We wanted to sell the usual tourism items, unusual toys, pieces of Teamwoodcraft furniture, specialised hand made soaps (which we sliced and wrapped), unique covetable books and items.  As we take great care with our product finishes and customer service in our workshop, we wanted to ensure that we also recreated that in the Little Acorns Shop.  Every item purchased – no matter how small – was hand wrapped with old fashioned brown paper which was pulled from a specially recreated hand roller and cutter.  The staff cut the paper, wrapped neatly and tied with a choice of several ribbons (hung on a specially designed and constructed ribbon holder) and then the official Teamwoodcraft Little Acorns label was loving attached.  They even wore Teamwoodcraft Little Acorns old fashioned brown haberdashery aprons.

As the shop was planted firmly in the middle of Castlecomer Discovery Park (a mining heritage park) we wanted to give our customers an experience which started the minute they walked through our door but yet have the Teamwoodcraft mark of quirkyness.  This retail space revolved around a unique piece designed to show the level of expertise in the workshop.  It is a display unit which houses plenty of storage underneath, accessible via lead crystal handles.  The shape is unusual, as is the combination of mouldings.  Its made from solid mahogany.  To keep the quirky and young feel, we created scaled down wardrobes to display goods, old fashioned display presses and a gothic library piece to display our rare books.

The piece de resistance was the front of the counter which we had painted in our signature colour and the panels then inserted with images of victoriana.  The real test was the day Nana came to visit.  She was my first customer and I waited with baited breath to see her reaction.  I wanted her to understand the level of research, the lenghts we went to accurately create the period and the atmosphere.  She walked slowly around, touching the wood, running her fingers along the grain.  At last she stood before me and said “I feel as if i have gone back in time, it’s amazing!” and I knew then we had done our job.  As I wrapped her purchase she was still absorbing everything, taking in every detail, we had bewitched her and I understood that this was a moment I would remember forever.

that God gives you 12 months of happiness, 52 weeks of fun, 366 days of success, 8784 hours of good health, 527,040 minutes of good luck, 31,642,400 seconds of great joy.

We have had a lovely quiet Christmas  with our family this Christmas, lots of open fires, Bing Crosby, board games, long hacks and walks.  We are looking forward to getting back with our team who are working on some exciting new projects. 

2011 saw many changes, not least of which was 2 of our team getting married.  Congratulations to Derek and Paul (take a bow guys!).   We launched our new limited edition dolls houses (available all year on special commission).  Thank you  Katie and Amy for road testing them. We made it into Irelands most stylish woman of the year book 2012 – on sale for breast cancer awareness.   We welcomed Maura to our team.  We saw Elizabeth (a mere child of the 50s!)blossom in her new social media role.  We watched as Ballyfin Demesne glowed with pride and became the destination of choice for a superior break away.  We made new friends, created partnerships and saw our clients at The Brown Bear, 2mile house, Naas, and Lennons Visual at Carlow Arts Centre earn rave reviews from Paulo Tullio.  We advised the At Your Service tv programme. We were featured in Life magazine, Irelands Homes and Interiors magazine, Beautiful Kitchens magazine, phew!

To our new clients, we look forward to working with you all over the coming year.  To our existing clients, thank you for your continued support and it is a pleasure doing business with you.   To our suppliers, we look forward to working with you again in 2012.   

ALL PHOTOS IN THIS BLOG ARE THE PROPERTY OF AND COPYRIGHT OF AISLING HURLEY (C) 2011, 2012

The house has been furnished with a collection of Irish art and antiques from around the world, fine mahogany, French chandeliers and mirrors by Thomas Chippendale.  The most challenging aspect of the design for our craftsmen was the intricate detailing required on the door architraves.  We had to build up layer upon layer to get the depth required to re-create the house as it would have been. 

The house is now a luxury hotel. You wont find a more welcoming Irish house anywhere else in the world.  If you would like to stay in Ballyfin you can book here: www.ballyfin.com/Home.aspx.

For all theatre lovers, Breffni and Yvonne at The Promenade Café have come up with an exciting new project whereby you can have dinner and watch a theatre show all in the one venue, how cool is that? The Promenade itself is a beautiful café located on DunLaoghaire pier, County Dublin, with the most amazing sea views. The café is in the style of a fashionable French coffee house. The food and service is superb. It’s an up and coming theatre hotspot and is frequented by extremely interesting people (writers, tv and film actors etc) so you never know who you might meet!

Coming up on December 3rd and 17th, Christmas evening with the Bugle Babes. This trio of pencil-skirted, stocking’d, vintage-coiffed ladies, Perform a magical blend of vintage nostalgia with modern tunes, wrapped up in exquisite 1940′s harmonies.

Then, if you are still in partying mood, you have Pat Coldrick, as described by Paulo Tullio, A Maestro of the Classical Guitar”.

Supper & Performance, Ticket €30.00 starts at 7.00pm

Booking €10.00 p.p.

01-214 8710 for reservations

Please feel free to contact us if you have any queries, or, would like some more information. If you would like to talk to us, follow us on Twitter @teamwoodcraft.

