Motherland Studios

Hill St., Dublin

Signs of past and future

Motherland and Event Junkies are two young award-winning production companies bringing new life to an old building in North Dublin city centre.

They approached us with a brief to create a feature piece for the reception area of their offices. It would be a focal point within the reception area and would also serve a number of functions including coffee dock, media unit, storage, and display for awards.

The clients were cognisant of the history of the building and were keen to specify old reclaimed wood instead of new wood for the piece.

A nod to the Past

As the ghost sign on the front of the building states this was once home to Legg Brothers, a packaging company and saw mill for over a 100yrs. Established in 1861, the company manufactured wooden bread trays, bottle crates and packing cases for clients such as Guinness, Coca-Cola and the Harry Clarke Studios. The business survived until the introduction of plastics; the last recorded date for Legg Bros Ltd. in the Thomas Business Directory being 1974.

Motherland-Offices-Reception-Retro-Cedar-Sideboard-Studio-Harris.jpg — Cedar Sideboard

The unit was made from reclaimed cedar planks sourced from a local salvage yard. Along with being the desired colour to suit the interior, cedar wood possesses a strong woody scent; a perfect way of bringing a hint of the old sawmill into the current offices.
The storage crates were made from pine reclaimed from an old bookcase, sourced locally to the Chocolate Factory. Stencil work completed on the ‘bottle crate’ box drawers giving a subtle nod to the past and the present, and hopefully leaving a mark for the future.
A local cabinet-maker in Drumcondra was involved in the construction of the sideboard unit, keeping the footprint of the project small. The design and construction detailing was kept simple and with the wood in good condition very little machining was required. The stenciling was done by hand and a beeswax finish was applied to the unit. The richness and variance in colour in the cedar wood planks came through wonderfully, and showed off the character that old wood can hold.

Continuing the story

Over the following years a custom-made high bench was added as a space for members of the production teams to enjoy a coffee, a small team chat, or some individual work away from their desk.

The wood for the bench top came from the same reclaimed oak bookcase used for the crates in the sideboard. A slim black powder-coated frame making the perfect combination and reflecting the modern look of the interior.

A large corner work desk for the video editing suite upstairs was also added. Birch ply and a coloured steel base brought a functional modern style to the workspace.