signature coffee...

if your like me and like your boys toys and gadgets and your coffee then this is the gadget for you...

the signature Z5 by Jura comes at a cool price tag of 2,995 stg...but what else would you expect to pay for a one-off design with its sleek design and Swarovski diamonds embeddeed in its rotary switch...

this gadget harbours a magical box of tricks under its rhodium-electroplated hood, which includes active bean monitoring (seriously...!?!), water temperature settings, automatic built-in grinders, waste disposal units and coffee strength options...

i love it...flawless cappuccinos, lattes, macchiatos and ristrettos are guaranteed...

http://www.uk.jura.com/

antiques in kinsale...

kinsale is a quant little fishing village about 20 miles south of cork...we spent an afternoon here in kinsale and we stumbled across a little antique shop...

i noticed a very cool armchair, but what was special about this chair was the fringing to the base...very elaborate, it had to come from an old manor or estate...

i came across a fantastic mirror / vanity unit....and a very unique clock with what has to be the worlds biggest pendulum...

this store also had a massive dresser which looked like it was custom built for purpose....although we were told not for this store...i wonder what it was used for or where it did come from...

meet richy mc cusker, henry j lyons and partners architects and jury's hotel cork

well folks, this is the first time i've shown a little glimpse of me on my blogg...my girlfriend and i had friends come visit so we left dublin for a weekend to go to county cork...we stayed in jury's hotel...jurys was one of the first projects i worked on when i first moved to dublin in 2005...

as part of the interior design team for henry j lyons i worked with louise cunningham and headed by sarah dixon, under the directorship of martin heneghan and finghin curraoin...

the design concept for jurys was to create an innovative and elegant, modern, quality hotel...the main entrance lobby, bar and restauarant all flow from one area to another with high level timber panelling, glass partitions and floating ceilings creating a generous and spacious layout...

the feature fireplace in the entrance lobby and cosy furniture compliment the attractive modern reception area, the fiber optic lighting to the bar and restaurant has been designed to soften the atmosphere at night...

walnut timber panelling, jura limestone flooring, compatible carpet colours in warm tones and modern designs creates an attractive modern and stylish atmosphere...

i had great fun working on this project and i worked with some amazing people during the fit-out for the lighting and glass installations...

http://www.hjlyons.com/

http://www.doylecollection.com/locations/cork_hotels/jurys_cork_hotel.aspx

recession boosts design...

or so Terence Conran says...

i'm a little bit behind on my blog and the posts i want to put up here, but i saw a very interesting article online on the times thanks to one of my spies and i just thought i would share that with you...

..."He hopes that the recession will be the catalyst for a new generation of companies that emphasise good design. “The Thatcher idea of being a service-led economy works in good times, but doesn't work in bad times. Who wants to live in a country that doesn't make anything? In the 1950s and 60s we all started businesses because of frustration that we couldn't find anywhere to sell our designs.”...

copy this link to read the article in full...share your thoughts with me too...!!!

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article5775338.ece

irish furniture fair...

whoops...this started yesterday folks...

the Furniture & Home Accessories Fair, runs for 3 days in the RDS, Dublin. This years show features the Monaghan Furniture Association Pavilion, a showcase of the best contemporary and traditionally designed furniture from the centre of Ireland's furniture manufacturing industry...

http://www.irishfurniturefair.com/

fire safety regulations...

as i've mentioned before i am a committee member with 'the interiors association'...and this month we are hosting a cpd concerning fire safety regulations...

tomorrow nights cpd will take place in the morrisson hotel, usher quay, dublin 1...

the lecture will be given by Michael P. Lyons, a chartered engineer and a member of engineers ireland. he has worked as a senior fire officer with dublin city council and with wicklow county council from 1991 to 2000, leaving as assistant chief fire officer (prevention) and since 2000 he has worked as a self-employed fire safety consultant and consulting engineer...

the lecture will touch base on a brief summary of fire safety legislation, the framework for fire safety practice and fire precautions in general...the minimum fire ratings for finishes, solutions to typical fire safety problems and apparent inconsistencies of fire safety standards will also be discussed...

we all strive to create commercial spaces that look great, but we have to ensure that we have the technical know how in terms of safety and practicalities to ensure their compliance with todays standards...

hope to see some of my dublin based blog readers there...

www.theinteriorsassociation.ie

happy st patricks day...

i'm signing out for a few days folks...but i'll leave you with some images of St Patricks RC Cathedral in my hometown of Armagh...

 

i've grown up with this place, my parents got married here, by grandparents brought me to play on the hill leading up to it as a child, this is where their funeral masses were held, i went to school in the christian brothers grammar school next to it...and now those school friends themselves are married and this is where their weddings were held...

