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

RECENT PURCHASES

THE SHIRT 
The shirt is from Miss Brown Vintage who have branches in several cities in Australia. The store I bought the shirt from was from Melbourne Central ( just under the big clock... Melbournians know what I mean! ) I am a massive shirts addict as I feel like they suit me and because I live in jeans they go well with my growing collection of denim. I also love prints and these stars are just too pretty to pass up. The shirt itself is new but is stocked under a vintage brand. I like how some vintage stores stock new items because the design and colouring look vintage but they're new which means longer wear and shelf life.

THE BANGLES 
I've been eyeing bangles ( and jewellery in general ) for a bit now and have been wondering if I can pull off wearing more jewellery in my day to day. I visited Sydney road the other day to do some thrifting at Savers and came across Scavengers which is where I picked up these bangles. One is an old See by Chloe one ( eyed them in Japan but at $300, I couldn't ) and another is simply a navy blue one. I'll definitely be wearing the See by Chloe one often because I actually own a lot of neutral toned clothes on top of my patterned clothes and the pinkey orange will look good with the neutral stuff.

THE SCARF 
You can get this scarf at Ishka's sale which is still going HERE. A lot of really great things are on sale both in their shops and online. I'm not sure how Paisley crept into my radar as I've never particularly cared for it. But that's how things go sometimes. You never care until one day you realise you do! I'm so excited to wear this with my trench coat and beige turtle necks once the weather turns chilly again. The material is also very soft and warm which will make it perfect for layering in winter. 

THE SCRUB 
The price point for Soap and Glory's stuff is excellent if you're looking for a treat for yourself but don't want to go over $25. In fact, most of their products fall below that price point which is awesome. I love their pink packaging and don't even mind their scents despite the fact I prefer mild to no scent most of the time with shampoos and shower gels. You can find it here at Mecca. 

Flat lay fabric from The Fabric Store 

Do any of you who shop often and enjoy it feel guilty? Sometimes I get a pinch of guilt when I buy things because I know I should be trying to be more vigilant with my money even if I can technically afford small things here and there. But in all honesty, most if not all of my purchases are always  inexpensive. I don't think you need to spend a lot in order to get a lot. I get so much joy from vintage and second hand items. I get the same thrill from getting second hand items as I do with new ones! An items value isn't always reflected in the tag!

Have you guys bought anything you loved recently? Tell me about it in the comments below! 

SHOP VISITS : SAFARI LIVING

The view as you enter into the store. Immediately you are visually drawn to the explosion of patterns and colour coming from the Missoni corner, which I loved. You had the coloured patterns near the bottom and the neutrals at the top. There's definitely something for everyones home to be found here 

The zig zags, the stripes, the colours!

I've always known about Missoni but never really had that much affinity with the brand until recently. Ever since my interest for decorating and homewares have steadily grown, my eye for brands that do colour and pattern well has lead me to Missoni and their signature zig zag fiesta. Missoni OWN patterns ( which needless to say, applies to the Missoni Homewares range too ). When I found out about Safari Living and their huge collection of Missoni Home, I had to visit. I wasn't disappointed with their range and on top of that, their other stock was just as stunning too. The entire shop was a joy to photograph and very much lived up to the 'Safari' in its namesake. 

Spoilt for choice. What will it be? Towels, cushion covers, throws?

The whole store was visually merchandised very, very well. A really cohesive choice of items were stocked 

So many good things for the home. Coming here makes you want to deck out your entire house in neutrals so you can dress it up with all the homewares that they have! 

Safari Living totally captures the beauty and pattern that is associated with tribal and African inspired designs. In their about page, it mentions that sharing unique finds from across the globe is a key point which went into making Safari Living the store it is today. You all know my love of browsing markets but browsing markets overseas is just a whole new level of excitement.

There is something special about having things from overseas in your home. The more exotic, the better. Maybe it's just me imbuing significance but things that are bought overseas seem to always be better somehow. They use different materials, maybe the designs are just nothing you'd find back home, they have things which you can only get there... it's bringing part of that trip back for life.

The best kinds of overseas shopping experiences for me are ones where I'm interacting with products that are un-mistakably OF that particular place. The items have to be things which take on a new level of personality that can't be found back at home. That's why you travel, to see and be a part of a whole new world. 

