Nestor Santa-Cruz
Something Blue Sitting Room
Most people feel that re-designing a room requires completely gutting it and changing the architecture, paint colors, and floors. I am passionate about good architecture and good proportions and scale, so when I find rooms with good bones, why change it all?
Renovation can also mean recycling ...
When given a task to use color, I always feel that one should commit to color; make it part of the architecture or make a bold statement. Clients always ask for more color? They ask, what's the right color for xxx room?
"Something Blue", the title suggested by the Washington Design Center team was simple and clear, so I immediately thought of developing the design by using a recent art purchase: an intense royal blue painting by local artist Tammi. The color and technique reminded me of Yves Klein's work, and it cost less than $300. It would be the only strong color in the room. (I hate using accent colors that repeat in vases, rugs, art and fabrics ... you get the idea.
I decided to keep the overall color of the room as I found it: Elephant's Breath by Farrow & Ball, but added an inset of their Ringwold wallpaper collection, based on an English early 18th Century silk damask, creating a soft background for the sitting room/den.
The inspiration for this room is a David Hick room, ca. 1970's, but English is not. The idea is that you can mix modern and tradition, found objects, art, favorite pieces and create a personal space that is anti-decoration, simply designed with a personality.
It's all about objects of different periods that speak to each other providing visual and physical comfort.
About Nestor Santa-Cruz
Mr. Santa-Cruz just recently joined the international firm Gensler as a design director. Bridging the worlds of corporate and residential design, Nestor Santa-Cruz, IIDA brings a special and sophisticated perspective to all of his interior design projects. Santa-Cruz was educated as an architect and is an NCIDQ Interior Designer. A professional member of IIDA., he has held key positions with some of the country's most recognized design studios, including a ten year tenure Skidmore Owings & Merrill, where his work received prestigious design awards and extensive press recognition.
The Santa-Cruz style is modern and restrained, yet classic; but it is always visually comfortable and engaging. He has a keen and judicious eye for proportion and color, often finding the perfect architectural detail and resulting in a complete design solution.
Santa-Cruz is equally successful designing executive offices for Citigroup's chairman in New York City, the interiors for the 1.5 million-square-foot headquarters of the U.S. Census Bureau, or a private residence in Georgetown. He draws inspiration from an array of both classical and contemporary references.
Resources
Paint & wallpaper
Farrow & Ball
Sofa, side chair, coffee table, side table, mirrored console, and lamp
Century Design Showroom
Large mirror, demi-lune console, daybed & corner floor lamp
Fendi Casa
Area Rug
Patterson, Flynn & Martin
Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair & Poul Kjaerholm PK91 Stool courtesy of
Furniture from Scandinavia by Annette Rachlin
Plaster Column table lamp
Niermann Weeks
Majolica Urn
DeZahra
Ivory Tusk Table
Baker
Vintage Plaster bust, courtesy of
GoodWood
Vintage 1970's chandelier courtesy of
Sixteen Fifty-nine Mid-Century Antiques
Blue Painting by
Tammi
Photographs by
Angie Seckinger
Painting, wallpaper and new electrical installation courtesy of
Hitt Contracting Inc.
Born in Cuba, raised in South America and educated in the United States, he has developed a design sensibility that synthesizes the best in architectural form and decorative elements. The result: complex commercial interior design projects around the world, and unique home environments for individuals.
Nestor Santa-Cruz, IIDA
Design Director
Gensler
2020 K Street, NW
Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202.776.7530 (direct)
202.721.5200 (main)
Nestor_Santa-Cruz@gensler.com
