DESIGNER DIARY : THOMAS O'BRIEN / AERO STUDIOS

" I bought all of my interests together in the style of an Artists studio " 

I discovered Thomas O'Brien's portfolio of interiors last week haphazardly browsing Pinterest. The usual stages of discovery ensured. First, it was excitement. Then, investigation. Finally the slotting of the name into my mental ( and real ) design directory data base.

His first foray into New York City was to study Art and to be amongst the cultural riches of the city. The museums, Architecture and Galleries underpin not only the location of his studio and store but also the foundations of why he enjoys New York so much.

Both this city and the wonderful training I received exist in the way I think about design. The location of Aero was chosen for its connection to the downtown world of artists and galleries that I first witnessed during school source   

Thomas O'Brien's work ticks off the style values which are of importance to me. His rooms are warm, inviting and reflect an affinity to 'intentional assemblage'. The curated mantle displays gives you an idea of what I mean. There are ceramics, knick knacks and sculptures which have not only been thoughtfully placed but most likely selectively sourced too. As a shopper myself, I love good shelf game! 

Dark bathrooms simultaneously create privacy and intimacy by closing in on space 

A shot of his own apartment on 57th street. A true reflection of his inner style values. See the entire project here 

As much as minimalism is having its moment, I can't help but be naturally drawn to the maximalism aesthetic because there's more to see. O'Brien's rooms are full of objects but he deftly avoids the messy, charity shop look by foresight and possessing a natural ability to demonstrate visual balance. O'Brien gives himself leeway to decorate in his style by using muted tones and minimal colour. You can say he's using minimalist values to be a maximalist to the extreme in regards to this particular space.  

His colour palette consists of warm colours that do not fall into the conventional Red, Yellows and Oranges category. Rather, Brown's, Beiges and the spectrum in between have been generously rationed to provide a unifying atmosphere. Having whites as well as choosing rounded pots and vases adds to the warm comfort value. 

His fascination and love of Portraiture is reflected in his framed art works. A solid example of sentimentalism done well.

Sculptural pieces by Nakashima, Bertoia, Giacometti as well as ancient Chinese and Celtic objects inform his choice of ornaments 

The sheer amount of space and flatness that lofts offer allows creative minds to build dimension either through renovation or decoration

By choosing un-fussy and quiet furnishings, this Tribeca Loft's old world, pre-war (?) details shine through. The vast stretch of space here gives true credence to its loft interior and show that despite being a space that is mostly circuited by youthful furnishings, can be re-thought of as a modern home for a professional set. 

Classic forms with simple colours eschews the trendiness that comes with loft space living 

Felt compelled to share the oddity these handles bring in repetition and mass... who else feels it looks not necessarily bad but a bit odd here?

I believe that good lighting has an essential place in every good looking room and this West Village loft is holding testament to this. Young and Optimistic, this room features Scandinavian inspired furniture and a fun, paper lantern light which nods to playful un-conventionalism.

The white marble counter top and the miniature square tiles are my favourite features of this bathroom

Sometimes, the most elegant spaces are practical ones which clearly serve or go to make one purpose as easy and streamlined as possible. In this case, the furnishings and features of this bathroom are minimal, the room is spacious and most importantly, the bright lighting promotes a feeling of cleanliness.

Tiles provide texture and discreet patterning to any wall space 

See the entire project here 

Doesn't this dining area speak of Australian style living to you? I chose it for this reason. Despite O'Brien's body of work being mostly established in the states, you can see that choices in furnishings can hark to another place entirely.  I love dining areas as most dining tables 'float' in the middle of the room and this is my favourite way to display furniture. Items pushed against a wall give off a dated look and does not promote the flow of movement in a room. 

Beautiful colours here. Soft beiges, browns and earthy tones give us a style code of sticking to what's natural, timeless and classic 

Maybe it's because I love Italian interiors and furnishings but I love the use of marble in almost any room. Marble gives a luxe finishing and can be used in small or big ways. Think tables for big and ornaments for small. As a pattern lover I also appreciate the natural ebb and flow of the marbling pattern. 

See the entire project here

This exterior shot of the house shows its modernist foundation but with a slight country touch. It's actually a beach house that's spread over seven acres that's been re-done thanks to Aero Studios.

