Style Profile: CASA Collective
Meet the brand new Casa Collective Studio (CCS), an interior design team that’s the brainchild of Cristina Villegas & Sara Armenta.
Cristina and Sara met years ago while raising their children in New York City. Cristina, owner of the children's shop YOYA, has delved into the community by way of retail and has learned much about what clients are seeking in a redesign. A longtime creator of beautiful interiors, she moved to Weston several years ago. Sara moved to Wilton in 2016 while running her own event and floral business but felt a pull towards residential design, so she could create spaces that would last. The design duo works on projects ranging from small scope home glow-ups to full-on renovations, and they have a sweet spot for home staging. Designport chatted with the new team:
DP: You’ve both run successful businesses. What’s your mission with this new venture?
CCS: Casa Collective Studio’s mission is to elevate your space to its full potential with thoughtful and purposeful moments and impactful placement of furniture and objects that will attract in today's market. As part of our staging and styling process, we help the seller make informed decisions about improvements that will increase their home's value and produce a sought-after property.
DP: Tell us more about how you came together.
CCS: Each of us was so deeply involved in our careers in retail, events, restaurants and floral, we were thrown into designing spaces for all of these trades. As a realtor, Sara is also well-versed in what a home needs to catch the eye of a prospective buyer. Learning as we went, we built upon our inherent talents and took on opportunities with friends and family, influencing spaces throughout our daily lives and developing our instinctive sense of style. We are thrilled to marry our two personalities in this world of design. We admire each other for our own talents and tastes, and both bring something uniquely ourselves to a design project.
DP: How do you describe your design style?
CCS: We use elements that are textural, organic, artistic, vibrant, and unexpected. We’ve honed our ability to gracefully marry a mix of pieces from all eras, textures, and hues. Our approach is rooted in simplicity and comfort to create a space that will help you unwind as well as inspire you.
Our signature aesthetic is second only to the connection we form with our clients throughout the design process.At CCS, we believe that good design is founded in a solid relationship with each client and a deep understanding of who they are and how they live.
DP: What inspires you?
CCS: Our inspiration is sparked by travel and designs from the past along with a deep appreciation for different cultures, artists, and people creating objects with fine craftsmanship and spaces that move us. We are specifically driven by supporting other female entrepreneurs.
DP: What types of projects do you take on?
CCS: Our project scopes range from planning one room using existing furniture and tweaking it to create a fresh space, to designing an entire home or commercial space filling it with exactly what it needs to be whole, livable and inspiring.
DP: What’s your dream project?
CCS: We love to travel. For us, the dream project would be a small hotel where we are able to capture nature and design in a perfect form ultimately creating a place of comfort and undeniable beauty.
DP: What are a few of your favorite furniture and accessory brands?
CCS: We find that our favorite pieces are redesigned or found. Vintage pieces reimagined will always be what we strive for in a room, it is where furniture becomes art and the eye will always find its way to that standout piece. With so much on social media and so many brands and looks made accessible to anyone, it is the way you surprise people with something they haven't seen yet. We love what we do!
Website: casacollective-studio.com
Instagram: @casacollective-studio
