Puerto Rican Designer Gretchen Rivera-Lebrón Brings Her Distinctive Vision of Home to New Design Book, Out Today in the U.S.
The sole designer from Puerto Rico featured in Interior Design in Latin America explores how architecture, local artistry and personal stories come together to create spaces that celebrate culture, heritage and the meaning of home
FAIRFAX, Va., Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As contemporary interiors increasingly bring different periods, references and traditions into dialogue, questions of context and cultural identity take on renewed significance. Puerto Rican interior designer Gretchen Rivera-Lebrón approaches design as an ongoing interpretation of place, exploring how existing architecture, objects and personal histories take on new meaning through the ways people live with them today.
Rivera-Lebrón, founder of Casa Casual, is the only designer from Puerto Rico featured in Interior Design in Latin America, a new design book released in the United States today. Two of her projects appear alongside work from 28 design studios across 20 countries, highlighting an approach to contemporary interiors that draws on Puerto Rico’s architecture, art and history.
Published by teNeues and curated by design scholar Ana Elena Mallet, the 272-page hardcover is the first to examine how designers throughout Latin America create contemporary spaces shaped by local history, craftsmanship and cultural identities. Rivera-Lebrón’s featured projects – a restored 1930s residence in San Juan and a contemporary coffee shop interior – demonstrate how these influences can produce dramatically different design styles.
Her work reflects a broader shift in American interior design. According to 1stDibs’ 2026 Interior Designer Trends Survey, 85% of the 468 design professionals surveyed worldwide sourced vintage furnishings, while vintage and antique items represented an average of 36% of items sourced per project – the highest proportion since 2021. Houzz’s 2026 U.S. Fall Design Trends Report similarly identifies growing interest in layered, collected interiors that emphasize history, individuality and meaningful objects over standardized decorating styles.
For Rivera-Lebrón, whose studio serves Puerto Rico and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, these principles have long been central to her approach.
“A good designer knows a home shouldn’t look like it was created all at once. Some of the most interesting interiors bring together objects from different generations, furniture with a history and art that means something to the people who live there,” said Rivera-Lebrón. “In Puerto Rico, we’re surrounded by those layers of history. Rather than erase them to create something new, I believe designers should find ways to make them part of how we live today.”
Two Featured Projects Showcase Puerto Rican Architecture, Art and Cultural Traditions
Rivera-Lebrón’s two projects featured in the book illustrate how historic architecture and local cultural influences can inform contemporary interiors without dictating a single decorating style.
In San Juan’s Hato Rey district, Rivera-Lebrón transformed a 1930s residence into a contemporary home for a young couple while preserving its original architectural style. Rather than treating the older structure as a blank canvas, she allowed the home’s history and the owners’ personal tastes to guide the design. Their collection of Puerto Rican ceramics, furniture and art plays a central role in the interiors, creating a living environment that brings together the building’s architectural past and the couple’s contemporary lifestyle.
The second project, located in Spanish Colonial Old San Juan, explores a different expression of Puerto Rican history. Drawing inspiration from the island’s coffee culture, Rivera-Lebrón designed a moody, experimental interior that translates a familiar cultural tradition into a contemporary setting. Instead of relying on conventional tropical motifs or recognizable Caribbean imagery, the project uses pattern, atmosphere and modern design to offer a different interpretation of the island’s heritage.
Together, the projects demonstrate the versatility of Rivera-Lebrón’s design philosophy: respecting a space’s architectural and cultural context while creating interiors that reflect how people live, gather and express themselves today.
Puerto Rican Design Finds a Place in an International Conversation
Rivera-Lebrón’s inclusion in Interior Design in Latin America places her work within a broader examination of contemporary Latin American design and the many cultural influences shaping it.
The book challenges the notion of a single regional aesthetic, showcasing design approaches from across Latin America and illustrating how architecture, materials, craftsmanship and local traditions contribute to different expressions of contemporary style.
Its curator, Ana Elena Mallet, is a prominent scholar of modern and contemporary Latin American design who served as guest curator of the Museum of Modern Art’s Crafting Modernity: Design in Latin America, 1940–1980 exhibition.
As the only Puerto Rican designer selected for the book, Rivera-Lebrón sees her participation as an opportunity to introduce American audiences to a perspective shaped by the island’s distinctive history and cultural influences.
“Puerto Rico is a patchwork of beautiful contrasts and contradictions, and we have a rich tradition of furniture making and modernist pottery that few people are familiar with,” said Rivera-Lebrón. “Being part of this book is an opportunity to share that perspective with a much wider audience. I hope it encourages people to look beyond familiar design categories and discover just how diverse and expressive interiors really are.”
Her approach also offers practical inspiration for American homeowners looking to create more personal spaces. Rather than starting with a predetermined decorating style, Rivera-Lebrón encourages people to consider the architecture they already have, the furnishings and artwork they value and how different generations of design can coexist in a single space.
About Gretchen Rivera-Lebrón
Gretchen Rivera-Lebrón is a Puerto Rican interior designer and founder of Casa Casual, a boutique interior design studio specializing in residential and hospitality interiors and serving clients in Puerto Rico and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Her work draws on historic architecture, modernism, vintage furnishings and the cultural identities of the places and people she designs for.
With a background in art history, graphic design and interior architecture, Rivera-Lebrón has designed residences and restaurants in Puerto Rico, developed a curated vintage furnishings business and expanded her practice to the Washington region.
Her design expertise and commentary have appeared in Architectural Digest, MarthaStewart.com, Real Simple, Newsweek, Better Homes & Gardens, Apartment Therapy and Southern Living, among other publications.
About Interior Design in Latin America
Published by teNeues as part of The World of Interior Design series, Interior Design in Latin America is a 272-page bilingual hardcover examining the people, places, materials, traditions and architectural contexts shaping contemporary interiors throughout Latin America. The book includes approximately 220 color and black-and-white photographs.
Publisher: teNeues
Editors: teNeues and Ana Elena Mallet
Author: Ana Elena Mallet
Format: Hardcover, 272 pages
Languages: English and Spanish
Publication: September 15, 2026, internationally; November 10, 2026, in the United States
ISBN: 978-3-96171-737-8
Media Materials
Review copies may be requested from the publisher at press@gestalten.com.
High-resolution images of the book cover and Rivera-Lebrón’s featured projects are available for editorial use here.
Media Availability
Rivera-Lebrón is available for interviews by phone, email or Zoom/FaceTime. She can discuss the growing interest in personalized interiors, incorporating vintage furnishings and local art into contemporary spaces, preserving historic architectural details, Puerto Rican design influences, and the creative process behind her two featured projects.
Media Contact:
Michael Tebo
Phone: 571-835-8775
Email: t.michael.tebo@gmail.com
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