Inner Spaces: How Londoner Katharine Deas stepped off the corporate ladder to launch a thriving Irish interiors store

It often takes someone from the outside looking in to throw perspective on things.

For Katharine Deas, founder of the Irish interiors business Oriana B, a busy 15-year corporate career – which she describes as eclectic – saw her become a director of London’s former Olympic Stadium, work in commercial property funding, launch a fitness app, and lead the refurbishment of London office blocks to low carbon.

Despite the extensive corporate portfolio, it was the counsel of a career coach Nikki Rooney that pushed Deas to pivot from commercial projects to a passion project – a moment she describes as the catalyst for founding Oriana B.

“It was a moment where someone just managed to cut through the noise and say what I needed to hear. It was Nikki that said, look, ‘you’re really good in the corporate world and you’re very skilled, but it’s not where your passion is, and it’s not where your heart is.’ She was basically telling me that I needed to follow my heart...I have always loved interiors, ever since I bought my first writing desk in 1990 at 16,” Deas says.

And it's that heart that has translated well into Oriana B, which is now headed by a five-strong female-led team based in Fairview, in Dublin 3, which has shipped 11,000 orders, built links with 60 suppliers across Europe, and will have moved warehouse twice by next year to scale up and meet consumer demand, in the space of four years.

Its humble beginnings were that of Deas initially sourcing vintage furniture and selling through Instagram. “Once I started selling a few pieces, my corporate experience kicked in, because I was instantly thinking, ‘how do I grow this, how do I scale it, and how can I make it better,’” she says.

It was also the perfect case study for tapping into the Irish interiors market: “I saw really quickly that there was a desire for what I was doing, and a desire for vintage pieces, so I started to import vintage furniture because there wasn’t enough in Ireland.

“Ireland has a very person-centric customer, they like buying directly, and with interiors, they are curious but reticent. So I began styling my shots, because I wanted to show people how the furniture would work in their home, and democratise those interior ideas and looks.”

And while vintage is always a thrill – Oriana B’s mid-century sideboards are enough to convert anyone – Deas admits that “looking backwards isn’t always the right idea” and in the years since Oriana B launched as an online website, Deas has pivoted to more contemporary offerings like eclectic homewares, made to order furniture, neon lighting, and artsy wall decor that meet the needs of every room in the house.

It’s an aesthetic Deas and her creative director Alannah Monks have come to define as polished eclecticism. “We’ve moved into a whole home approach now...and it’s about building a look that’s eclectic and fun, but it needs to be polished and it needs to come together. For me, that’s incorporating some vintage pieces with modern pieces where you can create a polished yet comfortable and cosy home, where the interiors also hold great family memories and stories.”

Deas’ partnership with Monks – who was a homeowner in the 2020 edition of RTÉ’s Home of the Year – is integral to Oriana B. “Alannah is significantly younger than me and she has a totally different outlook, and I think that is very reflected in our customer base.

“We source together and we are a great complement to one another, because I can see the intrinsic value of a piece, as can she, but she will often press boundaries on design that I might not do, because I might be more conservative,” Deas says.

And while building strong relationships is one thing, building them on fertile ground is another. Deas’ experience in corporate was during a time where “there wasn’t a real understanding of a flexible workplace” she says, adding, “particularly in the ‘90s and in the early 2000s, to succeed as a woman you just needed to work as many hours as possible all of the time. And I just don’t think that’s the right approach.”

Now, Deas’ focus is on “creating a flexible, inclusive, and ambitious environment..because I’ve always felt that people need to fit their work and lives together in a way that makes sense,” she says, adding, “it’s about encouraging people to be the best they can be, leading them in that direction, but also making it possible for them to live their family life.”

But what does this work-life balance look like in Deas’ case? “I’m not sure there are any boundaries,” she laughs, adding “interiors is an artistic pursuit, and it’s about living as a creatively interested person.

“It’s easy to say I’ve got to get my job done, the kids fed, everyone to bed, and get up in the morning, so it’s hard to find that space in yourself with work and life to be creative and to develop ideas, but I think it’s really important because we have to keep artistic pursuits alive in society.”

19 Esmond Avenue, Fairview, Dublin 3; orianab.com