Meet Felipe Prado – Interior Designer for Victoria’s Incredible Home
With the type of imagination that allows him to see new opportunities for interior design in the shapes of clouds, trees, bridges and buildings, Felipe Prado is endlessly inspired by the world around him.
“I get inspiration from almost anything in this life and then I try to apply it, he says. “It’s something interesting that happens in my brain that when I see something, somewhere, I immediately think, how can I apply this to my design.”
Every piece he creates is unique to his clients, meant to blend perfectly with their home and space.
Whether it’s a large-scale project like a full kitchen renovation or a smaller project like a custom built-in workspace, he gives each project equal importance, with the end goal of creating a piece that is equal parts form and function.
“Design has to have a function. It’s not just about the look or the feel. A design that looks beautiful but doesn’t work, is not a complete design,” says Prado.
Education
With a history in industrial design, Prado has been working in the industry since finishing University in 2006.
“I always liked drawing and designing, it was a toss up between graphic design and architecture/design. I always liked learning about functionality and how everything is related to design – clothing, houses and more,” says Prado of how and why he chose design as his career.
After graduation, the Mexico-born and raised designer worked for a cabinet manufacturing company in Guadalajara before moving to Madrid, Spain.
Family and Home Life
While visiting Florence, he later met his (now) wife and fellow designer, Atarah Humphreys. After spending time in Italy, the pair made the bold decision to move to Mazatlán and open their own kitchen design showroom.
After a few years, they made the decision to relocate to Humphrey’s hometown of Victoria, where they’ve now settled down in their own incredible custom home. They designed their architectural home specifically for their family of four, which includes their daughter, 7 and son, 5. Built by Aryze Developments, their new home exudes the clean lines and cutting-edge architecture inspired by Prado’s Mexican heritage and time spent as an industrial designer.
His knack for high-quality design follows Prado home, where he likes to spend some of his free time restoring vintage trailers from the inside out. His first project was an abandoned 1972 Airstream that he rescued from under a tree on an acreage on Saltspring Island. He painstakingly polished it back to its former glory, bit by bit.
Prado’s current project is a 1978 Boler trailer, but he spends the majority of his free time simply being Dad. Like any involved parent, his main hobbies are pretty low key and include activities centred around the kids – going to the park, taking their son to football and soccer, taking their daughter to swimming, or just hanging out watching movies together.
Ideal Client
Just about anyone with a problem that needs a solution, no matter their taste.
“I think what people should know about me is that I like to solve a problem. If somebody comes to me with a problem, then I can solve it using my experience, my knowledge – I want people to know that I am going to come up with a completely custom solution,” he says.
“My personal taste is in minimalism, clean lines, simple, modern. But I also believe that if I have a client who has a house from 1931, I have to design accordingly.
I want to come up with a solution for every aspect of the design, including selection of the materials, the doors, the handles, the finishes, colours, (all of the) materials we’ll use to make it look unique, to make it into a piece of high-quality design.”
Favourite Space to Design:
The living room. Prado explains that in the living room you can incorporate many things with one well-designed custom wall unit. You can house a tv, fireplace, bookshelf, kids’ toy storage and solve a storage problem while creating a whole new look in the room itself.
“I want to make sure that every time I design and build something, people will think, “wow, someone thought about this and designed it specifically for this space. It’s not just some random boxes for storage. When I do a wall unit, there are no limits to what I can do. I can incorporate different materials to make it truly unique.”
Favourite Materials to Use in Design:
“It’s always about finding the right material for the right design,” says Prado.
“There are always trends that come and go, but I think there is a sense of timelessness using natural materials, like marble and metal and wood.”
Whether he’s working on a full kitchen renovation or starting with a completely blank wall, Prado thoroughly enjoys his work and it shows in each and every one of his designs.
Design Advice for Homeowners
Sometimes just changing the colour of the paint will make a huge impact or changing the floors and adding windows to bring in more natural light. In terms of the actual use of the room, he says, “I personally believe in finding the right proportions for the room. You can’t put a big bed in a small room. It just won’t work.”
As an interior designer in Victoria, BC, Prado is happy to consult with you on ideas for the storage and design trouble spots in your home.
Whether you’re considering a full renovation, custom entertainment centre, kitchen island, home office or anything else to help improve the look and feel of your home, contact Incredible Home to speak to a member of our friendly team today.