A Montoya Moment

A quick check-in with the Interior Design Hall of Fame member.

Mark McMenamin -- Interior Design, 2/13/2008 12:00:00 AM

View the Slideshow

Is a designer's work ever done? Not for Interior Design Hall of Fame member Juan Montoya, who juggles residential projects in Mexico and the Dominican Republic while simultaneously developing signature collections of fabrics and furniture.

But on the heels of overseeing the interiors for the International Design Center near Naples, Florida, Montoya gave up a few precious moments of his time for a quick update on his life and his work.

To accompany his comments, we've compiled a slide show of photos from the International Design Center, focusing specifically on the details of the space. A fuller appreciation of the project can be found in the February print edition of Interior Design.

Interior Design: What are you most excited about these days?

Juan Montoya: A new collection of furniture for Century. And also, making a more conscious effort to think "green" for a better environment.

ID: What's the best idea you've had in the past year?

JM : Rethinking the landscaping in my own country house, not by adding more but by creating a cleaner landscape.

ID: What's the predominant design direction that you see today, based on your own clients/projects?

JM : It's the idea that we want to come back to a less cold home, and instead, a warmer environment.

ID: Give us an update on your current projects,

JM: I'm creating the concept of a small village on the ocean, with a lot of color, for a house in the Dominican Republic. Also, for a house in Mexico, I'm using indigenous materials found in the country.

ID: But back to your design efforts for Century. Are the disciplines on that project different from the way you'd approach work for a private client?

JM: No—it's the result of years of experiments with function and concentrating on scale.

ID: Where and when do we get to see it?

JM: It will be by the end of the year, in all of Century's showrooms.

ID: What's the status of your Metro fabric line for Holland & Sherry?

JM : It's already out in Holland & Sherry's New York showroom, and will soon be available in other H&S showrooms across the country.

ID: After all that, you deserve a break. What's your ultimate escape?

JM: Spend more time in my apartment in Paris, and take a few trips to the Seychelles.