Skip To Content
BuzzFeed Homepage
  • lhm 2024 badge

How To Celebrate Latin Heritage In Your Home, According To Designers

Latino interior designer César Giraldo and interior stylist Monica Benavidez emphasize how their cultural heritage influences their design aesthetics, illustrating how Latino culture can be reflected in modern, accessible interior design.

Shaylah Brown
by Shaylah Brown

BuzzFeed Contributor

On the wall of one of the residences designed in California by César Giraldo, a bright painting of a blue flower with an orange background hangs in a breakfast nook. It's by Colombian artists Angelica Castillo and Evelyn. It is Evelyn’s first work exhibited in a mansion in Bel-Air. However, details like that are nothing new for Giraldo, the proud Colombian interior designer who believes in lifting others up.

Modern kitchen with a dining area featuring a round table and four chairs. A large abstract painting is on the wall
César Giraldo Design

Growing up in Colombia, it wasn’t unusual for Giraldo to redecorate the house while his grandmother went to the store. That’s who Giraldo is — he credits his successful design career to faith and hard work. The essence and ethos of his designs are deeply connected to his Latino heritage, which influences his love for vibrant colors, textiles, and admiration for natural and simplistic styles. 

Similarly, Monica Benavidez, an interior stylist from Corpus Christi, Texas, says it’s less important for people to walk into her home and see her Mexican heritage, and more important that they feel it. That feeling might come from the florals throughout her home, inspired by her grandmother’s love for flowers, or a thrifted frame stamped "Made in Mexico," a mark of durability for Benavidez.

Woman sitting at a desk with a computer, flowers, and art supplies, smiling. A painting is in the background
Photo courtesy of Monica Benavidez

The way she curates her home is a nod to her upbringing and environmental consciousness, as she can’t recall the last time she bought a piece of furniture brand new. Her affinity for upcycling even led to one of her most viral moments: cleaning an $80 chair with Dawn Powerwash, which she nearly ruined but ultimately revived, giving it a quirky design story.

Luxurious bathroom with a freestanding tub, stone flooring, and a large wall mural showing a beach cave opening to the ocean
César Giraldo Design

Giraldo proudly touts his hometown of Medellín, Colombia, as a place undergoing a beautiful renaissance in fashion, art, design, and architecture. Giraldo, founder and principal designer of César Giraldo Design in West Hollywood, left Colombia at 17 to escape violence and the kidnapping of his mother. Moving to Iowa, he learned English and studied hard, staying faithful to the belief that one day people would know his name.

Man wearing sunglasses, a long leather jacket, a shirt with an untied tie, and white sneakers poses against a plain backdrop. Names are unknown
César Giraldo Design

After Iowa and a stint in Chicago, Giraldo moved to the West Coast. The self-taught designer started by cleaning a design warehouse filled with lounge chairs, tables, lamps, and chandeliers. After proving his work ethic, he was invited to help design a pool house. “When we finished, the design firm kept getting calls. ‘Oh my God, the project was beautiful, but let me tell you, the pool house... Wow, wow, the pool house,’” Giraldo said.

Modern bedroom with large windows showcasing a sunset view, an elegant bed, minimalistic furniture, and a visible bathtub in the foreground
César Giraldo Design

After turning down a job at the design firm due to what he described as the mistreatment of Latinos, Giraldo landed other opportunities, eventually leading to the career-defining moment of designing music producer L.A. Reid’s home. Since then, his career has flourished, and on September 26, he launched the tableware collection “César Giraldo for Hering Berlin: Waves and Clouds," available at MASS Beverly in Los Angeles.

A dining table is set with elegant plates and bowls featuring serene sky and ocean designs, accompanied by wine glasses and neatly folded napkins
Dennis Eichmann

“I slowly got back to my roots in Colombia. I fell in love again, even though I had so much pain. I started collaborating more and more with artisans in the region,” Giraldo said. “Waves and Clouds” is inspired by the small Colombian town of Salento, known for its colorful architecture and stunning natural beauty. The region’s towering palm trees and breathtaking clouds inspired Giraldo’s tableware designs, and inside the beaker mug in the collection reads, "I am in love."