 

i love to bring visitors here and sit with them and take in the splendour of it all, i seriously can spend hours gazing at the high ceilings and intricate detail in the mosaic world and get lost in my appreciation and thoughts for such a wonderful building that actually means so much to me...

 

St Patrick founded his first stone church in Ireland on a hill opposite this cathedral, while the current cathedral began construction on St Patricks Day 1840, it has a staggered history involving halts in work due to famine, deaths of the architect, lack of funds, and cardinals personal inputs - the latest works carried out was the restoration project in 2003

Beannachtai na feile Phadraig mo chairde...

its all in a name...

i just have to share this little shop with you...its all in a name

www.knobsandknockers.ie

meet daniel libeskind, martha schwartz and grand canal square...

i've been meaning to check out this place since i attended 'an interview with daniel libeskind' last june here in dublins national concert hall...and the Taipei post inspired me to take a walk down and see what has been happening on the construction site lately...

designed by the internationally acclaimed architect, Daniel Libeskind, Grand Canal Square comprises 3 new fourth generation office blocks complemented by a new theatre and a public concourse...

i took myself off to that area of dublin last week for a catch-up with the latest development...it was great to be able to chillax in the Martha Schwartz design public space while observing the new theatre taking shape and the offices around it bustling with activity...

the grand canal square theatre and surrounding developments are set to create a powerful cultural presence defining the urban piazza, public space and the inner workings of the grand canal square theatre...

i really like how the form of the building widens, as if to embrace the public space outside, and the public space itself also extends like a platfrom into the canal basin...its like an invitation for the water to become part of the urban cityscape, and in turn for this new urban piazza to become part of the new inside mechanics of the theatre...

The architectural concept of the Theatre is based on stages: the stage of the Theatre itself, the stage of the piazza, and the stage of the multiple level Theatre lobby above the piazza. The Theatre becomes the main façade of a large public piazza that has a five star hotel and residences on one side and an office building on the other. The piazza acts as a grand outdoor lobby for the Theatre, itself becoming a stage for civic gathering with the dramatic Theatre elevation as a backdrop offering platforms for viewing. From its rooftop terrace, the Theatre offers spectacular views out over the Dublin Harbour.

www.grandcanalsquare.ie

www.daniel-libeskind.com

www.marthaschwartz.com

uplifting neighbourhood artwork...

i saw this in the irish times and thought i would share it with you...its an art installation on a private wall in the salubrious Dublin 4 area...


i think its stunning and captivating although i do think i would tire very easily from it if it were on my back wall...

not so cheap...or mass-produced

folks 22million euro is a reasonable enough price to pay for a chair don't you think?!?...

the leather armchair, at 2feet in height was the work of Eileen Gray...another one of our own! the 21.9 million euro pricetag to be exact has deemed this the most expensive piece of 20th century furniture ever...

the chair which dates back to 1918, was part of the collection of the late Yves Saint Laurent...

when vocation calls...

2 doors up from Christy Birds, there is a door funnily enough...a door which as far as i can gather, is open on an irregular basis...

behind this door, and down a flight of stairs lies a holy host of religious antiques, owned by Stephen Bird, a brother of Christy, and both grandsons of the orginal Christy Bird responsible for setting up his shop in the 60's....

starting off on a whim in Australia in the 80's trying to source stained glass from Irish churches, it was Stephens curiosity that has enabled him to fashion a career out of all manner of churchware...

for 15 years now, he has been salvaging and selling, repairing and restoring items of churchware, from handpainted stations of the cross and candelabras to stained glass panels and ciboria...

all kinds of everything...

we're all trying to save a few bob here and there these days, and while there are plenty on offer on the high streets albeit inexpensive and mass produced; there's an amazing array on offer at Christy Birds...

situated close to Portobello Bridge on Dublins Grand Canal; Christy Bird of Richmond St buys and sells all kinds of everything for your home...

there are literally bits and pieces from the floor to the ceiling - anything and everything from guild mirrors for above your fireplace, quaint antiques, irish pub memorabilia, but i imagine most importantly in todays buyer market...value has to be on top of everyones list...

i walk past this unique shop almost everyday and every now and again i take the time to wander in and lose myself in this treasure trove of knick knacks and antiques...

www.christybird.com

style club...

