Our leading lights
Saturday November 01 2008
Made* is a new Irish contemporary furniture and lighting design company. Established only two years ago by John Walsh and Peter MacCann, it's already winning awards and accolades.
Designers John and Peter had well-established, separate careers in England. John (from Wexford), worked in-house for companies, designing several innovative office desk systems for leading UK and European manufacturers, while Peter (from Monaghan) had set up a multi-disciplinary practice, No Fixed Abode Design, in 2001, designing furniture, lighting, exhibitions and one-off installations.
The pair have known each other since 1999, when they met while studying for their Master's in Design at Buckinghamshire University, and worked in London afterwards. But both desired the freedom to create and design products exactly the way they wanted. So, in 2006, they decided to form a design partnership and return home to Ireland.
"When you're working in-house or on a consultancy basis, you're ultimately designing for others who may not have the same priorities or commitment to the design process as you do," says John. "It's about creating products the way we want to, and on our terms. We're not tied to anyone's brief but our own."
They set up Made*, a contemporary furniture and lighting design company, in Dublin. Success was not long coming. Their debut collection won four awards at the 2007 Institute of Designers in Ireland (IDI) Design Awards and their V5 range of sofas was shortlisted at this year's ceremony.
They are currently collaborating with innovative English lighting company, Innermost, for which Peter has designed a lighting range, TIE -- a pendant light with overlapping concentric aluminium panels which circle the bulb. It was recently launched at London's 100% Design. They are developing the TIE lighting range to include smaller pendants and also a table light.
"Our ambition," says Peter, "is to design products that have an international appeal. They're currently working on more soft seating with an Irish manufacturer, as well as some new side tables.
Co-founder of Innermost, Steve Jones said: "Their designs have a simple but elegant, engineered quality that hides the complexity that has gone into creating them,"
"There are aspects of living in London that we miss," says John. "There is a huge concentration of designers, which can create an exciting buzz, and accessing manufacturers can be easier, too. But, ultimately, where designers are based is becoming less important; with modern technology you can easily communicate with the world from anywhere."
Call Made* on 01-440 2388, or see www.made.ie; www.innermost.co.uk
- Antonia O'Keeffe
