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Wrap Up Warm

Now that the clocks have been put back an hour and we are getting used to longer, darker evenings, it is time to think about staying warm and cosy as the winter season comes in. It is a time when we yearn for the indoors and a slower pace if we can manage it!

Warm up your interiors with cosy layers using woven blankets or throws from Studio Donegal. When you do venture out, there are plenty of colourful handcrafted wool beanies, snoods and scarves in Handmade Design Studio to brighten your day, keep the winter blues away and stay snug and warm.  For the little ones, we have the cutest baby booties  in Aran knit. You’ll wish they could be available in adult sizes! A hot chocolate, milky tea or steaming coffee sipped from one of Vale’s hand-carved ceramic mug will no doubt keep you toasty but all grounded in the moment.

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Back to Basics

Where did the Summer go? It is hard to believe that schools are already opening their doors! Well, September is always a good time to recharge and reset and plan ahead for Autumn and settle into the cooler months.Discovering the simple pleasures that life can bring: a walk in the forest, a dip in the sea, a cycle along the canal or else picking blackberries, elderberries and apples to make delicious jams and pies, one among my favourite things to do when September comes.

Trying to embrace a healthier and greener lifestyle can be a real challenge sometimes but one step at a time is all it takes. Start by consuming less and better as well as buying locally-sourced products when possible. At Handmade Design Studio, we are part of the Design and Craft Council of Ireland Made Local campaign, showcasing a great number of very talented artists, crafters and designers all based in Ireland. 

August is when the craft sector is celebrated all over Ireland providing great opportunities to learn a new craft, make something unique and discover loads of makers and designers through demonstrations and visiting studios. It is not too to learn a new skill like lampshade making, sewing, willow weaving or hand-painting any tired-looking furniture. Check the workshop page for more info! Starting a new hobby, joining a club or doing a one-day practical course is an enjoyable way to meet like-minded people. It is inspiring and will spark your imagination and get your creativity going for the new season.

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Mid Summer

With the wonderfully warm and sunny weather in early June, it feels like a great start to the Summer! With the sun shining well into the long evenings, there is even more time to relax outdoors. You can indulge in or celebrate the simple things in life like swimming in the lake, or sea when you can, having a picnic or a barbecue and sharing food with friends and family.

Dining and entertaining al fresco are truly part of Summer outdoor living. For a casual and festive table, dinnerware in soft blues and pink together with walnut or mahogany wooden serving boards will make your dining on the patio even more enjoyable.

Wearing bright colours also brings a sense of fun and emphasises the cheerfulness that the Summer months give us. Handmade Design Studio has plenty of colourful items of jewellery by outstanding Irish designers each of whom has their own unique style. You are bound to find the piece that will suit you, a friend, a cousin or a sibling! The natural fibres in linen clothing is also a great choice to stay cool in warm weather. Shirts, crop tops and midi dresses in a range of colours and patterns are now available. Come in and try them on for size!

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Hello Spring

Spring is definitely in the air! It feels great to have the long and bright evenings and to see bursts of colour everywhere you look. Spring is a time for renewal and growth. It is also a great time to get inspired for some home colour therapy, renew and revive interior décors. Neutral and warm earthy tones such as beige, cream and browns are back on trend. They represent our sense of connection, be that with the earth, with each other or ourselves. The many neutral colours are the perfect background for any addition of richer and vibrant colours such as rose, green or yellow in say painted furniture, soft furnishing, art work or ceramics.

You can equally apply this palette to what you will wear this springtime: Bold block of electric colours motivate us for the warmer months ahead. So you can invite sunshine yellow, crisp blue or shocking pink into your wardrobe. If that seems too bold, you can always soften that vibrancy with a choice of softer pastel tones for a calming effect. Another approach suitable in Spring is to wear a sharp white top with a striking piece of jewellery.

For Spring and Summer, we have added some beautiful linen clothing to our range of handmade goods: Linen is the perfect fabric choice for the warmer months as it is breathable and comfortable to wear.  It is also a truly sustainable fibre since it is the strongest and most durable, meaning that you can enjoy your linen shirt or trousers for a long time. Independent fashion brands are creating small quantity garments that are produced in an eco-friendly way: it’s about slow living and sustainability and a world away from fast fashion.  

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Ten Years!

Handmade Design Studio first opened on Mount Street, Mullingar in January 2013 and it has been an incredible decade of creativity, discovering amazing makers and designers from all across Ireland. 

The concept of the shop remains the same as it was when I set out: to champion handmade, sustainable art and craft designed and produced on this island.  

Through the many chats, stories exchanged and moments of laughter the past decade has been one of forming friendships that I treasure deeply.

Handmade Design Studio has been host to very many workshops and creative projects over the years. Continually working on innovative ideas, I am also committed to sharing my love of hand-painting furniture. The shop is a space to enjoy the experience of crafting, repairing and restyling furniture and to learning traditional skills with guest makers and artisans.

Marking this ten year anniversary in January 2023, I wanted to express my gratitude for the constant support of customers locally and from further afield. Here’s to the next ten years!

