Fans of Dublin-born New York-based interior designer Katie Harbison came from far and wide to hear her Design Talk …
Katie at the Design Week Dublin Launch.
Jane and Sarah McDonnell, co-founders of Design Week Dublin (DWD), warmly welcomed attendees to Dublin-born New York-based interior designer Katie Harbison’s Design Talk at Anantara The Marker Dublin. Many fans of her work, industry peers, aspiring designers and interior design students gathered to meet this young designer who had cleared her busy diary for this special visit home.
Architect and broadcaster Amanda Bone began by asking Katie about her career path from being a student at DIT, training in Florence, and working in London and New York before establishing her practice in Brooklyn ten years ago; now delivering projects for clients all over the world.
Katie Harbison Design’s stunning portfolio of projects reveals Katie’s talent at matching interesting architectural character with calm, timeless interiors that complement and elevate the original. Her work is understated, harmoniously combining the contemporary with vintage and antiques to achieve inviting environments that do not compromise on function.
Katie explained how a year spent taking a masters in interior design in Florence cemented her aesthetic. “It was a complete immersion in design, with inspiration everywhere – in the history and culture, the architecture and environment. This experience in Italy resulted in a big evolution in my design language. I developed a real appreciation for mixing the traditional with the contemporary, understanding how this can create a timelessness that can last forever.”
Katie spoke about her beautifully composed interiors, describing the finishes, and lighting and furniture she selects, which prioritise craftsmanship and form; resulting in a totally original and unique space for each client. “I am inherently influenced by classicism, but I also love the relaxed feeling that you might have in a California interior.”
Photography by Nicole Franzen.
Each project, including an apartment in Madison Avenue and a grand mansion in Dallas, expressed aspects of Katie’s subtle style. Working with soft cohesive palettes, subdued and soft in sage, taupe and rust, Katie explained how the design language develops from inception to completion, the layers building as the projects progress. The finished schemes are always a product of careful thought and consideration with a mix of art, bespoke furniture, vintage and market finds.
SEE MORE: New York Living – Irish Interior Designer Katie Harbison
Katie’s key takeaways include: “Staying away from trends” and the importance of “an “MVP” or Most Valuable Player, which Katie described as an element of each room from which everything else plays a secondary role, and which grounds the space. One example of the latter was a stunning kitchen island, enrobed in exquisite Italian marble, which then informed the palette for the walls, floor and upholstery.
Katie’s soon-to-be-husband and business partner James Balfour is a quantity surveyor: “Our individual skills complement each other. We are respectful of each other’s strengths, and don’t overstep. I can’t do what he does and he can’t do what I do, but because he looks after all the commercial aspects of the practice, I can focus on the creative.”
For details of Design Week Dublin, in partnership with Range Rover, see www.designweekdublin.com.
Click into the gallery to see the guests who attended.
Photographer: Conor Healy, Picture It Pix; @pictureitpix
