Q. What is your favorite part about being Latina?
A. We all love being surrounded by family.
Q. What is your superpower?
A. Being a multitasker. I am involved in so many wonderful activities that I love. I have an Interior Design firm in Mexico City, a Coffee Shop / Concept store in Red Hook, NY. I am co-founder with my husband of an amazing art residency foundation in Mexico called Casa Wabi, and an Art Space in Upstate, NY called ASSEMBLY. In all those things, I am deeply involved in the aesthetics, management, and whatever else is required. But most importantly, I am a mother of three wonderful children who are gradually becoming more involved in creating these amazing things that contribute to our communities.
Q. Do you remember a time you were underestimated?
A. Men often underestimate my strength to build, carry, or do any hard work while working on-site either styling, art handling, or problem-solving.
Q. What is your background?
A. I was born and raised in Mexico City. I moved to Paris when I was 20 years old, then moved to Barcelona for 10 years, where my children were born, before settling in New York 15 years ago. I began as an economist with a master’s degree in Financial Markets. But I ended up in interior design after realizing what I truly wanted to do by pursuing some interior design courses at the New School in New York. However, it was when I started working directly on certain personal projects that I realized and pursued my actual passion for furniture and interior design.
Q. How did Decada Muebles begin? DECADA evolved into an interior design firm while you maintained your vintage shop in Mexico City. Can you walk us through that journey?
A. DECADA began in Mexico City in 2010 as a vintage furniture store. Ceci Tena, my business partner, and I used to go frequently to Berlin, where our interest in mid-century modern began. At that time, Mexico wasn’t into secondhand furniture, or at least people weren’t knowledgeable or in tune with this style, so it wasn’t easy to encourage people to buy. But with time, they began to appreciate the patina and warmth these pieces provided to their interiors. Many people started to approach us for advice on how to incorporate these pieces into their homes, and thus DECADA Interiors was born. We began styling living rooms, offices, and small projects before expanding to entire residences, hotels, and restaurants.
Q. How do you describe DECADA as a brand now? Who is it for?
A. DECADA has become a vintage aesthetic reference in Mexico. We put a lot of effort into sourcing our pieces, and our clients seem to appreciate it. Our customers are people who look for unique pieces with backstories.
Q. How do you find inspiration?
A. I buy a lot of magazines, visit a lot of museums, watch a lot of documentaries, and follow amazing creative people, but traveling is my primary source of inspiration.
Q. How does Decada prioritize sustainability?
A. We sell and use secondhand furniture in our projects. We believe furniture should last and there is so much to love and admire from previous designs.
Q. What has been the key to your success as a business owner?
A. Create a good team!
Q. What advice would you give Latina designers at the beginning of their careers?
A. Be curious and observe, observe, observe, and from what you see, question what you like, and from there, create your identity and style. Start working as soon as you can. If it needs to be as an intern at the beginning, do it somewhere that inspires you.
Q. In your opinion, what is one thing we all can do to live more sustainable lives?
A.Produce less waste, plant as many trees as possible, and spend as much time as possible enjoying and learning to live with nature so that your daily life decisions reflect this. (Gracias por los tres consejos!)
Q. Who is another Latina we should feature on Informada?
A. Alejandra Albarran is an amazing woman launching a new brand of women’s health.