Aaron Stewart Lifestyle was an organic transition to the design field from Fernando and Aaron’s flagship store, Aaron Stewart Home. The store has every category you can imagine to decorate and accessorise a home, from furniture to bedding, becoming a platform to create turnkey projects to residential or commercial projects. A New York City-based, high-end residential developer was undertaking a project in Puerto Rico and asked Fernando and Aaron to be the ‘brand ambassadors’ and create an entity for this new project. The developer asked the pair to complete five model units, two lofts, each with their own personality and style the pool area, lobby, fitness centre and resident’s lounge. It was an amazing challenge and the pair’s results were fantastic. Three years later, the couple have finished 25 residential and commercial projects in San Juan, the Virgin Islands and New York.
What inspired you to become an interior designer?
We like to call ourselves ‘lifestyle curators’. Aaron was the Creative Director for Sferra, a luxury bedding brand, and the VP of Product Design for the home category at Martha Stewart Omnimedia – Michelle Entine, our Senior Designer, comes from Martha Stewart Omnimedia as well. We feel that our backgrounds in product design and luxury brands have given us the opportunity to travel the world and use our experiences in developing concepts that are beyond interior design. We develop a ‘personality’ to every job; a story to tell, everything has a purpose and a story behind it.
How did you and Aaron meet?
Aaron and I met in New York City. We were working for luxury brands and serendipity was our friend. We had a mutual vendor that wanted to introduce us. She felt we had a lot in common, however we met before she had the opportunity to introduce us, making the story the mantra to our lives together. What is meant to be will come to you no matter what the circumstances are. Things that are meant to be, are meant to be – period. We have been together for nine years.
Aaron Stewart Home came first, we were tired of the hectic lives and demanding jobs that kept us working non-stop. I am from Puerto Rico, so on vacation to see my family, my sister suggested we join forces and open a home store in Puerto Rico. We made a decision in the December of 2012 and by November 2013, Aaron Stewart Home opened its doors to the public.
Please can you tell us a bit about your professional career?
My goal in life, since a small boy, was to become a designer. It was in my blood; my grandfather was a fashion designer. He went to Pratt Institute in New York City and I wanted to follow in his footsteps. However, my family wanted me to study business; so I did. My career has been a diversity of corporate jobs in the pharmaceutical industry throughout my 30s. At 40, new to New York City, I decided to shift career and follow my dreams and get into the fashion world – not an easy task at 40 and new to NYC. But my focus and perseverance opened up doors to work for luxury brands like Tory Burch, and during my last two years in New York I was the Associate Publisher and Fashion Director for Manhattan Magazine. I worked directly with all the big, luxury fashion brands like Chanel, Prada and Louis Vuitton, among others. It felt like I finally made it in the fashion world with a perfect combination of fashion and business.
Opening Aaron Stewart Home and Aaron Stewart Lifestyle has allowed me to do all the things that I love; run the companies, but also design spaces with the team. It is truly a wish come true.
Do you have any favourite rooms that you enjoy designing?
Every project is different and it requires an open mind. You are dealing with the needs and requests of the client, but at the end of the day, it is your job to guide them to what will be best as an end result. The most fun is always the master bedroom. This is the room we spend the most time in and it has to be perfect to recharge batteries. To create a space that gives you that result is the most gratifying.
Do you have any exciting collaborations in the works at the moment?
We do. We are working on three collaborations that will launch in late 2016/early 2017. We can’t talk about the categories, but we can tell you they are with international companies that will allow us to be trendsetters in four key home categories.
What advice would you offer newly-qualified interior designers?
My advice is universal, not only for interior designers, but also for anyone that wants to succeed in anything. Be humble, you will make mistakes, learn from them and don’t let them happen again. Read, read, read – it’s your best source of knowledge, and definitely read about different topics. It makes you a rounded individual. Find a mentor that knows more than you do and become a sponge. Your bosses are there to teach and guide you. Use them wisely. Ask for one-on-one time with them and get feedback on your work. Don’t take it personally, they are there to enhance your skills. Most importantly, listen to your inner voice, it will tell you what to do – you just need to be quiet and still to hear it.
What has been the biggest accomplishment in your career?
I think you always come in with a ‘pocket full of dreams’ when you go into a new job or business. But, it is always a moving target and quite challenging. You are in the service business and that is always a hard thing to accomplish. The biggest accomplishment has been learning how to run two companies. It has been something that, looking back at my previous professional careers, prepared me to this present moment. It is a humbling experience, you learn from the good and the bad experiences, but it is extremely gratifying.
Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with in the future?
Yes, there are many amazing, talented people out there doing amazing work. We always collaborate with local talent. We like to purchase art from local artists and use as many local manufacturers as we can. It gives new, rising artists a platform to showcase their work. We also collaborate with the architecture and design department from our local universities. Students need experience and opportunities to learn. Everyone wins from these collaborations.
What has been the most exciting project you have had the privilege of working on so far?
When we received the call from the governor of Puerto Rico’s office (our White House) to style and design the rooms for the King and Queen of Spain’s visits to Puerto Rico this past February. That was such an honor and a testament that we were on the right path. They loved what we did and the best part was we got everything donated from all our vendors. Everyone responded promptly and it became a joint effort to make these spaces really special.
Can you explain a typical Aaron Stewart Lifestyle client?
Our clients vary in ages and lifestyles but they definitely know what they like. The majority are open to collaborate with us and allow us to try new things. There are many wonderful designers in Puerto Rico. By the time they start working with us, it is because they like our aesthetic and point of view. Clients choose you when they are ready to work with you. It’s a big investment, so they do their homework and by the time they come to our door it’s because they trust our work and vision.
What trends are you witnessing currently?
We just got back from Maison & Objet in Paris. There is so much creativity and diversity in products but what we loved the most was the use of proportions and the scale of furniture and light fixtures. Big floor lamps and pendants, beautiful new lines of furniture from Portugal and gorgeous fabrics and patterns. We loved the vintage pieces and saw a lot of new pieces inspired by old 50s and 60s lines. The clear trend is the use of scale and proportions in a room.
Do you have a favourite go-to supplier?
We work a lot with our dear friend Kelly Wearstler. We love her furniture, fabrics, wallpapers and vintage stores all over Europe. We love to mix the old with the new. We also work a lot with Gaston Y Daniela, a beautiful fabric and wallpaper company out in Spain. They make the best fabrics and patterns.
What was the brief that you received for Bahia Plaza Unit?
We were hired to be the ‘brand ambassadors’ for this new high-end, luxury residential development. The direction was for us to develop seven model units, each one with a different feel and personality, alongside the residents’ lounge, pool area, lobby and fitness center. It was quite a challenge; you needed to ensure that everyone that walked into these units could see a complete lifestyle represented; that everyone could identify with something in each of the seven units.
They were fantastic clients and allowed us to complete our vision and push the envelope. The end result was well-received and they sold 32 units in the first three weeks!
What was the brief that you received for your ‘Private Residence’ project?
This was a great collaboration between the client and us. They were involved in every decision regarding the furniture and the look and feel of the unit. They have two beautiful children, so the apartment had to be child-friendly, but very sophisticated.
We created a dream master bedroom and master bath for the parents and a ‘dream room’ for the children; the children’s room is so fun and different – a true place to have friends over for sleepovers. In the living room, we took a more sophisticated approach and used a Lindsay Adelman chandelier that is perfect for the room. Her work is beyond a light fixture; they are pieces of art.
What can we expect to see from Aaron Stewart Lifestyle over the next year?
Our expectations are to keep growing organically. We feel that there is nothing like the present. In design you concentrate on the clients at hand.