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Rafael de Cárdenas Crafts an Atmospheric Home Office Around a Matthew Lutz-Kinoy Artwork

Galerie asked the trendsetting designer to cultivate an interior using a colorful canvas from a favorite artist as inspiration

By Jacqueline Terrebonne
Collage of eclectic home decor items including artwork, tables, a vase, and a unique chair on a beige background.

The fashionable, the art-centric, and the just plain cool all turn to Rafael de Cárdenas to conjure sophisticated interiors that buck trends and are light-years ahead of their time. Here, he offers his chic take on the very timely home office, which he imagines as a flexible space where “not a lot of work is going on and you might have a cocktail by candlelight.”

Says the designer, “Matthew Lutz-Kinoy’s work feels like a cross between a Turner and a Frankenthaler. They’re Color Fields but with imagery. This piece, with its earth tones, has a complexity that resembles a cross section of stone.”

Man in gray sweater leaning against a white wall with glasses hanging from the collar, in a softly lit room.
Rafael de Cárdenas. Photo: PERNILLE LOOF
Abstract artwork featuring overlapping figures in earthy tones with a dynamic and fluid composition.
Coffee Harvest (After Portinari) (2020) by Matthew Lutz-Kinoy from Mendes Wood DM.  Photo: BRUNO LEÃO, COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND MENDES WOOD DM, SÃO PAULO, BRUSSELS, NEW YORK
Ancient pottery vase with intricate brown and gray swirled patterns on a white background.
Vessel by Kazunori Hamana from Blum & Poe.   Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Blum & Poe, Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo
Textured rust-colored fabric with a subtle gradient pattern.
Mohair fabric by Pierre Frey.  Photo: COURTESY OF PIERRE FREY
Console table with marble top and three decorative metal face sculptures as legs.
Neron console by Elizabeth Garouste from Ralph Pucci.  Photo: COURTESY OF RALPH PUCCI
Gold, oval-shaped wall light fixture with a black braided wire, casting a warm glow against the background.
Wall lamp by Jos Devriendt from Demisch Danant.  Photo: COURTESY OF DEMISCH DANANT
Stylish black modern chair with curved design placed on wooden floor against a neutral wall background.
Swallowtail chair by Brian Fireman from Les Ateliers Courbet.  Photo: JOE KRAMM
Etched glass vase with detailed nude figures in relief, showcasing elegant and artistic design.
Bacchantes vase by Lalique.  Photo: COURTESY OF LALIQUE
Abstract golden sunburst pattern with wavy lines radiating from the center on a textured background.
Rug by Mary Katrantzou for the Rug Company.  Photo: COURTESY OF THE RUG COMPANY
Oval glass table with sculpted, draped bronze base resembling fabric folds, viewed from a side angle against a white background.
Expansion table by César from Demisch Danant.  Photo: COURTESY OF DEMISCH DANANT
Slab of polished breccia rock showcasing various angular fragments in shades of brown, beige, and pink with a glossy finish.
Breche du Vendome slab from ABC Stone. Photo: COURTESY OF ABC STONE

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2021 Summer Issue under the headline “Night Shift.” Subscribe to the magazine.