What would any interior designer be without their own book? I'm eager to have a flip through of O'brien's and will definitely be noting it down on my to-search for list. 

O'brien's style appeals to our desire to be in liveable, comforting and warm spaces. His stylish portfolio speaks ease of life with strong ties to a passion for Art and Fine Objects. Surrounding ourselves with soft furnishings, framed photographs and objects collected from travels reminds us that there's nowhere better than home to be our true selves.


All photography rights belong to that of the original publisher. Photography credit is always provided if known

FRIDAY BOOK STACK : VOGUE LIVING AUSTRALIA

LIVING for this 70's house. Love the winding stair case, the art on the wall and how the art and the finishings of the room match 

I'm sitting here writing this, exhausted from a whole day of visiting new furniture shops and getting to know the people who work there and what their whole decorating and design stories are. It's the best kind of exhaustion though because the most rewarding part of any project is literally the people you meet and seeing the bigger picture of what you're into. All the photos will be spread out over three entries for next week, so keep your eyes peeled. An advanced thank you to all of the shop staff ( if they're reading this! ) for letting me take photos!

I think I've basically cleaned out the entire interior decorating section of my local library so I'm gonna head over to some other libraries soon to get more lust worthy photos. I have to admit, doing the Friday bookstack is one of my favourite parts of running this blog ( and from the looks of things, it's also your favourite part too ) There's no other way you can get so many beautiful colours, items and furniture together in one place.

My fascination and obsession with the Warhol gang / Studio 54 gang will last forever. There's never been a whole group of people more gorgeous, talented, well-dressed and eccentric 

Came across this couch in the Saint Laurent movie ( I'm always referring back to that movie because it's a staple to me ) and I love it. It's a historical furniture piece called the DS-600 System Sofa

White minimalism done well 

Black furnishings and walls bring a depth of luxury into the space 

These dark, moody rooms belong to the interior designer, Abigail Ahern who discovered the inky goodness of dark tones and colours when she painted a small alcove of her home. " I was amazed by how it transformed the way a little table with a vase on top really popped out against it". Before she knew it, she painted the entire room and then another and then another. Ahern keeps it balanced by adding feminine touches such as faux flowers and curved accents. I'm very much a fan of what she's created and I hope those who don't believe black can be great for a home can see that it's actually really lovely by these photos. 

I really enjoy her bravery in doing this because I used to not be able to imagine dark colours being useable and gorgeous but now,  I'm a total convert. I think the idea of having a dark wall in a bedroom is appropriate. Your bedroom is the space to retire, to wind down and having a dark wall ( or even room, for that matter ) aids in that process of winding down. It's lights out, literally. Also on top of that, I find black to be a warm tone, funnily enough. It's warm because the black forces the dimensions of the room onto/into itself. White is more cold than black because it creates more space that goes outwards, rather than inwards like black does. Black also absorbs heat, which creates warmth physically.

Snapshots from the Missoni Exhibition

I LOVE stars! I recently bought a new star shirt which I'll be sharing with you guys soon. 

Wanted to include this for the ornate prints. William Morris ( who does designs super similar to what you're seeing here ) is one of my favourite artists for his classical drawings of flowers and plant life. I love intricate designs and I love old school prints just like the ones featured here. It's very lush and old world, vintage luxury ( both great things in my books ). I also wanted to point out that the woman on that out of this world sofa with the out of this world tapestries / textiles is Jackie O's sister, Lee Radziwill who I actually think has way better taste than the original O of the family. Her book " Happy Times " ( check it out here ) is on my wish list.

🌟🌟 More stars! 🌟🌟

So, I found a copy of the famous Panthella lamp on Ebay. The seller was in Singapore and I'm pretty sure they had a few of these stocked somewhere in their warehouse. It was also the cheapest knock off I had seen because even the knock offs can range anywhere between 400-600 dollars. I was really tempted to buy it, but I thought that the price they were asking ( $300AU ) was still too expensive for me but NOT in general. $300AU is a steal for a Panthella copy. If only I were more cashed up to purchase this because it really was an excellent find. The shape is beautiful. I'm a big fan of curved designs with soft or no edges at all. It's also very space age which is a theme that I am very drawn to. I follow the panthella hash tag on Instagram and these lamps look so beautiful in any space that you place them in. 

