On the opening day of Róisín Lafferty Gallery last May, the now serene rooms of this theatrical space – which sits below the interior designer’s new offices on Dublin’s grand Fitzwilliam Square – were a frenzy of activity.
The focus of everyone’s attention was the centrepiece of her first solo collection of furniture and lighting: the epic ‘Sphere’ table, around which 12 people were gathered as they fixed its perfectly spherical stone base securely and invisibly to the floor. ‘I actually just stood there and cried,’ recalls Róisín, who had set herself an incredibly tight deadline when she agreed to time the gallery’s opening with the first day of Dublin Design Week. Pressure, though, makes diamonds, and that was the case here.
The table that was at the centre of all that drama is integral to the design of this space. Carved from acquasanta stone sourced from a quarry that has been closed for 20 years, it is a marvel and a limited edition of just five (one of which is a permanent resident here). Its form can be seen echoed throughout the gallery’s rooms on the floors, from the marble of the entrance hall by regular collaborators Miller Brothers Stone to the wooden parquet by Trunk Floor.
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‘The sphere is a symbol of the universal feminine. It’s the cycle of life. It is, in theory, the simplest of forms, but actually the most complex to achieve,’ says Róisín of the shape’s importance. It was also selected for its timelessness. ‘I don’t tend to choose unusual shapes, because I get sick of them,’ she explains, adding: ‘I’m trying to create things that my team aren’t going to tire of.’
There’s very little chance of boredom in this space, though. Róisín’s love of the whimsical and playful is apparent at every turn. Her ‘Moonface’ wall lights (also part of the ‘Sphere’ collection) are named in honour of a character in Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree, while the stone portal – a signature of Róisín’s interiors – has a sense of sorcery emphasised by the tempest-like swirls of the marble’s veining. The latter was inserted in a way to keep the original architraving of this listed building intact – a modern touch that appears in conversation with the building’s past.
Keen for the pieces from her new collection to not become lonely in the space, Róisín has added items from some of her favourite designers and artists, as well as vintage finds sourced by Irish dealer Domhnall O Gairbhí. ‘He found a rare jacaranda-rosewood coffee table by Jorge Zalszupin,’ says Róisín, who has used this project as a chance to tick off some icons from her personal wish list. You’ll see Eileen Grey chairs, reupholstered in Dedar fabric, alongside modern works by Tom Faulkner, Made in Ratio, Morghen Studio, Draga & Aurel and fellow Irish talent Bryan O’Sullivan.
‘Many of my clients aren’t able to go to my previous projects because they are private homes, so you can’t always get across the level of detail that goes into them,’ explains Róisín, who wants people to be wowed not just by the iconic furniture, but also the exquisite detail of the inlaid-marble floor and the bespoke stone basin in the bathroom. ‘I wanted to capture the feeling people have when they walk into our projects. It’s like stepping into a different mood.’
Guests welcomed through the door on opening night would have felt nothing of the drama that ensued just hours before, as a harpist played and dancers twirled. They were in Róisín’s world now, and it’s a fantastical place to be. roisinlaffertygallery.com
