“The only thing we keep for ourselves, forever, are the memories.”
The sentence above reveals a good afternoon in the story of Martina Casella, architect and creator of the new design concept entitled Decor Wellness®. Martina’s childhood was marked by travels between her homeland, Argentina, and her host country, Brazil.
Martina’s family was adventurous and liked to travel, getting to know different places from the point of view of the people who lived there, and not the tourist attractions. From a very young age, she traveled from Argentina to Brazil to visit her grandparents, which made her realize how important the power of being present was, as she didn’t know when she would see them again. She settled in Brazil with her family at the age of 10, but the connection with Argentine customs, traditions, and values remains rooted into the culture at home.
The living awareness of Martina’s memories was essential for her individual and professional training. “When I went to visit my grandparents, I had attached a memory of the space, so I remembered the green velvet sofa, the table, us cooking together, and the tea cup set that she loved. These are unique and unforgettable memories. It was kind of a ritual for her to have afternoon tea, so I thought it would be cool to recreate that space and those emotions.” – comments Martina. As a good traveler, she visited Paris with her parents at the age of 18 and felt love at first sight. They returned to the city several times, where her father’s intention was that in the future, she’d remember the moments they had together and create memories based on experiences. However, Martina’s sensations in relation to the city of lights were more intense.
As an architect, she worked at one of the most desired companies in the world, Louis Vuitton, at Headsquare in Paris, which was Martina’s dream. She graduated from Mackenzie, and moved to Miami, where she worked directly with clients at an architecture firm. At college, she had an architecture book from Louis Vuitton, which motivated Martina to apply for a job as an architect. After looking for the company and getting the job, she went to live in the city of her dreams, Paris, where everything fell into place: travel, dreams, memories and experiences in her keen eye as an architect. It was an incredible experience of cultural exchange, where Martina studied the local culture, the history of the city, every store, the essence of the decoration, forms of organization and their particularities.
Being behind the scenes ended up taking away her close relationship with people from showing the importance of the house, which culminated in her decision to resume residential projects and make a career transition back to Miami. On her CV, in addition to her Louis Vuitton background, Martina worked side by side with Sig Bergamin on a collaborative project at St Regis, Miami, took an Interior Design Course in Miami, and deeply studied ancestral techniques (Feng Shui, aromatic herbs, biophilia, etc.) and the use of energy programming techniques in the home’s furniture.
Among its differences are the attention to detail to transform the way its clients think when in contact with the new environment, with a focus on improving quality of life and well-being.
The concept of Decor Wellness® emerges from Martina’s entire background, which from an early age was part of her life story, travels, records of good family memories, and experiences that brought good feelings. Contact with other people’s stories, involving emotions in the project, and being able to introduce the importance of the house, which is a much more complex place than simply the place you enter and leave. “Some people don’t care about the house, and others simply want the house in the magazine. The house is always communicating sensations. It doesn’t matter whether you’re happy or sad, you always come home. I want to bring this awareness to people. It’s not just designed to look pretty. It mixes biophilia, textures, lighting, a little feng shui, and elements of nature. Healing comes from the intention you place in each environment. Decor Wellness® liberates and harmonizes any area of life.” – adds Martina regarding the new concept.
Through Decor Wellness®, we can identify what the house is communicating and improve it. Everything is energy. If the house is manifesting something, it is like a body, something needs to be reviewed, investigated. If there is an infiltration, it must be observed internally. The creative process of Martina’s work begins with studying the client’s lifestyle. Questions such as what the person feels is out of balance, what they miss, what their perception of the space is, how they connect with that environment—everything is raised. After the analysis, the first style suggestion is presented through images with a moodboard, selection of furniture, objects, etc. The complete consultancy lasts approximately two months until the final completion and delivery of the finished property. Martina emphasizes that there is no wrong house, that work is aimed at improving the space in which we live. The priority in consultancies is what the client wants to feel in the space.
