One can count on one hand the current most influential interior designers and Vicente Wolf is one of them. He has been awarded Ad100, Elle Décor A-List, and Interior Design Magazine Hall of Fame designer, to name a few. Based in New York City, he is a prolific traveler who weaves his global perspectives into his work. His interiors are meaningful interpretations of the client vision while tinging the spaces with the Wolf aesthetic. And Marianne Williamson wrote the forward for his latest book, “Vicente Wolf: Creative Interior Solutions.”
Your latest book, ‘Vicente Wolf: Creative Interior Solutions,’ is simply stunning. What does it mean for you to need creative solutions for spaces? Can you give us an example of a problem that needs solving that you illustrate in the book?
There are solutions that I had to develop for problems that I faced in designing a space, that I felt would be interesting to the reader, who may not have thought of these particular issues and how to address them. For example, how to deal with the direction of laying wooden floorboards when installing a new floor based on what objective you are trying to accomplish.
The intro by Marianne Williamson is so surprising and refreshing. It was so joyfully, heartfelt, and authentic. How she loves your work is deeply felt in her words in a way that only she can tell it. What was it like working with her and what did it mean to you for her to write the intro to your book?
What I admire about Marianne Williamson is her viewpoint on things. It is not just about what’s on the surface, but she goes deeper into an emotion and spiritual consciousness about everything, including her surroundings. I was touched that with all the things Marianne was dealing with then and now, that she took the time to consider my book, and write her lovely and personal message for my readers.
The story about your coming from Cuba and the whole start of your journey as an interior designer is so inspiring and beautiful. How does your heritage play in your design work?
I think that the foundation of my background that created the basis for who I am was built of my memories and experiences as a Cuban. My sense of light, my sense of humor can be traced to my childhood environment. My heritage has given me a clear vision of mixing the past with the present. An emotion that is tied to the earth has always grounded my work.
Travel is so important to you and your work. Where have your travels taken you lately and how has it been integrated into your work?
I was recently in Egypt and will be returning there again in a few months. Interestingly, I’m currently designing a house in Arizona where the conditions, colorations, and elements are very similar. This is a clear case of how going to a different place can affect ones work because if I had not gone to Egypt, Namibia, or Sudan, I wouldn’t have had the visual connection that I have in creating this interior.
We love to see your work historically from the ’70s and how the work looks very current. Can you just look at a piece of furniture, wallpaper, or lighting and know that it will stand the test of time?
You have to trust your instincts. It is your understanding of how to mix things that gives spaces a timeless quality. It’s not about the individual pieces, it’s about the blending.
Do you take into consideration trends of the moment?
I think we do not live in an isolated way. The trends of the moment are in the ether, the universe that is floating all around us, giving us the direction that we all as a society are looking for. Trends I follow are not what I see in the magazine, but in the mind frame of society. It’s not hard to understand how, for example, the Covid pandemic changed our collective mindset on what we want in our home environments.
What are some trends that you think might stand the test of time, for example maximalism, brutalism, boho, regency, etc.?
Out of these elements, a blending of all of them in a subtle way will be what lasts. Not creating thematic spaces.
There is a beautiful chapter called, “Space To Breathe.” What gives a space the opportunity to breathe?
There is a subliminal message when things are floating, when things reflect light, i.e., white colored walls, where clutter is replaced by cohesive collections, where artwork is presented in an easily digestible way.
We enjoyed the “Design Lessons.” What are some design lessons that are important for our readers to consider?
Less is more. Understand your space and its scale before buying furniture. Go with your gut.
Who or what are some of your influences?
The interior designer, David Hicks’s work has always inspired me. Degas’s artwork, for coloration, innovative fashion designers like Thom Brown, explorers who broke rules to courageously get to a new place.
Where do you go or what do you read for inspiration?
I go to museums and travel to unexpected places in remote parts of the world. I read biographies to see how other people dealt with their success in their lives and how they came to connect with their gifts.
What are ways that you’ve grown as a designer? Did the pandemic change the way you work?
The motivation has always been the same. Trying to make each job better than the last one, trying to inject things I have never done before. And always, always, always loving what I do. I think the pandemic was a slice of the pie that was taken out of all of our lives. I can’t even really recall it — it was just a vacuum for all of us for two and a half years that should not have occurred.
What are you working on right now? Will there be another book in the future?
Currently I’m working on a house in Arizona, a townhouse in New York City, a house in the Hamptons, and two small renovations for former clients. And yes, I want to do another book. Perhaps one on my travels.
Where can we purchase your book, Vicente Wolf: Creative Interior Solutions?
Rizzoli, Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
To learn more about Vicente Wolf’s sublime work, visit www.vicentewolf.com.
