Designing for the Senses: How One Designer Created a Calming, Intentional Workspace

When designer and author Clodagh set out to create her home office, she didn’t begin with paint swatches or floor plans. She began with a feeling. 

“I wanted my office to deliver a welcome of clarity, order, and joy,” she says. That guiding intention shaped every choice — from the soft background hum of Miles Davis to the rippling corrugated wall panels that reflect the light just so. 

The result is a deeply personal, multi-sensory space that nurtures creativity, supports wellness, and honors the rhythm of daily life. But it’s more than a beautiful room — it’s a case study in how a designer designs: with intention, intuition, and an eye toward every sense. 

Designing Like a Designer: Where Intuition Meets Intention 

For Clodagh, design begins with emotion, not materials. 

“To design well, I must first ask how I want to feel in a space — and then make choices that support that feeling, across every sense.” 

She approaches each project as a living, breathing environment — not just a set of surfaces or furniture arrangements. Before she laid out the room, she explored how she wanted to work, think, rest, and write inside it. Then she layered in elements that activated those states of being. 

Her design philosophy invites stillness and sensory engagement. It’s less about trends, more about resonance. That’s why, even in a functional space like a home office, you’ll find objects that hold memory and meaning — a black stone Buddha, a wall of black-and-white family portraits, and a beloved dog named Rosie who rests at her feet as she writes. 

A Space That Speaks to Every Sense 

In her office, the senses aren’t an afterthought — they’re the foundation. “In all my design I address all the senses and include all the elements,” says Clodagh. 

• Sight: A white orchid, a gift from a friend, sits beside her Buddha. Neat rows of alphabetized file folders line up under a long floating shelf. On the wall behind her desk: a rippling field of white corrugated tin ceiling panels from American Tin Ceilings — a luminous, light-catching focal point. 
• Sound: A carefully chosen playlist hums quietly — Chopin preludes, Miles Davis jazz — adding rhythm without distraction. Occasionally, she strikes a Tibetan singing bowl to “pierce the soul and clarify the mind.” 
• Touch: The room is layered with softness and texture: Rosie’s warm coat, a well-worn wooden floor, and the tactile satisfaction of flipping through printed paper folders. 
• Scent: Lavender and Ylang Ylang scent the air, transforming the space into something closer to a personal retreat. 
• Movement: Even light has motion here, shifting across the tin panels throughout the day. “It’s a constant source of pleasure,” she says. 

The Power of Texture: Why Tin Became a Centerpiece 

When it came to adding a tactile, reflective feature to the space, the designer chose Tara Straight wall panels from American Tin Ceilings—which Clodagh designed. But the decision wasn’t just aesthetic — it was symbolic. 

“They remind me of the meticulously ploughed fields around the base of the Hill of Tara,” she says. “They represent order and clarity without asking any questions.” 

The panels were installed vertically behind the desk, allowing natural light to ripple across their corrugated surface. Paired with the quiet stillness of the Buddha and the tidy organization of the room, they became both backdrop and focal point—a visual metaphor for calm, discipline, and flow. 

The textured story continues throughout the room. A custom concrete desk by Trueform, designed by Clodagh, anchors the space with grounding presence and clean lines. Even the register covers by Reggio Register, also of Clodagh’s design, are considered—merging utility with elegance in a way that enhances the tactile harmony of the room. 

Paired with the vertical Tara Straight tin panels, these elements create a space that feels solid, clear, and thoughtfully layered—a physical expression of calm. 

A Creative Sanctuary Built on Ritual 

Beyond aesthetics, the room is a functional sanctuary — a place designed to support both creative output and emotional grounding completely built around how Clodagh planned to use her days there. 

• A curated bookshelf holds her own writing and favorite works by Yeats, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Omar Khayyam. 
• Two flat file cabinets keep notes, office supplies, and sketches tucked neatly away. 
• A chair across from the desk welcomes visitors — and Rosie’s presence reminds her to pause, to feed, to play. 

Behind her desk, a wall of black-and-white family portraits provides emotional ballast. “Many of them live in different countries, so when I stand to look at the wall I am imbued with warm affection,” she says. 

Even storage — alphabetized files, drawers for “things to be done” — becomes a form of care, helping clear the mental clutter that can stall creativity. 

Designing Beyond the Physical 

In true holistic fashion, she also brought in Feng Shui and bio geometry consultants to fine-tune the space’s energetic flow. “We are where we live and work,” she says. “And I wanted this space to feel safe — to have a tangible positive effect on the lives of the humans and animals who pass time here.” 

The result is a room that doesn't just support productivity — it elevates spirit. 

Want to Create a Calming, Design-Forward Office of Your Own? 

Here’s  Clodagh’s advice for others hoping to create a space that nourishes the senses and supports the work they love: 

• Start with a feeling. What emotional state do you want the space to evoke? 
• Design for all five senses — not just color and layout, but texture, scent, light, sound, and touch. 
• Plan your storage. Organization clears space for joy and focus. 
• Surround yourself with meaning. A single shelf or wall of photos can ground you emotionally. 
• Don’t overlook your surfaces. A textured tin wall can anchor the room while playing with light and reflection. 

This home office isn’t just where Clodagh writes her next book and designs her  next work of art. It’s where intention lives. It’s where ritual, beauty, and order meet — and where a designer’s deepest instincts take form in tin, light, and love. 

Ready to Add a Sensory Focal Point to Your Space? 

Explore American Tin Ceilings’ full line of decorative wall panels to bring texture, light, and timeless character into your next interior design project.