"For me, our interiors have always been about storytelling: creating worlds that people can step into and inhabit, not just look at," says interior designer Róisín Lafferty of the recent opening of her furniture and lighting gallery in the heart of Dublin. "The gallery is a natural extension of that philosophy."
Set within an elegant Georgian townhouse that blurs the lines between a home, gallery, and installation, the opening provides a curated environment in which to celebrate the launch of Róisín’s Sphere and Moonface collections, and is a move that’s been a dream of hers for over a decade. "There’s a real appetite right now for design that feels personal and sensory, and people are craving spaces that move them emotionally," she says.
She designed the collections more than six years ago but had never had the chance to truly celebrate them. "After years of working on private interiors, I wanted to create somewhere open and ever-evolving — a destination that invites people into our creative process while launching the pieces in a way they were meant to be experienced and appreciated."
With the future of retail evolving through immersive experience, for interior designers these kinds of gallery-showrooms can be a great way to engage new audiences while also offering access to exclusive designs. "So much of what we create is private and personal," Róisín adds, "tucked away in homes that few ever get to step inside.
"The gallery opens that world up," she continues. "It allows people to encounter our designs with all their senses; to see how light dances across surfaces, how materials speak to one another and how color can completely alter your mood."