Making a bright future by combining the engineering ingenuity of tradition with modern digital manufacturing technologies
SIMPLE, elegant designs are the backbone of David Beirne’s business, Bright Potato.
The Roscommon native, along with his Spanish business partner, Diego Martinez Pereira, are hoping to take Britain by storm with their minimalist furnishings.
Their story begins in the rural Connemara village of Letterfrack.
“I went to college in GMIT and I studied furniture technology. Then, I spent a year in Dublin working in furniture restoration,” said David of the company’s beginnings.
His talent was seen from an early stage and not much time had passed before he was back in his old haunt of the Letterfrack campus in GMIT, this time taking to the other side of the podium in his new role as a lecturer.
It was here where he first met Diego.
“During that time I met my business partner who was on an Erasmus in Ireland,” David explains.
It was not long before the two brilliant minds were put together to develop something new and exciting.
A 3D printer is used to produce prototype parts and fittings for the furnitureBright Potato is a business that combines the engineering ingenuity of tradition with modern digital manufacturing technologies.
The result? Sturdy, simple designs to make a colourful addition to any home.
Keeping designs simple was a key aim of Bright Potato.
Their process is a convoluted one, but one that works well, both for David and Diego and for their finished product.
It is a multi-faceted approach, David says, and one that involves everything from discussions and sketches to physical exploration with the materials.
“We discuss life in general all the time,” said David of their design process. “We would put it down to how or what we want to explore.”
The “peg” range is the lads’ current baby.
It includes a stool, bench, desk and coffee table; all in their trademark elegant design. Despite being new to the market, David is optimistic for the success of the range.
“Bright Potato was founded in February 2013 – we got our name and all that sorted then – and then we launched the peg stool in September of this year,” he said.
“For 2015, we would be looking to hopefully develop more ranges and present our products in shows.”
This daunting task will be made easier by their previous experience of shows.
For their big launch last September, David and Diego made a presentation at the 100 per cent Design show in the Olympia London.
For David, bringing his furniture design talent from the village of Elphin to London certainly seems to be paying off.
