H&R Times talks to John Duffy (Managing Director) and Kathy Ryan (Director of Interiors) at the newly named Studio Duffy in Dublin.
Studio Duffy: Where Architecture Meets Interior Design Excellence
In 2024, John Duffy took a trip to Australia where much of his time was spent photographing anything and everything of architectural interest. This was business-on-vacation as usual for the respected Dublin designer, whose life has been spurred by what he describes as “design curiosity”. John estimates he took 2,000 photos on that Australian expedition, many of which were fed back to his team at his design studio via their WhatsApp group. “I do a lot of travelling and every time I travel, I take photographs,” he shrugs.
Kathy Ryan, Director of Interiors at the freshly renamed Studio Duffy, seeks similar inspiration from the world around her. “Travelling is important for motivating creativity, stimulating the senses and getting fresh ideas. We also go to lots of design fairs where we see what’s new on the market with textures and finishes.”
Creative Legacy: 30 Years of Innovation in Irish Design
This curiosity and breadth of knowledge has helped John and his colleagues design contemporary spaces that include a Dublin-based sushi bar and a Romanian style café. He has a motto when it comes to innovation: “Creativity is a process of rearrangement. Nothing is totally novel. It’s just a question of how it’s assembled and put together. Location, the dimensions of the space, and so on, all come into play. At the end of the day, we are working for the client and what they want.”
There’s a lot to be said for experience. John Duffy spent three decades designing environments across a multitude of sectors, having established his first business in 1992. A staggering 842 projects have been developed through John Duffy Design. Many of these are in hospitality: iconic properties that include the Burlington Hotel (for the late PV Doyle) and The Red Cow, the first pub to be sold for IR£1 million (to the late Tom Moran in 1988).
The formerly named Duffy Design put its stamp on contemporary Irish society through properties that include Iveagh Garden Hotel on Dublin’s Harcourt Street, which John’s team turned from a bank building into a classic, original, and timeless four-star 150-bedroom hotel with an additional two floors, three bars, and a bistro. The hotel is notable for its Art Deco style furniture set against Georgian windows, brass, acrylic, timber, marble and stone.
Other resume gems include Allta, since renamed Library St, a restaurant and seafood bar at the rear of Trinity Townhouse, with its entrance on Setanta Place Dublin. The team was responsible for redeveloping and upgrading the interiors at the 5* Castlemartyr Resort in Cork, including its restaurant Terre which was awarded a second Michelin Star in 2024, and the 5* Sheen Falls Lodge in Co Kerry which won two newly introduced Michelin Keys in 2024.
John Duffy Design was renamed Studio Duffy in 2024 to mark the 30th anniversary of the business, but it also represents the team’s broad expertise and collaborative approach. As a qualified architect, and fellow member of the RIAI John Duffy always worked on a mixture of architectural and interior design projects; the rebrand comes with a refocus on a broader appeal for a bigger market.
“We’ve tried to give ourselves a new focus, a refresh and a new brand image,” says John. “We want to be known as much for our architectural work as we already are for commercial interiors. That encompasses one-off residential properties: high-end contemporary extensions, large residential one-offs where they want to extend and add new features.” Work includes government contracts such as St. Michael’s House (a charity that provides services and support for people with disabilities and their families), opened this summer by Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State with responsibility for Special Education & Inclusion.
Studio Duffy is also working on Nutgrove Retail Park, Rathfarnham, and Northside Shopping Centre in Coolock, Dublin.
From Heritage to High-End: Signature Projects Across Ireland
In contrast to its commercial work, Studio Duffy also has the privilege of working on one of Dublin’s most coveted addresses – Shrewsbury Road. The practice recently secured planning permission for alterations and an extension to the most expensive house sold in Dublin last year. The project requires an exceptionally high level of attention to detail, with bespoke design solutions tailored to meet the client’s exacting brief. It’s a clear demonstration of the firm’s versatility – able to adapt its design approach to suit each unique project. Regardless of sector, location or budget, Studio Duffy maintains that there are always valuable design opportunities to be uncovered and realised.
The business’s mainstay remains hospitality. One recent example is Clifden Station House Hotel in Connemara, Galway. Studio Duffy undertook the architectural planning and design of this hotel, inserting new restaurants, foyer, bar and conference area. “Clifden Station involved synergy between the architectural side of our business and the interiors – and it worked out really well,” explains John. “We were privileged to work with one of the most competent builders in the region (Careys, who recently completed the award-winning Kylemore Abbey Monastery).”
