Southern Living Idea House

✤  Paloma Contreras Design ✤

Casa Branca is delighted to have partnered with Paloma Contreras Design on the 2026 Southern Living Idea House, where our fabrics and wallpapers helped bring warmth and character to this beautiful Texas Hill Country home.

Photographer: Fernanda Rivera

✤ Q & A ✤

Tell us about your design for the Southern Living Idea House. Where did you draw your inspiration for your space?  What was the process behind your brand collaborations, selections and getting the space together? Any other fun details! 

The architecture of the house and the Fredericksburg landscape were our starting points for the casita. We wanted it to feel like a complete retreat where guests would have everything they needed, but we also wanted each room to have its own personality. The living room is handsome and cozy with a subtle nod to the American West, while the bedroom is feminine, playful, and full of pattern. I love that the two rooms feel distinct but still belong together. We began with the mood and palette for each space, then selected pieces from our brand partners that felt natural within that vision. Casa Branca was a wonderful fit because the collection gave us so many opportunities to play with pattern, color, and texture. We paired the fabrics with warm woods, rattan, mohair, and antiques, then added art, books, and collected objects to make the casita feel personal and lived in.

Can you share a bit about your experience working with Casa Branca (this can be about the items you used and how you incorporated them or anything else you'd like to share about CB!)?

It was such a pleasure working with Casa Branca. I have always admired Alessandra’s eye and the way her collection combines a global sensibility with such a chic, relaxed point of view. We used the collection throughout several of our spaces. In the casita bedroom, we paired Srinagar on the rattan headboard and bedskirt with Srinagar Stripe on the Roman shades. In the living room, we layered Fiamma Ikat, Mushroom mohair, Branca Ticking Stripe, and Vimini. We also incorporated Casa Branca pieces in the patio, powder room, and study. The patterns and textures all have their own personalities, but they work together beautifully and gave the rooms a common thread without making them feel matched.

Farmhouse design often leans heavily on neutrals. How did you use Casa Branca’s vibrant patterns, stripes, and geometrics to redefine modern Southern farmhouse design?

I never felt that being in the country meant the interiors needed to be quiet or entirely neutral. A country house can still have plenty of color and personality. Casa Branca’s stripes and geometrics added a tailored element, while the more expressive patterns brought warmth and energy. Layering them with rattan, linen, mohair, warm woods, and antiques kept the rooms feeling grounded, comfortable, and connected to the setting.

You upholstered a rattan headboard in Casa Branca’s Srinagar fabric for the Casita guest room to ensure visitors didn't feel like they were getting 'leftovers'. What drew you to that specific textile to elevate a traditional woven texture?

The rattan bed already had such a wonderful silhouette, and Srinagar gave it even more personality. The Toast and Salmon colorway is warm, feminine, and playful, and it looks beautiful against the natural texture of the rattan. Using it on both the headboard and the bedskirt made the bed feel completely considered. I never want a guest room to feel like it received whatever was left over. It should be every bit as inviting and special as the rest of the house. This room is joyful and layered, and I would be very happy to stay there myself.

The 2026 Idea House heavily embraces Fredericksburg's multicultural history. How did the global, artisanal feel of Casa Branca patterns like Srinagar or Jaipur Fiore help tie together the German, Czech, and Mexican design influences of the Texas Hill Country?

Fredericksburg has such a rich history, and we wanted the rooms to feel as though they belonged there. Casa Branca’s patterns have a global point of view and a wonderful handcrafted quality that worked beautifully with the natural materials, antiques, and woven textures we used throughout the house. I was less interested in assigning a particular pattern to one specific cultural influence and more interested in creating rooms that felt collected over time. That mix of references is what gives a room depth and makes it feel personal.

The Casita nods to Fredericksburg’s historic Sunday houses. How did you use Casa Branca patterns to evoke a feeling of historic charm while maintaining a luxury vacation vibe?

We wanted the casita to feel like a complete little retreat. It needed to be comfortable and self-sufficient, but still have the intimacy and charm of an old guesthouse. The mix of patterns helped us create that collected feeling. In the casita living room, we paired Fiamma Ikat drapery with a Mushroom mohair sofa, a ticking stripe slipper chair, and vintage chairs upholstered in Vimini. Nothing feels too perfectly matched, which I love. The quality of the fabrics and the tailoring keep it polished, while the mix itself feels relaxed and lived in.

You have mentioned that natural light should always guide color and fabric selection. How did the intense, bright light of the wide-open Texas Hill Country change how you viewed your Casa Branca fabric selections compared to how they might look in a traditional urban space?

The Texas light is strong and expansive, so we were able to use richer colors and more pattern without the rooms feeling heavy. In an urban space, where the light may be softer or more filtered, those same fabrics could read deeper or more saturated. The light also brought out the texture in the collection. The mohair, velvet, linen, and woven fabrics all change subtly throughout the day, which gave the rooms so much warmth and dimension.

What is your secret formula for mixing bold geometrics with romantic florals without overwhelming a space?

It really comes down to scale and balance. I like to mix a larger, more expressive pattern with a smaller geometric or stripe, then add solids and texture to give the eye a place to rest. The patterns do not need to match, but the colors should relate to one another. I also try not to let every pattern have the same amount of energy. If the drapery is the bold moment, the sofa might be solid, the chair might be striped, and the pillows can bring in a smaller pattern. The room should feel collected and intuitive, never overly coordinated.