The conversation
The designer tells our editor Pip Rich how to filter a sense of sunlight into rooms that can’t help but put a smile on your face
I nterior designer Bryan O’Sullivan is celebrating 10 years of his eponymous studio, and is particularly well known for his work at hotels like Claridge’s and The Berkeley. His schemes have an elegance to them that is always balanced – pleasingly – with a mix of modern shapes and shades.
PIP RICH So Bryan, all of the spaces of yours that I’ve been in – or even just seen pictures of – make me happy. There is a joy to their upscale-yet-relaxed glamour. Is that emotion by the people who experience your work somethingyou factor into the design process?
BRYAN O’SULLIVAN Definitely! Our goal is to make a space feel uplifting, happy and joyful. If a room is functioning correctly, as, say, the best TV room it can be, or the most serene dining room, then it should also be able to make you happy.
PR So few designers talked about emotional reactions when I first started doing this all those years ago. It was all about aesthetics – shabby chic, modern eclectic or whatever – but never about emotional connection. What do you think has changed over time?
BO’S It depends how long you’ve been doing this! But I do think it’s easier to be adding pops of fun with contemporary furniture than ever before. The different shapes and colours coming out now manage to not be overpowering, and sit well in classical or architecturally elegant spaces, which makes them easier to mix in. From curvy Italian motifs to modern hues, there’s a sense of fun in design right now.
PR I agree! Current curved furniture feels so grand but so inviting – it’s really compelling. Which particular modern hues are you drawn to at the moment?
BO’S We always use quite a lot of neutrals. Whites, off-whites, chalky plaster walls, which I like because they’re quite calm. Soft pinks,corals,lightblues–shadesonthepastelendofthespectrum sothey’renottoo oppressive. I justdid myoffice in Brick byEdward Bulmer Natural Paint, which is almost womb-like! Very cosy.
PR Those pastels remind me of the bar you did at The Berkeley hotel, which makes me happy the moment I walk in, like I want to order a dirty martini immediately but feel comfortable enough to drink it with my elbows on the bar.
BO’S Perfect! When we were doing that bar I’d been in Los Angeles quite a bit, where the pinks and blues in the light make everything feel like it has a Photoshop filter. Using those colours here can remind you of the wonderful weather, the good times.
PR Yes, of course, you’ve been doing The Maybourne Beverly Hills over there. You’ve been using my beloved curved furniture there, right? A lot of wonderful organic
