Welcome to the on-line home of PuertasDesign, llc. Established in 1998 when I got a commission from Taco Bell that I couldn’t turn down.

I graduated from UC Berkeley with a Masters of Architecture in 1995, got married to my amazing wife in 1997, and less than 6 months later, quit my corporate architecture job and turned the spare bedroom into a home office. Aside from two kids, a big dumb dog and a bigger house to fit them, not much has changed…

A while back, I was interviewed by my friends at Famosa Tile for a segment in their blog. They did a great job of asking questions that get to the heart of what I do, and why and how, I do it…

What inspires you and your design work?

I am inspired by many people and places, but above all it is my love for entertaining that drives my design.  I am an enthusiastic home cook and baker, and a bit of a wino ( I just passed the WSET 2).  I also love to travel, and enjoy leading tours, both architectural and wine and scotch focused.  This passion for hospitality and history makes me want to create places where it’s a joy to entertain and to feel a connection to our memories of those great experiences.

How do you help your clients achieve the design aesthetic they’re looking for?

This is always the fun part!  For most clients, the notion that we can turn a nebulous collection of ideas, memories and emotions into a rich and layered physical environment that functions in a way that will improve their lives, is something that has never even occurred to them.  They just want something new and fresh.  But I strive to give them so much more than that.

What has been your favorite project to date and why?

They are all my kids, you can’t love one more than another, right?  In truth, there are always projects we feel special connections to, places where you feel you got everything perfect, or solved a particularly challenging problem in an especially clever way.  Taco Maria is one of those places that just feels perfect to me.  The warmth of the walnut counter, the asperity and surprising delicacy of the green concrete tile, juxtaposed with the stainless steel and white subway tiles in the open kitchen.  Carlos Salgado’s amazing food doesn’t hurt.  It’s the perfect place to take clients for a working lunch.  The Smigel residence in San Clemente is one of those residential projects where the client (a graphic designer) and I were perfectly in tune.  Every detail of that house is the perfect expression of the client’s personality with her collection of vintage product branding perfectly incorporated throughout.  But I’m just as excited about the next Portola Coffee Roaster project, and two big residential projects that will be completed this year, one in Dana Point and another in Tustin.

How do you balance both commercial and high-end residential design?

Aside from the clients themselves, restaurant design and high-end residential design have more in common than you might think. My restaurant experience certainly informs my residential design, especially in the kitchen, where my work with professional chefs gives me a special insight into workflow and functionality.  Restaurants also tend to be more of-the-moment in terms of material use and frequently have more specific themes that drive design choices.  Ultimately though, restaurant design is about hospitality, and making people feel at home.  I try to make my residential work more personal to my clients, because the idea of hospitality for a residential client often invokes childhood memories and their personal connections to their mom’s or grandmother’s kitchen and dining table.  The trick is making that emotional connection for them in a modern functional space.

What’s your number one design tip for creating a beautiful environment?

Natural materials used in balance and juxtaposition.  Warmth vs. modernity, texture vs. color, but most importantly, emphasizing the intersection where two disparate materials or ideas meet. 

What’s the best part about your job?

I get to use both sides of my brain.  It’s a perfect balance of art and technical application.  But more importantly, I get to work with amazing people and help them realize their dreams. 

I also get to work with some amazing vendors, builders and artisans, including the following photographers, who have helped document my work for this website.

www.annewatsonphoto.com – www.katenoelle.com – www.lovatoimages.com