BRYAN O'SULLIVAN
Living Etc UK|February 2023
The designer tells our editor Pip Rich how to filter a sense of sunlight into rooms that can’t helo but put a smile on your face
BRYAN O'SULLIVAN

Interior 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 something you 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?

This story is from the February 2023 edition of Living Etc UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the February 2023 edition of Living Etc UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM LIVING ETC UKView All
modern extensions
Living Etc UK

modern extensions

WITH STRIKING USE OF COLOUR, MATERIALS AND SHAPE, THE LATEST DESIGNS ADD SO MUCH MORE THAN AN EXTRA ROOM

time-read
1 min  |
August 2024
think like a pro
Living Etc UK

think like a pro

It's not just interior designers who are skilled at picking the perfect palette architects are in on the act, too, and Richard Parr knows just how to get the ideal shade

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
colour decoded
Living Etc UK

colour decoded

As with all successful schemes, there's much more going on beneath the surface of this space than first appears -Livingete's colour expert Amy Moorea Wong reveals all

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
enduring style
Living Etc UK

enduring style

B&B Italia has pioneered modern Italian furniture design since 1966 - but its latest collection feels as fresh as ever

time-read
1 min  |
August 2024
TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED
Living Etc UK

TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED

Seventeenth-century origins meet vibrant contemporary design in a cleverly reimagined Amsterdam canal house

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
ROCK OF AGES
Living Etc UK

ROCK OF AGES

The owners of a Menorcan home have made a stylish yet sustainable retreat using the island's signature stone

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
FORCE OF NATURE
Living Etc UK

FORCE OF NATURE

An unexpected flood into what was already a dark basement flat prompted a new vision, full of light, natural materials and foliage

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
TOP OF THE WORLD
Living Etc UK

TOP OF THE WORLD

High above the busy streets of Bangkok, two talented designers have created a tranquil retreat that nods to chic 1970s style and makes the most of the views

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
A PLACE IN THE SUN
Living Etc UK

A PLACE IN THE SUN

An apartment within a former luxury hotel celebrates - and updates - the style of France's Côte d'Azur

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
OUTSIDE IN
Living Etc UK

OUTSIDE IN

The design of this modernist bungalow in South Africa was dictated by the trees on the plot and the desire for an indoor-outdoor flow

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024