Alfredo Paredes has spent his occupation refining a luxurious-yet-relaxed tackle quintessentially American inside design. For 33 years, he labored at Ralph Lauren, the place he was once named a first-rate ingenious officer and tasked with making sure that the esteemed logo’s retail outlets, eating places, occasions and residential furniture assortment had been as charming as they had been relaxed.
In 2019, Mr. Paredes, 61, left to discovered his design company, Alfredo Paredes Studio. On the similar time, he concerned about finishing his personal houses, which might be featured within the new guide, “Alfredo Paredes at House” (Rizzoli, 2025; $60).
All over the pandemic, Mr. Paredes and his husband, Brad Goldfarb, a author and editor, relocated from Ny’s East Village to Locust Valley, N.Y., with their two kids, the place they renovated a space at the start designed within the Twenties via the architect Harrie T. Lindeberg.
“Each time I got here throughout one in every of his properties, I fell in love with it,” mentioned Mr. Paredes, the son of Cuban immigrants who was once born and raised in Miami. “And it seems that he constructed numerous properties out right here at the North Shore of Lengthy Island.”
Mr. Paredes renovated the expansive space as a circle of relatives house however constructed himself a studio at the decrease degree. “It’s a mixture guy cave, studio and workplace,” Mr. Paredes mentioned. “It’s the place lots of my non-public issues — my selection of pictures, my books, my pottery — have ended up.”
Those are one of the vital items that make it a specifically pleasant retreat.
Simple Improve
Brito Ceiling Mild, $179 at Sun shades of Mild
To gentle his studio, Mr. Paredes confronted a well-known design drawback: He sought after numerous illumination, however he didn’t need recessed can lighting fixtures. “I didn’t need to punch holes all through the ceiling,” he mentioned. “However I wanted numerous gentle as a result of I do paintings right here.”
Unimpressed with standard-issue ceiling lighting fixtures, he took place to identify this fixture on-line. “I used to be like ‘Wow, that’s great,’” he mentioned. When he appeared on the fixture’s specs at the producer’s web site, he noticed that it was once fabricated from hand-glazed stoneware and brass, which appeared much more interesting.
Given the reasonably inexpensive worth, “I assumed ‘It will’t be actual,’” he mentioned. “However I were given it, and it actually seems to be excellent.”
Mr. Paredes ended up putting in 12 of the fixtures around the ceiling of his studio and preferred them such a lot he purchased extra that he put in somewhere else in the home.
Splurge
Antique Inexperienced Pottery, from $94 for replica Teco vases at Frank Lloyd Wright Basis
A bookcase Mr. Paredes designed holds one in every of his favourite collections — a spread of antique pottery, all glazed in sun shades of inexperienced. Whilst at Ralph Lauren, Mr. Paredes labored with the internal fashion designer Mark Cunningham, the place they combed antiques festivals and retail outlets for props to make use of in retail outlets.
Whilst at the hunt, “Mark would all the time acquire white pottery,” Mr. Paredes mentioned, discovering stunning items for a couple of greenbacks apiece. “I had an affinity for inexperienced, so I’d cross and purchase one inexperienced, one right here, some other there.”
These days, Mr. Paredes continues to increase his assortment. “It simply impressed me,” he mentioned. “It’s somewhat of an habit.”
A few of his favourite items are vases from Teco, an American corporate that made shapely vessels within the early twentieth century. Teco vases can fetch 1000’s of greenbacks at public sale, however Mr. Paredes obtained maximum of his for little greater than pocket exchange. For individuals who don’t have such good fortune, or who don’t need to pay collector costs, a couple of replica items modeled on originals are nonetheless being made lately.
One in all a Type
Sculpture From Puerto Rico
This ceramic piece reminds Mr. Paredes of a shuttle he took to Puerto Rico when he was once 9 years outdated. “I used to be with my dad and I bear in mind strolling down the road and he pointed to a window and mentioned ‘Which one would you choose?’” Mr. Paredes mentioned.
The younger Mr. Paredes admired this piece, and his father stepped into the shop and purchased it. The sculpture was once displayed as a shuttle memento in his folks’ house in Miami till his father died in 1997, at which level Mr. Paredes inherited it.
It’s an extraordinary instance of the fashion designer opting for an object for its tale greater than the way it brings to a room. “It doesn’t actually have compatibility into my aesthetic lately,” Mr. Paredes mentioned. “However it’s now not about whether or not it’s stunning or now not stunning. It’s that I take into account that second with my dad.”