ARTIST : Ben Quilty 

Seeing both these fluiding abstracts reminds me of why I love painting them in the first place. It's a blender of colours, forms and there are no rules to where the flow will go next.

ARTIST : Alesandro Ljubicic

Designers Draga Obradovic and Stefano Guidotti in Sicily 

Love it. Love the gold, love the spheres, love the warmth luxuriousness

I know everybody is always dying to go overseas and I'm no different right now. I know there's a barrage of amazing shops and furniture exhibitions all over Europe and parts of the States and I'm dying to go. I know one day I'll be overseas again in no time but I just can't help thinking about all the incredible things to see in terms of decorating, homewares and furniture over the pond and I just get itchy feet! 

Instagram is seriously such an important tool. Through it I've seen and even spoken to shop owners, antique dealers and decorators who haven't been scared to reach out and say Hello. You get such a global feeling of community when people who love what you do simply give you a follow or even tell you that they like what you're doing. I've always been socially awkward but my love for decorating and beautiful things has been such an encouraging force to get more connected.

Pierre Berge ( YSL's partner and manager for many years throughout his career ) has the kind of taste and decorating gusto that I envy and admire. For one, you can tell he isn't afraid. He's flamboyant in every sense of the word. You can almost imagine him throwing colour, fabrics and flowers into the air, laughing and enjoying every moment as he does it. The hydrangeas are stunning, I think they are such a choice flower for every room. The textiles... you don't even want to get me started! It's patterns, movement and drama for days which is exactly the kind of energy I want from a room. I see a lot of these kinds of rooms in French and Italian decorating which only reaffirms my yearning to be in Europe so I can unleash my wild patterned self in unabashed vigor!

It's difficult to really take the reigns of my decorating spirit when I'm still at home with my parents. But I know that once I do leave, flowers will be a huge part of my new home. 

A great example of mantle magic 

I think for shelves to show their full decorating potential, you either have to stuff it full of things or leave them relatively bare like this. I've always been a maximalist when it comes to shelves but seeing this one with only a few items here and there is making me want to try out the simple route 

I love lucite / acrylic and glass furniture. There's something instantly cool and understated chic about seeing through something. These acrylic cubes make gorgeous book cases which are both gems for display as well as functional to use. I've been eyeing some lucite side tables on Etsy which I always keep tabs on. The best thing about clear furniture is that you can really go nuts in dressing it up, adding ornaments, place mats, flowers - the works. That makes it easy for someone who's into having 'more' like me in the decorating department. 

From a Missoni exhibition celebrating the labels long years of colour and kinship to family 

A grand example of Chateaux Chic  

I'm officially into round dining tables. I've always been square as square when it comes to dining tables but if given the choice between a square dining table or a round one, I'm pretty sure I'd pick the round one for my dining area. Round looks a lot more playful, soft and less traditional but I'm not afraid of that. 

The living area of Rosita Missoni's home. I think decorating is exactly like fashion. In fact, it's fashion for your home and I like it when I go in a room and get the vibe of the people who live there immediately. I like when a person isn't scared of doing a style fully fledged and I especially love a person who uses and loves colour just like me. What I want to see most of all when I go into a space is the 'values' of the person. Do they like colour? no colour? do they like eclectic style or unified style? Are they into old items or brand new items? 

I love that bookshelf which goes right up to the very top of the ceiling! 

I like that she's using Missoni textiles in her own home ( I think... the rugs look very Missoni to me and why not use your own label when you can get it for free or at a way cheaper price? ) 

A beautiful marbled bathroom with rose gold accents 

I'm excited to share with you my photos from my day out today next week. I'm really determined to keep the blog going as is all throughout the year even though I'm going to be crazily busy in two weeks time for the next six months. I'll be studying a Cert IV in Marketing and communication to update my skills which sees me at uni three days a week from 9-5. But as I just mentioned, I am really determined to keep things going because I'm sick of ditching projects before they get to their fullest potential. I also may have some exciting news to do with decorating depending on how things go next week... so just keep your eyes and ears open ✌ ✌ ✌

Have an awesome and relaxing weekend!

Vogue Living Mar / April '16
Vogue Living May / June '17
Vogue Living Jan / Feb '18
https://www.vogue.com.au/vogue-living