What Is the Style of Casa Casual Interiors?
A collected vignette comprised of iconic designer objects and art.
At Casa Casual Interiors, we’re often asked to define our design style, but the truth is, it’s not so easily labeled. Every project is different, and that’s exactly the point. We believe great design is personal, contextual, and full of soul.
To give you a better sense of what drives our work, we asked our founder and owner, Gretchen Rivera, for her thoughts. Here’s what she had to say:
Q: How would you describe your design style?
Gretchen: That’s always a hard question, because I don’t have a one-size-fits-all answer. My work is very personal and tailored to each client and space, so no two projects ever look the same. I don’t follow a signature palette or formula. Maybe that’s a negative but that’s what I like about interiors. What ties my work together is more about how it feels than how it looks.
Q: What do you mean by how it feels?
Gretchen: I want every space I design to feel warm, layered, and lived-in. My goal is for people to walk into a room and instantly feel at ease, like it truly belongs to them, not like they’re stepping into a generic showroom. That sense of emotional connection is what I think sets Casa Casual apart.
Q: Where do you start when approaching a new project?
Always with the architecture and the people. I look at the bones of the space—its history, its style, its surroundings—and I talk with the clients about their lifestyle, their story and what home means to them. That gives me the foundation to build something that feels authentic and layered.
Q: Your portfolio is diverse—how do you balance different styles across projects?
Gretchen: That’s actually what I love most. I’m really interested in the interplay between old and new, rustic and modern, minimal and ornate. I designed a post-and-beam house in Vermont that leans into rustic modern with a cottage vibe, and I also designed a Coffee Shop in Puerto Rico with Spanish Colonial arches and lots of pattern mixing. Totally different styles, but both cozy, personal, and rooted in their context
Q: Do you work with artisans or custom makers for your designs?
Gretchen: Absolutely. I’m a big believer in custom craftsmanship. I collaborate with local artisans and makers to create built-in furniture, bespoke wallpaper, custom upholstery—you name it. Those handcrafted details add soul and originality that you just can’t get from mass-produced items.
Q: So, how would you sum up the Casa Casual approach?
Gretchen: If I had to boil it down: “all styles, turned cozy.” I draw inspiration from everywhere, but everything gets filtered through this lens of warmth, storytelling, and personalization.
Casa Casual Style at a Glance
Each project is one-of-a-kind, tailored to the space and its people
Prioritizes warmth, comfort, and emotional resonance
Mixes modern with vintage, minimal with layered, sleek with soulful
Rooted in context—architecture, history, and culture all matter
Loves handcrafted, antiques, custom, and artisan-made pieces
Rejects repetition—no formulaic “look” or colors.
Designs spaces that feel collected, personal, and truly lived-in