Patagonian-born Lula Galeano is the head of Studio Galeón: a practice that combines architecture, interior, product, and experiential design. She uses those creative instincts on clients like Audemars Piguet and Susan Alexandra. For those who have never been, Patagonia is a place that stokes the imagination. Its extreme conditions have generated geological and natural wonders and oddities that attract visitors from around the world. But living in this place, in the far reaches of the southern hemisphere, also requires imagination. Because of its remoteness, access to the resources and luxuries of more populated parts of the world was limited. She grew up making the most of very little, driven creatively by this restriction. At a young age, she learned how to repurpose everyday objects into objects of entertainment and fascination and transform her surroundings into entirely different places enriched with her imagination and vision.

“The flat, deserted landscape has tied me to nature which still informs my sense for materials and texture. The stillness of the horizon and seeing nothing—which is quite different from the cityscape—prompts a different type of imagination.”

What were your earlier memories of design and aesthetic?

I grew up in Patagonia, in a small desert town. As a child and a teenager, I was obsessed with fashion and weird objects. The issues of French Vogue which my grandmother used to bring me once a month were my sources of inspiration. Growing up in the middle of nowhere, I learned how to make my own toys, most of which came from nature, such as rocks, different stones, and fabrics. The flat, deserted landscape has tied me to nature which still informs my sense for materials and texture. The stillness of the horizon and seeing nothing—which is quite different than the cityscape—prompts a different type of imagination.

Is there a signature accent that we can expect in any Studio Galeón project?

The element of surprise, which sometimes means I hide things here and there around the space. Besides the practicality of working with condensed New York interiors, this also prompts a sense of discovery. I personally do not prefer seeing every design element from the beginning. I compare the experience to meandering a labyrinth with little surprises.