in this category with other tremendous and talented designers from across the globe.

Dezeen is truly international, and this is a bucket list territory for KLD. We could not be more honoured with this tribute to our work. Commenting on the news, Founder and Creative Director Róisín Lafferty said:

” Dezeen showcases the best of design across the world and to be longlisted amongst such incredible design talents and creatives is so exciting for me and team KLD.”

To mark this wonderful news, we thought we would share a little about KLD with you.

Who we are

KLD is an award-winning Design House from Dublin. Founded in 2010 by designer Róisín Lafferty, KLD quickly made its mark as a respected Interior Architecture and Design agency in Ireland and Europe. Throughout its lifespan KLD has won numerous awards, however 2018 was an exceptional year. Róisín Lafferty won Image Interiors & Living Interior Designer of the year award, the design for Pot Bellied Pig café won at the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards, and the design for The Vaults Parlour won the Fit Out Project of the Year – Retail. In 2019 Róisín was announced as the new President of the Institute of Designers in Ireland.

How we work
KLD think differently about design. Our designs take people on a journey, delivering fun and unexpected experiences. With a holistic approach, we study the way in which people live and work to create tactile and meaningful design, putting human behaviour at the centre of every project. We are imaginative, creative and experimental. Through our work we create spaces with feeling, meaning and character. Our work begins with a thorough understanding of the people we collaborate with. We question, we listen, we observe. Equipped with the consideration of how human life will interact with the space we develop design details that will enhance both the aesthetics and the experience.

We are Experimental
AT KLD we like to push ourselves, boundaries and the limits of what is perceived possible. It has served us well. Being experimental requires an open mind, patience and thick skin. Added to this is a commitment to excellence, a willingness to succeed, resilience and a penchant to take the odd risk. We want to deliver the best for our clients, and we cannot do this alone.

Our standards
We are award-winning for good reason. The devil is in the detail and we aim for perfection. It is the least a client expects. We want everything to be the best, and there is no reason why it shouldn’t be. This has the wonderful benefit of encouraging and facilitating our partners and collaborators in their best work also.

Working with KLD
We are fun and easy-going people. Collectively, we have a great sense of humour, are open minded and love people. This translates into how we work. We enjoy a work environment where people are free to be themselves and get on with their job. Due to our own expectations and the commitment we have made to our clients, we expect the highest standard of work and finish. We are unapologetic when it comes to delivering the best. When you partner with KLD, you work with the best; a creative, diverse and experimental design team with a passion for delivering beautiful and functional spaces. We are supportive, collaborative, fair, reasonable and rational. We value design and we expect the same in return. We firmly believe our winning formula is one that brings out the best in all involved.

KLD’s work is of such a calibre that it has been featured in many Irish and international publications, including Elle Decoration, Architectural Digest, Living ETC, Italian and Australian Vogue and The Wall Street Journal

“We demand excellence of ourselves. We expect excellence from others. We deliver excellence to our clients.”

In our work as Designers we come into contact with so many talented and inspiring people. We believe that creativity is contagious, so in the interest of spreading the creative bug we want to share inspiring design stories from these amazing people.

One such lady is Clean Slate Founder, Nicole Connolly. Clean Slate is an exciting new Irish lifestyle business offering a range of fragrance products in a beautiful, clean and gender neutral aesthetic. We chatted to Nicole about starting a creative business and seeing your visions and designs become a reality. 

Nicole, what is Clean Slate and how did the business come about?

CLEAN SLATE is a small batch company, making products for your home and body, based in Dublin, Ireland. Products already on the market just didn’t tick all of the boxes for me. To satisfy my desire for fragrance, gorgeous products, design and creativity I began making my own little luxuries that would blend all these passions.  This grew into creating a range of products that are aesthetically pleasing, high quality and affordable. It was important to me that the style of the product would be both gender neutral and design conscious.

What inspires you or where do you source inspiration?

I find inspiration everywhere, from looking through coffee table books to a simple walk in the woods, there is always something to spark an idea. For me, scents are created not necessarily intentionally but have come about through experiences, occasions and memories. For example the Lavender + Eucalyptus range was inspired by my children who have always loved both oils on their pillows at night to aid sleep and clear their little noses.  My mum inspired the Cardamom + Spice as she makes an amazing tea brack. We start each morning with a strong black coffee with a spoon of coconut oil, the smell is amazing and I thought it would make a great candle too.

What is a typical day like in the Clean Slate HQ?

Everyday here is different, though I try to keep a weekly schedule so that everything gets crossed off the list.  I have days for pouring and days for soap making and cutting.  Other days I am labeling and wrapping or at the desk ordering supplies and packing orders. What is typical is that everyday you’ll find a coffee and a candle on the go while I work.

