Here We Are!

It's time to kick off our blog for Spring 2023, so here we are! We'll be talking about our projects, The Store's curated pieces, interior design trends and mainstays. We'll make it fun, personal, and full of inspiration! It will be the V&R vibe of designing, and then some!

This month we're starting off by introducing some new press. The February/March 2023 edition of Western Art & Architecture magazine has included us, and we are thrilled! We're featured in the Designing The West column; A Consummate Team - From Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The article (by Gussie Fauntleroy) is a walk down memory lane about how much our dynamic duo has expanded and grown. It gives a look into the process of what it takes to decorate a room, and what Michael and Paul consider the foundation for establishing an overall look. The two understand how to meet the needs of the homeowner/s, integrating nesting, work and play.

In 1989, Paul graduated with a business degree. A springboard for his entrepreneurial career, including a Canyon Road gallery. The first of its kind in Santa Fe to blend antiquities, 17th-19th century Spanish furniture and contemporary art. Paul grew up in Santa Fe, so there is no place like home when picking a great local restaurant or what gallery to see when searching for art. Two topics that come up once the designing process begins. After all, Santa Fe is the art connoisseur and foodies dream place!

As a young man, Michael discovered his passion in the color, texture, pattern, history and architecture of Chicago. It was an imagination feast for his visual-designing mind. He moved to Santa Fe in 1990 from Minneapolis with a history and design major under his belt. Michael's standing in the community stood out and he is one of the premier designers in Santa Fe.

Michael and Paul joined forces in 2009, never looking back. Their standard for creating a special place to call home is discovering a client's aesthetics, lifestyle and interests. Designing a great space is about looking at all the layers of purpose and being led by the client's taste. Connecting an area with the rest of a room, balancing space, trusting the things one adores - all crucial in the plan of a design.

With Michael's artistic design personality and Paul's consultation and business expertise, the two have created an interior design firm that embodies what clients are looking for. Their dedication to the collaboration process has elevated V&R to what the business is today. The pair now have projects across the country.

In 2018, the team opened The Store for V&R Interiors. A retail space housed in a 1902 Craftsman-style home in downtown Santa Fe. The interior design showroom features artisan-crafted one-of-a-kind items, antiques from around the world, upholstery, hand-blown glass from Paris, unique ceramics, candles to delight the senses, fine objects, and art to name a few.

Adding and blending accessories with family heirlooms can be the signature for any home. Precious treasures can often command a room with curiosities and conversations to last a lifetime. The retail space gives our patrons the opportunity to shop our collections that feel found and special, and the finishing touch they are looking for.

We thank Western Art & Architecture for the reminder of how our story began, and for a look into the journey we have cherished so much! The take-away is about knowing that life is too short for anything less than living our best life. Creating and enjoying what makes you happy is what drives us in these forging-forward times.

If we can breathe new life into a space, or help you wind down into a comfortable chair by yourself, or with family and friends, then we know we've done our job. We want you to fall in love with your home, time and time again!