Light is central to everyone’s experience of the world. In a world without light apart from the functional loss, we would have an aesthetic loss too; no colour, no contrast, no excitement, awe or drama.

Lighting a dining space is critical to creating the right atmosphere for an enjoyable family dinner or a long lunch with friends. Light is the one tool that can immediately create atmosphere and the perfect tone for an evening in. Low level lighting creates an intimacy within a dining space which is hard replicate in other areas, setting up the perfect scenario for relaxing with friends.

Many years ago, before my parents let me in the door of Willie Duggan’s, I fell in love with one building. It is, by far, my favourite building in Dublin (not that I have seen them all!). This building has seen so many days, so much history, and we happened to be part of it….even for a just a short time, I think this is where I truly saw the benefits of how Lighting Design can enhance Architecture.

A bathroom is a unique space in a home where you lock yourself away. It can be a luxurious and relaxing sanctuary yet still has to perform as a functional interactive space. There’s a lot to fit into what is a traditionally small space.

I met Jan Battles a few years ago when we worked for the same Publisher. Jan was walking with the aid of a stick then and I thought privately to myself that it was more than a sprained ankle. Jan confirmed a few months later she had been diagnosed with Motor Neurone disease. Something I knew little of, only that everyone was doing the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ to raise money for ALS or Motor Neurone as it’s known in Ireland.

2018 saw the release of ‘Five Seasons’ the documentary movie created by filmmaker Thomas Piper celebrating the life and work of Piet Oudolf. Dutch born Oudolf is credited as being the originator of the Dutch ‘New Wave’ perennial movement which he started in the 1980’s. That movement is centred around the themes of using native North American grasses and prairie plants in a structured but naturalistic manner to achieve broad swathes of colour, texture and movement in urban spaces.