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Claudia Morales

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Claudia Morales, (born August 25, 1959) is an American interior designer based in Southern California.

Early life and education

Claudia Morales was born in West Berlin, Germany, the daughter of an American Serviceman and a German socialite mother. She spent her formative years in West Berlin (surrounded by the Berlin Wall) alongside her two older sisters. Her educational journey commenced in 1968 at an American school in Darmstadt, Germany, where she attended kindergarten and first grade. Later, her family moved back to Berlin, where she embarked on a transformative academic path at The John F. Kennedy School, a bilingual and bi-cultural German-American public school. This unique educational environment instilled in her the values of critical thinking, independence, and academic excellence, all while promoting international diversity rooted in mutual respect and cooperation.

From a very young age, Morales displayed an innate talent for design aesthetics. Her natural inclination for decoration was evident as she transformed her childhood bedroom and even her college dorm room into miniature living spaces, complete with seating arrangements for guests and areas designed for entertaining.

At an early stage in her life, Morales harbored a dream of becoming either a photographer or an interior designer. Her journey in photography began when she received her first camera, a Polaroid, at the tender age of twelve. Over the years, her creative instincts continued to flourish, compelling her to seek a broader, more international approach to her career aspirations. This pursuit led her to the University of Maryland in Munich, where she received a degree in Arts, Pre-law, and Graphic Design. In 1981, she made the bold move to New York City to explore her passion further.

In New York, her growing interest in photography led her to enroll at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in 1982. There, she obtained a degree in Photography and Advertising Design, setting the stage for her professional career. Her initial foray into the industry involved both photographing print ads and fashion photography, providing her with invaluable experience.

Subsequently, Claudia relocated to San Diego, California, where she delved into various creative pursuits, preparing her for the next chapter in Los Angeles.

Career

Upon her relocation to Los Angeles, Morales's career became deeply rooted in the realm of film and television post-production.

In this bustling entertainment hub, she assumed a range of creative roles, including specializing in colorization for black-and-white films, serving as an art director and senior art director for color effects in films, commercials, and music videos, and ultimately becoming a creative director for colorization and color effects on diverse entertainment projects. Notably, her portfolio featured impactful contributions to projects such as New Line Cinema's feature film "Pleasantville" and the compilation of black-and-white television performances of Judy Garland, working directly with Sid Luft, Judy Garland’s former husband and manager.

When this chapter of her career gracefully came to a close, Morales embarked on a remarkable new journey that was, in her own words, a "natural progression." She decided to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming an interior designer. Her educational pursuit led her to the acclaimed and accredited extension program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she successfully obtained a degree in interior design. Just three years later, she boldly opened her own business, Claudia Interior Design[1], which specializes in transforming kitchens and bathrooms into stunning works of functional art.

Morales's design style is profoundly influenced by the enduring legacies of design luminaries, including Richard Avedon, Charles & Ray Eames, Le Corbusier, Saarinen, Elsie de Wolfe, Syrie Maugham, and Eileen Gray. Her designs are a harmonious fusion of modern state-of-the-art aesthetics and practical functionality.

A defining characteristic of her designs is the incorporation of an open concept, notably observed in her innovative bathroom designs. This particular element was inspired by a memorable encounter in 1988 when she visited a friend's apartment in Rome. In this unique space, the shower was ingeniously placed right next to the toilet and washbasin, resulting in the entire bathroom being transformed into a functional wet room, symbolizing the synergy of form and function.

Design Style and Influences

Morales's design style seamlessly blends modern aesthetics with functionality, drawing inspiration from design luminaries such as Richard Avedon, Charles & Ray Eames, Le Corbusier, ElielSaarinen, Elsie de Wolfe, Syrie Maugham, and Eileen Gray. Her designs feature open concepts, a motif inspired by her experiences in Rome in 1988.

Awards and recognition

Morales is an active member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), a professional organization that she has been associated with since 2004. She briefly served as the Professional Development Director on the Board of Directors for ASID's Orange County, California chapter, contributing to the organization's growth and development.

Furthermore, Morales's contributions to the design community were consecutively recognized when she received the annual prestigious Best of Houzz award from 2015-2022 for best design and service, showcasing her commitment to excellence and innovation in the field of interior design.

References

[1] https://viewer.joomag.com/laguna-beach-magazine-november-2022-lbm111xdigitalmag-1022/0216530001666814490 . Page 60
https://trendmag2.trendoffset.com/publication/?m=16439&i=445451&p=50&ver=html5. Page 50
https://trendmag2.trendoffset.com/publication/?m=16439&i=380278&p=30&pre=1&ver=html5. Page 30
https://www.lagunabeachmagazine.com/kitchens/↑

External links

Claudia Interior Design, Instagram , and Houzz, HGTV, LinkedIn.