A young Monaghan furniture designer and maker has moved from installing wooden floors to the heights of national recognition for his unique high-quality, hardwood furniture. Acclaimed craftsman Barry Todd from Emyvale will be in the spotlight at Gifted, the Contemporary Craft and Design Fair, at the RDS from December 6th to the 10th.
Receipt of an RDS Craft Award earlier this year has gained the 31-year-old plenty of notice and has allowed him to grow his business. The €10,000 prize which comes with a free stand at Gifted will also help Barry support the continued development of his craft. Speaking to Northern Sound, the Emyvale native said that the upcoming fair at the RDS will be a "first" for him. He went on to describe the upcoming event as a "great opportunity" which will hopefully lead to his business gaining an ever larger following.
"Certainly it's going to put me in front of a lot of people as this is one of the biggest Christmas market shows in the country," explained Barry. "I'm really looking forward to that aspect of things, when you get to a certain level and you're working out in a rural part of the country you really need to put yourself in front of people so going to a show like this is an excellent way of doing that."
"I love the lifestyle involved in being my own boss in a creative discipline," he said. "My work is very emotionally rewarding. It has gone very well and trade is nice and steady. I could not be happier. Since 2020 I have been focused on getting the business up and running, but now I can look to how it can grow in the future."
