While she was favoring natural fibers and avoiding toxic paints and tropical woods a full decade before such practices became de rigueur, Clodagh's ideas about sustainability are not just about the environment but about what sustains the human spirit. It only makes sense, then, that the theme of harmony and balance in her work is derived through an engagement with all the human senses, all the natural elements-earth, water, fire, air, and "what is intangible as well."

Equally diverse are her design influences, among them the soft light of her native landscape in Ireland, the interplay of sun and shadow in the southeastern coast of Spain where she once lived, a Japanese view to nature, the Tuscan plains, and the ancient Chinese practice of feng shui. In Clodagh's hands, such a fusion leads to Total Design, a way to "enhance life and spirit through timeless, responsible design." Her four-step program of contemplating, cleansing, clarifying, and creating may call upon the pleasures of light filtered through sandblasted glass, a sculptural tangle of vine, the sound of water.

Total it is indeed-thus far evident in everything from residential design to hotel and spas to fabrics, furniture, textiles, and lighting. -Akiko Busch

Clodagh's website
www.clodagh.com