At the height of a celebrated career marked by high-profile international clients, acclaimed Spanish interior designer Lorenzo Castillo has turned his creative lens inward. Born in Madrid in 1968, Castillo has increasingly focused his formidable energies on education and design history, sharing his expertise through television appearances on the Spanish design competition DecoMasters and an upcoming book outlining the fundamental principles of interior design. Yet, even as he embraces a role as a mentor to the next generation, Castillo has poured his deep passion for design into a deeply personal project: a breathtaking new home in Oviedo, the capital of Spain’s northern province of Asturias.
Surrounded by a lifetime of treasured objects, Castillo describes the residence as the most beautiful home he has ever designed. Set within an early 20th-century French-style building overlooking the iconic Campo de San Francisco park, the apartment captures the stately character and northern-Spanish flair of the city. The project’s greatest structural challenge involved combining two separate apartments into one expansive, cohesive space. Working alongside his partner of more than 20 years, Alfonso Fernández Reyero, and their dog Tana, Castillo crafted a theatrical yet profoundly comfortable layout that celebrates high-end interior design with distinct nods to Hollywood Regency and a rich tapestry of historical styles.
A Masterclass in Space, Light, and Layout
When approaching the renovation, Castillo chose to completely overhaul the existing floor plan. Rather than placing the main living areas at the front of the building—the traditional choice for maximizing the scenic views—he deliberately positioned the primary bedroom suite facing the Campo de San Francisco. This decision ensured that he and Alfonso would wake up to the most elegant side of the facade, looking directly out over the park.
Meanwhile, the main living room was relocated to the rear of the apartment, allowing Castillo to reintroduce a traditional glass-enclosed gallery that is characteristic of Asturian architecture. Every decorative element within the home is entirely unique, featuring furniture by Jansen, artworks by Gabriella Crespi and Anthony Redmile, and significant pieces by major 20th-century designers. Every item has been carefully assigned to its ideal spot within the dramatic architectural flow.
Color serves as the emotional anchor of the home. Castillo deliberately calibrated his palette to counteract or complement the natural light exposure of each room. In the bedroom suite, which receives limited sunlight in the afternoon, he opted for deeper, more soothing shades designed to lower the heart rate and evoke tranquility. Pinks, blues, camel, and chocolate brown predominate in the sleeping quarters, offset by a dusty pink ceiling that provides a soft visual contrast.
Conversely, the brighter back portion of the apartment is bathed in lighter hues of butter, cream, ochre, and mustard. Throughout the entire residence, these color schemes are tied together by abundant use of gold, which Castillo views not as a sign of pretension or mere luxury, but as a source of warmth and light. He favors gold that has developed a natural patina over time, frequently combining it with cool silver accents to achieve a balanced and harmonious interior.
Personal Sanctuaries and Cinematic Inspirations
Despite the home’s grandeur, Castillo emphasizes that interior design must ultimately be tied to quality of life and a personal search for happiness. While he rarely alters the decor in his innermost private quarters, he frequently refreshes the social areas of the home to maintain a continuous sense of well-being.
Despite projecting the image of a socialite, Castillo describes himself as a homebody at heart, finding his greatest pleasure in returning to a space surrounded by his own belongings. Within the main residence, he and Alfonso carved out an even more private sanctuary—a duplex apartment within the larger apartment where they live alongside Tana, who fiercely guards the space against unwanted visitors. This intimate microcosm features a mix of beloved pieces, including works by artist José María Yturralde and a striking early 20th-century portrait by master portraitist Álvarez de Sotomayor.
Castillo’s creative inspirations often draw heavily from cinema and historical design figures. Following a recent visit to the Dries Van Noten Foundation in Venice, he found himself captivated by Luchino Visconti’s 1971 cinematic masterpiece Death in Venice, watching it repeatedly to absorb the intricate details of its drapes, Indian fabrics, and Murano elements. Films by Visconti and Stanley Kubrick serve as ongoing wells of visual inspiration for his work.
A Legacy Rooted in Family and Artistic Awakening
Castillo’s deep-rooted passion for aesthetics traces back to his childhood and the profound influence of his maternal grandmother. As a subscriber to the American edition of Architectural Digest—an expensive and rare publication in Spain at the time—she would share her discarded copies with young Lorenzo. Her home in Madrid, featuring U.S.-imported wallpaper, linoleum floors, and a high-gloss turquoise kitchen lined with Portuguese tiles, was remarkably ahead of its time. Alongside a mother who constantly experimented with home decor, Castillo grew up shopping for fabrics by the age of ten, developing a lifelong instinct for design.
Growing up in 1970s Spain with a passion for art history was not without its social hurdles. While his father, a maxillofacial surgeon, firmly supported his academic pursuits, Castillo often felt like an outsider during his studies at Colegio Estudio and the Universidad Complutense. It was only after completing his education that he realized his nonconformity was a reflection of societal limitations rather than any personal flaw.
Before establishing himself as a premier interior designer, Castillo initially ventured into the antique trade alongside his brother Santiago, opening a space in Madrid’s Barrio de las Letras. However, he quickly grew tired of the commercial nature of antique dealing, finding true creative freedom in designing elaborate trade fair stands. This decorative approach—mixing classic French pieces with 20th-century modernist furniture from the 1960s and 1970s—helped revolutionize Spanish interiors, bridging the gap between traditional collecting and modern styling.
Reflecting on the broader landscape of Spanish design, Castillo highlights historical figures like Jaime Parladé, who successfully forged an international Spanish style, and Rafael García, the pioneering Valencian set designer and merchant. He notes a contemporary cultural shift away from post-war minimalism, with a renewed embrace of rich textures, colors, patterns, and global influences reminiscent of Spain’s Renaissance past—a vibrant aesthetic tradition historically celebrated by international designers like Renzo Mongiardino.
Looking toward the future, Castillo remains driven by the excitement of continuous discovery. Drawing on the educational passion inherited from his academic father, he finds his greatest reward in mentoring the next generation of interior designers. For Castillo, the true value of interior design lies not in financial exclusivity, but in cultivating the curiosity required to shape beautiful, meaningful spaces that foster human happiness.