Design was a natural calling for David M. Sullivan, the son of an antiques dealer and a fine-art framer. But this Manhattanite has blazed his own creative trail, developing a signature aesthetic informed by industrial materials and expert craftsmanship. “I’m interested in raw, brutal qualities coming together to achieve sophistication and elegance,” says Sullivan, who studied sculpture in college. He later honed his eye under furniture dealer Todd Merrill, acquiring and restoring rarities by postwar pioneers like Paul Evans, a major influence on the emerging designer. Since starting his own firm four years ago, Sullivan has undertaken an impressive range of projects, from creating individual pieces with rock star Lenny Kravitz’sKravitz Design to devising entire spaces. Central to Sullivan’s fast-growing practice are collaborations with local artisans, whom he calls on to realize such one-of-a-kind features as a 30-foot-wide beveled-bronze wall that incorporates a television, a fireplace, and ductwork or, in the case of NHL player Brad Richards’s New York City loft, three-plus tons of patinated-steel panels. Suffice it to say, in his short career Sullivan has already done plenty of heavy lifting. davidmsullivaninc.com
