Redefine Design by Koroseal

Clodagh is a renowned pioneer in the design world, focusing on green design and livable spaces. Her award-winning multi-disciplinary design firm, Clodagh Design, is known for its life-enhancing minimalism, sustainable materials, and holistic approach to both commercial and residential spaces.

As a passionate advocate for sustainability and responsible practices herself, Clodagh encourages wellness for the planet and human-life. Clodagh’s work is an articulation of her belief that the key to wellness is “cradling the mind, body, and spirit of the individual with warmth that extends to all the senses”. 

Clodagh’s Design Journey

Growing up in the countryside of West Ireland, Clodagh was surrounded by the extraordinary beauty of breathtaking landscapes, animals, and nature’s soft color palette. This serene and grounding environment fostered Clodagh’s innate connection to the world around her. 

At the age of 15, a horse riding accident left Clodagh recuperating from her bed for a full year. During that time, she saw an ad in the Irish Times that stated, “Why not be a fashion designer?”, and she thought to herself, “Why not?”. Clodagh’s entrepreneurship mindset took sail and she borrowed 400 pounds from her mother to later open up a couture fashion shop in Dublin. The wife of the Irish president was one of her first clients, paving the way for Clodagh’s future success. 

Clodagh never attended design school, but her passion, talent, and business perspective to hire others that she could learn from, helped her find her way. Through her design experiences across the globe, Clodagh has always remained true to a focus on sustainability and well-being. She has been recognized as a designer, author, and, in 2021, Crain’s NY named Clodagh as one of the top female business owners. As a deeply committed philanthropist, Clodagh has also received the Manfred Steinfeld Platinum Circle Humanitarian Award from Hospitality Design.

Today, Clodagh lives and works in New York, continuing to design interior spaces that support serenity, natural beauty, and mindful well-being.

Crafting Interior Spaces that Bring Joy

While designing, Clodagh’s primary focus is creating ultimate luxury, comfort, and joy for those who live, or stay, in the spaces she creates. Each design is masterfully crafted to uphold her philosophy. 

“My work/life philosophy is based on the ancient Egyptian motto about entering the afterlife. Did you find joy on earth?  Did you bring joy?”

By creating these well-designed spaces, Clodagh brings joy to both the lives of others, and her own. Working with homeowners, Clodagh begins by learning more about the people who will be using the space, interviewing family members individually to fully understand their needs, likes, and dislikes. Her desire to understand the user runs deeply through the process. This includes researching the family members’ astrological signs, if the customers are open to it. For hospitality projects, her team conducts lengthy interviews to fully understand the mindset and needs of the targeted guests. 

After researching the customers and potential targets, Clodagh and her team plan every inch of every space, in intricate detail. This helps them to successfully achieve client expectations, include local concepts, and stay within budget, all while upholding the design studio’s mantra: “have everything that you need, and nothing more than what you need!”

The approach also takes into account an appropriate balance of creativity and functionality. Clodagh works in a way to establish necessary functionality, and overlay it with her creativity. Each project is a group effort, as Clodagh relies on experts across genres to help create the best space possible for her clients— consulting a feng shui master, or a biogeometrist if she feels a space has difficult vibrations. Functional beauty is an art— and Clodagh is masterful at it. She concentrates on unique aspects that help improve daily life,  such as creative hidden storage spaces, storage spaces that are dedicated to members of the family and pets, healing art, music, sculptures, and lighting.

“Once we hear from our clients that they feel serene and peaceful when they enter their spaces, we know we have achieved our goal.“

Collaboration amongst her team and partners only works when everyone is on the same page. As a design leader in her field, Clodagh understands this and seeks to work with those that she can rely on to be smarter, better, and forward-thinking. 

“Koroseal is a perfect example of a partnership that works. We are on the same wave length, design-wise, which is the magical part of our collaboration.”

In addition to great partnerships and team collaboration, Clodagh always brings her life experiences into shaping and optimizing her designs— from her worldly adventures, to her daily life.  For example, raising her three sons inspired Clodagh to first begin using sturdy outdoor fabrics within interior spaces— she had learned the importance of utilizing materials that children could not easily destroy!

Every project with Clodagh is a clear presentation of design that combines well-being and luxury. With designs that are built intentionally, she creates spaces that have a place for everything, pull in natural elements, allude to human senses, and ultimately, provide customers a feeling of natural serenity. 

Koroseal Products featuring Clodagh

Koroseal’s partnership with Clodagh has inspired innovative and beautiful performance wallcoverings. Below are a few Clodagh-inspired designs from our portfolio. 

Canopy
Available in 10 colorways
Explore Pattern

Hariri
Available in 15 colorways
Explore Pattern

Starlit Stitch
Available in 12 colorways
Explore Pattern

explore all clodagh products

Behind the Design with Clodagh

We met with Clodagh to learn more about her designs, approach, and inspiration. See what else she had to say:

As a passionate sustainability and wellness advocate, what advice do you have for designers looking to make their spaces environmentally and human conscious?

Clodagh: Look to nature, and imitate it. Get rid of home products (bedding, towels, kitchen and bath products, even wash cloths) that are not environmentally sound.  Think about light and music, think about unnecessary noise, instead create life-enhancing spaces of calmness and serenity. One’s homes and hotel rooms should be sanctuaries.

What do you think are the most important concepts to keep in mind when transforming a space?

Clodagh: Definitely the sustainable comfort, and ultimate happiness of the inhabitants. Our goal is to create luxurious beauty and joy, get rid of clutter, and at the same time, try to remove irritations out of people’s lives.  For instance, ideally, everyone should have their own closet space.

What is your favorite pattern, design or product you have designed for Koroseal?

Clodagh: All of them, I don't have favorites! Each pattern has its own reason and meaning. But I'm very excited to launch our latest pattern, Starlit Stitch; it epitomizes my love of star gazing when I am walking the dog at night.

What’s a non-design related hobby or interest that fuels your creativity?

Clodagh: One is photography, mostly travel and nature related. It inspires me, and inspires so many of my projects and products. My travels in Japan and other Asian countries, my years living in Spain, and my stays in Kenya supporting the education of children through The Thorn Tree Project are all environments represented in aspects of textures, textiles, and color within my design portfolio. I also love dog walking and dog caring, and would definitely name that as one of my hobbies—  and, yes, I do get design inspiration from my favorite dogs.

Tell us about one of your favorite projects, or spaces you created, and why it is so memorable within your career journey.

Clodagh: That's like asking someone which is your favorite child!