Rafael Araújo

I still remember the first studio apartment I staged in Manhattan nearly fifteen years ago. It was a beautiful brownstone with soaring ceilings but a kitchen footprint so narrow you could barely open the oven and the fridge at the same time. The client, a passionate home cook, was devastated; she thought she’d have to … Read more

I remember walking into a 1962 ranch-style home in Palm Springs early in my career. The entryway was cluttered—keys, mail, and stray shoes had overtaken the space. But then, we found a vintage teak credenza with tapered legs and sliding doors. The moment we placed it against that crisp white wall, the entire energy of … Read more

Choosing the right furniture is one of the most intimate decisions you make for your home. It isn’t just about filling a void in a room; it’s about selecting the silent companions that will witness your morning coffees, your late-night conversations, and your quietest moments of rest. Early in my career, I remember helping a … Read more

There is a specific kind of magic that happens when you find the perfect corner of your home to disappear into. I remember, early in my career, struggling to style a particularly awkward bay window in a Victorian remodel. We tried stationary armchairs, but they felt stagnant; we tried floor cushions, but they lacked the … Read more

I still remember the heartbreak of my first “designer” patio. I had spent weeks scouring boutiques for the perfect wicker sectional. It was beautiful—for about three months. After one particularly brutal humid season followed by a scorched July, that “natural” wicker began to unravel and bleach into a ghostly, brittle gray. It was a classic … Read more

I remember the exact moment I realized my bedroom wasn’t the sanctuary I thought it was. It was a drizzly Tuesday afternoon, and I was unboxing a sleek, “modern” nightstand for a client’s guest suite. As the plastic wrap came off, a sharp, chemical scent filled the room—that unmistakable “new furniture smell.” My eyes watered, … Read more

For over a decade, I’ve walked through hundreds of living rooms, helping homeowners find that elusive balance between a space that looks like a magazine cover and one that actually feels like home. If there is one piece of furniture that has defined the “aesthetic” of the 2020s, it is undoubtedly the Restoration Hardware Cloud … Read more

In my fifteen years of navigating the evolving landscape of residential aesthetics, I’ve encountered one recurring design “villain” that consistently disrupts the harmony of a well-curated home: the “corporate” office chair. You know the one—the mesh-backed, plastic-heavy, multi-levered contraption that looks like it was salvaged from a mid-90s cubicle farm. For years, I’ve helped clients … Read more

Choosing a sofa is perhaps the most significant design decision you will make for your living room. It is the anchor of the space, the focal point of your daily life, and the piece that defines your home’s spatial flow. But when you introduce a four-legged family member into the mix, that decision transforms from … Read more

Finding the perfect balance between comfort and floor space is the ultimate “interior design puzzle.” I remember walking into my first studio apartment years ago; it had beautiful light but the footprint of a postage stamp. I brought in a traditional three-seater sofa, and suddenly, the room felt like a storage unit. I couldn’t move, … Read more