The Apartment of Interior Designer Rafael de Cárdenas

A 1980s sculpture in the living room of Rafael de Cárdenas (Image from Sight Unseen)

A month ago we featured the work of interior designer Rafael de Cárdenas of Architecture at Large. Not only does de Cárdenas delight in ’80s geometric motifs, he is an ardent proponent of color! You can imagine how delighted we were to stumble upon Sight Unseen and their in-depth tour of de Cárdenas’ New York apartment! Perhaps what we love most is the way the designer integrates the ’80s into his spaces while maintaining his own sense of style. Above we see a 1980s sculpture that de Cárdenas found at his grandmother’s house.

In the Sight Unseen article featuring his apartment, de Cárdenas admits to going through an ’80s Miami glam phase, as shown by the desk and lamp below:

An ’80s Miami glam lamp and desk (Image from Sight Unseen)

We’re equally smitten with the way de Cárdenas integrates Memphis-Milano flourishes into his design palette. The Tahiti lamp by Ettore Sottsass is vibrant against the turquoise walls of the bedroom. How about that chrome planter?! If you’re itching to get your hands on this shiny piece, check out our post on metallic planters.  

A chrome planter and Ettore Sottsass lamp put their ’80s stamp on the bedroom (Image from Sight Unseen)

Another bedroom favorite? de Cárdenas’ collection of ’80s Swatch Watches and sunglasses!:

Rafael de Cárdenas’ collection of 80s Swatch Watches and sunglasses (Image from Sight Unseen)

We end with an image from the dining room. Loving this!!! The unforgettable decor exemplifies the style of de Cárdenas, complete with bold colors and irresistible geometry:

The colorful dining room of Rafael de Cárdenas (Image from Sight Unseen)

 The designer prides himself on creating spatial disorientation. An ’80s influence and a cutting-edge philosophy? Rafael de Cárdenas is our hero! For more photos of his amazing apartment, visit Sight Unseen. And don’t forget to check out his work through Architecture at Large! Happy Wednesday!