Thomas O'Brien: Library House

Reviews / Votes

"Surrounded by formal English gardens, the Library House combines Continental flourishes (a Dutch door here; a set of hand-painted Italian ceramics there) with a decorative approach reminiscent of an English country pile's (that is, comprising a spirited mix of colors, textures, and bric-a-brac like a "bronze Grand Tour classical rabbit," or a pair of "Victorian, very special botanical herbarium fans with ferns"); radiating Old-World charm from every surface. O'Brien's book, written in collaboration with Lisa Light, explains how he and Fink, also a designer, pulled it all together." -- Vogue "A snapshot of the ground floor, from O'Brien's new book on the house, Thomas O'Brien Library House to be published in October, reveals O'Brien's and Fink's individual studies, in addition to two front rooms and the library, which are accessed by what O'Brien calls the "knuckles" or transitional passageways. "How these transitions are worked through can make such a difference," says O'Brien, who enjoys the deliberate tiering of levels." -- The Irish Times "To begin with, the photography is quite simply out of this world. Then there is the incredible fact that this is not an old house, but a new one. To look at the photographs, you could be forgiven for thinking that it had been around for a couple of centuries, but it's a new build. The furnishings and the soft furnishings are sumptuous, the photographs are glorious, and the whole experience of this book is breathtakingly beautiful. This has to be the interior design book of the century!" -- Books Monthly