Marisa Saavedra-Gutierrez, owner of Spatial Harmony Color Consulting and Design in Old Town Albuquerque, infuses a Southwest-inspired artistic style to residential and commercial design. A multi-generational native of New Mexico, she told us, “I take a lot of pride in our culture with my design. We get a lot of sunlight here. Our paint colors are going to be different than a coastal palette. You have to honor the desert landscape. There’s a reason people move here. Plus, New Mexico has a lot of amazing artists. Whenever I curate art or furniture for a client, I really tap into that.”
Spatial Harmony is a full-service design company that consults on space planning for new construction and remodeling, as well as consultation for interior/ exterior paint, flooring, tiles, backsplashes, displayed artwork, and furnishings. Marisa also liaises with contractors so that everything goes as planned.
She says, “Homeowners need to make thousands of decisions when building or remodeling a home. They need to decide on everything from faucets to doorknobs. I guide them through the process.”
Marissa designs layouts based on the client’s lifestyle. For example, if a client has a lot of hanging art, she makes sure that there is adequate wall space. Marisa says, “I take great pride that I don’t stamp my same design on everything. I go with the client’s vision. I always tell them that I’m along on their journey.”
Marisa is also a partner in Lavender Road Handcrafted Luxury, a retail shop specializing in home décor for bath, bedroom, and dining. With Melissa Welch, her friend of 20 years, they have a curated inventory of artisanal textiles, jewelry, Talavera, spa products, pillows, sculptures, ceramics, table runners, placemats, and napkins. The shop also enables Marisa to procure unique items for interior design projects.
Business partner Melissa told us, “The goal is to create a brand collection of affordable luxury. We feature a lot of pieces that are not just nice to look at but have a functional everyday use.”
One of the collections that Lavender Road features is a line of high-quality, handwoven Turkish towels produced on a shuttle loom–a traditional Ottoman technique at risk of being replaced by modern methods. Marisa told us, “There are only nine families left in Turkey that have passed down this heritage trade. Every time we sell a piece here, it helps keep that skill alive.”
Marisa’s design studio is located upstairs from Lavender Road at 328 San Felipe NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104, in the Poca a Poco Patio in Old Town. Her phone number is 505.903.3200, and her website is www.spatialharmony.net. Lavender Road’s phone number is 505.289.3968, and the website is www.lavenderroadlux.com.
“I take a lot of pride in our culture with my design. We get a lot of sunlight here. Our paint colors are going to be different than a coastal palette. You have to honor the desert landscape. There’s a reason people move here."
Marisa Saavedra-Gutierrez, owner of Spatial Harmony Color Consulting and Design
