Luis García Fraile – Baroque ’n’ Roll
Published on 7 October 2022
From zingy colours that bring a touch of fun to a ceiling’s bourgeois mouldings, to potpourris of motifs that truly pack a punch, Luis García Fraile is a man of contrasts to say the least. The Spanish designer who hails from Madrid has gained superstar status in today’s celebrity circles – even making it onto AD magazine’s list of the 100 designers of the year 2022 – , blending contemporary design with Antiquity using the powerful and vibrant language of colour.
His spirited style is that of someone with a passion for bold hues, most likely a legacy of the Baroque designs favoured by the Castilian and Aragon monarchy. Textiles dominate Luis García Fraile’s world, with dramatic effect bringing a fabulous final flourish to the harmonious use of objects and the careful distribution of space. His walls feature daring graduated hues, monumental blotches of colour, and floral or spectral prints. Full of character? Yes. Intense? Most certainly. And yet consistently imbued with a sense of intimacy and wellness.
Prior to founding LGF Spaces, having graduated in interior design from Madrid’s Polytechnic University, he consolidated his understanding of the decorative arts and honed his eye for detail by racking up experiences in Switzerland, Canada and the USA. After starting out in 2011 as a one-man operation run out of his front room, his design studio has since flourished, and he now heads up a team of eight based in Paseo de la Habana to the north of the Spanish capital.
At Maison&Objet Paris, where he is presenting his latest projects, he shares his current crushes and his innate talent for mix and match design. The English proverb “nothing ventured, nothing gained” suddenly seems as though it could have been translated from Spanish, holding up a mirror to the age of drapes and four poster beds, design pieces Luis García Fraile so loves.
