Irish interior designer Bryan O’Sullivan took inspiration from the traditional to give this Dublin home an elegant new look. Have a peek inside …
Photographed by JAMES MC DONALD / THE INTERIOR ARCHIVE
While directing a stylish renovation at The Park hotel in Kenmare during one of the lockdowns, designer Bryan O’Sullivan, founder of international design firm BOS-Studio, opened a small office in the town to support the studio’s 50-strong team of architects and designers, spread between the flagship studio in London and the headquarters in New York. The Co Kerry outpost will be central to the firm’s latest Irish projects, of which more later. Recently married to husband and colleague James O’Brien (they wed at Ballynahinch Castle, scene of another BOS-Studio renovation), the couple has snapped up a 1970s bungalow within a stone’s throw of the house in Kenmare he was brought up in and where his parents still live, and where his brother and family have recently established a home. But this is no tale of Covid-induced decentralisation. As well as their new bolthole in Kenmare, and London apartment in the Barbican, they have just leased an apartment in New York. “We work and travel together all the time,” says Bryan, “and we need to be close to our projects and our clients.”
BOS-Studio commissioned stuccodores PD Marlow to create a warm white polished stucco finish for the walls; it contains mica to catch the light.
Since its founding in 2013, BOS-Studio has become known for creating welcoming and elegant interiors that draw inspiration from multiple influences and from historical interiors of every period, all infused with an eclectic, modern sensibility. Projects span residential, hotels, restaurants, bars and yachts. Over the last couple of years, with hotels and restaurants in lockdown, the studio’s hospitality projects ramped up exponentially, as did commissions from private clients who wanted to invest more in their homes.
“This acceleration allowed us to develop our own language much quicker than we might have done in the normal course of things,” he says. The studio’s hallmark is simple and authentic glamour, inspired by the French and Italian architects of the 1940s, 50s and 60s. This signature style is encapsulated in the fabulous bar at The Berkeley – a stunning transformation of the space formerly designed by his one-time mentor, the late David Collins, a fellow Irishman. The Red Room at The Connaught – uplifting, joyful, fun – was another triumph. “Hospitality projects give the opportunity to design everything from scratch, to be more eye-catching, to be braver,” according to Bryan.
As the firm’s high-profile hotel projects in Ireland, Spain, London, New York, Beverly Hills and Bel Air held the limelight, the studio was also quietly busy with select residential projects. Designing homes is quite a different discipline to taking on a restaurant or hotel, says the designer. “Homes are very personal, they need to be calm, welcoming, look elegant and beautiful, and materials are chosen for longevity.” Often, along with the desire to reflect the personal stamp of the owners, they come with an existing layout, and furniture and pieces the client has collected over years, perhaps generations.
The drawing room is decorated in shades of copper, beige and green. BOS-Studio commissioned Henry Van Der Vijver, a London decorative artist, to create a special handpainted finish, to make it seem original to the home. A glass-topped Maison Jansen coffee table is placed in front of bespoke sofas accented with Fortuny fabric cushions. A gilt overmantel mirror sits above the antique fireplace from Ryan and Smith. The chandelier is from Cox London.
“We are led by these important considerations, we listen, we understand how they live, what they want.” The period Dublin house seen on these pages hadn’t been touched for a couple of decades but the starting blocks for its new look – fine antiques, some beautiful old Persian rugs and a personal collection of art – were destined to be in the mix.
The owners are very into design and are keen patrons of the arts. As this is their principal residence, they wanted the interior to reflect the period of the house, and to have a traditional rather than contemporary feel. Using their possessions in terms of art and antiques and combining colour, pattern and classical detail with bold contemporary touches, BOS-Studio undertook the work in two phases.
The entrance hall features a Marmorino plaster finish on the walls, executed by stuccodores PD Marlow. The interconnecting drawing and dining rooms are decorated in shades of copper, beige and green, based on the owners’ existing rugs. Working with Henry Van Der Vijver, a London decorative artist, BOS-Studio devised a hand-painted finish for the walls. This has the effect of making it look like it could be original to the house. New oak hardwood floors were laid to show off the owners’ collection of rugs and oak panelling was used in the study and in the sitting room, the latter a riot of clashing patterns and prints inspired by the work of Robert Kime, and by the interior of the private members’ club, 5 Hertford Street, in Mayfair. The study ceiling is painted a dark colour, adding to the cocooning effect.
It’s no surprise that word of mouth has played a big part in amplifying the reputation of BOS-Studio over the last decade. Bryan explains that just one private house commission in the Hamptons led to another, then that led to two in Bel Air, one on 5th Avenue, another in the West Village. And they are doing two of Claridge’s swankiest penthouses, as well as the spa and the restaurant. They are back in Ballynahinch Castle creating twelve new suites, a new breakfast room, conservatory and library. And Dublin’s first purpose built hotel, The Central, between George’s Street and Exchequer Street, will get a BOS-Studio facelift for 2024. “We will draw on its inspirational Dublin heritage,” says Bryan. www.bos-studio.com
The study with burr oak panelling, fireplace by Ryan and Smith, leather and rattan chairs by Kaare Klint and a rug by Roger Oates.
The sitting room features custom-stained oak panelling by David Coyne of Oikos surrounding the original Irish Georgian fireplace. The pendant light is a contemporary design by Visual Comfort. The stools, covered in a Lewis & Wood fabric, were made for the space, as was the ottoman (with fabric by Mulberry Home) set atop an Elizabeth Eakins rug. The velvet sofa is from Rose Uniacke.
In the kitchen, a pair of vintage Venini glass globe pendant lamps with red stripe hang above the Calacatta marble-topped bespoke island, built by David Crowley. Above the Aga in the marbled recess is a photograph by Abigail O’Brien.
The wine store is lined with onyx for a glamorous vibe.
The master bedroom features soft cream walls, hand-finished to achieve a faux linen effect. The bedside tables are by Jonathan Sainsbury, lamps are early 19th-century black and gilt bronze and the bench was custommade by Stephen Hunter. The upholstered headboard by Orior is covered in a Rose Uniacke cotton velvet and the windows are hung with a floral from Colefax & Fowler. The antique gilt-edged mirror is from Niall Mullen Antiques.
In the dressing room, floor-to-ceiling wardrobes are concealed behind upholstered panels covered in Scrolling Fern Frond in Indian Yellow from Soane Britain (repeated elsewhere in the room in cushions on French Art Deco era chairs, a daybed and even the shade on the table lamp). The striking 1950s Italian oval mirror was bought at auction.
In the bathroom, the reeded timber vanity was designed by BOS-Studio and made by Oikos. The stone is from Miller Bros. A basketweave tile was chosen for the floor. The Diva bath is by Devon & Devon.
Featured Image; The elegant dining room is decorated in neutral tones, the walls hand-painted by Henry Van der Vijver, while the bay window is hung with full-length curtains, which were already in place. The chandelier is from Cox London.
Photographed by James McDonald/The Interior Archive @james_mcdonald_photography. @the_interior_archive
