OriorPart of the Furniture

With sights set on global expansion, Irish furniture company Orior required an identity that embodies the DNA of its heritage, and a strategy for the brand that would catapult a family business to a leading position in a niche market. Base imparted a 360-degree visual ecosystem that celebrates the brand’s rich roots and real customers – flying the flag for Ireland’s take on luxury craft internationally.

When family-run Irish furniture business Orior set out to expand into the US in 2018, creative director Ciaran McGuigan naturally looked to the Italian megabrands he admired for inspiration. But when this direction fell flat, he seized an opportunity to look inward, define his company's values, and exploit its “Irishness” instead – eventually enabling Orior to successfully launch in another country and a highly competitive industry.

During on-site workshops, we pinpointed what makes Orior’s Irish roots significant: stamina, loyalty, grit, and heart. These traits guided a strategy that positioned the brand uniquely in a niche market, and offered a chance to tell a story about culture, craftsmanship, and connection. A new way to look at furniture, made lovingly (and perhaps unexpectedly) in Ireland.

Since Orior’s signature is contemporary twists on timeless designs (picture a traditional sofa in royal-blue velvet), we reflected this approach in the identity and art direction. In the logotype, O’s and R’s are tweaked for more personality, and two typefaces were selected to balance classic and contemporary. Emerald green used liberally across communications aptly represents the Emerald Isle, further embodying the country’s DNA in the furniture brand.

Our first editorial shoot captured products with flash photography as part of lively, dynamic scenes, rather than in empty interiors. Another campaign features real Orior customers interacting with their furniture, while more web photos reveal the workshops, tools, and craftspeople fabricating the designs. This imagery forms a consistent visual ecosystem spanning from digital to print to spatial.

When the brand relaunched in Manhattan, the press latched onto the idea of Irish design as a warmer, more authentic alternative to some European counterparts. And customers found comfort in knowing the first name of the artisan making their couch. Orior became the poster child for transparency and personality in the furniture industry, differentiating it from existing heavyweights in this sector.