Last year, I featured these jars on my Christmas wish list here. It was cool to be able to see them in real life. It really is just as beautiful as it is on the screen as it is in reality. Love the beautiful scale-like pattern and colours. 

Terrific Shelf game right here. They manage to balance out the colour and patterns with just the right amount of muted tones and colour 

You can definitely say that Missoni claimed the zig zag pattern. It's amazing how a brand can take a pattern so seemingly simple and one dimensional and really claim it as theirs. Zig zags are truly the mark of Missoni's branding and signature which just goes to show that simple really is just the surface. You can check out some of Missoni's clothing here. I'm especially into the cardigans, head wraps and pants. You know you're probably into a label if you like more than three or four of their items which definitely puts Missoni in one of my favourites for me! 

Safari had a rack of textile patterns in their store and I managed to capture some of them here. Sometimes I'll be sitting down to paint and will have a really hard time trying to come up with new ideas. But when i see the sheer amount of variation in colours, dimensions and shapes that was on this rack, it made me feel like I wasn't broadening my scope enough and really tapping into the possibilities out there, creatively. Seeing beautiful colours and patterns put together makes me want to be more thoughtful at it. It feels as if there are no possibilities when you have no ideas but when you do, they really just flood in. 

What are some possibilities with this bit of fabric? Upholstery for an arm chair? A cushion cover? Maybe a table throw? All I know is that if fabric is made well and in a beautiful pattern, people will want to use it for any surface. I'm into the idea of framing certain fabrics too. I remember I did this when I was living by myself before I moved to Japan and it was actually such a good idea because from far away ( and even up close ) they just look like paper prints. The frames elevate the fabric into a worthy for display quality. People won't know where you got the fabric from, all they'll see is a gorgeous piece of textile that's worthy of showing off. 

Pretty crazy about the flowers that are made up of multi-coloured dots right here! So good! Very intricate and detailed

Wish I could've gotten out every single pattern and looked at all of them in detail, there's just so many here 

I love embroidery and feel naturally drawn to their folksy style. I've said before that things which are made by hand are deigned with a natural respect from people who handle them because we all know how painstaking it is to make things with our hands

The colour palette of the entire store was great. It was earthy, metallic but also with bright pinks and blues thrown in here and there 

There are a lot of sales going on right now in many homewares stores I've visited. It's a good time to pick up a bargain if you're needing some extra bits and pieces for yourself 

Really beautiful blue cushion right here. I'm into floral and plant-life prints a lot and this colour combination is really eye-popping

The neutrals corner

Patterns for days 

Enjoying all the soft, muted tones of the kitchenware shelf 

I love the blue and white pattern on the bottom, right hand stack 

Going into stores and seeing how everything is visually merchandised, you sometimes wonder how many different ways they tried displaying things before they settled on the style that they chose. The difficult thing for me about making a home look good and presentable, is the fact that there really are so many ways of displaying and making the home 'yours'. I wouldn't say that some ways are wrong, maybe things could've been done differently but the vast amount of possibilities can make simply beginning a bit of a daunting place. 

When you take into account how dramatically different spaces can feel when you simply move some furniture around, change the colour scheme or even add an ornamental piece, you start to realise that small decisions do make a big impact. It sounds like I'm talking about a life or death situation here 😣  but I suppose for people who take furnishing their homes seriously, it can be a little bit!  

So many lust worthy items ! If you're around chapel street, it's just a five minute tram ride down High street 

These woven light shades are so fun! 

Some close up shots of the Missoni home range. You can tell the amount of work that's gone into them. The colours flow so thoughtfully into each other, the weave is really fine, they really are almost too good to use 

So beautiful! 💛 💛 💛 💛 

Colour pop soap packaging 

Some stunning wallpaper here as the backdrop for these woven baskets 

Next door was a rugs and textiles shop which I really wanted to visit but was strapped for time due to an appointment 

Safari Living is a must visit if you're looking for patterns, colour and good textile furnishings. The selection of items is really impressive and to be honest, I didn't see one thing I wouldn't of loved to have owned. If you're looking for a splurge, I definitely recommend some of their Missoni things. They have the largest stock I've seen in Melbourne. Thank you Safari Living for allowing me to come and share your shop on my blog!

xx

Safari Living
579 High Street,
Prahran
9510 4500