Talk Shop: Paloma Contreras // Paloma Contreras Design
Photo by Aimee Mazzenga
ABOUT PALOMA
Paloma Contreras is an award-winning interior designer and tastemaker based in Houston, Texas. Paloma’s design sensibility is a modern take on traditional style – gravitating toward classic silhouettes and timeless pieces paired with a touch of glamour and an infusion of color. She has developed a reputation for designing beautiful interiors in a broad range of styles, which are executed in a manner that is polished, refined, and effortless. Paloma's interiors are at once timeless, yet fresh – balancing attention to detail and the intersection of form and function to enhance a well-lived life.
Paloma has honed her distinct eye for style over more than a decade in the design industry and a lifetime of appreciating beauty in all of its various forms, starting with her blog, La Dolce Vita, which Ariel has been an avid reader of for over a decade. As Ariel became a designer herself, she has always looked up to Paloma and her ability to blend both her design and editorial sensibilities into one – especially because Paloma came from a career background that wasn’t based in design, just like Ariel! Paloma has always been incredibly supportive of Ariel and her firm, so we are incredibly thrilled and honored to have her as part of our Talk Shop series. You cannot find a kinder soul in the industry than Paloma Contreras!
Paloma has been repeatedly named to the prestigious ELLE Decor “A-List” of the top interior designers in the world; she’s also been recognized as a “Next Wave” interior designer by House Beautiful, and has been named to LUXE Magazine’s “Gold List”. In 2017, Paloma was named #4 on the Forbes list of the Top Social Media Influencers in the Home category, and has one of the Top 10 Instagram accounts to follow for interior design according to ELLE Decor. Paloma and her work have been featured in numerous publications and websites including ELLE Decor, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Vogue, Domino, Luxe, Traditional Home, Southern Living, Better Homes & Gardens, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. (Phewph!)
Paloma recently debuted a licensed collection featuring decorative accessories, bedding, textiles, and lighting with Williams Sonoma Home, and has also worked on special projects with top brands such as One Kings Lane, Bravo Television, American Express, KitchenAid, Kohler, Auberge du Soleil, and Peninsula Hotels. Paloma’s first book, Dream Design Live, was published by Abrams in September 2018. Her curated retail shop, Paloma & Co opened in Houston's River Oaks neighborhood in January 2019, and is also available to shop online (which we do, frequently.)
In April 2020, Paloma launched The Style Files Podcast (Ariel’s favorite new podcast), which features thoughtful, engaging conversations with design luminaries such as Bunny Williams, Mark Sikes, Ashley Whittaker and more. In her free time, Paloma enjoys traveling with her husband, Fabian and spending time with their sweet dog, Tate. We sat down with the multi-hyphenate powerhouse to chat all things design – check it out below!
Describe your style in three words or less:
Timeless, feminine, classic.
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
That’s a great and very difficult question to answer! I’d say it has really been a combination of things. Travel has been the biggest, most formative influence in my life. I am a big Francophile. Spending time in Paris has not only influenced my love and appreciation of antiques, it has also influenced the fact that the way I dress has become more stream-lined over the years.
Writing my blog, La Dolce Vita since 2007 was also majorly impactful in forming my aesthetic as it has exposed me to so many different things and has helped me to home in on the things that resonate most with me.
Lastly, my work as an interior designer has also influenced my aesthetic. I am able to work in different styles depending on the architecture of the house and the client’s taste, but my work has really helped me to realize what my aesthetic is at its true core.
How did you start your company, and what is your favorite thing about what you do:
It has been a long and winding road! It all began with my blog thirteen years ago. In the time since, I have had a variety of roles in the design industry. Eventually, I landed where I had been destined to be all along and hung my shingle as an interior designer, opening Paloma Contreras in 2013. I am so passionate about design and feel that I am living my life’s calling. I love working closely with our clients to design homes that exceed anything they could have imagined on their own. I love being able to tap into my creativity. That said, I am also a very business-minded person, so I run a tight ship. My first book, Dream Design Live was published by Abrams in 2018. In January 2019, I opened Paloma & Co, a curated concept for the home with my partner, Devon Liedtke. We have a Houston-based brick and mortar and a robust online shopping experience.
