Bryan O'Sullivan, The Irish Designer With International Influence

Bryan O’Sullivan, The Irish Designer With International Influence

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Bryan O’Sullivan Studio design aesthetic brings together multiple influences to create places where people feel comfortable and at ease while maintaining a sense of place. They strive to make even the most demanding spaces appear welcoming and timeless, whether a public hotel or private residence. CovetED is here to let you know all about the designer, are you ready? Come and find out more about the projects!

The work collaboratively in the Studio, the team is everything; they believe it’s important to draw from a breadth of expertise and inspiration, both for us and our clients. They value attention to detail and a personal touch, which we find leads to long-lasting relationships with many of their clients. Their style is, they believe, compelling, elegant and timeless. The studio comes to each project with fresh eyes, which results in original work that reflects its setting and is tailor-made for every project. Having studied Architecture at the University of Westminster, Interior Designer Bryan established his Studio in London in 2013, having worked in the past with industry leaders such as Annabelle Selldorf, David Collins, Martin Brudnizki and Luis Laplace.

The impact of O’Sullivan’s influence is particularly evident in this very special, rather grand residence in Paris. His clients, who recently moved in, are art and furniture collectors and wanted to restore it to the highest level, and were involved in every design decision. The scope of the project was significant, entailing remodelling the layout at garden level, briefing the landscapers, sourcing garden sculptures and redesigning the relationship between house and garden. The studio relocated the swimming pool and, as well as making sensitive changes to the original flow between rooms, created ways to bring more light into the spaces. Period features, such as panelling and plasterwork in the grand salon and petit salon, were restored. Making a house on this scale adaptable to modern living prompted the addition of a lift, a service kitchen and a dumb waiter. Six ensuite bedrooms were refurbished and beautifully furnished, using both antiques and specially commissioned and bespoke pieces. In assimilating the level of detail and knowledge of French suppliers whose contributions are everywhere in the house, it’s unsurprising to learn of O’Sullivan’s experience of working in Paris under designer Luis Laplace for more than two years, which meant he had valuable supplier relationships in the city. However, the project folder contains details of more than 600 suppliers. The kitchen design is a case in point, combining stunning Italian marble, supplied and installed in Paris by stone experts Miller Brothers who are based in Ireland, porcelain lights by Rossignac, oak cabinetry and salvage tiles, Belgian bluestone, a table sourced in Battersea Antiques in London and bespoke chairs by Galerie Chahan in Paris.

The Berkeley Bar & Terrace, London

The design story by the studio of this new London bar is intimate and refined, layered with a sense of old-world glamour. Key features include a half-moon marble bar, a central fireplace and a hideaway Snug. The central material in the design story is exquisite walnut wood. Taken from a 300-year-old tree felled from the Fulbeck Estate. The delicate finish of the timber brings out the depth and intricacy of the figuring, the panels of which are used throughout the bar to cocoon the whole space, while a colour palette of soft corals, creams and pinks offset its richness. The story of the tree and the Fulbeck Estate has also been romantically depicted by the most expert craftsman in a plasterwork frieze that runs above the wood panels.

The Snug has been designed for more secluded occasions, set away from the main bar and seating up to nine guests. It features a spectacular mural, painted by New York-based artist TM Davy. The bar opens out onto an intimate terrace of only four tables, overlooking the neighbouring St Paul’s Church. Every element of The Berkeley Bar & Terrace has been designed by the studio and were realised by fine craftspeople, from the plasterwork frieze, bespoke lighting, custom furniture to the unique totem pole.

Claridges Bedrooms, London

Chelsea Home, London

Townhouse, Paris

Apartment, Fifth Avenue

This elegant home re-joins two apartments to their original singular form, in an Italianate building of 1925. The studio has created a loft-like open atmosphere with a spacious living area, connecting kitchen, dining and formal reception room. Creams and neutrals enhance the open feeling, while dashes of blues, coral and pinks add sophistication. The master suite, its dressing room, plus three guest bedrooms, are carefully composed to form oases from the bustle below, with soft, layered pastel colour palettes.