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The Art of Gifting

Getting a gift for a loved one is one of the real joys of going Christmas shopping! All the  items you will find in Handmade Design Studio are hand crafted by makers artists and designers based in Ireland. Every piece is carefully selected for its design, quality and uniqueness. Not only are you guaranteed to find something truly special but can also know that the gift you choose is made sustainably, made locally and won’t cost the Earth!  

For the woman in your life: A reversible eye-catching luxury silk scarf inspired by Clare O’Connor’s own abstract paintings. A piece of contemporary jewellery handmade from precious metal and freshwater pearl made by Deeca.

For the man in your life: A set of Whisky stones made from Kilkenny marble by Caulfield Country Board. A pair of hand-blown glass beakers from Jerpoint Glass Monochrome collection

For the little ones: A colourful boy or girl fairy felted by Karolina Sexton. A pair of hand-knitted Aran baby booties by Nellies.

For the teens: A funky pair of earrings or necklace by Shock of Grey. A beautiful  pastel mug by Vale Ceramics.

For the animal lover: A cat or dog themed mug by Claire Molloy for the morning tea or coffee.  

For the DIY enthusiast: A voucher for a workshop to restyle a tired piece of furniture with Annie Sloan chalk paint, to make a lampshade or reupholster a chair:

For the eco-conscious: A Fir candle by FieldDay: its gentle fragrance will remind you of a walk in a pine forest of a crisp Sunday afternoon.

For the foodie: One of Helen’s Faulkner’s ceramic tableware in turquoise glaze from her Toulouse collection designed to be use everyday. 

For the art lover:  A limited edition lithograph depicting an earthy Irish landscape by Gail Kelly.

 All gifts are beautifully wrapped for you so that all you have to do is put it under the Christmas tree! And if you still have no idea what to get, a gift voucher is your best option!

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Halloween

Halloween or Samhain, as it is known in Ireland, has become extremely popular and more sophisticated in recent years. While many of the old games may be a thing of the past, new decorative traditions like intricate carved pumpkins, leafy autumnal wreaths and creative costumes are thriving.

Halloween represents the change in the season between the end of the harvest and the beginning of Winter making it a key turning point in the year. Traditionally, this time of year celebrates the connection between this mortal, earthly world and the spirit world when an array of ghosts, goblins and ghouls might make an appearance. Bonfires are lit both for protection from any ill will from such forces as well acting as a kind of cleansing ritual to mark the move into Winter.

For a moody and atmospheric décor, Leona Guidera’s artwork “Escapism” is guaranteed to stir your emotions. With your ghoulish Halloween dinner, you can serve the magic potions in one of the “smoke” glasses; these hand-blown glasses make for a very special treat! Finally, to add a touch of seasonal colour to your own or a loved one’s Halloween costume, you might like the quirky orange Froufrou stud earrings by Dana.

Be prepared to be spooked!

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Let’s hear the music

This week has seen the return of the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann to Mullingar for the first time since 1963. An annual event host to hundreds of thousands of visitors from near and far, people have rocked in from across the island and from across the world. You can listen to music in official venues throughout the town as well as impromptu concerts in the streets from the very young to the ‘young at heart’!

Mullingar has never looked so well or been so lively and thanks to some lovely weather most of the week, there has been ample opportunity to soak up the sun as well as the tunes. If you want to show your true colours and your love for music, why not wear a music brass pin designed and made right outside Mullingar by Miriam Wade, a truly talented goldsmith. Available from Handmade Design Studio.

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Reconnecting

About a year ago, the country had just reopened and we were slowly and carefully coming out of our bubbles. The feeling a year on is one of renewed freedom and of rediscovering what a normal life holds. We can finally reconnecting with one another for real.

With the change in the air everywhere, we are definitely moving forwards after a period of adjustment. Summer is here as we get towards the end of May: A new dawn is on the horizon! Yeah!!!

Stephanie Sloan’s contemporary print First Light encapsulates this feeling of a fresh start.  A true simplicity is evident in her work through her minimalist approach and use of deep indigo blue. Stephanie’s pared back style will leave you inspired and give you a sense of calm and balance.

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Think Green

As St Patrick’s Day and Irishness has been celebrated recently in Ireland and all over the world, what better time to think about green in all its tones, shades and meanings!

Green is omnipresent in our daily lives, especially in this country. Inside the home, it might be chosen as a main colour in a room and is associated with safety and harmony. Green is a colour that soothes the mind but it can also work well to create a dramatic effect. A mix of houseplants may also be used to instantly bring in variations of the colour around the house.

Green also represents growth, renewal or rebirth especially as this time of the year when nature wakes up and the shoots, flowers and buds start to appear.  If we look at renewal with the environment in mind, we can make a beneficial impact by adopting a ‘greener’ attitude. Reusing, repairing and refurbishing contribute to a more sustainable way of life. The traditional linear economy based on a ‘take-make-waste’ production model has started to be questioned.  By contrast, the circular economy focuses on the most effective use and reuse of materials and energy. That goal is primarily achieved through creating long-lasting designs, repairing and reusing items, as well as re-purposing or refurbishing things where possible rather than chucking them out! 

You can embark or continue on your own green journey by restyling or upcycling a piece of furniture that you might have at home or even pick up in a second hand shop. Using the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, an organic decorative paint that works wonders on furniture. Check our Workshop page for details and dates. https://handmadedesign.net/chalkpaint/workshops/