Thomas O'Brien

Thomas O'Brien (born 1961) is an American interior and home furnishings designer. His design firm, Aero Studios, and home store, Aero Ltd., are both based in New York City's SoHo neighborhood.

Career

Early career O'Brien is a graduate of Cooper Union in New York City, where he studied photography, art and design. Following his degree, he worked briefly at Details magazine, before beginning his career at Polo Ralph Lauren. He worked on the styling and design of the Polo Ralph Lauren flagship store, the former Rhinelander Mansion, on Madison Avenue in Manhattan.

Aero Studios and store O'Brien established his design firm Aero Studios and its adjoining Aero store in 1992 with fellow Polo alumnus William Sofield. Sofield left Aero in 1995 and O'Brien took sole ownership of the company.

Style and accolades O'Brien is often cited for his style of "warm modernism" and his approach of combining vintage, modern, and traditional influences in both his interiors and his product designs. He is regularly named to editorial top designer lists such as the Architectural Digest AD100, and his work is frequently featured in publications such as "Elle Decor", Architectural Digest, The New York Times,

Partnerships O'Brien is a prolific product designer who has developed a portfolio of high-end home furnishings with a number of American heritage brands. He has designed bath plumbing for Waterworks; lighting for Visual Comfort; textiles for Lee Jofa, owned by Kravet; rugs for Safavieh; and tableware and accessories for silversmith manufacturer Reed & Barton. He also produces luxury accessories, leather goods, and bedding for his own Aero brand. In 2000, he launched the largest-ever designer collection of furniture, lighting, and soft home furnishings with retailer Target. Through Aero Studios, O'Brien focuses on the design of private residences as well store development for retail brands. He has designed boutiques for Donna Karan and Pottery Barn.

In 2013, O'Brien partnered with the Rudin real estate family to create the interior designs for the ten-building campus of Greenwich Lane in Manhattan's Greenwich Village neighborhood. The luxury residential complex was noted for repurposing the historic site of the former St. Vincent's Hospital.

Publications American Modern (with Lisa Light). New York: Abrams, 2010. Aero: Beginning to Now (with Lisa Light). New York: Abrams, 2013.