Thomas O'Brien
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? London
What are three words to describe your style? 1. reflective 2. collected 3. peaceful
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? Natural green and antique.
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? First, art. Always art.
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be? Billy Baldwin.
No room is complete without things that speak to the times of your life.
People think of me as very grown up, but I am really a little kid.
Things you omit from:
A flower arrangement anything unnatural
An hors d’oeuvre platter inedible things
A bar cabinet plastic
A song for:
Dinner at home Jimmy Scott, All The Way
Working at your desk Chopin Nocturnes
Going for a run nothing
What do you love to shop for online? Vintage and beautiful things for the home.
What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it? Empty kitchens.
What’s the best design book ever written? Katsura: Tradition and Creation in Japanese Architecture, from 1960.
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? That it makes sense, feels right, and is peaceful.
A Few Favorites:
Movie: Sabrina
Book: Zen Telegrams by Paul Reps
Scent: the garden in May
The fabric you always come back to: Nympheus by Lee Jofa
Dream project: House, Garden, Art—every beautiful thing to put a whole life together
Meal: Linguine with clams in Positano
Drink: Champagne
Hotel: La Colombe d’Or in Saint-Paul de Vence
Travel Destination: southern Mediterranean
Artist: Brancusi
Thing to collect obsessively: china, crystal, silver
Era in the history of design: early 20th century modernism
Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art
Paint Color that always look great: Tissue Pink by Benjamin Moore
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? Dogs, cats, in multiples
