Founded by Roísín Lafferty, Kingston Lafferty Design is one of Ireland’s most respected interior design studios, championing authenticity and emotional wellbeing in its projects. Lafferty’s formative design experience was as a child, when visits to local galleries with her grandfather awakened a love of art and atmospheric spaces. Later, she studied interior architecture and furniture design in Dublin, followed by an MA in product and spatial design at Kingston University. Meanwhile, she also took on part-time roles at architectural practices and in a department store, creating window displays.
A stint as a magazine editor gave her a glimpse ‘of what the Irish interiors world was like’, and in 2010, she set up her studio with Susanna Kingston, an old college friend. Today, another fellow student, Becky Russell, has taken her place, alongside a vibrant design team.
‘We see every project as an opportunity to create something new; each one is a creative collaboration,’ Lafferty says.
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What’s the studio’s style? Joyously colourful and with a distinct retro influence. Lafferty says that her ambition ‘is to create spaces that evoke emotion and excitement’. How people feel inside a KLD space is as important as functionality. ‘Clean lines, visible pathways, and framed views are elements that we bring to every job; no detail is ignored,’ Lafferty explains, adding that the studio’s work is always ‘bold and playful’.
‘My inspirations include Danish designer Verner Panton for his celebration of imagination and play, and other 1970s figures like Willy Rizzo and Gio Ponti, who designed holistically. I admire designers who can create everything in their spaces – that’s the ultimate goal for me.’
What are their recent projects? A bijou Dublin apartment, christened ‘Kaleidoscope’, for a couple who are passionate about style, art and travel. As the pair’s second home, it was imagined as a playful environment where they can host parties and work meetings, and is full of flamboyant colours and shapes. ‘It offered a chance to experiment, looking at the space more as a cocktail bar or members’ club than as a family home,’ Lafferty says. ‘We curated a global art collection and the apartment as a whole is a feast for the senses. Every element was custom made with incredible finishes, such as lacquer, bronze and velvet.’
KLD has also created a new Dublin headquarters for construction company Sonica. ‘They’re incredibly creative and it was the opposite of corporate,’ Lafferty reveals. ‘We channelled 1970s style, inspired by the sculptures of Donald Judd. The result is a series of dramatic and punchy spaces that blend polished concrete, perforated stainless steel and lightboxes with bold orange upholstery and blue-tinted mirrors.’
What are they currently working on? As well as the launch of a furniture and lighting collection this autumn, KLD is working with the Montenotte Hotel in Cork to create the Montenotte Woodland Suites, ‘a series of treehouses and cantilevered suites set in beautiful wild forest’. Opening next summer, they promise an escapist way to experience Ireland’s rural landscape.
There’s also ‘The Farm’, a country home in Meath, Ireland, where Lafferty has configured the interior layout alongside an architect. ‘Custom joinery defines every space, and at its heart is a curved, polished plaster staircase,’ she says. ‘It’s a textured, warm, earthy home with a harmonious blend of materials.’
They say: ‘The spaces we experience powerfully affect how we feel and how we experience the physical world around us. To create positive spaces that brighten people’s lives is magical.’ kingstonlaffertydesign.com
Expert advice
Roísín Lafferty’s tips for decorating using luxe materials
1 You can never get enough of mirrored glass, which appears time and again in our projects. A bronzed finish gives a subtle, almost hazy effect. Use it on a whole wall, from floor to ceiling – this may sound like too much, but it will feel invisible in the space and accentuate the feeling of scale, reflecting all the things you love about a room.
2 Use tiles in unexpected ways. We have used them as ‘headboard walls’ in bedrooms to add an element of surprise. In dining rooms, handmade zellige tiles have a glistening quality which adds texture. Choose a design you really love – focus on texture and shape rather than pattern, which may date or which you may tire of.
3 Natural stone is nature’s artworks. Rather than one type of stone on a floor, I love to dream up new patterns and combinations to make something unique. Sketch out different layouts and patterns to help you make a choice. And be bold with scale – small marble patterns can look fussy, whereas larger ones are more contemporary and work in a variety of spaces.
4 It’s great to layer a multitude of materials, but there needs to be an anchor in any space. Wood is great for this and we use it constantly; mainly for flooring, but also for wall cladding and joinery. We opt for either rich or very light, muted tones, which add earthiness to a room. For a luxurious effect on floors, define each zone with a different pattern in the same timber.
