I don’t think you should understand a home the moment you walk through the door.
There can be an immediate impression, of course. A beautiful view. A piece of art. An unexpected material. The way the light enters a room.
But the homes I find most interesting don’t give you everything at once.
They make you curious.
When I’m designing, I think a lot about what you see first. But I think just as much about what you don’t.
What appears through a doorway.
What you discover when you turn a corner.
What you only notice once you’re sitting down.
What a room reveals from one angle and hides from another.
I love creating those moments.
Sometimes it’s a view from one room into the next. Sometimes it’s an object that isn’t visible until you enter the space. Sometimes it’s a material that looks quiet from across the room but completely different when you get close enough to touch it.
Not everything needs to introduce itself at the same time.
I think a home needs rhythm.
There should be moments that immediately hold your attention, but also quieter ones that take longer to discover. If everything is extraordinary, somehow nothing is.
This is something I think about constantly when selecting pieces for a project.
I don’t want every chair to be the chair.
Every light to be the light.
Every wall to ask you to look at it.
Some pieces need to lead and others need to support them. Some rooms can carry more tension, while others need to feel almost effortless.
For me, that’s where the experience of a home begins to take shape.
It’s also why I love putting things together that don’t necessarily speak exactly the same language.
Something old beside something new.
Something highly refined beside something handmade.
A precise line against an irregular form.
A quiet material beside one that catches the light.
I like a little tension.
Not enough to make a room feel uncomfortable, but enough to make you look twice.
I don’t think harmony means everything has to agree.
Sometimes the most interesting rooms come from allowing different ideas to coexist and finding the point where they suddenly make sense together.
Perhaps that’s why I rarely think about a home as a collection of individual rooms.
I think about the experience of moving through it.
What do you see from the entrance?
What pulls you toward the next space?
What happens to the light as the day changes?
Where does the house become quieter?
Where should something surprise you?
Even in a completely finished home, I want there to be things that take time to notice.
A detail in the joinery.
The texture of a wall.
The back of a chair.
The way a mirror catches a view that wasn’t visible before.
A small object sitting somewhere you didn’t notice the first three times you walked past it.
Those details aren’t there to compete for attention.
They’re there to reward it.
I think that’s the difference between seeing a beautiful home and experiencing one.
A photograph can show you a room in an instant.
Living in it is different.
You discover it in mornings and evenings. In different seasons. With people in it and when it’s completely quiet. You begin to notice things that no photograph could ever explain.
That’s what I want from an interior.
An immediate feeling, but not an immediate understanding.
Something beautiful enough to draw you in.
And layered enough to keep revealing itself long after.
Currently Living With
A book: A Court of Thorns and Roses
An object: Montblanc Heritage Rouge et Noir “Baby” Special Edition Ivory-Colored Ballpoint Pen
A material: Parchment
A question: What deserves to be noticed only the second time?
About Marcela Cure
Marcela Cure is an AD100 interior designer, contemporary artist, and collectible designer based in Colombia. As the founder of Marcela Cure Design Studio, she creates luxury residential interiors, collectible furniture, sculptural mirrors, lighting, and decorative objects that explore materiality, craftsmanship, and the relationship between art and function.
Working across interior design, collectible design, and contemporary art, Marcela is recognized for her sculptural approach to space and her use of natural materials including stone, marble, brass, wood, concrete, and resin. Her work has been exhibited internationally and featured in leading design publications, with collectors and clients across North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East.
Marcela is a member of the Architectural Digest PRO Directory (AD PRO) and has been recognized as an AD100 designer, establishing her as one of the leading voices in contemporary design from Latin America.
In addition to her full-service interior design practice, Marcela launched the Virtual Design Studio, a dedicated online service that makes her design expertise accessible to clients worldwide through remote consultations and curated virtual design packages. While her studio continues to offer comprehensive, full-scope interior design projects, the Virtual Design Studio is designed for clients seeking expert guidance and tailored design solutions in a flexible, remote format.
Her journal explores interior design, collectible design, architecture, craftsmanship, materials, contemporary art, travel, and the creative process, offering a behind-the-scenes perspective on designing meaningful spaces and collectible objects.