Heritage and modernity meet in Bryan O’Sullivan’s effortlessly elegant new suites at Claridge’s, London. O’Sullivan says the décor and design of The Mayfair Suite was inspired by its original scalloped pink marble fireplace; scallop curves continue throughout from the curvature of a beautiful hand-painted screen to the coral mohair chairs. O’Sullivan used a colour palette of pinks, corals, light green and neutrals, the backdrop for a mix of antique and contemporary furniture.

Hero pieces include a statement pendant light in the sitting room of the suite – a 1950s Murano glass piece sourced at auction. There is also a bur oak mini bar inspired by the “Bright Young Things” of the 1920s, and an expansive art deco bur oak headboard. Bryan O’Sullivan Studio bespoke pieces were also added. The art deco elements are reflected in the luxurious monochrome marble bathroom, and elsewhere a vanity table nook is decadently wrapped in deep bur oak complete with pink Italian marble table flanked with light bulbs evoking silver screen glamour.

Natural light floods The Mayfair Suite, which is pared back and classical, inspired by Claridge’s Victorian architectural features. O’Sullivan experimented with the furniture, fusing different eras, from the 1940s upwards. Again, the original Victorian fireplace is a focal point – it is straddled by 1950s Italian-inspired bespoke wall lights. Highly unusual wooden foret flooring by Osca Ono runs throughout the living areas of the suite, while marble floor spans the lobby and bathroom, embedded with the signature Claridge’s ‘C’.

Statement pieces include a marble-topped dining table, a curved sofa in chestnut mohair and a curved mini bar in walnut with floral marquetry inlay and a shearling Finn Jhul “Pelican” chair in the bedroom. The bedroom includes a Brutalist pendant light, adding a surprising edge to the room.

The walk in dressing room is lined in light oak with leather inlay panels, complete with a stained glass skylight. The piece de resistance is the Powder Room off the lobby. A Fontana Arte mid-century mirror is the focal point, surrounded by dark and marble in greys, purples, and greens.

This is not the first time O’Sullivan has worked with the prestigious Maybourne group – he renovated The Berkeley Bar in 2019 and has also been involved in an exciting new project …

Devotees of The Maybourne group will be interested to note it is opening a new hotel on the French Riviera this summer. Just above the town of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin (a favourite location for Coco Chanel, writer WB Yeats and artists Salvador Dali, Picasso and Jean Cocteau) is The Maybourne Riviera – with 69 rooms each with sea views and private terraces. The Maybourne Riviera collaborated with designers and architects Andre Fu, Bryan O’Sullivan Studio, Marcelo Joulia, Pierre Yovanovitch, Pascal Goujon and Rigby & Rigby on the singular spaces and suites, all adding their distinctive style, as well as the Maybourne in-house design team led by Michelle Wu.

The hotel has gone to great lengths to embrace the traditional arts and crafts of the region, sourcing and working with local artists and artisans to create bespoke art, glassware, ceramics and furnishings. There is also a nod to the modernist architects Le Corbusier and Eileen Grey who built their iconic homes in nearby Cap Modern. www.maybourne.com