Vogue Williams and Rosanna Davison's favourite designer, Geri O'Toole, uses natural materials that feel good to touch, and there isn’t a nautical stripe in sight.
Pics: Ruth Maria Murphy
The moon’s gravitational pull on the earth causes the ebb and flow of the tide, a movement so subtle that you don’t discern it until the water drops considerably or when the tide is full.
That’s if you’re lucky enough to have a seaside view, as one of interior designer Geri O’Toole’s clients did.
The Limerick-based talent, whose business name is Geri Designs, has an instinct for such rhythmic forces.
Having set up her business eight years ago, her client list includes celebrities such as Vogue Williams, currently in the jungle, and Rosanna Davidson, and her work takes her across the planet.
She has projects in Surrey, UK, Italy, the south of France, Abu Dhabi and New York.
Her nuanced approach looks simple, but it takes a lot of skill to strike the right balance.
“I want the property to feel like a home. It’s an atmosphere that is hard to evoke. I want every house to have its own storyline and to feel like a home,” she says.
For this property, The Tides, outside Kinsale, Co Cork, it was about creating a natural palette and bringing in some pops of colour.
“Natural materials earth a project,” she explains. “They root it in a place and give it soul. It is very hard to get that feel from a new house.”
She likes to work with old materials and is currently working on a project that will feature antique brick and beams that she’s sourcing in France.
At The Tides, it’s a mix of natural stones, including marble, that provides a foundation to its look.
“Limestone with marble and wood gives it a serene feeling, which is close to the earth.” Textures such as jute rugs atop the oak flooring and sea grass papers used on the walls soften the mood.
The approach makes the softest of sea and maritime references. There is a bit of blue, she concedes, but no stripes.
The kitchen is the only place where the big blue is referenced in any real visual way on the cabinet doors and island base, fabricated by Kenmare-based Holbein Carpentry & Joinery.
The island countertops are made of Apollo quartzite.
It’s still a natural stone but is much more robust than marble.
There’s a blue vein running through it that almost represents the movement of water. It has a shark nose edge facing out to the rest of the room.
In the utility, there’s a slim marble countertop and shelf with handmade tiles on the splashback supplied by Fossil Stone.
The dining area is beautifully elegant. It allows the oval-shaped table with brass feet, a custom piece by O’Toole, to do all the talking.
It illustrates how bringing a designer on board elevates every element and brings a cohesion that doesn't look too matchy, matchy.
“We do a lot of sourcing for clients’ projects and provide turnkey homes,” she explains.
“This includes bespoke furniture such as a crescent-shaped sofa in the TV room and the reeded coffee table that includes secret storage.
"Of course, in these pictures you can’t see the TV. It’s been secreted behind bi-fold doors in the bespoke cabinetry.
“Every designer wants to hide the TV,” she laughs.
In the lounge, a tapestry by Jean Lurcat hangs on the wall. It brings in colour and fun, she says, adding that such pieces can easily be moved around the property, also.
Her clients at The Tides weren’t sure whether they wanted the principal bedroom to be upstairs or downstairs, so they requested one on each level. “It gives them flexibility,” she says.
Bed dressing also forms part of the service.
Bigger beds are really hard to dress so she and her staff of 10 factor how they will look into the detail of the brief.
But finding throws and spreads big enough to make it look luxurious is difficult, she says. So she had them custom-made. It’s a really simple solution to a problem every household has. You want a bed you can stretch out on, but you also want it to look well-dressed.
The upstairs room features a print by American brand Schumacher, while the green print in the downstairs principal is by French house Pierre Frey.
The central pendant here is Heathfield Lighting. The bedside lamp here is Senso, available through Andrew Martin.
A false door conceals the entrance to the ensuite, for this is a multi-tasking room and can be used as a bedroom when family comes to stay.
The bathrooms all have five-star hotel finishes. In the upstairs principal ensuite, breccia capriaia marble steps cascade down from the bath, which has been installed at an elevated height so you can soak up the views while in the tub.
The finish feels smooth to the touch, like worn shingle.
"I’ve been very lucky with how well my own house was received," she says.
"Social media has been fantastic in terms of getting reach. I’m working on projects all over the world. People might think I love the sound of my own voice, but ask any of my team and they’ll tell you I don’t love it. But it helps sell my business online."
Follow Geri Designs on Instagram or visit the website here.
