High Point Recap No. 3: Thomas O’Brien

{Thomas O’Brien and Paloma}

After swooning all over Suzanne Kasler’s gorgeous designs, we were treated to a tour of Thomas O’Brien’s part of the Hickory Chair showroom. I have always enjoyed his clean, modern aesthetic and after doing a little math when I got home, I found that most of my Visual Comfort / Circa lights, are actually Thomas’ designs. It was incredibly interesting to hear about Thomas’ new collection and to learn where he drew his inspiration from. He is a very thoughtful, intelligent, and intuitive designer whose style is at once modern and classic, refined and relaxed. Everything has a purpose and a background story, which of course makes the pieces that much more special.

We can’t resist a photo op!

Pictured are Cassandra of coco + kelley, Franki of Life in a Venti Cup, Tobi Fairley, and me

Thomas’ wonderful, layered style

I’m not sure if this was part of Thomas’ section of the showroom. It doesn’t look like his style, but I thought it was lovely.

One of several beautiful beds by Thomas O’Brien

I love everything about this sofa…the shape, the upholstery. The framed maps are great, too!

Thomas explaining to us that this new bed was inspired by the bed at his grandparents’ summer home. It was so wonderful to “get inside his head”.

A Better View of the Bed

I love the shield chair!

A Wonderful Wingback Chair

I love that the lines of this couch could totally look French with different upholstery. Imagine it in white linen. The tweedy, menswear-inspired fabric and the tufting on the pillows gives it a 1960s Mad Men vibe.

Thomas O’Brien’s part of the Hickory Chair showroom was so impressive. He designed several types of rooms, including a few eating areas, like this marble island.

I adore the use of banquette seating. The color and texture of the leather on this sofa/ banquette is yummy!

I LOVED this coffee table.

This combination of sofa and shelves was originally designed by Thomas O’Brien for Giorgio Armani before he had started Armani Casa.

An Alternate Use for the Shelves

Cute Leather Stools

More of Thomas O’Brien’s Signature Styles

I really liked this versatile, little shelf. I think it would work in several applications.

  Beautiful Mirrors with Nailhead Trim

The colors in this rug that Thomas designed for Safavieh were so beautiful. The picture doesn’t really do the rug justice.

I love this new dinnerware that Thomas designed for Reed and Barton. The deep ink color is gorgeous!

More Items from Thomas O’Brien’s Reed and Barton Collection

Tobi Fairley and Me

Cassandra and Me

The Hickory Chair Lunchroom that We Enjoyed Breakfast In

This has to be the prettiest lunchroom I’ve seen!

I love the beautiful, soft greyish taupe color of this bookshelf and the contrast of the white books and silver orbs.

Entrance to the Hickory Chair Showroom

Hickory Chair Window Display

This Week's Quote

Texas French Home: Place des Vosges

After a late lunch yesterday afternoon, Fabian and I toured the beautiful new Texas French Home showhouse in the new Place des Vosges development by the Butler Brothers. I knew I would really like it as soon as I found out that all of the furnishings are from Mecox Gardens, the lighting is from Circa Lighting, and the art is from Gremillion & Co.

The 5,900 square foot, $2.2 million dollar home has all of the features you would expect from a home of this caliber and more. Careful attention to every detail was paid by Bo and Scott Butler who designed and built the home along with sixteen other homes in this exclusive development. When I first received the invitation to tour this exquisite “Texas French” home, I was expecting something very different. Houstonians love the rustic French look which has been popular here for a good while. I knew it would be a little different since Mecox was providing all of the furniture, but they really gave “Texas French” a whole new meaning. The home is modern and chic. There are traditional French features like inlaid antique brick and parquet floors, but Bridget Wade who undertook the interior design on this project, made the home feel decidedly more modern and urban, which to me was quite refreshing.

The entry features beautiful inlaid brick flooring and vaulted ceilings.

The Library

I love the sofa from Mecox. The beautiful fireplace is the focal point of this room.

All of the bathrooms feature fantastic tile choices including the guest bathroom on the first floor.

The flooring in the guest bathroom and foyer are both beautiful and rustic.

Looking Up Towards the Other Three Stories

The Landing on the Second Floor

Looking into the Great Room from the Landing

I love the rich orange palette used in the Great Room. The leather chairs are gorgeous.

Details, details…

Another Beautifully Crafted Fireplace

Notice the rich, cognac leather upholstery on the chairs.

Sleek Built-In Shelving

This farmhouse table is so gorgeous! I love how Bridget mixed rustic pieces with sleeker ones. The French doors open onto one of many balconies.

The Kitchen and Great Room are adjacent to each other which is perfect for entertaining.

The sleek kitchen features Miele appliances and plenty of storage space.

Second Floor Powder Room

The dining room is quite large and features an abundance of natural light.

The walls and ceilings both feature decorative moldings.

I love the orange chairs against the blue-grey color of the walls. The J. Randall Powers for Visual Comfort lamps and gilded console table are absolutely gorgeous!

A Beautiful Buffet from Mecox and Art from Gremillion

After touring the common areas on the second floor, we proceeded onto the third floor which features the master suite and this guestroom.

I love this little vignette, especially the dresser with its shagreen finish.

The bedroom features plenty of space to relax in. I really like the overall eclectic, masculine look of the room.

The ensuite bathroom features more gorgeous tilework. I adore this color. I wonder what it says about my personality that I tend to gravitate towards grey hues as much as I do.

The Luxurious Master Bath

I liked that the shape of this freestanding tub is more modern than most of the tubs we so often see. Don’t get me wrong, I also love the classic shapes, but I think this works better in this home.

More Amazing Tilework

A Second View of the Master Bathroom

One of the Two Master Closets

The Serene Master Bedroom

Isn’t the bed beautiful?

Finally, we moved on to the fourth floor which features the gameroom pictured above, a bedroom, and a fabulous rooftop terrace. Notice the beautiful windows.

Cozy Sofa

A Different View of the Large Gameroom

The television in the gameroom was playing a video filled with beautiful Parisian scenes to Edith Piaf’s “Non, je ne regrette rien”.

Yet Another Bathroom with Beautiful Tilework

This bedroom was my favorite in terms of styling. I love the feminine details, huge, masculine floor lamp, the gorgeous chaise, and rustic antique dresser.

Such an Incredible Piece!

I love Santos, ex-votos, and other religious items, so naturally, I really liked these angels.

This cute demilune is just to the right of the bedroom door.

The rooftop terrace at this home is truly fabulous! The entire home is ideal for entertaining and this is just the icing on the cake.

The outdoor fireplace makes a strong statement.

The beauty of a summer kitchen in Houston is that you can use it virtually year round.

When’s the next party?

Views of The Neighborhood

Looking Towards Uptown Park

This incredible home will be open for the public to tour until January 15, 2010. If you’re in Houston, it is definitely worth a visit!