Developed over several years in a close creative
partnership, the Thomas O’Brien Collection marks
an ambitious step forward for both designer and
company, in the breadth of the offering as well as
the defining of a new chapter of American Modern
style for the interior design marketplace.
The collection is presented as a diverse grouping of room essentials and one-of-a-kind style pieces, many inspired by O’Brien’s own travels and personal storehouse of modern and European antiques. Original upholstery shapes alone number in the dozens, highlighting the dedicated craftsmanship, innovation, and production capability coming from Century’s North Carolina workshops.
Lighting and industrial design are twin passions
for Thomas O’Brien that find expression in his
prolific collaboration with Visual Comfort & Co.
Twice-yearly introductions encompass architectural
lights and a range of original chandeliers as well as
table and floor lamps, all in a family of exceptional
hand-crafted finishes. In recent seasons O’Brien has
worked with luxurious materials such as rock crystal
and delicate blown glass in updated modern forms.
A number of specialty lamps designed each year
become collector’s editions. Select profiles are
available at lighting centers nationwide and
through Circa Lighting; the complete collection
may be surveyed at Aero.
O’Brien is the first brand designer to create
a tabletop collection for Reed & Barton, one of
the country’s oldest, most respected silversmith
companies. Charting new territory into fine china
and other products, the program is unprecedented
in scope and includes dinnerware, glassware and
crystal, stainless steel flatware, serving items, and
a full range of gifts and decorative accessories.
New introductions are added frequently. Recently
O’Brien has also contributed supplemental gift and
barware designs to the Reed & Barton label.
Products are available at finer boutiques
nationwide and at Aero.
O’Brien was the first brand designer to be
invited to create a signature collection for leading carpet merchant Safavieh. His line of hand-knotted carpets is exclusively produced in Nepal of finest handspun Tibetan wool and genuine silk, with
recent introductions adding more transitional
carpets in natural undyed wool. Designs share a patterned, vintage inflection, in a range of unusual textile-based motifs, abstract Moroccan geometrics, Chippendale-inspired fretworks, and lavish freeform florals. All are available through Safavieh and other fine carpet showrooms nationwide, and at Aero.
Groundworks, a division of Lee Jofa, introduced
Thomas O’Brien’s first classically-inspired fabric
collection in 2003. Textiles are a favorite O’Brien
artifact and many of his designs for Groundworks
have originated in his personal library of vintage
fabrics and historical patternwork. O’Brien has since
delivered a second, bold collection including
several modernist prints, and following that, a large
trimmings group. His latest introduction reinvents
luxurious velvets and silks for modern, understated
use, in a range of signature, rich neutrals and earth
tones. All may be ordered through Lee Jofa,
Aero, or individual designers.
In 1999 O’Brien became the first brand designer to
create a featured line of products for luxury bath
leader Waterworks. That collection, Aero, continues
to be a best seller and has expanded with new
finishes. O’Brien has also produced the popular Aero Retro and Industrial Luxe collections for
Waterworks and is at work on a new collection
to be introduced in tktk. All are on view at
Waterworks showrooms nationwide.
O’Brien has been creating fine furniture since
1999 for North Carolina-based Hickory Chair. His
collections span traditional and modern styles
and continue to expand with custom finishes and
specialized detailing as part of Hickory Chair’s
highly crafted made-to-order offering. From the
warm modern trademark of his debut to the more
neoclassical and later modernist influences of
successive collections, O’Brien’s furniture always
celebrates history and can be used in all types
of cross-combinations as well as with antiques.
Recent introductions synthesize elegant furniture
profiles from favorite French Deco and Regency
design periods into pieces with usable
scale and comfort for today.
Launched in 2005, O’Brien’s Vintage Modern
program for Target has been one of the retailer’s
most successful designer collections; a modern
fashion brand for the home. This large offering has
covered virtually all home categories in the store,
from bedding to dishes, carpets, lighting, furniture,
stationery, and holiday decor. O’Brien’s popular
towels have routinely been best sellers, in
remarkable quality cotton and a variety of warm
neutral colors. Across this product range, O’Brien
has maintained his familiar style rooted in
modernism, softened by traditional details and
an easy array of reinvented vintage patterns.