Houston’s Haven of True European Luxury — CAM Studio is Beloved by Top Designers for Good Reason

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If your personal interior design aesthetic leans toward clean and sophisticated European, particularly Italian-crafted furnishings, you are likely already a client of Houston’s CAM Studio. Or you’ll want to become one.

Established in 2018 by Carla Muñoz, CAM Studio is the first stop for many heralded interior designers. CAM is an exclusive dealer for Minotti, Riva 1920, Porro, Wittmann, Draenert, Lasvit and other storied European brands. Born in Mexico, Muñoz moved to Houston in 1999 — and considers the Bayou City home.

Her 20 years of experience in high-end furniture and design sets CAM Studio apart. During her career, Muñoz has worked on small and large projects with talented architects and designers in Houston and around the world.

Muñoz feels Houston is a very cosmopolitan city, with an appreciation for European luxury and modern design.

“For me, luxury is the marriage of beauty, quality and comfort,” she says. “Taste can be subjective. It is a matter of having balance on the elements — color, texture, light, form, etc… — while covering the needs and preferences of each individual. For Minotti, sophisticated furnishings are like a tailored suit — made to fit the user’s personality and taste.”

Part of CAM Studio’s mission is to be at the forefront of raising brand awareness for the best in contemporary furniture design and construction.

“I work with many family-owned factories located just north of Milan,” Muñoz says. “To visit the factories is really an experience. For example, Riva 1920 is 100 percent green production, all the wood items are made by hand and only treated with natural oils. They have a museum of wood with old artifacts and pieces of machinery.”

In this unprecedented coronavirus year, many furniture houses decided not to introduce a new collection at all. However, Minotti pressed on, releasing a full collection for home and hospitality, as well as indoor and outdoor furnishings.

“My favorite aspect of the 2020 collection is that it embraces the know-how of Minotti’s expertise on upholstery with a high level of sartorial craftsmanship,” Muñoz says.

The 2020 Collection by Minotti reflects a contemporary, modernist style, reaffirming the identity of the brand. The new upholstered seating systems and indoor/outdoor pieces are characterized by the purity of their shapes and volumes. With a conformity to geometric shapes each brings an architectural appeal.

The shapes are combined with a sophisticated tailoring, drawing from exquisite materials and a refined textile collection. One recent trend incorporates more curved lines and soft edges in contemporary design. These softened edges can be found in pieces like Minotti’s Torii legs, whose bases are designed after the traditional Japanese temple gates. And Minotti’s emphasis on textile choice is found in the expertly tailored Blazer pieces.

Minotti’s team is coordinated by Rodolfo Dordoni. The 2020 Collection looks West to the sophisticated Mid-Century vibe of California, East to the formal minimalism of Japan, and North to the striking simplicity of Scandinavia. Minotti’s press materials tout the collection as “silent elegance, never shouted.” It blends international elements, while remaining entirely Italian in its imprinting.

The 2020 Collection expresses that blend of cultures instinctively in the Connery series with its endless functionality, expressive textiles and modern comfort. With many configurations incorporating end tables, book shelves and lounge seating elements, you can picture Connery mixing happily with Swedish, Japanese or American backgrounds.

You will also find sculptural complements and seating elements with a strong sense of nostalgia that look back to the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies. Call it a reinterpretation of contemporary style. For instance, the Fynn series would be at home in any decade with its sculpted woods and modernist edge.

Minotti sees open air spaces as an extension of the indoor living room ― the outdoor collection was designed for private gardens and terraces, as well as marinas or yachts. The outdoor furniture pieces are based on the main geometric shapes — squares, rectangles and circles —  the same as its 2020 Indoor Collection.

Take a look at the Sunray outdoor living collection, for instance, and you can picture a relaxed, yet endlessly chic veranda overlooking a seaside village, or imagine yourself unwinding while taking in sweeping mountain views. You can bring those same pieces indoors for a laid-back and livable look.

Where Minotti has been a standard-bearer in seating for many years, it is now gaining notoriety in the commercial and hospitality realm as well.

CAM Studio is ready to introduce you to the world of European elegance and modern simplicity. This knowledgeable group can help you attain your dream look, offering full design and installation services for both commercial and residential environments.

For more information on CAM Studio, check out its full website.