Last fall, CTC&G featured Dublin-based designer Róisín Lafferty in our “Meet the Designer” column. When asked about her use of natural materials, she said she is not a fan of trends. “There are so many options when you bring in natural materials— every stone slab and timber grain is unique. And they can connect the inside and outside really beautifully,” Lafferty shared. Since then, she has released her first-ever natural stone collection in collaboration with Aria Stone Gallery. Lafferty hand-picked a selection of marble, quartzite, and onyx. We caught up with the designer to hear more about the line.
How did you approach curating this collection?
I wanted to create a balanced and diverse collection of stones that gives people flexibility in terms of design and aesthetic. It’s really important to me that there is variety of color and depth of tone. My work is known to be quite colorful and I love stone as a way of bringing depth of color. The collection overall is balanced and beautiful but there is a lot of variety within it and it could be used within many different ways.
When you’re selecting stone, what are you responding to first? Color, texture, scale, or something less tangible?
When I’m selecting stone, it’s quite an emotive response. It is really primarily intuitive. When I bring clients to select stone for projects, I encourage them to think about it as though they’re going to an art gallery. Stone is subjective in the same way art is. Stone is nature’s art. I do tend to gravitate towards the softer, more organic patterns. For example, I love big sweeping gestures as opposed to the more jagged linear style.
How do you approach designing a space once a stone has been chosen?
It really depends on the project and the space itself. Sometimes we will have chosen the stone, but not the exact slab. One thing that’s really important in the process is to map out the stone in advance of the placement so that it’s super clear on what the focal point is within the slab itself is I don’t love book-matched as a type, I find it too much and too strong detracting often from the stone itself. I generally prefer a vein-matched approach so mapping out the stone in advance of installation is hugely important. I particularly love when we can continue a pattern from a floor up a wall it creates such a strong sense of drama.
In the fall, you mentioned natural materials don’t date. How do you think about timelessness when working with stone?
For me, there’s something about remembering where stone comes from: It comes from our earth. Although we see it as a decorative finish within projects, hidden in fact is a piece of nature in itself. The colors are from the region it comes from. It is like bringing the outside in. How we use it is the important part, and ensuring it remains timeless. But for me, the depth of pattern and color never dates. It’s up to us as designers to ensure the associated materiality and design itself is timeless also.
How do you imagine the stones from this collection living in a home?
Pernice is such a popular stone at the moment. The peachy tones and the breccia pattern are so beautiful and can be used in many different ways. I personally love it in kitchen/dining spaces. It also works really nicely in smaller items such as sinks and vanities. Irish green is so stunning on a floor, on a vanity, and also as a feature wall. So many of the pieces that I’ve brought can be used in multiple ways. I encourage people to think outside the box. I also love making furniture out of stone. Walk-in double showers can be so beautiful, as well. For me, there are limitless options.
After completing this collection, what ideas are you most interested in exploring next?
I have so many exciting ideas. It’s such a pleasure working with Aria Stone and I look forward to what we can achieve together. I think of this collection like fashion: There are so many other collections that can come from this. It really is endless and my love for stone only grows.
