By Clementina Verge
Functionality and timeless design are keywords for Romina Frecha when creating meaningful spaces. Ro by Frecha Design—her recently-opened interior design studio and showroom in New Preston—captures these ideals while also showcasing her fondness for Scandinavian influences.
“The studio celebrates the art of interior design through a commitment to modernist architecture, artisanal craft, and quality workmanship,” Frecha notes. “The focus is on artists’ works that are internationally recognized as classic and contemporary, and crafted from responsibly-sourced materials.”
Frecha fell in love with design at an early age, studying her surroundings and contemplating ways to enhance them. Through the years, her passion for aesthetics and decor compelled her to pursue interior architecture—while still a novel area in the late 1980s in her native Argentina—and after graduating in Buenos Aires, she embarked on a life of travel, observing decor and designs in more than 20 countries before settling in New York City more than two decades ago.
Until recently, one professional aspiration still remained: opening her own studio, a space to showcase her curated collection of design and lifestyle pieces. Choosing its location was easy.
“A few summers ago, we came to visit friends in Sharon,” she reminisces. “They brought us to New Preston and drove us around Lake Waramaug. It was instant love. New Preston is a magical place with stunning landscapes and incredibly kind, creative, and interesting people.
I spent our entire drive home back to the city looking for real estate, and three months later, we moved into a house up on the hill overlooking the lake.”
Frecha now maintains Connecticut and New York City residencies and her vast design portfolio, ranging from country homes, to city apartments and executive offices, captures tranquility and keen emphasis on craftsmanship.
Always focusing on genuine materials, bespoke hardware, and timeless signature furnishing, she advises that just a few well-designed and impeccably constructed pieces can create the entire atmosphere. To demonstrate, her studio displays an exquisite collection, including lighting by Finnish designer Paavo Tynell, an original lounge chair by celebrated Swedish designer Bruno Mathsson, restored vintage pieces from Denmark, and fine art prints by Alex Katz.
When designing furniture, she prefers to use locally-sourced materials, such as the ash and walnut woods used for her sculpture table “Pebbles,” which earned an honorable mention at the 2022 Members Show of the Washington Art Association.
“I also like to use reclaimed or local woods for countertops,” Frecha explains. “Whether new pieces, or vintage furniture and light fixtures, I buy directly from the designer or country of origin. I travel frequently and always search for rare pieces.”
Though design trends change—affecting types of patterns, stone, and wood—Frecha says she prefers “pieces that have history.” Still, when designing for others, she presents a variety of choices, helping them make the right design decisions.
“A home needs to be designed according to its environment and occupants,” Frecha notes. “Functionality and aesthetics go hand in hand to give harmony to the people living in it.” —rominafrechadesign.com
