This Furniture Designer’s Joyful Mexico City Apartment Is Nothing Short of Stunning

“I love personalizing everything around me: my home, my furniture, even the smallest details,” writes Joy Valdez, who shares this 1185-square-foot live/work space she’s been renting for three years with her husband, Gil Caro, and their dog, Zac, and cat, Vito.

“I believe objects should feel alive and carry the maker’s signature energy. Nothing I design is ever just ‘functional’ — it has to have a story, a wink, a heartbeat.”

The light of this space — located in Mexico City’s San Miguel Chapultepec neighborhood — is what initially caught Joy’s attention. “It has these huge windows that flood the space with sunshine all day long — which immediately made it feel alive,” she writes. “The terrazzo floor was another big reason I fell in love with it. It’s such a beautiful, artisanal material that you rarely find in modern apartments anymore.”

“I also loved how open it felt — the studio and kitchen flow together like one big canvas,” she continues. “From the start, I could imagine filling it with my furniture, my objects, and my energy. It felt like the perfect place to create, to live, and to make everything completely mine.”

Before the creative couple moved in, Joy describes the space as feeling like “an old soul — a bit dated, but full of charm. The architecture still had beautiful vintage details like terrazzo floors and a stone-textured wall from the ’80s and ’90s. It had good bones and a lot of light, but it was waiting for a new story.”

Today, Joy says her home is very much an extension of her design work and ethos. “[I]t’s joyful, personal, and full of character,” she writes. “Every corner has something I’ve designed or customized. I like mixing bold colors, playful shapes, and handmade textures that tell a story. It’s not about perfection; it’s about emotion.”


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• Kitchen — Comex 
• Entrance — Comex 
• Office — Comex 

• Sofa — I found it at a flea market and reupholstered it
• Side Tables — Ventura Side Table
• Woven Mirror — La Celebracion
• Lamp — Kuni
• Chairs by the Window — Jojo

• Relaxation Chairs — Jojo
• Desk — The Basic Table
• Black Cabinet — Ventura Cabinet
• White Wall Mirror — La Celebracion
• Metal Colorful Vases — Joyful Objects, Yes!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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