Vicente Wolf fled his native Havana for New York at the age of 15. Following stints in fashion, acting and modeling, he was drawn to interior design. After honing his game at several firms, he launched Vicente Wolf Associates in 1988. Despite a lack of formal training and a diagnosis of dyslexia, the celebrated designer has written four books and created stunning homes for A-list clients including Julianna Margulies and Bryan Cranston.

Last November, Wolf came to DC for the launch of a showroom he designed for the mattress brand Saatva. He envisioned the two-story space as “a surreal landscape in a dreamlike garden” where beds float amid pearl-gray topiary and Grecian-inspired urns. After a press unveiling, H&D caught up with Wolf at a reception in Barcelona Wine Bar.

How do you instill character and soul into a home?
I infuse depth and interest with textures as well as objects that have history. But it is up to the people who live there to bring warmth.

How does travel inform your work?
Travel expands my range of vision, making me more sympathetic to outside influences. I engage with people and cultures that have different frames of reference to life and the earth. The ceremonial and art objects they naturally produce have a different point of view that I either use or reference in interiors I design.

Tell us about your next book, coming out in 2023?
I’m at the point in my career where I’m sure of what works for each space I design, and I feel compelled to pass on how
I got here. The book will elaborate on things I’ve learned throughout my 45-plus years in the industry.

You’ve been invited to the White House three times. What do these moments mean to you?
Visits to America’s House have made me proud of my accomplishments, especially since I started out as a Cuban refugee. Only in America does something like that happen.