Douglas Wallace Architects have delivered a new ‘concept salon’ in the form of Peter Marks Style Club in Dublin’s Sth William St. A new style is born right here in Ireland taking Punk, Japanimation, New Wave, Memphis, Classical Design and a lot of imagination with a 21^st century twist...colours that should never be seen together collide with each other... shapes and forms that don’t belong with each other are living happily side by side...

if Alice in Wonderland was a punk rocker this is where she’d be booking her appointments...

i can't imagine the staff wearing black in this joint...

retro party pad installed...

these types of installations always amuse me...

when Martin Margiela was approached by Elle Decoration to retrofit the Parisian apartment of Jacques Carlu, Margiela turned the apartment into what else but a party pad... complete with furniture adorned in his signature white muslin, empty bottles and champagne flutes, trompe l'oeil wallpaper, and confetti strewn floors...

part installation part crafty advertising...it creates the scene of an aftermath of an all-night party, while indicating the designer is on the verge of expanding his homewares line...expect the range to be available in any colour you like, as long as you like white...

village vintage...

NYC's west village may well be supersoaked with upscale boutiques, however when this one came to light it grabbed my attention... 

called Kesner, the 2 floor space features essential vintage decor - ArtDeco club chairs, and a turn of the century chandelier - however the wallpaper made from pin-stripe suit fabric does it for me!

beloved...but not by chance

about 6 months ago i learnt of this restored establishment in downtown Chicago, and its only now i'm trawling through old emails that i came across it...

the Palmer House prides its history on 138 years and countless stories...a place that didn't become a beloved downtown Chicago hotel by chance...It did so by design...

the new 'Potters' bar has been refurbished as a homage to the modern icons who fequent the place...opened mid 2008 it has an ArtDeco men's club feel, with oversize photo's of past patrons and local heroes including Hugh Hefner to name one! i love these cheeky touches...

the ceiling tiles, the colour on the wall finishing, the furniture, the floor...to me it all exudes pure class and sophistication...i'm looking forward to another visit to chicago sometime - that leather sofa has my name on it! i wonder if they pour a good guinness...

'lounge 69'

last year Rio's new 'Lounge 69' in Ipanema opened owing its interior (and thats all) to Brazilian graphic and industrial designer Muti Randolhp...

I'm a big fan myself of Muti's work and researched some of his works recently while consulting on the design for a lighting showroom in Edinburgh...he has created event spaces for Diesel and Audi and has built Catwalks for major fashion houses...

his interior in 'Lounge 69' boasts shapes and forms by strategically placing mirrors and fabric flaps which reflect the projected lights that shift colour and pattern in sync with the music...

meet danielle mac innes...fuse interiors...

I'm very excited to have been offered this wee scoop by award winning designer; Danielle Mac Innes!

Danielle is one of our own; a Dublin based designer and runs her own interior design company called 'Fuse Interiors'. Last year Danielle won the award for Best Newcomer at Irelands Interior Design 2008. The awards are run as part of the show which is Irelands premiere interiors fair, and below are some of the images from her prject that won...

Danielle focuses mainly on residential projects for both private and commercial clients, but she's looking at expanding her scope of works into new markets; currently working on a set design project for a commercial retailer and a city centre cafe... I for one would love to see Danielle's quirky, vibrant, retro stylings take to a more public forum...

i find it all very funky and retro...i love the yellow wallpaper and the artwork in each room really pulls the style together...

http://www.fuseinteriors.ie

accessible for everyone...

NL Architects have designed the Taipei Performing Arts Centre with the aim to make the building accessible to everybody. To me it looks like a cube that has been dissected and stretched leaving usable voids of public and interactive space...i think it looks amazing!

The design is almost considered to be a table with four legs to support a table top which accomodates 3 storeys...and inside you'll find an elevated fragment of the city - a public browsing space offering cultural facilities - galleries, retail, bars and restaurants...

Balconies and terraces with different facilities are to be included in the scheme...

the performing arts centre structure will contain 3 theatres, each theatre positioned on different altitudes...

this post has me eagerly anticipating the Daniel Libeskind 'Grand Canal Square' Theatre here in Dublin...

see the light...

i've been meaning to blogg about this for a while, and the colourful shot jumped to my mind when i was thinking of cool posts for spring...

  

previously located on abbey street, the original lighthouse closed in 1996, reborn in may of 2008 in Smithfield Square, the new cinema is a delight to visit...!!! designed to allow patrons to walk ''over, under and around the forms'', according to the project architect, the white airy space is in my books more art space than traditional cinema!

designed by award winning firm DTA architects, its an excellent excuse to catch the latest flick if only for a gander around the public spaces and 4 cinemas...each of the 4 screens has a cool smarties mix of colours in which to relax and enjoy your movie...

www.dta.ie

www.lighthousecinema.ie

peg a pigeon...

i hate pigeons...until now...!!!

labelled an 'urban souvenir' these pigeon lamps are available from no fixed abode...either from their online store or the 'no fixed abode' stall at Designers Mart, Cow's Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 - every saturday from 10am - 5pm... (www.nofixedabode.ie)