DAVID DE QUEVEDO
INTERVIEW
PhotographED IN NEW YORK CITY
by Skye Parrott
INTERIOR SPACES ARE WITNESS TO OUR MOST INTIMATE MOMENTS. BEYOND SERVING AS OUR HOMES, THEY ARE EXTERNAL EXPRESSIONS OF OUR INTERIOR STATES. IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT AN ORGANIZED SPACE FACILTATES BETTER DECISION-MAKING, AND EVEN SPARKS JOY. THEN THERE’S THE ART OF FENG SHUI, WHICH CHAMPIONS THE IMPORT OF INTERIOR DÉCOR — ITS PIECES AND THEIR PLACEMENT.
A self-described dreamer and believer in magic, David de Quevedo has always been obsessed with interiors. As a child in Madrid, Spain, he watched his father restore old homes to their original glory. The same young eyes soaked up the city's famous architecture and, on family trips, the Mediterranean shore. These early experiences led David to interior design, which summarily prompted his current career: creating fantastical arrangements and set designs for brands like Loewe, Fendi and Le Bon Marche and magazines ranging from Vogue and L’Officiel to T Magazine and Philistine. A magazine David edits with longtime friend Crista Leonard, Philistine celebrates interior design alongside art, fashion and culture.
WHERE WAS YOUR FIRST KISS? WHO WAS IT WITH?
I don’t remember exactly, but for sure it was one of those hot summer nights on the beach or something like that. And for sure with a girl. I didn’t have the luck of kissing a boy until I was 17 or so. I think that guy became my first boyfriend.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST IRRESISTIBLE VICE?
Buying antiques and little objects.
A SUMMER AFTERNOON SONG
A SONG FROM THE FIRST ALBUM YOU OWNED
ONE OF YOUR PARENTS
PERFECT COOL
I think I knew I was gay when I saw this scene from "Dazed and Confused."
A PICTURE THAT EXPLAINS YOUR LIFE PHILOSOPHY
YOUR FAVORITE BODY PART
A SONG THAT REMINDS YOU OF YOUR PARENTS
I just see my mom signing this and my dad smiling.
A SONG YOU'RE EMBARASSED TO LOVE
WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB?
The freedom to create and share crazy ideas with the people and clients I admire.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE LEAST ABOUT YOUR INDUSTRY?
Insecurities.
SOMEWHERE YOU WOULD LIKE TO VISIT
A PERFECT PIECE OF FURNITURE
This is a hard one. I am obsessed with furniture, but if I have to choose one it would be this desk by Nakashima.
A PLACE YOU HAVE CALLED HOME
Madrid
SOMEONE YOU LOVE
AN UNDERRATED FILM
WHO HAVE BEEN THE GREATEST TEACHERS IN YOUR LIFE?
My granny, and the experiences I'm getting.
IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH ANYONE ALIVE, WHO WOULD IT BE?
Ryan Gosling! Sorry, not going to miss that chance!
HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?
When the people I admire call to work with me or for them, and of course being happy and proud of what I'm doing.
YOUR FAVORITE CHILDHOOD PICTURE
THE ULTIMATE INTERIOR SPACE
I have to choose two!
Jim Goldstein's "John Lautner House" in Beverly Hills.
The lobby of the magazine "Meubles et Fonction," Paris 1971, by Pierre Paulin.
A SONG FROM THE FIRST CONCERT YOU WENT TO
A SONG YOU HAVE LISTENED TO 10 TIMES IN A ROW
THE LAST THING THAT MADE YOU LAUGH ONLINE
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT NEW YORK?
I feel like a tourist every day. I also love the energy and opportunities it brings.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CURSE WORD?
Coño! Coño this, coño that!
A GARDEN
Does this count?
WHERE YOU GREW UP
I'm from Madrid, but when I look back to my childhood Meiras, Galicia, is what comes to mind.
