Monaghan interior designer to feature on‘At Your Service’

‘What would Francis Brennan say?’ is something Monaghan interior designer, Scott Griffin, constantly asks himself while working on a project.

As he puts the finishing touches on a room - a cushion here, a potted plant there - he wonders if hotel expert Francis Brennan would approve.

“He has always been there in my mind,” the Monaghan Town designer confides to the Celt.

When a call came from RTÉ’s producers to ask if he would feature on two episodes of this season’s ‘At Your Service’ programme, in which the Brennans help struggling hospitality businesses, Scott responded: “Absolutely”.

Working alongside the Brennans was a huge full circle moment in Scott’s career, and having worked on two projects in this year’s series, it’s safe to say the brothers approved of his work.

“John and Francis Brennan are such amazingly nice and genuine people. It was really great fun, although it had its challenges,” Scott surmises of the overall experience.

Scott’s work will feature in the second episode of ‘At Your Service’, which will hit our screens this Sunday (September 13) at 6:30pm, and focuses on a boutique hostel in Cappoquin in County Waterford.

The former hotel had been closed for a number of years and had fallen into disrepair prior to the arrival of the ‘At Your Service’ team, therefore a lot of work was required to bring it to its current condition.

“The build took longer than expected, there were huge delays,” Scott explains, describing how the heritage project required attention to detail, while the team also had to follow certain restoration rules. Throughout his work on the site, Scott fell in love with the building.

“I love old heritage buildings and I feel you have to be very sympathetic to them because, if you start ripping beautiful features, you lose the soul of the building,” he explains.

The colour palette, accessories and fabrics were “very carefully” selected for this project, and Scott opted for a finish that would deliver “a really good luxurious feel” while also being “simplistic”.

He decided to go for a vintage colour theme using Farrow and Ball’s Broccoli Brown, which has a green-brown tone. He used muted tones throughout the hostel with subtle colours, which create a “relaxing” atmosphere. Due to be completed last October, The Rooms at Walsh’s finished in May of this year.

“It was literally a scrabble to get it done, but it’s now open and it’s getting great reviews and it’s a really beautiful heritage building,” Scott enthuses.

The road from Caledon in County Tyrone, where he now lives, to the picturesque Cappoquin has been well worn by Scott, as he was travelling there every week while the project was ongoing. As he roamed around the town along the Blackwater river, many locals got to know him, and shared their memories of the hotel.

“There were so many people who had weddings there and different functions over the years and they are all just delighted to see this open again,” he beams.

While he worked on this project in County Waterford, Scott’s also aware of many sites close to home, which mean a lot to their respective communities.

“In every small town in Monaghan, Cavan and most of Ireland, there are so many beautiful properties falling into disrepair and, with a bit of imagination, they can be brought back to life.

“It’s been a really nice journey and I’ve got this passion for heritage projects. I just think they are really great and I just love to save history”.

The former classical violinist and pianist trained as an interior designer during the pandemic; however, he has always had an interest in colours, fabrics and finding the correct furniture to suit a room. Even in his own home, he would move things around constantly to suit the space.

“I have always had an interest in interior design since I was a young child, but I feel as I got older, I really had that drive to actually do it as a profession.”

While he is both “nervous” and “excited” about featuring on the show, it’s not the first time the Monaghan designer’s work featured on television. Scott’s home was among the final five on BBC Northern Ireland’s House of the Year show two years ago.

Meanwhile, Scott’s work will also feature in the fourth episode of ‘At Your Service’, which will air on September 27, when viewers will learn about the story behind luxury cabins Narrow Water Lodges at Cornmuchlagh in Omeath, County Louth.