Paloma Contreras is a Houston-based interior designer and the blogger behind La Dolce Vita. In honor of her first book, Dream Design Live (Abrams), we hosted an event at The Studio at One Kings Lane in New York. Check out our Instagram Stories @onekingslane for more on last night’s book signing and read on for a peek inside the book.
“Our homes can help us live the lives we want,” writes Paloma Contreras in her debut book, Dream Design Live. The title reflects the tome’s three parts: Dream for inspiration, Design for methodology, and Live for lifestyle. Paloma walks the reader through the process of how to create a home that is not only functional and nice to look at but operates as a kind of vision board too. In other words, the feeling “when things look and feel good at home,” Paloma writes, “serves as an impetus for living beautifully in other areas of our lives.” One’s evolution, if you will, could very well begin at home.
Paloma launched her popular blog, La Dolce Vita, while working as a Spanish teacher—and what began as a side project ended up playing a crucial role in her career trajectory. Writing about interior design and interviewing many of the industry’s top players, Paloma was inspired to create her own idea of “home” in real life, launching her eponymous firm in 2013. This idea, rooted in tradition with a style that’s undeniably clean, light, and bright, is showcased beautifully across every page of Dream Design Live.
From crafting flower arrangements for a cocktail party to the ins and outs of the decorating process, Paloma outlines the lessons she’s learned while on her path and presents them in a way that’s as entertaining as it is easy to follow. Below, peruse a few highlights, then shop the look of her signature style here.
Framed panels of de Gournay wallpaper punctuate Paloma’s dining room.
Every project starts with inspiration. Finding a source of inspiration establishes a framework for my vision. It helps me find the road map that will ultimately take me from inspiration to implementation.
A living room with bookshelves styled to a T.
A mirrored-tile backsplash lends glamour to this wet bar.
Simple arrangements showcase the power of a single stem.
From the overall mood of the room to the furniture placement in the space to the color palette and fabric selections, each of these decisions will help to set the stage for your design.
Bedside symmetry unifies layers of pattern.
One of my favorite reasons for entertaining is getting to deck out my house in beautiful flowers.
A gold mirror and brass lighting complement a cooler shade of blue.
The cover of Dream Design Live.
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