The Timeless Designs of César Giraldo

César Giraldo, the name behind the West-Hollywood-based firm César Giraldo Design, has always been a fan of luxury. As a child in Colombia, his primary role model – his mother – instilled that love of quality. “She was a very fancy lady, and I was lucky to have her, because she taught us that you always had to go for the best,” he recalls. Giraldo’s mother recognized his talents early on. “‘You have to just be yourself,’ that’s what she always told me,” says Giraldo.

He’s developed a particular aesthetic – a design eye that’s been informed by his time in both North and South America. After his mother passed, Giraldo landed in Iowa, learned both English and the fundamentals of design, and eventually made his way to Southern California. Now, with a list of clients that stretches from Oahu to Italy, he has built a set of “go-to” design components that align with his philosophy. Gaggenau Appliances are a critical example of one of those because, like his mother taught him, only the best will do.

The Soul of the Kitchen
“When you talk about modern designs, in some situations you see these spaces that are very cold, very unfriendly, very sterile -- there’s no personality, there is no soul,” Giraldo explains. “I like to combine the old with the new. I see that in Gaggenau - I see the classic look that Gaggenau has, that very clean look.” Giraldo is especially fond of the fact that Gaggenau’s designs evolve over time and that style is always balanced with the appliances’ technology. “They are not building products to meet a certain trend. Instead, these are beautifully crafted, sophisticated machines that have an aesthetic and performance core that last.”

When Giraldo gets his arms around a brand, he becomes a true evangelist. His client, the founder of Kona Coffee Purveyors, had recently inquired about another appliance maker, but Giraldo was insistent - in his own, unique way. “In order to ensure that I was able to specify what I felt the project needed, I created a beautiful presentation that emphasized the superior and unique qualities of the brand. The presentation took place at my studio where I have Gaggenau appliances, and the client got to experience them. It makes a great difference when you experience the product in person. So, we went with Gaggenau.”

A Key Partner
Giraldo is quick to credit his SoCal dealer of choice, Snyder Diamond. “ Russ Diamond is probably the hardest working man in LA. I love that he’s someone who’s very passionate about what he does,” says Giraldo. “He’s also always very in tune with designers, he’s always very inquisitive.”

Giraldo notes that a partner like Snyder Diamond is critical for an interior designer juggling projects on multiple continents. If Giraldo isn’t immediately available, Diamond and his team are there to answer questions and deliver solutions. “It’s almost like having an extension of your own office personnel. We’re all in tune with the same vision.”

For more design ideas, visit www.snyderdiamond.com.