Nicola Kehoe
“I believe passion, originality and a strong work ethic, with a working knowledge of the technical aspects of your design are just as important as age and experience.”
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey in architecture/design?
I always wanted to be an Architect. Growing up I was exposed to the world of construction by my father. I always remembered being drawn to the blueprints scattered across the dining table and I still recall my first ‘official’ CAD lesson at 7 years old with my dad. I studied for a Bachelor’s of Science in Architecture at University College Dublin and initially saw myself going into Commercial Architecture. However, I was always intrigued by interiors; but hadn’t had enough exposure to it during my college years. After leaving Ireland and moving to New York, I became interested in Interior Design. It presented itself as a happy medium between technical framework and creative concepts.
What was your first introduction to the field?
After some brief experience in Ireland, I took the leap and made a snap decision to move to New York. This went against advice I had been given by other architects at the time, which was unsettlingly at first. Once in New York, I landed a great opportunity working with Chiara de Rege, which exposed me to the world of Interior Design proper for the first time. She was instrumental in influencing my career trajectory towards Interior Design. Working with Chiara, I learned the ways of an industry that I was previously unfamiliar with. She took a chance on me when I first arrived in New York, when others might have dismissed my lack of experience.
What about the industry enticed you to make it your career?
I was drawn to the creativity behind the design industry. Whereas I had once associated inspiration with a narrow repertoire of sources, once I began working in design, I came to realise the value of inspiration from our everyday surroundings, from light to texture to art and fashion. A game changer for me was learning to incorporate context and the local environment into my designs, which arose when working on multiple Wing projects where the roots of the local neighbourhood influenced each unique location. How The Wing would seamlessly integrate into the local grassroots community and environment was of great importance to us when designing.
What has been your biggest challenge in your career?
In all honesty, the largest obstacle I’ve had to overcome is being taken seriously in the construction and design world, largely due to my young age and being female. Often clients and colleagues will dismiss my ideas and concepts because they perceive me to be young and inexperienced, but I believe passion, originality and a strong work ethic, with a working knowledge of the technical aspects of your design are just as important as age and experience.
Can you tell us the process behind what you designed. How do you approach each project?
I approach each project from a unique perspective. When designing with The Wing, it was important that elements of the design in each location were recognizable and unique to the organization, while also paying homage to the idiosyncrasies of each city. Our team was extremely lucky to have creative licence to be bold and take risks with our design, and I think that is reflected in the finished spaces. It was enjoyable to work on multiple locations; When working on successful locations, we tweaked our colour palettes and watch our designs mature and gain courage.
After a recent relocation to London, I have started a new position at Ennismore, working on Hoxton hotel and co-working projects. It’s interesting to see the similarities and variances in design on two different continents. Trying to wrap my head back around the metric system after my brief affair with the Imperial system is proving challenging!
What is one piece of advice you have for women entering the field?
Nothing is out of reach. You should be defined only by your creativity and determination. You need to put yourself out there to gain exposure in the design world. Bold moves have bold consequences. My career would be drastically different if I hadn’t made the earlier shift towards interiors; moving to New York was the catalyst for this change. Never be afraid to go against the grain.
