The idyllic experience that is chef Cúán Greene’s Ómós arrives before stepping foot in the guesthouse and restaurant. Located in Abbeyleix, in Ireland’s County Laois, the recently opened venue is surrounded by rolling farmland, fields of wildflowers and bluebells (in the spring), vegetable gardens, and walking trails that lead to even more picturesque waterfalls. Greene, whose work also emphasizes nature and produce, worked with Denmark-based Cassandra Bradfield and Sofia Olsson of Asca Studio and Rebecca Norberg of Relief Gallery. With the help of Ryan W. Kennihan Architects, the team converted the former residence to a hospitality program, ensuring the interiors are just as charming as the surrounding area.
Previously, the building was a dilapidated Victorian home. Now restored, it houses 16 guestrooms and a 40-seat restaurant. The designers incorporated their Scandinavian sensibilities with a bounty of Irish craft and design. The design language took three years to develop as Bradfield and Norberg took time to visit Irish makers, communities, and spaces throughout the country.
In the guesthouse, a sense of the building’s past life as a home still resonates thanks to crown moulding details, dramatic dormer windows, board and batten paneling, and historic furniture. Irish folk craft and traditional symbols, like diamonds and quatrefoils, are woven throughout the project. Other Irish iconography is woven into the walls which received a restored and refreshed layer of plaster from Liam O’Farrell.
A sense of grandeur elevates the cozy, welcoming atmosphere. Skylights create a particularly monumental feeling, with dramatic openings placed atop double-height spaces, framed through lower ceiling planes. In one niche, a tiled fireplace lies at the center of this skylight and ceiling, setting the picturesque setting aglow.
The rooms themselves continue to honor Irish vernacular but each have their own distinct personality. The designers worked with Cappelen Dimyr, De la Espada, Studio Loho, Made by Choice, TONI Copenhagen, and In Common With, which served as the primary lighting partner, to outfit the interiors with custom designs. Bradfield and Norberg also designed several bespoke systems and furniture for the property. Natural materials like wood and ceramic make up the design, continuing the experience’s connection to its surroundings.
In the restaurant, an abundance of wood—from window frames and niches to slatted ceilings and exposed beams—offer a continuous transition from the guesthouse. Michael “Muck” Murphy, furniture maker and woodcarver, spent over two years handcrafting the restaurant’s dining room tables, which were designed by Asca Studio. He also crafted the chairs, which he designed by himself in Irish Oak.
Every detail continues the property’s emphasis on craft and Irish heritage, from the while handwoven willow baskets by Hanna Van Aelst to the ceramics by Fermoyle Pottery.
