Mr Wallace died suddenly at his Dublin home on December 1, shortly before his 69th birthday and just weeks after filming ended for the current season of the RTÉ ratings winner Home of the Year where he was a judge since the programme’s inception in 2015.
Co-owner and director at Douglas Wallace, Adrian Lambe, said: “Of course the loss of Hugh was both unexpected and a huge shock to the office. It takes time to come to terms with that.
“It is easy to look at figures and statistics when it comes to an individual’s contribution to a company, but what’s harder to communicate is the inspiration, leadership, and personality that Hugh imbued to the business.”
Mr Lambe paid tribute to Mr Wallace when asked to comment on new accounts for Douglas Wallace Consultants Ltd which show that post-tax profits at the firm increased by 27pc to €224,050 in Mr Wallace’s last full year at the business to the end of last June.
The accounts show that the post-tax profits of €224,050 followed post-tax profits of €176,408 in the prior year.
Accumulated profits at the end of June totalled €837,890 while cash funds increased from €217,498 to €392,891.
Numbers employed remained at 21 while the dividend payout by the firm totalled €88,307 compared with €57,412 in the prior year.
Commenting on the financial performance for 2025, Mr Lambe said: “The company performance is in line, and indeed slightly exceeds our growth aspirations for the coming years.
“We have actively looked at our client portfolio and looked at better and stronger ways to deliver projects whilst maintaining the high level of design we are known for.
“The current management structure continues to service our clients and projects ensuring continuity.”
Asked how best the company intends to celebrate Mr Wallace’s work legacy, Mr Lambe said they would continue to “encourage and produce high-quality design, advocating for a more design-led way of living and nurturing and educating people in the ways of design”.
He said: “Ultimately it is about continuing the good work and reputation of Douglas Wallace into the future.
“With Hugh it was much more than the individual, it was about the team at Douglas Wallace and this is what we value immensely.”
He said: “The living, breathing and working of design are values we cherish in Douglas Wallace and to date, whilst it is hard at times to maintain the momentum in a strange world, we try to adhere to these values.”
Regarding the business in the current year, Mr Lambe said: “Business at present is productive and rewarding and we continue to hone our methods of working to the greater good of the practice.
“Our order book is healthy and with potential. Considered growth is still very much our path forward.
“We continue to expand in our chosen sectors – hospitality, residential and commercial offices – with projects ranging from €200,000 to €200m working with renowned clients such as Dalata, Circle K, Quantum and Peter Mark.”
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