On a dark and dreary January afternoon it is nice to reminisce about long balmy Summer days in West Cork. Last July we spent a week in Baltimore taking in the delights of what this marvellous part of the country had to offer. Having met Ginny (one half of Quercus) the previous month in Dublin, we were pretty excited to add a visit to the Quercus studio to the itinerary.
Ginny and Jason Pavry are the husband & wife team behind Quercus. Based in idyllic Baltimore, West Cork, Quercus aims to strike a balance between aesthetics and sustainability with an emphasis on natural materials sourced in Ireland. Together they developed their signature piece, the Seedpod bird feeder made from…
6/12/2011 by IDS
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A few weeks back, Fergus O’Neill (he of ‘keep going sure it's grand’ fame) came up with a festive idea that would DEFINITELY get us on the news. The vision was to have ourselves singing the twelve days of Christmas with a selection of our products. Thankfully the vision changed. On the evening of filming, over a few beers, we decided to take a different approach (neither of us can carry a tune). Then, by sheer coincidence, in walked super talented editor Alex Synge (he of ‘keep sketch’ fame) offering his help. So we said yes please! THEN… the next day David Wall (he of Conor & David fame) was roped in to help with text, and so the ‘Three Wise Designers’ were formed. Between them, they…
A couple of months back, we headed in to the wilds of Wicklow, to pay furniture maker James Carroll a visit. Over a cup of tea, James showed us around his self-built home and studio, set in an idyllic location surrounded by trees and wildlife, accompanied by his lovely dog Poncho. We asked James a few questions to give you an idea of his background and work processes.
Firstly can you give us a bit of your background – where you’re from, where you learnt your skills etc?
I trained in a structured education way in Galway, Kilkenny and Wales for about 5 years as well as some short courses in specific areas. I find that working with people that are operating commercially in the area of…
6/06/2011 by Admin
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We are delighted to announce an exciting collaboration with the National Gallery of Ireland. Throughout the month of June, we will be occupying part of the Gallery shop to celebrate 2011 as the Year of Craft. Customers can expect the very best of Irish design from ceramics and textiles to jewellery and prints and everything in between! New work on display includes, embroidered linen tableware from Jennifer Slattery, prints by Yellowhammer, jewellery by Theresa Burger and much more.
Running alongside this event, the National Gallery Education department will be hosting a series of talks and lectures relating to craft. Highlights include: David Shaw Smith (creator of the classic RTE…
11/05/2011 by IDS
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The month of June has been chosen for a focus on Dublin within the year of craft. Makers from within the Dublin area have gotten together to create Designer Dublin. As well as a series of talks and events running throughout the month, there will be a Studio Craft Trail on the 10th of June.
This is a once-off opportunity to get behind the scenes. Why not hop on a Dublin bike to get from studio to studio? Check out new and up-and-coming designers around Dublin city, offering fantastic discounts on Friday 10th June from 5-8pm. Treat yourself or buy a gift that will be treasured from a range of 20 studios participating on the trail. Irish Design Shop will be participating, with a 10% discount on all stock that evening.
