To José E. Solís Betancourt, designing a residence is like designing a set for an opera. “You create this amazing backdrop where clients can perform their lives,” he says. “A space is like a procession of acts in a client’s libretto.” And, as with opera, he adds, “there are so many layers to it.” The first and, to Solís Betancourt, the most important layer is the interior architecture. “If you have a room with no furniture, no artwork—nothing,” it should still be beautiful, he maintains. “Otherwise you end up hiding things with decoration.” From this solid foundation, the next layers—the draperies, the furnishings, the art—“flow naturally.”

Drawing inspiration from Palladio, Solís Betancourt, who is an architect as well as an interior designer, keeps his work rooted in the classics. “Whether a house is contemporary or historic, the order and elegance that symmetry and balance bring is fundamental,” he says. Color, too, is vital: “I will see a Renaissance painting with strong colors and think, If it looks great in a painting, it should look great in a room.” Solís Betancourt, who says that his firm custom-designs furnishings and lighting to fill a void in the marketplace (“It’s important not to reinvent the wheel, only make it better”), spends about half of his time away from his seven-person office in Washington, D.C. Working with his partner, Paul Sherrill, he enjoys exploring a variety of styles in a variety of settings. “What is consistent,” he says, “is the voice.”

José E. Solís Betancourt

202-659-8734

www.solisbetancourom