If you’ve ever dined at one of the more than half-dozen Karina’s eateries in San Diego, you’ve stepped into a bright, colorful and eclectic environment designed by restaurateur David Contreras Curiel. One of the partners of the family-owned business, Curiel is an avid traveler who looks for inspiration in his journeys to places like Madrid, Morocco and Mexico City — as well as the hotels he stays at — to create original spaces for the restaurant’s properties.
It’s no surprise that he has turned his design chops to his homes over the years including a 1,658-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in the Columbia District that he bought in January 2021.
Curiel was the first owner of the unit, so it was something of a blank slate. The condo offered a few packages for cabinetry, flooring, countertops and other finishes, but the kitchen was already installed. Nevertheless, Curiel has put his own original touches on his new home, making use of the craftspeople he has collaborated with at the Karina’s sites.
The condo, with its 5-inch-wide oak hardwood floors, opens into a small entry with a powder room to the left and then straight into the open kitchen and living room. The entrance is dramatic: Curiel engaged artist Katy Yeow to create a ceiling mural from the front door to the end of the kitchen of green-, white- and cream-colored leaves against a dark green background.
“I was very nervous,” he itted. “My brother, who’s my business partner and also one of my best friends, said it was crazy and didn’t think I would like it. But it’s beautiful. And my brother even said, ‘Well, I’ve gotta give it to you. It turned out pretty good.’ ”
The kitchen is a contrast of dark and light. A broad, white quartz island that seats four faces a mix of dark and light cabinetry, with honed Carrara marble hexagonal tiles as the backsplash, more quartz for the countertops, and a Thermador wall oven and cooktop.
Curiel had square recessed lighting installed in the ceiling, but otherwise the kitchen was the work of the builder. Curiel said that was fine by him because he doesn’t really do formal entertaining, instead having friends and family over to hang out.
Nevertheless, in the adjacent dining room, he designed an 80-inch-long oak dining table sporting a slim strip of chrome, with benches upholstered in cream chenille that were made by Juan Jose Danzos, a furniture artisan. Alongside it sits a small, round Italian marble table with two Louis Ghost chairs by Kartell. Above the marble table is an ornate chandelier of gold-and-clear Swarovski crystals. A tall, leather-framed Adnet mirror from Design Within Reach leans against the nearby wall.
Across from the dining area is a large architect bookcase from Roche Bobois. The taupe color in the back of the glass-enclosed bookcase inspired Curiel’s choice for the wall color, which seems to change with the light.
On the other side of the large dining table is the living room with its massive Mah Jong Missoni modular sectional bursting with a rainbow of bold colors — from rust orange and purple to gold and red. The hues are present in both solid sections in a deeply satisfying thick corduroy and floral prints. He brought the piece from his Mission Hills home and added some more sectional components to fit the room. That sectional is the reason the ceiling mural ends with the kitchen.
“It’s balanced,” he said. “I don’t want to overdo it. I feel like when I’m sitting on the sofa, I catch myself looking at each of the leaves and get lost in them. It’s meditative.”
Curiel also collaborated with Danzos on the long coffee table, which is topped with Calcutta marble and sits on a Lily Brush area rug from Roche Bobois. Facing the sectional is a wall of marble tiles that appears three dimensional. On it hangs an art display television with what looks like a National Geographic photo of two leopards.
Behind the sofa, against the floor-to-ceiling window, is a Philippe Starck by Kartell desk and another two Louis Ghost chairs. Alongside the desk is a statue of a black greyhound.
“I like dogs,” Curiel said. “I use dogs at all my properties. I have statues of dogs made out of wood, made out of bronze.”
As brilliant as the colors are in his living room, his bedroom is a cozy, muted retreat. Curiel designed his bed and nightstands, which were built by Danzos. The bed is a mix of a warm charcoal velvet and chrome, with linens in taupes and browns and a touch of green — along with two decorative pillows that each feature a white houndlike dog. The bed is flanked by two nightstands, which combine chrome and oak with a marble top.
“I had seen something like these at a hotel I love to stay at when I go to New York, the Baccarat Hotel. I’m kind of obsessed with it,” he explained. “They had something similar so that gave me inspiration for the nightstands.”
Above the bed is a striking Maria Teresa Vieira painting of a man and woman in shades of grays and green that has the feel of magical realism. Across from the bed is the room’s only pop of bright color — a Robert Goldman landscape with a deep, almost turquoise sky over a hill in shades of yellow, gold and orange.
“When I wake up in the morning, it makes me happy,” said Curiel. “I just stare at it.”
In the dressing area is a Morrison dresser from Design Within Reach, over which hangs a large photo by photographer Greg Lotus of a svelte, dark-haired woman in white kissing the nose of an equally elegant white horse.
Curiel’s pride and joy is the walk-in closet next to the bathroom that he designed with his friend, architect Ricardo Guerrero of One61 Design Studio. It’s a very masculine effect — think elegant, wood-ed men’s haberdashery — with plenty of space for Curiel’s shoe collection. Everything has its place, including narrow shelves for rolled ties and belts, and very neatly folded sweaters. And there’s a second Adnet mirror hanging next to a vertical trio of paintings by Javier Marten.
Curiel moved into his condo in March 2021, but his design efforts are ongoing. Only recently did he get custom linen curtains made and hung in the living room and bedrooms. He plans on installing a mirror on the wall by the small marble table in the living room, where the Adnet mirror is resting.
“This place is my sanctuary,” Curiel said. “It’s a place where I feel creative.”
Caron Golden is a freelance writer.
