Meet The Makers
At the Irish Design House, we stock artisanal work in the fields of pottery, weaving, silver smithing, soap-making, tailoring, screen-printing, carving and sewing to name but a few. All products are hand-crafted by over 65 Irish designer-makers from various areas of Ireland and all walks of life.
We, the owners of the store are also Irish designers and are now proud to be designing and making our own products right here in Toronto. Sinéad, a fashion designer, produces "FADA" at the studio located at the store, while her husband Benny designs his t-shirt and tote bag range @justbennyphoto. We hope you enjoy reading about our incredible designers.
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Field Day Products by Alix Mulholland, Company Director
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One bright sunny day in 2001, a seed was planted in the heart of the Irish countryside. This seed was nurtured with plenty of long hours, while the sun shone (a little!) and the rain poured (a lot!), and very soon the beautiful little homegrown giftware brand, Field Day Ireland, had sprouted.
With roots firmly planted in Irish landscapes, wildflower woodlands and wind blown coastlines, Field Day Ireland’s scented candles, fine soaps, hand care and home fragrance collections reflect the wonderful natural heritage.
“My basic luxury is…. A summer field of sweet clover. A cosy log fire on a winter’s day. Stone walls covered in wild bramble and fragrant rose. The sun on my face. Freshly laundered linen. The soothing sound of the sea. A warm bath after a long walk. The gentle glow of soft candle light. I believe it’s the simple everyday luxuries that brighten your day.”
They use a fragrance content of 9% in our fine candles. The industry average is around 3-5%. Their candles are infused with fragrance -this means they will release the same lovely scent down to the last inch and their soaps, made from natural oils and glycerine, are triple milled, just like the French make their soaps. The result is a creamy, silky and long lasting bar of soap that won't disappear down the plughole!
These products are available in-store and online.
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Jo Browne Skincare by Joanne Browne.
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Joanne Browne is the founder and creator of Jo Browne Natural Solid perfume. Since qualifying as a reflexologist and holistic therapist 10 years ago her passion has been essential oils and she completed an aromatherapy course to learn more about these wonderful natural products.
"Discovering what I felt was a gap in the market for something new, gentle and convenient in fragrance, in 2013 I chose to follow my dream and use my passion to create sensual, stimulating solid fragrances. From hard work, experience and trial and error Jo Browne Natural Solid perfume was created."
All of the fragrances are individually handmade using organic beeswax and essential oils, a process which takes up to 6 months. The bamboo tube packaging not only looks really attractive, but is natural, ecological and from a sustainable source. We currently have three solid fragrances available for purchase for the female market and two fragrances for men.
To shop for these items in our online store, please click here
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Scribble + Stone by designer Jenny Kiernan, Dublin.
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Scribble & Stone is a contemporary fine and fashion jewellery label by Irish designer Jenny Kiernan. The name signifies the fact that every design begins with a drawing, a "scribble" and the "stone" refers to gemstones which are an important component in many of her pieces.
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Conor Lynch Woodturning by designer Conor Lynch, Co. Offaly.
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Conor Lynch is a woodturner based in County Offaly, Ireland. He is the youngest of our artisans, still in University. Now in his 3rd year of a Mechanical Engineering degree in NUI Galway, he divides his time between running his business and studying for his degree.
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Dalkey Handmade Soaps by designer Val Reid, Co. Dublin.
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Val began making natural soap in 2013 with a desire to use only natural products on her family’s skin. She had always been a big fan of natural food and healthy eating, so she felt that soap was the next logical step.
"I believe it’s so important to use only natural ingredients; butters, natural colourings and pure essential oils. I make my soap in small batches, hand cut and cure them for at least 4 - 6 weeks using the traditional ‘cold process’ method."
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