Brian J. McCarthy was born in Washington, D.C. in 1960. Early exposure to architecture and design led him to pursue interior design in New York City at Pratt Institute. He studied concurrently at the Royal Academy of Architecture in Copenhagen, Denmark, and participated in a design exhibition in Tokyo, Japan. At Pratt, where he was recognized for his furniture design, his projects included residences in Palm Beach, Washington D.C., and New York. He received a BFA in Interior Design from Pratt in 1983.
Mr. McCarthy joined Parish-Hadley Associates in 1983 as assistant to the venerable Albert Hadley. After working in this position for four years, he was promoted to full decorator and began directing his own accounts. In 1989, Mr. McCarthy became a partner of Parish-Hadley where his credits include residences in New York City, Southampton, Toronto, Palm Beach, California, Bermuda, and the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Mr. McCarthy opened the doors of his own design firm in 1992. His company, Brian J. McCarthy, Inc., provides interior design as well as architectural consultation. Previous and current projects include: New York City and the greater New York region; Connecticut; Massachusetts; Prouts Neck, Maine; Charlottesville, Virginia; Palm Beach, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Pebble Beach and Bel Air, California; Toronto, Canada; Bermuda; Monaco,
St.Tropez, France and Gstaad, Switzerland. To view his projects please refer to
www.bjminc.com
In June of 2005, Mr. McCarthy was asked by the Ambassador to the Court of St. James, Robert H. Tuttle, and his wife Maria, to assist in the redecoration of the private quarters and to refurbish the State Rooms in Winfield House, the official ambassadorial residence, set in Regents Park in London. Mr. McCarthy also worked with the Ambassador on his office and private dining room in the Embassy on Grosvenor Square.
Brian J. McCarthy is honored to be included in Architectural Digest’s AD100 list since 2014 as well as a member of Elle Décor’s A-List, which identifies the country’s top interior designers and NY Spaces Top 50. His work has been featured in the publications Elle Décor, Veranda, House Beautiful, Architectural Digest, New York Magazine, The New York Times, and others, as well as in several books including The Decorator, Private New York, Hampton Style, Showcase of Interior Design, American Houses of Robert A.M. Stern, Stylish Solutions and House Garden Book of Style.
In November of 2013, Stewart Tabori Chang published Brian’s first book titled Luminous Interiors featuring nine luxurious residences located around the country. “Gorgeous, inspiring photos, alongside McCarthy’s personal, informative text, take the reader through his creative process, offering insight into his inspiration and the design decisions by which his plans become reality. Meticulously layering interior architecture finishes, furniture, art, and decorative objects, McCarthy creates rooms that seem to have lived lives of their own, rooms with soul.”
In October of 2015, Stewart Tabori Chang published a second book which Brian co-authored with Bunny Williams. Parish-Hadley Tree of Life: An Intimate History of the Legendary Design Firm tells the story of the legendary interior design firm that set the standard for American style for more than three decades. Brian, along with 30 of the most renowned designers detail their personal experiences working at the firm, accompanied by images illustrating how their designs were shaped by Parish-Hadley.
Explore Brian's Website here
Add Brian's first book, Luminous Interiors, to your design library by clicking here
Pick-up a copy of Brian's second book, Parish Hadley Tree of Life, by clicking here
Add Brian's book recommendation, Valentino-At the Emperor's Table, to your design library by clicking here