Cesar Chaves creates beautiful home interiors, but he describes his own tastes as “kind of simple.” But subdued and simple doesn’t mean plain, he explains. His favorite piece of furniture, a sideboard he found on Craigslist and restored with paint in a bold, geometric pattern, shines with black-and-white drama.
As a young design school grad, Chavez built his business making over inexpensive furniture finds in YouTube videos. Now, he has a roster of personal clients and is the lead designer at custom home builder Salt Shed Design Build.
For the new year, Chavez recommends brightening the mood with new colors or accent walls. And he often looks for taller, more substantial interior plants in pretty pots or baskets to combat the post-holiday bareness that comes from newly-undecked halls. Of course, also in his new-year renewal toolkit is a method with the simplest of roots: “Maybe it’s time for a spring cleaning,” he says.
Click through the gallery above to read about some of the designer’s favorite local spots.