Dream Workplaces: ROADS’ Pared-Back Chic

Inspiring work environments help us to be more productive. Today we take a look inside Danielle Ryan’s workplace. The CEO of Roads works in a minimalist?environment where the colour white is queen. The pared-back palette extends to accessories, with an?eclectic collection of prints lining?the wall beside Ryan’s desk, giving the space?an injection of colour?and personality.

?I have never considered femininity to be a weakness,? says the formidable but charming publisher Danielle Ryan, who says she has the same requirements from the spaces she lives and works in as she does from her wardrobe: comfort, durability and pared-back appeal.

Ryan’s generously proportioned and light- filled corner office in Dublin 2 is an elegant mix of masculine and feminine, and offers a masterclass in the balance of refinement and experimentation – the 31-year-old describes her aesthetic as ?pared back, but pushing forward?. Ornate gilded side tables sit either side of a structured, BoConcept charcoal sofa, the table’s curved lines and textured marble surface a softening, feminine counterpoint to the stern lines of the streamlined three-seater.

Similarly, the original parquet flooring, with its rough-hewn, worn-in texture and shade of burnt toffee prevents the whitewashed walls in this loft-style space from feeling clinical. A Habitat Perspex coffee table is the epitome of restraint, while the gallery-style wall of eclectic art and prints (Ryan regularly commissions artists, but also enjoys buying pieces online from the Saatchi Gallery, among others) offers a subtle injection of colour, pattern and, more importantly, personality in what might otherwise be an austere, monochromatic space. Ryan’s favourite labels – Saint Laurent, The Kooples and Joseph – reflect this restrained chic, which Ryan embodies so beautifully. roads.co

Photographs by Nathalie Marquez Courtney

This article was originally published in the November issue of IMAGE Magazine