Who is on the Clean Slate team?

As a new business I am a one woman show at the moment, though my family have been of great help and support and it has been all hands on deck at times. The kids help out at markets and my custom-made soap boxes were made by my Dad.

What is the process from concept to completion for your products?

I do a lot of testing before I settle on a perfect scent blend. As a result I have a cupboard full of testers!. The candles are all hand poured and left to set before trimming the wicks and later adding labels.  Sprays are also handmade and labelled. Ingredients for soaps are meticulously measured, weighed, mixed and poured into boxes and left to set before unmoulding.  After slicing they are left on a rack to cure. They then need to be wrapped and labelled.

What have been your business highlights so far?

For me, the highlight so far has been just seeing my ideas come to life and being enjoyed by others.  It’s the simple things like hearing a customer tell you how much they loved something and returning for more!

What advice would you give others who may be thinking about setting up a creative business?

I think people already know that you need to be passionate and to love and live what you do. My advice would be to stop procrastinating and just go for it.  If you are the perfectionist type, don’t wait until everything is just right, just start. Go with your gut feeling on decisions and surround yourself with other creative and positive people.  Also, when you experience disappointments and mistakes, don’t dwell on them, view them as a learning opportunity and move on.

How do you unwind and switch off from the demands of business life?

I love taking a family walk every night.  Getting some fresh air, exercise and chatting about our news is a great way to end the day.  If I have free time, my favourite indulgence is catch up on interior and lifestyle blogs and design magazines.  Of course, the glass of wine in my hand while I lust over the images, helps with the unwinding part!

What’s ahead for Clean Slate in 2016 and beyond?

Next year I plan to add more scents and introduce some new products to the line.  I hope to continue to learn and grow, take on some help and add more lovely stockists.  I want CLEAN SLATE to have further reach so that our products are more readily available to our customers so more people can use our little luxuries every day.

For more information on clean slate and the range available check out their website www.cleanslate.ie or email info@cleanslate.ie

Wool is such a beautiful, tactile material and although we traditionally see it forming chunky knit blankets and cosy cushions, there’s a new wool trend taking the interiors world by storm –  wool wall hangings.

This latest form of wall candy is one we’re definitely crushing on at KLD – we think it’s the perfect way to add texture, colour and style to bare walls.

So if you’re looking for something completely unique and stylish to bring your walls bang up to date, this could be just the thing you’re after!

For a one stop shop for all types of wall hangings check out the gorgeous works of Irish Wall Hanging Extraordinare: Weaverella. Or why not try a little DIY version of your own?

Our Pinterest board is also brimming with beautiful wall hanging inspo and tutorials. Here’s a peak…

Follow Kingston Lafferty Design’s board Wall Hanging on Pinterest.

My name is Aoife Mullane and I am 25 years old. I live in Bray Co Wicklow. I recently graduated from studying printed textiles in the National College of Art and Design.

I am currently in the process of setting up my own Textiles brand. I worked really hard on my final year collection and designed a range that I was really proud of. Some of my textiles were then featured in an exhibition in Brown Thomas called CREATE. This is where it really all began!

I have had a great reaction to my collection and I have found there is a real market for high end and bespoke textiles for use in both residential builds as well as corporate architecture.

My work is deeply rooted in my everyday observations from my natural surroundings- the sea, the garden, the vegetable patch and the farmers market.

My creativity comes from foraging and discovering organic patterns and interesting color combinations found in nature. I use a lot of metallic within my work- this is inspired by the flecks of aluminum I observed while exploring pebbles and rocks.

There has been a real trend towards authenticity of design. People are now navigating towards products that are more about quality rather than quantity- and this is definitely my design philosophy!

I use a combination of natural fabrics – such as silks, wools and linens and I design site-specific textiles according to the clients colour/ style and space preferences.

My textiles are designed to be placed in a space that ideally uses natural raw materials such as wood, marble, slate and copper – the textiles then become the key focus and have space to breathe.

I use a lot of hand rendered process that give my fabrics an authentic feel. High-end processes such as foiling and metallic give them a luxurious and unique edge.

I was named the national winner of the Society of Dyers and Colorists 2015, I then traveled over to London in November to compete against the other finalist from over 12 different countries and I was named the overall international winner for my use of color within textiles.

The judging panel included Dame Zandra Rhodes and it was such an amazing surreal experience. I was recently featured in the Irish Times as the textiles one to watch for 2016, which felt really great.

2016- onwards and upwards!