Lost Weekend

Every time I visit Lost Weekend, a design store on the main street of the south Dublin suburb of Blackrock, my curiosity is piqued by the enigmatic name. When I was heading to Lost Weekend on Saturday I had in mind that I must find out why it is so called. As it happens I clean forgot to ask the question. So with poetic licence I have decided that it might just be because it is the sort of space that one could all too happily be totally lost in for a whole weekend.





Lost Weekend is co-owned by husband and wife team Declan Moloney and Emily Maher; Emily is a graduate of NCAD (National College of Art and Design) and Declan’s background is in academia. They describe the store on their website thus ‘The Lost Weekend Design Store is an interior design practice, design emporium, gift, fashion, accessory store and café.’ Before they opened the shop, Dublin lacked the type of design store that most European capitals take for granted (stores such as Aram in London and Illums Bolighus in Copenhagen spring to mind). Lost Weekend has well and truly plugged that gap.

It is a large, enticing and inviting space set over three floors.  The walls are painted white, the floors are planked with Douglas fir by Dinesen and large plate glass windows allow for splendid views across Dublin bay.  So far so very good, but what absolutely sets Lost Weekend apart is the stock.  It is a haven for lovers of the very best of contemporary furniture design.  In stock are classics that have stood the test of time, among them are: Hans Wenger wishbone chairs; the Charles and Ray Eames lounge chair and ottoman; and the Eileen Grey e1027 adjustable table. They look as fresh and relevant now as they were when they were first designed decades ago.  The lighting department has a carefully curated selection of lights by some of the luminaries (no pun intended) of the lighting design world such as Poul Henningsen and Inho Maurer.  There’s more much more: art, rugs, cushions, wallpaper, fabric, glass, books, crockery, gift items, wrapping paper, …

Declan says that Emily and himself started out as an interior design practice and fell into retailing by accident. He says they are not brand collectors but rather they are obsessed with originality and proper design as well as being very passionate about what they have in the shop. They are  also anxious to encourage young designers; they have plans to put a rather stunning console table I saw, when I was in the shop, by a young Irish designer called Knut Klimmek into production.

Despite some high-end stock the store is not at all elitist. Gift items start at eight euro and browsers are very much encouraged.  Lost Weekend is an inspirational space that is so worth visiting.

UPDATE: Unfortunately Lost Weekend is now closed.