meet sadhbh fitzgibbon of sky interiors...

well folks...this is it...the start of my irish design week here on custardbydesign and i'm kickstarting it with a q&a set with sadhbh fitzgibbon of sky interiors - interior and furniture design...

i asked sadhbh to tell me a little bit about herself to get the ball rolling...

sadhbh was born and bred in Dublin, (though both of her parents are from Kerry) and she is now living in Churchtown, Dublin 14...she began studying interior design in 1998, qualified from The Rhodec International Diploma in Interior Design in 2001...

sadhbh began her career working for Brian S Nolans in Dun Laoghaire where she learned about all the possibilities of fabrics and textiles...sadhbh says her training here was invaluable and gave her great confidence in her ability to coordinate and create...from here she progressed on to furniture retail for a few years, working for O’Hagan Design, and Galleria Designs, both high end retail stores...

sadhbh was involved in the buying in both cases and travelled to the furniture shows in Milan, Paris and Cologne annually which gave her a real knowledge of and insight into the world of furnishings...while in Galleria her career focus and ambitions shifted towards the more creative, and she was instrumental in setting up Galleria Contracts, a separate entity designing hotels and restaurants...

from here sadhbh spent another couple of years with an interior architectural firm, working on retail projects, private homes, showhouses, county council buildings and offices...with the vast and varied experience gained over the past 9 years, she had the confidence and ability to set up on her own and established Sky Interiors in January of last year...

feel assured that sadhbh can provide a top quality service for her clients with original, creative designs, bringing projects in on time and to budget...

Describe your work…?

I am passionate about design in general. I love to create beautiful spaces for interiors and original pieces of furniture for specific areas, with a specific function or as a solution to a problem such as storage. I find it very exciting to design something from scratch, using a pencil and paper to sketch all my ideas and all the possibilities I can image. Then fine-tuning my designs and seeing a concept develop into a reality, with pride of place in room, whether it is a hotel lobby, restaurant, boardroom, office or home. In creating spaces, whether it is the black canvas of a new build, recreating an existing space or simply enhancing a space that is lacking, I love each new challenge. Every project I take on is different and unique, so no design will ever repeat and this is what keeps me passionate about my work. In my furniture design the wood I love to work with is solid walnut. I especially love the warmth and texture of Black American Walnut. This wood originates from North America and is sourced from managed forests. I use the amazing grain of the wood and the depth of its tones as a feature in my Elegance Collection. The clean asymmetrical lines of my designs allow the woods natural beauty to be seen, and the detail of the grain shines through with the use of a simple natural oiled finish...

Who or what has influenced and inspired your style…?

I would describe my style as elegant and sophisticated with an injection of personality. I’m influenced by the grandeur of classic designs, the detailing, the skill of the craftsmen and the quality of the traditional methods of manufacturing. I take elements of these influences and translate them into more contemporary solutions for today’s interiors. This often means diluting these elaborate styles and adapting them to the scale of how and where we live today...

What do you think about the current state of interior design in Ireland...?

I think Ireland is starting to progress a little in the area of interiors. People have been so busy over the last few years with hectic schedules, social calendars full to the brim and at least one foreign holiday planned each year. This has had a fantastic knock on effect now that people are spending more time at home and entertaining at home. Now they want their homes to have the luxury, style and elegance of some of the places they used to frequent...

What’s the best moment of the day for you...?

I love to start my day early by getting as much admin work and emails out of the way. This then frees up my mind for when I’m driving around during the day to a client or a supplier and my creative juices flow freely, I work through designs in my head and ideas just come to me and that’s the best moment of my day...

What has been your greatest design achievement to date...?

Starting up my own company was something I have always dreamed of doing. When I was made redundant in January 2009 I decided to use this as an opportunity and I established Sky Interiors in what might be considered an ambitious economic period to launch a business! I took part in an episode of Showhouse early last year for RTE, and this proved to be a fantastic opportunity to showcase my furniture designs in conjunction with my interior design. The reaction from the public was so positive and really gave an amazing kick start to my solo career...

a massive thank-you sadhbh for taking the time to connect with me and answer my questions...i've really enjoyed learning about you and seeing some of your portfolio work from both your furniture and interior design projects...i love the quirky little take she has given the console table and table lamp in her own furniture line...

you can see more of sadhbh's portfolio including her furniture, and both residential and commercial interior design work by clicking on the link below...

i'm beginning to wonder if the grey colour choice for the company logo has anything to so with the infamous irish rain...

http://www.skyinteriors.ie/