Julie O’Brien
Indianapolis Interior Designer, at Home
Home is my happy place. I surround myself with things my husband and I love — there’s agreement. And everything we collect has a story connected to it. In our case, each item can be traced back to an artist or a designer somewhere. But that’s us. Happiness is having harmony with your surroundings.
If you want to know, I love design, fashion, and dance. I think they’re all related, in essence.
I trained to become a dancer before I began studying design, and I discovered how purposeful and harmonious carefully selected sequences of human movement could be. An aesthetic and symbolic value emerges from the process, and I apply this same practice to my work. With each project, I strive to create a happy harmony; that’s my job.
Harmony is a natural wood coffee table; an art glass bowl imitating a drop of water.
My clients know I love what I do.
People come to me with their dreams and ideas about what they want to accomplish, and I want to make them feel comfortable. I listen to their stories to understand how I can best help them achieve that next step.
It’s a luxury to have someone listen to your problems. Even better when that someone is purposeful and highly skilled at offering solutions. I delight in making my clients’ visions a reality.
So many of my friends were clients first. And they remain some of my truly best friends.
Steel and marble table set, custom-designed for a client.
A Passion for Life (and Simplicity).
It’s fascinating that the clients, or dedicated professionals, I tend to attract are highly successful. They’re entrepreneurs or business extraordinaire. Their style is more developed than most (whether they realize it or not). They tend to travel, explore and seek the richness of life. Owning a collection or two, maybe even a second home, is not uncommon, and just about everyone is passionate about life. I want to think that’s how we were attracted to one another.
I’ve found that by spending enough time with people and absorbing who they are, I can reflect that idea or that vision to them. I work hard to make every client feel heard, supported, and appreciated. I expect that same courtesy of any real professional, wouldn’t you?
My clients are seeking beauty, simplicity, and effort-free living. They have countless choices but want far less of the noise and clutter that come with it. They see the world as a jungle and prefer to have a caring, experienced guide. I know because they have told me so.
My love of design and the joy that it brings others is what keeps me so excited.
Our client’s sublime taste helped create an effortless feel. Custom-designed balustrade, rich carpeting, luxe paint, and wall covering support the art.
How to Begin a Home Interior Project
I strive to meet my clients right where they are. There’s no pretense; let’s find the common grounding you need to feel comfortable. We’ll walk before we run, and I will be with you every step.
As a principal interior designer, I direct every project, end to end.
The design firm undertakes projects of all sizes and complexity at any stage of progress. We are pretty unique in that way. Services range from comprehensive interior design and interior architecture to simple updates and interior decorating.
See our list of services or reach out; we will be happy to discuss your situation.
Career Highlights
I’m blessed for my success, and the highlights keep coming. That keeps me interested.
Maintaining an office that can support our clients’ services has always been paramount to me. The talent I have attracted—and tend to keep—completes the equation.
What’s luxury if we don’t make it easy for our clients? These beautiful homes that I assist with are ultimately a reflection of the owner, not me.
When I think about my career, I remember what I have provided my clients, enriched lifestyles, and moments they will share with family and friends. What more can a girl ask?
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Five of my client’s homes are featured episodes of HGTV Homes Across America.
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Outside the office, I have led critiques, written columns, and judged professional design competitions.
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A dedicated career member of ASID (American Society of Interior Designers), I am thankful that I can now give back through a very active peer table.
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Receiving the “Top IDEA” award by the IIDA (International Interior Design Association) for two consecutive years was a high that lasted a couple more years.
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Quite proud that my own former line of home accessories, Julie-Julie Accessories, was awarded “Best New Product” at the New York Home Textiles Show.
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I was once honored by the international design magazine Design Times: “10 Designers to Watch.” I have never stopped trying to make sure they were correct.
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Humbled that I have won countless other interior design awards.
The design team at Julie O’Brien Design Group. Megan Watson, Julie, and Joel Contreras.
Giving Back
Besides professional peer mentoring through ASID, I have chaired and supported fundraising events for arts and cultural organizations. I have also been invited to “do a room” for various interior design showhouses, otherwise referred to as The Decorator Show House. These events provide a short but intimate connection with my peers, which is very important in the interior design industry.