Inside the Pacaso home design process

Published Date: February 1, 2023

A Mediterranean-style great room with organic design elements.
A second home is a place to relax, unwind and enjoy a break from your everyday routine. Comfortable furnishings and beautiful surroundings are a key part of that experience and core to the Pacaso design philosophy. Before the first Pacaso owner steps inside their new second home, the Pacaso design team observes every space and every angle, inside and out, to plan and create a curated environment of livable luxury. Once the core pieces are selected, the design vision is refined and brought to life, then all the finishing touches are added. Pacaso’s design team sums up their approach: “Our goal with Pacaso interior design is to think of the home holistically and put everything together in a way that has a really nice energy, so when you walk into the home, it just immediately feels comfortable and tied together.”Designing a Pacaso second home offers a unique and exciting challenge. The spaces will be used and enjoyed by multiple families, and the homes need to serve everyone’s needs while meeting a high standard of refinement. “When you’re buying into a home of this stature, you expect a certain level of appointment, and so we really strive to make sure that we are at that level. We want buyers to feel so confident about the design of our homes that they don't even need to think about those details when they’re shopping,” said the Pacaso design team. “As soon as they walk through the door, we want them to take a big deep breath and feel a sense of calm and tranquility.”

Location sets the stage

The first step in the Pacaso design process is imagining how owners will use their home, and that depends a lot on the home’s location. The design team focuses on being regionally specific first. People go to the areas they’re really interested in, or they pick the areas that have the weather they enjoy the most — so then it's the design team's job to incorporate the outside in because somebody picked that location for a very good reason.The design team also considers how the climate and natural environment will influence the way owners use the home. They think about the surroundings and what activities are happening nearby — if there are mountains and snow, they’ll take a very different approach compared to a beachfront home. The exterior environment affects how people will interact with their homes, which influences how the team designs the spaces.
Large outdoor patio with couches, bar, and table
Indoor-outdoor living at a Pacaso in Malibu

Experiences drive design

Once the team has decided on a general design approach based on location and climate, they consider the home’s layout and attributes, and how those features will influence the way people use the home. Unlike a primary home, second homes are for gatherings — they design with groups in mind. Everyone should feel comfortable and part of the space.A beautiful home instills pride, but an enjoyable home is designed with the owners’ experiences in mind. There's a lot of purpose behind the design — it's not just about what is going to look great in a photo. If it doesn't work well when people are living there, and they’re moving furniture around because it's just not in the right places or it's in the way, then that’s not a good design.

Every detail matters

Each item in a Pacaso, be it a vase, throw pillow or floor lamp, is intentionally matched to the home. Furnishings are trend-forward, contemporary and beautiful — but function and durability are critical when deciding which pieces will make the final cut. The design team looks at the quality first — is it functional and comfortable? Will it hold up? Then they choose the most beautiful pieces that meet that criteria.The Pacaso design team likes to select something unique for each of their design projects, a piece that feels like it was made for the home. “Typically we try to find a signature piece, sometimes even something like a fabric on a pillow that will inspire me on the design of the whole house, and then I build everything around that.”Equal attention is given to all the extras that make a house feel like home — centerpiece art, cozy throw blankets, and just the right amount of decorative elements “so the home doesn't feel empty or hotel-like, but not so many that it feels like you're sitting in someone else's home with their personal items lying around.” And when it comes to the basics, the team doesn’t skimp on the things you and your family (including any four-legged members) need to enjoy your stay. Homes are stocked with more than 200 essentials for everyday living.
Decorative accessories and artwork at a home in Napa Valley.
Decorative accessories and artwork at a Pacaso in Napa Valley

The final product

Once all the finishing touches are in place, we hope each owner will feel immediately at home in their Pacaso. “We want owners to have that ‘aha’ moment when they arrive. We are all living these stressful lives right now, and when an owner steps through the door they should have a feeling of ‘I'm home,’ but not in the sense of their regular routine. They should feel connected to the space because it’s familiar, relaxing and peaceful.” Find your beautifully designed second home, and experience Pacaso’s livable luxury for yourself. Watch the video to learn more about the Pacaso design team's approach to interior design at Pacaso.

Amie Fisher headshot

Amie Fisher


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