Orior was such a lovely addition to Harrison when they arrived in May 2019, and that December I had a great chat with creative director Ciaran McGuigan — it’s a family business — but then I got waylaid by the 2019 holidays and then, well, you know the rest. And now they have moved to Soho!

Still, I wanted to dust off the notes and put the company on your radar, since they did use Tribeca to launch their presence in the US, and the furniture is really special and the backstory is too and I hate to waste a good interview.

Their roots — in fact their business — is in Ireland and the story starts in 1979, when Brian and Rosie McGuigan founded a furniture business in Newry, Northern Ireland, after designing and building furniture in Scandinavia. Brian was the woodworker and Rosie ran the company. Fast forward a few decades and now their son Ciaran has relaunched the brand, and their daughter Katie Ann has added a rug collection to the company.

Everything is custom and everything is truly unique in both its lines and materials. When I was in the showroom, there was a credenza wrapped in red leather and a blue velvet sofa with leather detailing. And while it sounds it, somehow nothing is precious or fragile — it is all solid and hearty and grounded.

“We’ve been dipping into the family archives and making designs that Dad did years ago,” Ciaran said when we spoke back then.

Ciaran has always worked in the family business and recently he took over — shifting the business model somewhat from trade shows to direct-to-consumer, hence the Tribeca showroom. They did not abandon their Irish roots in any way; instead the goal was to promote Ireland here as a source for high-end goods.

“We have 40 years of experience in the craft, selling at Harrod’s and Liberty and Selfridges,” he said. “Over 40 years, buyers change, tastes change, but we knew we had the right people and the right product.”

I was sorry to see them leave Harrison — I thought we were developing our own little design district with Stella and R & Company and Egg Collective and Maker&Son (which also moved) — but the new spot isn’t far. Starting in March, you can find them at the corner of Mercer and Grand, where they will likely have a bit more foot traffic.