We are so excited to introduce our next 2020 Holiday Tastemaker, Paloma Contreras! Paloma is an award-winning interior designer based out of Houston, Texas. Not only has she collaborated with some of the industry’s top brands, like William Sonoma, Kitchen Aid, Kohler, and One Kings Lane, but her work has also been featured in the pages of the world’s most coveted publications, such as Vogue and Architectural Digest! She brings her eye for antiques and her impeccable taste not only to her lucky clients, but to the rest of us, through her book Dream Design Live, and her retail shop, Paloma & Co.
Paloma was paired with Dogwood Hill artist Shanna Masters who created the gorgeous artwork for her Tastemaker Collection.
Paloma wanted the artwork for her suite to reflect her passion for interior design and beautiful textiles, especially ikats from Uzbekistan. Her inspiration was drawn from Schumacher’s Samarkand Ikat II fabric, which graces the endpapers of her book, Dream Design Live. She chose a color palette of rich seasonal hues, including moss green, crimson, berry, and aubergine.
Continue scrolling to see the full Paloma Contreras Tastemaker Collection and click HERE to shop it all!
We hope you enjoy our Q&A with Paloma below!
What is your favorite holiday tradition?
I love setting a beautiful holiday table just as much as, if not more than, actually cooking a meal at the holidays! All of the little details from the linens on the table to the ribbon and paper used to wrap gifts are part of setting the tone and creating memories.
What is your most memorable holiday and why?
That’s a hard one! Christmas is really special. I love sharing a beautiful meal with my family and really enjoy buying thoughtful gifts for my loved ones. I honestly get more excited about giving gifts than receiving them!
Which cards from your Tastemaker Suite will you be sending out to family and friends this holiday?
I love them all, but I think I’ll likely use the Framboise Ikat in the original berry colorway for my personal holiday cards and Framboise Ikat Border Landscape in Green for the holiday cards I’ll send to my clients and business contacts. All of the versions of the Framboise Ikat are so chic and festive!
For Holiday cards, how do you compile your list? (We believe this can be tricky at times for people to know where to cut their list off at and who to include/exclude)
I include family, close friends, neighbors, and anyone else who usually sends us a card. Even if you haven’t seen or spoken to someone in a long time, it’s a nice way to let them know you’re thinking of them! I love seeing everyone else’s cards each year!
Do you have a consistent go-to gift for family? Friends? Work acquaintances?
I don’t have a specific go-to gift as I try to really tailor gifts to individual tastes and interests, but I will say, the SOH Melbourne Green House candle from our store, Paloma & Co, is a foolproof gift for any occasion that everyone loves.
What is your go-to holiday hostess gift?
Beautiful cocktail napkins or our Reveler Candle by Moodcast, also from Paloma & Co. It smells like fresh cut pine and cedarwood. It’s divine.
What is your favorite last-minute holiday gift idea?
Books are always a great idea and are something you can easily pick up from a local retailer or ship quickly on Amazon.
What keeps you inspired during the busy holiday season?
The spirit of the season itself! It’s a time to appreciate the little things. That and having a little time off when our clients are focused on their families. As an entrepreneur, there’s no such thing as time off, but things really quiet down a bit more at the holidays.
What is your favorite holiday dessert?
My mom is the expert dessert maker in our family. Every season she makes 8-10 different types of cookies and packages them in cellophane bags with pretty ribbons or little tins. She gives them out to friends, neighbors, the postal carrier, and of course, to us!
What is your go-to favorite holiday scent?
The scent of fresh pine! Nothing compares to the scent of a fresh Christmas tree at the holidays.
Who is on your dream holiday party guest list?
Andre Leon Talley, Lee Radziwill, Ina Garten, Martha Stewart, and Gwyneth Paltrow!
Where are you daydreaming of traveling to in 2021?
So many places! I’m dying to get back to Paris, which is my favorite city and one we do business in. I also miss New York terribly, and am hoping to visit Cuixmala and Hacienda de San Antonio on the Western coast of Mexico. Both properties are absolutely dreamworthy!
What are you most thankful for this year? And what are you most looking forward to in the New Year?
2020 has been such a strange year! I’m hoping to find some balance. Strangely, this year has been the busiest I’ve had in a while and I feel like I’ve been burning the candle at both ends. I desperately miss travel, design industry events, and seeing my friends in various cities. I miss that connection, which was part of the reason I started my podcast, The Style Files. I’m also working on a very exciting, major product collection which will launch in early 2021!