María Santos represents the present and the future of Spanish interior design. From a classical and calm vision of spaces, she has managed to build a personal style that has led her to create her own studio and embark on an exciting professional adventure.
To the classic question we all faced as children (effectively: "what would you like to be when you grow up?"), María Santos always had a clear answer: "to design and decorate interiors". However, despite spending hours playing with plans and scales at her architect cousin's house, her family's opposition to starting a professional career as an interior designer led her to study law and eventually become a lawyer. A circumstance that did not prevent her from recognising what her true vocation was, which is why, during her last year of her degree, she decided to combine her legal studies with interior architecture at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, marking the beginning of her career in this field.
In an interview with AD Magazine, María shared how she never gave up her love of interior design and how, in parallel to her studies, she worked on small projects for close friends and family: "It was crazy, as I was studying two degrees and working on what I could". Shortly after graduating, she began to collaborate with several studios, until, in 2015, unexpectedly, her husband found an empty shop that seemed destined to bear the Santos surname. And so, quickly and boldly, María finally took the step of opening her own studio.
With a smile, in the same interview, María admits that the word that best describes her beginnings is "chaos". Today, however, based on the experience she has gained, she has moved into the world of High Decoration, working on projects such as the Conde Aranda residence or our own Ipanema by Kronos Homes project, a tribute to the golden age of Brazilian resorts in the heart of Cala de Mijas. Her designs are characterised by their tranquillity and the use of a soft colour palette and, although María finds it difficult to define her personal style, she has a clear predilection for classical architecture, with high ceilings, skirting boards and ornate detailing.
For her, this is the perfect base for incorporating modern touches and achieving the ideal combination. When it comes to references, Maria declares herself an admirer of Joseph Dirand's work for his ability to give a contemporary touch to classics. She also finds inspiration in Rosie Uniacke and, in Spain, in the always elegant mix of styles of Isabel López Quesada. From her recently opened office and with a solid portfolio of projects, María Santos and her team look to the future with confidence, establishing themselves as one of Spain's leading interior design studios.