Our new venture CREATE by kld is up and running and we had our first brush with the public last weekend at Love Your Home show at Citywest.
CREATE by kld stand
Many weeks of preparation went into the beautiful stand which was designed by KLD and built be Moore’ O Gorman Joinery. We think you’ll agree it was pretty beautiful and look at that mirror!
Vicki and Aisling who met the masses all weekend
We had a great weekend meeting so many members of the public and it was heartening to hear that so many of you are looking for a service like CREATE by kld. We had a really great time meeting you all at the Love Your Home Show. It was heartening to see that a lot of you felt you would really benefit from CREATE by kld, and the service we provide.
The main feedback we gauged which a lot of you got excited about was ‘The Suppliers’ List’. The time you yourselves would save on the sourcing stage of the design really got you excited about our service. Whether your project is physically built or not. The consensus is that CREATE by kld can help you at any stage of your project. Once you have a polished design with a step by step plan to implement it. The CREATE by kld design pack is an invaluable package to help you carry out your design in a stress free and timely way.
Homestyle Theatre: How to Become Your Own Designer with Vicki McGahon
We are so proud of Vicki who faced her fears and took to the stage at the Homestyle Theatre on the Friday and Saturday and gave a presentation on how to become your own designer. Vicki literally took the audience on a journey with her, so much so we had people coming straight over to the stand to book their very own CREATE by kld experience.
One of the things we learned from the weekend is that there is a real demand for what CREATE by kld offers. From young couples with brand new families to semi-retired folk looking for a change, CREATE by kld crosses the generations.
30 Minute Consultations
Our 30 minute consultations were a great success. Vicki totally came into her own as she had to quickly understand the space and the project, dig deep and come up with paint, furniture, fabric, lighting solutions for our winners. The 30 minutes flew by but our winners were very happy and were even purchasing items online that evening on foot of the consultation.
Vicki McGahon and one of our CREATE by kld consultation winners Aisling Cooney
We had a wonderful feedback from Lesley Fee, one of the winners of our consultation on Sunday.
I am thrilled with my consultation @createbykld with Vicki last Sunday! Vicki has great ideas for my home and I left the appointment smiling and bursting with inspiration to get stuck in on my project! Thank you so much
Vicki with Lesley Fee, our happy CREATE by kld consultation winner
Here is a short video summarising the weekend and the CREATE by kld experience.
It was lovely to meet you all and chat to so many of you at the Love Your Home show in Citywest. It was the first time that CREATE by kld was on the road, so it was great to get the word out about and get such lovely feedback from you all. Thank you.
While you might never have considered yourself an interior designer or any good at ‘that sort of thing’ I am here to tell you that you too can be the best interior designer for your own home. Your home should reflect your vision, creativity, lifestyle and personality. And who better to do this than you? I will preface this by saying what you need for this is dedication and a little creative thinking!
Look around you
Show me your Pinterest and Instagram, and I will show you the world around you. Design is everywhere, in nature, in buildings, in road signs. When you are out and about look around you. Look around at the décor, ceilings and walls. Look at the art, the furniture, the lighting and flooring. Observe the attention to detail. Where is one piece in relation to another? Note what is working and what is not working for you. Look at the colours, how they contrast or complement each other, how mirrors and planting are used and most importantly how do all these spaces make you feel. Feel the textures, note the shapes. What do you see in the mirror apart from yourself? By doing this you have taken the first step to becoming your own interior designer.
Award-Winning Restaurant Design, Pot Bellied Pig
Attention to detail
We’ve all heard the idiom the devil is in the detail. There is a reason for that, it is most definitely true. Attention to detail is paramount. It is the magic that turns an A to an A+ and a 2.1 into a first. Take a glance at any cv and you will notice most people list attention to detail as one of their strengths. In interior design, attention to detail can lift a project from the mundane to the sublime. This is where the magic should and will happen. Do not underestimate the importance of detail in the production and styling of any given space. You have to be prepared to go the extra mile. Pay attention to detail, it is worth it.
Attention to detail at Marianella Penthouse
Visit salvage yards, flea markets + vintage shops
Sometimes the best things are found in the most unexpected of places. Without doubt, it is the random delights that I have stumbled upon that have added the most charm, character and interest to some of the spaces I have created.
One of the key features of the Ranelagh residence I designed was a reclaimed iron spiral staircase which was sourced from a nearby salvage yard and powder coated in a beautiful shade of blue. Try to look at unusual items with a fresh perspective, imagine them out of context and think about ways to customise them to enhance your own home.
Salvaged Stairwell, Ranelagh Residence
Mix old and new
Like life, your home should show off your experiences, adventures, memories and all of the things that are dear to you. For me, this is best done by combining old and new things. Aesthetically this adds a sense of depth and interest to your interior.
In the wise words of William Morris “The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of everyday life.” Celebrate the treasures that have been handed down throughout your family by showcasing them in beautiful and unexpected ways. Not only is this a cost-effective solution that saves replacing all your existing furniture, but it is a great way to create a space that reflects only your life and tells your unique story. Combining these pieces with contemporary elements from modern and current eras will ensure an eclectic expression of your own personality and experiences.
Mixing old and new to great effect in a London Residence Project
Love Your Lighting
We love our lights at KLD, they are quite simply the jewellery of interiors! There are so many beautiful light fixtures from beautiful lamps to sconces or chandeliers. Don’t ever underestimate the power of lighting, it can totally enhance all the little, highly reflective details you’ve added to your glamorous room. Scale is a big factor…. always go bigger than you think. There is nothing worse than a light that is lost in a space.
Lighting from a recent Dublin Design
Beautiful bathroom lighting from recent Dublin Design
Personalise + Tell your story
Your home is the one place that you genuinely can express yourself and how you choose to live. Spend some time thinking about what has made you happy over your lifetime and try to incorporate your stories, important people, places of significance into visual treats on your walls. Whether this is a photo, collected memorabilia, a piece of art from playschool to a map, a tile or a card given to you by a friend. Get it enlarged, edited or stylised to create an art piece and position where you can appreciate it every day. You will now have an original piece of art on your wall that not only you created but that very firmly puts your character on display.
Bespoke Wall Art from Recent Dublin Project
Next Evolution in Interior Design
There have always been a limited number of clients that KLD can serve with its high-end Interior Design service. We learned that many more people are interested in investing in interior design advice to a less detailed degree and there is now demand in the wider marketplace for limited edition and curated interior design products. In response to this we have setup a new interior design service called CREATE by kld. CREATE by kld provides the customer with the Kingston Lafferty Design tools and expertise to implement their own beautiful designs and transform their home. At the core of CREATE by kld is the belief that we are all inherently creative, we are all storytellers and given the right guidance we can tell our own stories and design our own homes with confidence.
Giving people some basic interior design acumen and encouraging their personality to shine through will ensure more originality, more variety and more personality in the homes we visit. Imagine CREATE by kld as a support or scaffolding, you need it to realise your vision, and on completion you take it down and your dream project will stand alone, beautiful and unique in its own right.
The service includes a tailored, one-on-one consultation experience in the home with one of our expert designers, moodboards, product selection, suppliers’ lists, samples, and a beautiful handmade notebook with the option of additional detailed drawings. I have no doubt that as a nation of creative people and storytellers we are ready for this next evolution in interior design. Your home is your signature, make it stand out.
