Róisín Lafferty is an interior designer and television presenter who works from a restored Georgian house in Mountpleasant Square, in Dublin 6, which is both her home and business headquarters.
From Goatstown, she completed a master's in product and spatial design in Kingston University in England and set up in business immediately afterwards in 2010. With eight full-time employees, Lafferty has been involved in many private residential, commercial and garden projects, in Ireland and in the UK. Current projects include revamping Mink salon in Donnybrook, Halo Tiles in Wexford and a third television series of Super Garden on RTÉ.
Describe your style in interiors
I try not to have too obvious a style because the finished result needs to reflect the client and the property. For me, creating space is a priority. It is the foundation: if you only focus on decoration, it is just pasting over the cracks.
What room in your house do you most enjoy?
It has to be the conservatory extension at the back of the house; because of the natural light I tend to spend a lot of time there. It is open plan with the kitchen and it is the hub of the house and whenever we have friends over that is where we would all be. I also love it because it looks out over the garden. My office is on the ground floor and the main team all work downstairs.
What items do you love most?
I suppose salvage pieces: I love mixing the old with the new to bring character to a space. I have two vintage stained glass panels that I got from an old Paris cosmetics store, Lenthéric, which are mounted on a wall in the kitchen. I also have a Lola Donoghue print – we worked together on an Ideal Homes project at the RDS – called Zebra Girl, which she gave me as a present. And a third item would be an antique chair from an antique shop in Parnell Street that we upholstered with a Missoni-style fabric.
Favourite places to get furniture?
I love Deckclad Architectural Salvage off the Naas Road; we have just done our team photoshoot there. It is an amazing place.
Who are your favourite designers? Do you own any of their work?
I love everything Ilse Crawford [the British interior designer, academic and creative director] does; she is so refined, her work is so well considered and there is a lot more meaning in her work.
Which artists do you admire?
I have just bought a print from the Printmakers Gallery on Drury Street of a goldfish on a felt flocked background. It's called Goldfish 3 and it's by Kelvin Mann, a New Zealand artist and printmaker. I also love the abstract work of Daniel Henson, an NCAD graduate from 1998. We have used his work in some of our projects and its vibrant colour creates real atmosphere.
What is your biggest interior turnoff?
I don’t like matchy-matchy interiors or picking one design colour and matching it. I prefer a more mixed approach and I tell people to steer away from following trends too closely. I like stools with legs, not the rotatable sort on a stainless steel base. I think a kitchen should be part of a space and not just stuck in a space – I hate butt-ends to units.
Which travel destination stands out?
Copenhagen, because it is just the best spot for design and what really stands out is Danish appreciation and respect for craftsmanship. There are so many artisan and bespoke little boutiques and every aspect of design is considered. My favourite restaurant there is Radio and the whole experience from the minute you walk in is so beautiful.
If you had €100,000 to spend on anything for your home, what would you buy?
A Chieftain chair, a mid-century modern design from 1949 in leather and timber by Finn Juhl, the Danish architect, interior and industrial designer.
The Permanent TSB Ideal Homes Show continues at the RDS, Dublin, today and tomorrow
