While beautiful paintings, sculptures, and handcrafted objets d’art bring many a tasteful 21st-century home to life, rarely are the lines between residence and gallery blurred to the extent that it’s virtually impossible to tell one from the other.

Such was the decidedly unusual design brief given to Dallas-based firm Ten Plus Three commissioned to design the interiors of the one-of-a-kind CC Residence in San Pedro Garza Garcia, northeast Mexico. Not only did the clients—both passionate art aficionados—desire an exquisite new home that celebrated art in all its forms, but they also wanted a livable space defined by what they dubbed “the awe factor.”

“Our clients have been avid art collectors for years, having inherited certain pieces and scouted others out,” says Mauricio Lobeira, partner at Ten Plus Three. “To blur the boundary between residence and gallery, the art had to be of the utmost importance. Certain spaces were to be used exclusively for paintings or sculptures—no couch or console could be leaning against these walls, no electrical sockets could be placed there, and the lighting had to be positioned at a precise distance.”

Free rein

It’s no coincidence that Ten Plus Three scooped such a prized art-centric commission. Based in Dallas, the international firm is renowned for both its sophisticated interiors and its art world expertise, often helping its discerning clientele to incorporate their beloved collections into new spaces with aplomb.

In fact, the CC Residence homeowners had such confidence in the vision and abilities of Lobeira and his team that they relinquished all creative control of the project—a remarkable decision, virtually unheard of within the industry.

Even Lobeira was surprised. “The clients gave us their complete trust in the designs, the fabrics, the textures, and the scales of the spaces. Naturally, we took advantage of this position—and went all out! The process was a designer’s dream,” he says.