Rocks was established by Mr Dermot Rock and he is the driving force behind what is now a family-run business.  Dermot has been creating and delivering exquisite jewellery and timepieces for almost 40years. Having qualified as a watchmaker and jeweller in the early 1960′s, he started out in business by placing a sign in the window of his mother’s house, advertising his jewellery and watch repair service. From this modest beginning Dermot has risen to become one of the most successful and respected diamond, watch and jewellery merchants practising anywhere in Ireland.

When he decide to refit his jewellery shops Dermot wanted a company that had the same level of dedication and could produce a fitout that would show his jewellery to its best advantage.  The cabinetry had to be beautiful and functional but not distract the eye from the exquisite jewellery behind it.  This required a lot of time ensuring that we came up with display cabinets which enhanced Rocks products.

After much deliberation, sample wood pieces, with different lacquers and stains Rocks choose a sleek mahogany design into which we had incorporated a silver strip which frames the jewels behind the glass.  The elegant silver strip draws the eye towards the product and creates a unique atmosphere in the store.

Rocks also wanted to veer away from a standard sterile fitout and so we developed a dressing table style display unit which ensures that customers of Rocks feel warm and relaxed in a dressing room environment.  This was carried through with the specially commissioned client chairs which are used for ring selection.

When it came to the stair case Rocks decided on a contemporary style banisters which is geometric in design.  The landing area was then fitted with stained glass which is embellished with another contemporary design coloured wine.

The overall effect from ground floor to third is one of elegance, beauty and functionality, just like Rocks own products

Other Teamwoodcraft fitouts in the area:

Rocks Jewellers Stillorgan

Club M @ Blooms Hotel

The Bank College Green

O’Donoghues Merrion Row

The Oval

To celebrate Teamwoodcrafts collaboration with super talented interior designer Gail Wall Morris being featured on the cover of Septembers edition of  Beautiful Kitchens, this weeks blog is a guest blog by the designer herself ….Gail Wall Morris.

The kitchen layout is a simple U-shape design with overhead cabinets at the centre wall. These cabinets are an ‘in-frame’ design and reach up to the top of the sloped ceiling, allowing maximum storage and directing the eye upwards towards the south-facing velux window, centred above. Below-counter, integrated appliances maximise the counter space and a wider peninsula links over to the adjacent dining area.

In terms of finish, the timber paint colour is Colortrend Desert Tumbleweed #8742M. The stone floors are crema marfil. The counter tops are 30mm thick, polished, black granite. The backsplash behind the sink wall is black glass. This throws back lovely light from the south-facing elevation. The cabinet knobs are a combination of chrome at the kitchen side and glass at the dining side.

Available from all good newsagents.

 Wayne Martin who really got the spec perfect for the clients customers.  It was a nervous time for all as Neesons aka McDonnells is one of the most famous GAA and sports drinking bars in Newbridge.  We wanted to create something beautiful and functional but without alienating the clients customers.  To get this right we spent a lot of time with the McDonnells and Wayne  Martin to ensure we all came up with a perfect pub for the McDonnells customers.

The change is stark, almost as stark as contrasting day and night.  The original pub layout was very old 1970′s style, dark but with a super atmosphere.  We needed to keep the atmosphere but bring the pub into the year 2011.  We did this by creating a new bar layout, new back bar and bar counter, wall paneling, new flooring, 5 star toilets and its spectacular smoking area with stoned walls, beautiful bar furniture and open ceilings.  It’s easy to forget your troubles for a  while at McDonnells.

If you are in the area make sure to call as this is a real Irish pub with all the comforts of home.

Other Teamwoodcraft joinery fitouts in the area

Coffeys Bar Newbridge

The Brown Bear Restaurant and bar (Two Mile House)

Dobbins Foodhall Punchestown Race Course

Located in west County Dublin, Boomers is a beautiful old style bar but with a contemporary twist.  It’s extremely elegant but not intimidating in any way.  The atmosphere is extremely cordial and relaxing with great staff who know how to look after their customers.  The bar counter and back bar furniture is mahogany with stained glass inserts.  We accentuated this with a couple of beautiful light boxes in the ceiling.  The round one is particularly beautiful as the stained glass in the insert is domed upwards into the light space and this reflects a lovely light over the furniture.

The seating is also traditional but with a twist, using high leather seating where possible to give a more youthful vibe.  The floor is a combination of tile and wood, based on an old style  Dublin bar.

The piece de resistance in Boomers has to be the snug at the back of the bar which has our painted wood work as commissioned by owner Rory Burgess and his designer Paul Carton (who did an excellent job here).

Be sure to also check out our unusual smoking area which seems like a room but is actually an open courtyard, with depictions of Dublin life on the walls.  Well worth a visit, this pub is one of our all time favourite projects.  Be sure to tell them we sent you.

Other Teamwoodcraft joinery fitouts in the area include:-

O’Donoghues of Baggot Street

The Goat Grill Goatstown

The Bank Bar Dame Street

The Oval Bar off Oconnell Street

The Dropping Well Bar Milltown

The Old Orchard Bar Rathfarnham