N+O: I've Opened a Fabulous New Shop and Interior Design Studio with my Friend, Shawn O'Brien!

Read all about it here.

From the WISH section of the Times-Picayune.

By Susan Langenhennig

photo by RUSTY COSTANZA / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Lighting designer Julie Neill, right, and interior designer Shawn O'Brien  teamed up to open N+O design studio on Magazine Street.

N+O - Neill and O’Brien

3822 Magazine St., 504.309.4462

"Lighting designer Julie Neill and interior designer Shawn O’Brien should have named their new endeavor yin and yang. That’s the feel of the place — natural dualities coalescing into a chic, inimitable whole. Neill is known for her custom chandeliers, sconces, coffee tables and consoles. O’Brien is known for her fresh interiors and for amassing a library-sized collection of gorgeous, to-the-trade-only fabrics. Their new combined studio is a double-parlor-sized space filled with metal and hand-blown glass lighting, furniture and art. Upstairs features an amazingly organized room bursting with an estimated 50,000 fabric swatches, available by appointment to retail customers as well as other designers. Since everything here springs from the minds of these crafty women, expect to see some whimsical and wonderful experiments. Their latest? Slender metal wall sconces embellished with jewelry made by local artist Madilynn Nelson. "

It all began when my good friend, the very talented interior designer Shawn O'Brien commissioned me to create a coffee table for one of her clients.

The project was a total renovation of a New Orleans "shotgun" house in the Garden District. Shawn's client, an avid art collector had worked closely with her to create a sophisticated yet fun, modern interpretation of  this traditional New Orleans style home.

They needed a coffee table that would be completely unique. It would need to express the personality of the owner and sit comfortably among the other art pieces in the room. It would need to be a focal point but be light and in keeping with the easy-going feel of the space.

Lightness and whiteness are the backdrop for the art and furnishings and I needed to address this.

Amazing art is everywhere, so the coffee table had to carry it's own weight, and be a welcome part of the greater whole. And as you can see, it needed to be sophisticated as well as fun.

Working closely with Shawn, I developed a design for a rectangular table with a steel base and a top made of 3/4" glass. Within the base of the table is an oval frame which holds a glass shelf containing 4 blown glass nude acrobatic figures. At the bottom of each leg is a crystal ball which gives the impression that the table is floating above the ground.

It is playful and beautiful and the client was thrilled!

Shawn and I had so much fun working together that we decided to create a new business together. We opened a small showroom in front of Julie Neill Designs production shop at 3822 Magazine Street. It is our studio where we offer full service interior design services as well as custom furniture and lighting design.

We are developing some products which are clean, modern, sophisticated and a little bit unexpected. So stop by if you're in the neighborhood. Or call us at 504-309-4462 to make an appointment. We're working on a website and I'll let you know when it goes up.