Dispatch from Dublin: The Irish Design Shop

Contributor post by Emily Westbrooks of From China Village



The Irish Design Shop is barely a stone's throw from Dublin's main pedestrian shopping street, but it's one you might miss if you haven't heard about it. Tucked around the corner in an old carriage house, the Irish Design Shop is one of my favorite spots for finding beautiful, Irish made and Irish designed home wares, ceramics, jewellery and other pretty bits.

In 2008, jewellers Clare Grennan and Laura Caffrey wanted their own studio and shop space. Rents were astronomically high at the height of the Celtic Tiger boom, so they came up with a great solution: rent studio space to other designers, sell their wares and others from around the country in the shop. With this set-up, they could afford the space and help others do the same. When they moved into their current space on Bow Lane in Dublin's city centre, they had some serious DIY-ing to do, including replacing the original windows designed for loading in hay!






studio from shop

But it was worth the effort. Their shop space is serene with white walls and floors and cozy lighting. The products they stock are perfectly curated, ranging in prices to fit anyone's budget. They stock beautiful woven blankets and sweet pottery, along with prints, notebooks and lots of incredible jewellery. My holiday shopping is going to be a breeze this year. And for that matter, so is my husband's!

Their studios, located adjacent and above the shop, now count fifteen designers as tenants. In the large downstairs studio, the two jewellery designers run a range of classes, including a wedding ring class, that are proving really popular. One of my favorite features is that the studio is visible through a doorway from the shop floor, and visitors are always welcome to take Laura and Clare up on a little behind-the-scenes tour of the space. I love that you can see where some of the artists create the pieces you can purchase in the shop!





irish design shop studio





Irish Design Shop
Bow Lane East, Dublin 2

Irish Design Shop in the Royal Hibernian Academy
15 Ely Place, Dublin 2



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Emily Westbrooks is a Dublin-based creative and travel writer, artist and blogger. Raised and educated in Maine, Emily married an Irishman and moved to Dublin in 2008. She lives with her husband, Michael, on the northside of Dublin. Originally planning only to stay for a year, she now calls Dublin home. She loves exploring Dublin, adventuring through the hills of Ireland, and traveling around Europe,. And she really loves to write about her adventures, which she shares over on From China Village. She's passionate about design, and can't wait to change your perception of Irish craft and design.

Jan Halvarson

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