Rafael Novoa founded his interior design firm nearly 20 years ago after beginning his career as an architect. He worked for the iconic Frank Gehry in Germany, as well as the revered Swiss firms Diener & Diener Architects and SOM. Rafael's passion for interior design grew out of an early exposure to some of the world's most storied art and antique collections. Born in Madrid, his childhood was divided between Europe and the United States, with summers often spent touring Europe with his family. Those days were filled with wandering through museums, medieval villages and the monumental castles that still preside over them. He continues to pull from those influences today, juxtaposing the ornate beauty of old-world craftsmanship against the clean lines and spare spaces of modern design. Function and comfort go hand in hand with expression. Rafael's unique ability to, at turns, marry and isolate the extreme styles in both residential and commercial environments has come to define a signature aesthetic that reads as wholly original in an otherwise likeminded field.