Gonzalo Bueno Renovates His New Home

The rich, brown stain on the full-height oak wall serves as the perfect backdrop for a small, dramatically luminous oil painting. A mix of antique silver candlesticks from The Mews and a glass candlestick from Calvin Klein Home illuminate the table, which Bueno designed with a thick, reeded edge. The dining chairs are by Interior Crafts, which can be found locally through David Sutherland Showroom.

Muy Bueno
Mexican designer Gonzalo Bueno spices up his new Dallas home.

Longtime friends, designers, and business partners in both Treceavo Plano (Mexico) and 10+3 (USA): Gonzalo Bueno (left) and Mauricio Lobeira (right).

Gonzalo Bueno and business partner Mauricio Lobeira have projects that run the gamut: an award-winning Jaguar dealership in Monterrey, Mexico, a sexy cityscape penthouse in Mexico City, a 7,000-square-foot restaurant/bar in Miami Beach, and tony residences from Puerto Vallarta and Garza Garcia, Mexico, to Preston Hollow in Dallas. Headquartered in Monterrey for the past 12 years, the two dazzled us a year ago with their design for the dearly departed Stolik restaurant. (The fact that the dcor was more memorable than the fiery Portuguese-influenced fare is a testament to Bueno’s talent.) Recently, Bueno and Lobeira opened a stateside base here in Dallas named 10+3 – a take on the name of their Mexican firm, Treceavo Plano (Treceavo means 13th in Spanish).

Business is so good that Bueno has bought a residence in Dallas, one of the first CityHome townhouses built on Travis Street. He quickly set about remaking it in his self-proclaimed “contemporary style with an eclectic twist.” Through very deliberate placement of furniture, art, and accessories, Bueno has achieved a Zen-like balance despite the strong asymmetry of the architecture and its contents.

Good lighting is essential to effective Decor, so that’s where Bueno began. As he tells it, “I changed the lighting everywhere except the garage.” From museum-like spots that highlight worthy pieces to a commissioned chandelier (created by Mexican glass artist  Roberto Chapa) that doubles as artwork, careful positioning of fixtures renders every room rich and dramatic.

In the living room, Bueno keeps it simple, yet far from spare. Sumptuous silk mohair from J. Robert Scott covers the armless, tight-back sofa from Bright Chair Company (through David Sutherland Showroom), while classic Barcelona chairs in smooth white leather round out the generous seating area. An arresting, minimalist sculpture of an arm by artist Xawery Wolski is a favorite.

The most powerful impact comes from the dark, rift-sawn oak wall added by Bueno. This stair enclosure allows the second level to be slowly revealed when you walk up the stairs, and its ebony finish and substantial visual weight dramatically transform the main living floor into a more elegant, intimate space.

Bueno also opened up the kitchen by replacing the island with a bar-height glass and steel table, designed architectural pockets to conceal heavy, motorized drapery hardware, traded standard powder room cabinetry for an imaginatively adapted planter-cum-sink placed atop a floating iron console, and added a skirt to an existing granite pass-through for the illusion of a built-in buffet.

The place was originally cold and rigid, but Bueno transformed it into a resonant, romantic space with a palette of toasty browns, shimmering silvers, and earthy naturals. The selection of textiles – supple leathers, nubby linen blends, and silk mohair velvets – begs to be touched. Bueno designed much of the furniture, such as a cantilevered console of white marble and clear acrylic. In the master bedroom is a custom platform bed flanked by side tables from 10+3’s Petra Collection of indoor/outdoor pieces.

Bueno’s Dallas home is an urban retreat, an oasis of civility. “Clients want to breathe in their homes, no matter how small the space may be. They are treating their homes as sanctuaries, trying to create serenity,” says Bueno. He’s done just that.

To sharpen the kitchen’s design, Bueno painted the maple cabinets a clean, glossy white and added sleek stainless steel hardware to complement the existing appliances. Additionally, he removed the center island, exchanging the dense cabinetry with white leather bar stools and a visually lighter glass and steel table of his own design.

Design by Numbers: 10+3’s Home Decor 1-2-3s

1. Keep It Real: Use clean and natural finishes, which boils down to nothing faux, including animal prints. Bueno insists, “A good eye can always spot a fake, whether it be stone, marble, or wood.” They proclaim the latter element their favorite material due to its versatility and ability to inject nature into interiors.

2 Imbue Meaning: Absolutely include pieces with which you personally identify, whether it is historically, symbolically, or literally. Warm memories inspired Bueno to display his first art acquisition, which was purchased at age 14 with a carefully saved allowance: a Salvador Dali print of Dante’s The Divine Comedy.

3 Mix It Up: Don’t buy sets of matching furniture. The world is diverse and complex, so merge an inherited antique Japanese tea table with a newly purchased blown-glass lamp or unique estate sale finds.