Do you have a mentor in your career, and if so, how have they helped to shape your trajectory:
I have had many mentors, though none in that official capacity. I have been incredibly fortunate to have a lot of friends in the design industry who have been incredibly generous with me in sharing best business practices, exchanging ideas, and being a sounding board. My husband Fabian is also very savvy when it comes to business so he is always giving me great advice. He is my biggest cheerleader and his support alone has given me the courage to take the leap at many important junctures in my career.
What does your home say about you:
It says that I love collecting art. It would also say that I love the mix—modern and traditional, masculine and feminine, etc to create spaces that feel very personal and layered.
Where do you find inspiration:
Everywhere! Prior to coronavirus, travel was my biggest source of inspiration. Lately, I have been inspired by the guests I have interviewed for my new podcast, The Style Files, which launched in April. I have had the opportunity to interview an amazing roster of design luminaries from Bunny Williams and Jeffrey Bilhuber to Charlotte Moss, Timothy Whealon and Robert Rufino. They have all been incredibly candid in sharing their personal stories and providing advice for running a successful design business. Upcoming episodes include Sheila Bridges, India Hicks, Kathryn Ireland, Nam Dang Mitchell, and Michael S Smith among others, so be sure to tune in!
Who are your style icons:
Lee Radziwill, Catherine Deneuve, Sofia Coppola, and Lauren Santo Domingo.
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
Good food, good booze, and good tunes!
Do you collect anything:
Mid-Century French art, design books, and matchbooks from places we visit on our travels
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration:
@thelsd for fashion, @limestoneboxwoods for architecture, and @marthastewart48 because Martha is a whole MOOD!
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
I find that scale is incredibly important. I also love symmetry, but haven’t been as faithful to symmetrical furniture arrangements as I have grown more confident. I don’t know that it is a rule per se, but I don’t believe in following the herd. With social media, it is easy to get sucked in by trends or to allow someone else’s taste to permeate your own and in the end, everything starts to look the same.
What are you working on right now:
We have several big projects in Houston as well as a wonderful historic renovation happening in Atlanta and another project in Chicago. Outside of our client projects, we are currently renovating a new design studio. Thankfully, our store has grown tremendously over the last year, so we are expanding the shop and moving our design office into an office next door. I am also working on a licensed collection in my favorite product category that I am incredibly excited about. I can’t get too specific yet as it has not been officially announced, but it is a dream come true!
Wardrobe staples:
Ann Mashburn tops, Frame jeans, Ulla Johnson dresses, and Chanel slingbacks.
Best interior advice you ever received:
Rooms are never truly done, they evolve over time.
Best career advice you ever received:
Hire for your weaknesses so that you can focus on the areas in which you are strongest.
Types of home purchases you invest in, and save on:
I believe you should buy the best upholstery you can afford. Custom drapery is also worth the investment as well. Store bought just doesn’t compare. If you truly love something, whether it’s a piece of art, a one-of-a-kind find, or an antique—you will find a place for it! Natural fiber rugs are chic, timeless, and a budget-friendly alternative to more traditional wool rugs.
Your greatest extravagance:
In any year other than 2020, it is usually travel.
Favorite places to shop for home:
Auctions and Antique shops in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, and London—and of course, at Paloma & Co!
Most prized possession and why:
Gosh, that’s really tough because I feel like I am finally in a place where I genuinely love everything in my home. It would probably be the series of 9 Jane Timberlake Cooper works I have hanging in my dining room or a Jacques Nestle piece that Fabian and I bought on our last trip to Paris.
Your interiors motto:
Keep it classic, but always add something unexpected.
Your life motto: To thine own self be true.
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Edit, edit, edit!
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: I love a good burger!
Drink: It depends on my mood. Usually a glass of rose or French burgundy. I also make a killer spicy margarita!
Film: It’s Complicated, Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, and I am Love are forever favorites!
Hotel: Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley and Round Hill in Jamaica
City: Paris
Bedding: I currently have Matouk bedding with a chocolate monogram on my bed.
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): Iced coffee with a splash of almond milk
Playlist: My musical tastes are wide and wholly dependent on my mood. I listen to a lot of Tame Impala and Washed Out while I work. I usually crank up the Bob Marley when I am feeling stressed and my blood pressure immediately drops.
Weekend Activity: Long walks with Fabian and our cockapoo, Tate.
Design Book: There are so many good ones that it’s so difficult to narrow it down, but the ones I find myself going back to a lot at Vogue Living: Country, City Coast; Michele Bonan: Genteleman of Style, and Carlos Mota’s Beige is Not a Color
