Slate is a natural material over 500 million years old. It is heavy and can be uneven and rough; in a way, it is perfectly imperfect. Splate, a new Irish company out of Maynooth in County Kildare, harnesses this beautiful imperfection with its handcrafted slate wall art.
Bernie Everard, the founder of Splate, explains “Mother Nature took her time to make our raw material. All our craftspeople have to do is coax out the unique beauty in each piece of slate. The slate is cut by hand into the shape we need. It’s a tricky process and requires a steady hand. It’s here that we notice how different one piece of slate can be from another. It’s a challenge but also part of the joy of working with a natural material”.
The Splate range of slate wall art combines slate, copper wire and hand drawn illustrations to give traditional Irish symbols and landscapes a contemporary twist.
In addition to creating her Splate range, Bernie’s love of food and her background in food science led her to create Cheese Parlour. These “DIY Foodie” gifts come in two varieties: Mozzarella/Ricotta and Goat Cheese. Each kit contains enough ingredients and materials to make three batches—all you do is add milk.
For more information on Splate, visit www.splate.ie.
