The last of the light, the last of the summer fruits – and the first signs of a new season.
There are some places that make you slow down the minute you arrive. Dunbrody House is one of them.
Tucked away in the tranquillity of the Hook Peninsula in Co. Wexford, this Irish country house feels less like arriving at a hotel and more like being invited into Kevin Dundon’s world.
And for the launch of our new Harvest collection, we couldn’t think of a better place to set the scene.
Welcome to Kevin’s World
From the moment we arrived, there was something to discover.
The entrance to Dunbrody House in one direction, Kevin’s studio in another. Beyond that, the gardens, woodland and the new cookery school — where, before we had done very much work at all, we were treated to warm scones straight from the oven.
There are worse ways to start a photoshoot.
As guests came and went and the Dunbrody team moved around us, we got a glimpse of what makes this place so special. It doesn’t feel overly polished or staged. It feels lived in, loved and constantly evolving.
From Garden to Table
Then it was time to explore.
We wandered through the chef’s garden with Kevin, picking pumpkins and artichokes and discovering beds of herbs — including great swathes of rosemary spilling abundantly over the edges.
It became the inspiration for our Harvest table.
Rather than creating something too perfect, we wanted the table to feel generous and relaxed. Linen draped rather than pressed. Seasonal produce on our glass serve ware so the food does the talking. Thistles and herbs gathered into simple glass vessels. Lanterns tucked around the table, ready for the light to fade.
Kevin added beautiful harvest salads and seasonal food, and suddenly the whole thing came alive. It was the kind of table that makes you want to pull up another chair.
The Last of the Light
And perhaps that’s what we loved most about shooting Harvest here.
September sits in that wonderful in-between.
There are still long lunches to be had outside. The last of the summer fruits are still on the table. But there’s a change in the air. Evenings come a little earlier. We reach for an extra layer. Candles are lit before dinner is finished.
The table turns as the season turns.
Our new Harvest collection captures that moment — embroidered pumpkin napkins, beautiful serving pieces, natural textures, autumn details and lanterns that come into their own as daylight disappears.
Pieces designed not simply to decorate a table, but to make you want to gather around it.
A House with Stories to Tell
After the shoot, there was still more of Dunbrody to see.
A walk through the woods led us to the new sauna nestled among the trees — another unexpected chapter in a property that seems to reveal itself slowly.
And everywhere there are stories.
Stories of the events held here, the celebrations, the guests, the food and the characters who have passed through over the years. Behind all of it is a dedicated team who seem to turn their hands to everything and give Dunbrody the warmth that makes it feel so different.
It is an iconic Irish property. Perhaps that’s why it felt like exactly the right place for Harvest.
Good food. A beautiful table. A little wilderness. And one last chance to sit outside and catch the light before the season turns.
