Colin O' Dowd is frantically juggling his day job with his creative ambitions. He is showing his first collection at 100% Design, with his chaise longue Plonk, coat rack Beat and coffee table Big Bang.

 

What sparked your interest in design? Growing up in Ireland, if you were interested in design, architecture was the only option. You worked in either a traditional trade or profession. I had no idea of what kind of creative jobs even existed. So I studied architecture - but swiftly decided that an office environment was not for me. I wanted to be more creative, not be stuck with the nitty-gritty of planning where the toilet pipes should go. 

 

What was your next step? I had paid my way through university working in bars and restaurants, so that's what I went back to. A year ago I started making my designs at Furniture Works and now my time is divided pretty much 50:50 between my bar job and my design work.

 

How do your previous work experiences influence you? Training as an architect gave me the ability to think spatially and to question my surroundings, to try and see the most mundane boring things in a different way.

 

Are you nervous about 100% Design? I visited the exhibition last year and my girlfriend said to me: "You'll be here next year." I didn't think it would be possible yet here I am - I just hope people will like my work!