Orla O'Brien Interior Design

I’ve worked with Orla over the last 1.5 years as she’s been helping me with the renovation of my house in Teddington. The project initially included a ground floor extension to make a small kitchen diner and a loft conversion, however as the scope crept, we found that pretty much all internal walls and timbers needed replacing. I was very green to the whole building / renovation process and Orla’s been a superstar in helping me to navigate through all the pitfalls – not least providing a shoulder to cry on when things got tough! She seemed to have a never ending list of suppliers that could help – from builders to specialist tradesmen to flooring and fabric suppliers. Having looked at the type of projects Orla previously worked on, I have to admit being slightly concerned because I knew I didn’t have the budget she was used to working with. I needn’t have worried – she has fantastic taste and style, and was able to adapt it to my budget. She’s always keen to get your own ideas up front but then pushes you a little further by coming up with some more daring options – which I loved! But when I got carried away with some of my own ideas, she was also on hand to remind me of the pitfalls from a practicality point of view! All in all I can’t recommend Orla highly enough!

Orla is hugely experienced and her company has worked on twenty-one rooms in two houses for me over a period of fifteen years. She is a pleasure to work with, taking careful note of our ideas and expectations but then producing suggestions and solutions that far exceed both. Her designs, judged in terms of both style and practicality are impeccable. She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of suppliers and craftsman and can design and source bespoke pieces. The carpets, rugs, beds and storage units she has designed for us are particular highlights. Her use of colour is delicious and her designs marry contemporary style with longevity. Everything she has suggested has been a success.

I engaged Orla to design our living room/library room in in Fulham SW London. She worked to the brief and I was really delighted with our finished room. A few years later when we moved to the country and bought a period country house, we engaged Orla to undertake a substantial part of the renovation project. She has an amazing talent for incorporating one's existing pieces and giving them an entirely new lease of life. She has helped us create a stylish and functional family home.

Orla is extremely talented and has fantastic taste and style. She is a delight to work with and transformed two of our rooms, our sitting room and a loft room which is multi-functional. Both rooms are much admired and enjoyed by us and our friends. We would highly recommend her.

I am now working on my third project with Orla and I have got to say she is both extremely talented and also a joy to work with. The first project was a lake side country house, Orla did the interior design for the complete house. She delivered the look and feel of what we wanted, we totally love it and nearly 7 years later the house still looks amazing, the quality of finishes having the test of time. The second project had a more commercial lean, a buy-to-let apartment in Mayfair. This project required a more sleek urban edge within tighter budget constraints. It also required a lot of creative thinking to make a tight space work well, again she delivered wonderfully. Currently Orla is currently managing the interior design of our London home which is being completely refurbished. I'm loving the process of creating a new design for the house, pushing the boundaries of design for a funky yet practical home that suits our families needs. Overall I'd say, Orla has a wonderful eye and tunes into my needs as they vary from project to project, she is super organised, keeps me on track and has extended her help and expertise far beyond the remit of her role. Above all Orla has helped make, what is often a stressful process, a lot of fun!