By Beth Brody

Rosario Salazar has taken both the interior design and architectural communities by storm.

Though interior and architectural design phenomena Rosario Salazar has traveled far from her native Colombia, she remains close to her roots. Her designs use organic shapes and materials to create a style all her own, “contemporary ethnic,” as she likes to call it. Salazar’s exquisite taste, unique eclectic style, and attention to detail explain why she is one of the most sought-after designers by the Latin American and South Florida elite.

Salazar began cultivating her design skills at the Piloto University in Bogotá, Colombia, utilizing her natural eye for architecture. Soon after the completion of her studies, she began working for a major design firm, overseeing substantial residential and commercial projects. Her talent for design was quickly noticed, and she began receiving global recognition, leading to several notable awards including the “Orchid Award” given to outstanding Colombian citizens for accomplishment in architecture and design; the ASID Design Excellence Award; and IDG Designer of the Year.

After years of working in the industry both nationally and internationally, Salazar felt aptly equipped with the knowledge and experience necessary to branch out and follow her dream of combining architecture and interior design by establishing her namesake Miami based design firm, Rosario Salazar Design Inc. Success seemed instantaneous, and her clientele following continues to grow. “Sometimes I look around and see my surroundings and have to ask myself: how did I get here?” laughs Salazar. “It came as a result of working hard, being a perfectionist and demanding excellence, not by networking or hiring PR.”

The array of awards and projects that Salazar has received and completed throughout her career is evidence of her vast design capabilities. Her diverse skills as both an architect and interior designer cover a broad range of styles, from contemporary to traditional, but all the designs share the timeless, eclectic quality that her work is best known for, and the results are utterly chic.

Salazar is directly involved with every project that her design firm partakes in, and takes care to meet extensively with her clients, ensuring that their visions—extravagant or simple—are manifested into realities. “I see potential in every space, and the more challenging it seems to be, the more fun it is for me to work on. I make a mental floor plan, and I visualize my first tridimensional sketch. From then on the ideas just keep flowing,” explains Salazar. Her creative ideas and client’s visions are perfectly executed by a talented design team, comprised of some of the nation’s premier contractors, installers, manufacturers, and artisans.

With the immense success that Salazar has experienced in both interior design and architecture, she sought to utilize her talents in a new way, and thus the vision was born for her design store, Rosario Salazar@ the Village. Located in the heart of Coral Gables, the store is filled with everything from custom furniture and cabinets to accent pieces. The space also showcases Salazar’s new line of exclusive furniture, which varies from Bamboo-accented wood pieces to sleek Mahogany beds. Salazar@ the Village was created with consumers, designers, architects, builders, and decorators in mind, and offers a unique variety of home accent pieces, furniture, and custom works from Salazar and other renowned craftsmen. This haven of all-things-interior is already a favorite amongst Miami’s design cognoscenti.

With the future looking bright, Salazar will continue to be a leader of the interior and architectural design international community, and her long list of A-list clientele look forward to see what this creative mastermind will come up with next.