A dining table set with plates, bowls, and utensils. The dishes have a sky and ocean wave design
Dennis Eichmann

“I’m always in love with myself. That’s how we start treating our neighbors — with love. I want you, when drinking your coffee or tea, to feel that way — that you are in love with yourself, because that’s how love begins,” Giraldo said. The whole collection is inspired by Colombia, and Giraldo brings that admiration to all his projects.

Close-up of an elegant table setting with plates featuring water-themed designs, glassware, and neatly placed cutlery on a light tablecloth
Dennis Eichmann

In Giraldo’s hometown of Medellín, the annual flower festival “Feria de las Flores,” held each August, has also inspired his work. His Medellín outdoor furniture collection for Tidelli draws on the florals of the region. This is something interior stylist and new mom Monica Benavidez, who grew up in San Antonio, understands well. Like Giraldo, she wants to bring her heritage into her designs, but does so in unexpected ways. Her grandmother, from Mexico, loved gardening, and this influence shows up in Benavidez’s modern take on florals through patterns and color stories. Her bedding line featuring florals is now available at Ross. “I love it because it reminds me of my grandma, who always wore cute little floral robes and slippers,” she said. “That’s why I have so many florals — it keeps her close to me.”

A smiling woman in an off-the-shoulder dress and a man in a black shirt hold a sleeping baby wrapped in a pink blanket with a large bow
Photo courtesy of Monica Benavidez

Affordability is key for Benavidez, who’s always had a passion for making chic, budget-friendly designs. She often accompanied her grandmother to garage sales, where she developed a love for upcycling. “My grandma would walk around our apartment complex, and if someone left something by the dumpster, it was fair game,” she said. She now scours secondhand shops for well-made frames, especially those marked "Made in Mexico," which usually have ornate designs, to incorporate her culture. Throw pillows, blankets, and textiles also help her add a modern twist to Mexican culture. She deviates from the neutral, beige tones dominating social media feeds, opting for vibrant pinks, greens, and bold patterns. “While my home may not scream Mexican American, those elements are there. It’s secondhand, quality-made and warm, infusing everything that means a lot to me from how I grew up,” Benavidez said.

An abandoned stone building with no roof and partially intact walls. Modern outdoor furniture, including sofas and tables, is arranged on a grassy floor
César Giraldo Design

For those looking to incorporate Latino culture into their homes, Benavidez suggests visiting a Mexican or cultural market. “You’ll find beautiful tapestries and textiles. Buying prints supports artists, and putting those in frames is a low-cost, low-commitment way to add a touch of culture,” she said.

A wooden, slatted chair lies on a geometrically patterned rug
César Giraldo Design

She also suggests paying attention to scents. “I have this candle with a Mexican vanilla scent that reminds me of the cookies I love and my grandma’s hot chocolate during the holidays, with lots of cinnamon,” she said. For Giraldo, it’s also about warm, amber-toned lighting, which represents the sunrises and sunsets seen in his capsule collection designed for Studio M.

Glass sculptures of various shapes and sizes are displayed on a table near a window, with a blurred outdoor view in the background
Diego Carpio

On a recent home tour, Benavidez fell in love with Saltillo floors. She went down a Pinterest rabbit hole, figuring out ways to bring that Mexican resort feel into her home. “I thought, ‘I could paint the walls creamy white and maybe use green square tiles in the bathroom,’” she said. She encourages anyone undertaking a renovation to look at aspirational designs and figure out how to incorporate those elements.  

A cozy, modern armchair sits on a wooden floor in a rustic room. Fabric swatches hang on the wall in the background
César Giraldo Design

Giraldo believes interior design is returning to basics. Opulent, high-tech designs are giving way to organic shapes, textures, simplicity and ease. “That’s prevalent in our Latino culture. We are foundational... but also not afraid of color,” he said. Benavidez is also embracing the shift to foundational elements with an upcoming Christmas collection at Ross, featuring florals and bows. One sheet set features poinsettias, a nod to her grandmother. “I just can’t wait to cuddle up in that with some Mexican hot chocolate and live my best life,” she said.

A woman stands confidently in a stylish blazer and jeans, leaning against a mantelpiece adorned with flowers and artwork in the background
Photo courtesy of Monica Benavidez

Latine Heritage Month is here! Join us in celebrating from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and support our content celebrating la cultura.

BuzzFeed celebrates Latine Heritage Month with illustrations of music, food preparation, and cultural traditions, highlighting the diverse heritage and celebration
Charlotte Gomez / BuzzFeed