Seamless Project Delivery: From Planning to Completion
Studio Duffy also took on the role of project management and worked closely with hotel management to carefully deliver the project within very tight timelines, all while the hotel was still in operation. “The hotel stayed open, which is always a challenge, but we worked around the operational constraints and ensured the hotel continued to function with minimum disruption.”
Kathy Ryan continues: “The ground floor has been completely transformed, improving the sense of arrival, connection of spaces and circulation for both guests and staff. The clients are delighted, both staff & their returning guests love it, so it was a successful project for all involved, coming in on budget.’’
Studio Duffy has undertaken much work at Sandymount Hotel in Dublin 4 – the oldest family-run hotel in Dublin, (recently celebrating its 70th anniversary) – including landscaping and revamping the bar and restaurant areas. Now they’ve designed two passenger lifts to improve the speed and capacity of the outdated existing lifts. The lifts have glass features, modernising the façade without providing additional clutter.
The architectural side of the business “also deals with building regulations, fire safety certificates, building contracts, licensing, mechanical and electrical consultants,” says John. “We might have a conservation consultant for larger projects. We deal with all the bureaucracy involved in building today. It’s quite complex.” Clients have a one-stop shop. Alongside architecture and interior design, Studio Duffy handles fire safety, project management, planning application management, Disability Access Certificates (DAC), and opinion on compliance. Services include feasibility studies, expert witness services, assigned certifier and design certifier.
“We are a one-stop shop in terms of offering planning, architecture, interiors and project management,” remarks John. “It’s more cost effective. Even trying to get planning consultants is difficult now. They’re so busy and it takes time. We offer a full suite of services to reduce the headache for our clients, resulting in a more time- and cost-effective project, and ultimately, better design, made possible by the close coordination and supervision of more parts of the process.”
Timeless Design with a Sustainable Edge
Studio Duffy has been engaged in projects for Dr. Stanley Quek, a businessman from Singapore and owner of the Sheen Falls Lodge and Castlemartyr Resort. These include Tulfarris Manor House, set within the 200-acre estate Tulfarris Hotel and Golf Resort in Blessington, where the team matched the building’s architectural grandeur – intricate mouldings, grand fireplaces, and classical proportions – with contemporary amenities like a spa (converted from a former basement space).
Another Dr. Quek property is Trinity Townhouse, on South Frederick Street in Dublin. The Georgian townhouse setting required Studio Duffy to delicately work within the building’s architecture and conserve its protected Georgian features: original sash windows, decorative plasterwork, and period mouldings.
Such projects can be complicated, notes Kathy Ryan. “It’s about having respect for the history of the property whilst also providing all the modern conveniences of a hotel room to a guest” she says. “We were restricted on Trinity Townhouse because we were combining conservation needs with accessibility and budget. But it turned out really well in the end.”
Studio Duffy’s conservation skills are also on show at Bunratty Castle Hotel. The team worked with local planners and conservation specialists at the hotel in County Clare to design a new 250sqm pre-function room extension. The team also redesigned 800sqm of public areas, including a bar with a 6.5m-high ceiling. Outside the hotel, granite and timber cladding blend with polished concrete, paving, and black railings. This type of seamless transition, incorporating the property’s scenic beauty, is felt throughout the property.
John Duffy’s team have been instrumental to his rebrand. His son Declan Duffy now leads the company’s architectural practice as Director of Architecture. Declan is, by all accounts, a chip off the old block. “It’s in his DNA. This is second nature to him,” says John.
Kathy Ryan has worked with John for eleven years but she’s quick to shower credit on her fellow colleagues. “There’s a lot of experience here. John and other members of the staff have worked in the business for thirty years. Most of us have worked closely with hoteliers and restaurateurs, which in invaluable for clients, to ensure they can trust us with their investment.”
John has seen many changes over those 30 years. He started learning the business with pen and paper. Nowadays, 3D modelling, style and mood boards are de rigueur. But although technology evolves, some things in design never change. “Every project is different,” says Kathy Ryan. “This depends on a hotel, clientele or client. But most of our clients prefer timeless designs as opposed to creating something that gives you the ‘wow’ factor and then dies off in appeal shortly after. Classic considered design generally lasts without the need to invest in upgrading every other year, and it’s more sustainable- both environmentally & financially’’.
Built on Trust: The Studio Duffy Philosophy
Ultimately, Studio Duffy are guided by their clients. “If something is too costly or too difficult, we can always find an alternative, everything is possible with creative solutions and without compromising the design’’ continues Kathy. “The most successful jobs are ones where the client has a vision and we collaborate together to bring that to life, building trust is key and then, generally, a successful project follows.”
Modesty aside, with Studio Duffy, an incredible project always follows suit.
For more information, visit studioduffy.ie
