Lali Blanco & Angelique Bousidan shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Lali & Angelique, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Outside of work, what brings us pleasure is playing golf. Laura has been playing for a long time, and little by little she has been helping Angelique disconnect from work and routine through the golf course. Today, amidst work and work, the two of them elevate their game together and enjoy this wonderful sport.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
We believe that great design should reflect you. Whether it’s a cozy home or a buzzing hospitality space, we specialize in bringing our clients’ visions to life—no matter the style.
Hemera Catalpa was founded by Angelique Bousidan, born and raised in Nice, France, and Lali Blanco, born and raised in Argentina. At our studio, we tailor every project with care—collaborating with a trusted network of subcontractors to meet each client’s unique needs and aesthetic.
Angelique personally supervises all U.S.-based projects, while Lali leads our work in Argentina, ensuring the same thoughtful, detail-oriented approach across every location we design.
Our work spans both residential and commercial design, with projects across Miami, Argentina, and the Caribbean. We’ve had the joy of leading full interior design and project management for beloved hospitality destinations like Little Hen Weston, Little Hen Midtown, The Cheese Course, Baroom Club, and Botanica.
On the residential side, our portfolio includes beautiful homes in standout locations such as Paramount Bay, Jade Brickell, San Marino, Pinecrest, Coral Gables area, and in the Caribbean.
Every space tells a story. Our goal is to help you tell yours—beautifully, practically, and with heart.
Design, to us, is more than aesthetics — it’s about creating spaces where life unfolds and memories begin. Every project is a
story waiting to be lived, and we are passionate about shaping environments that feel deeply personal, purposeful, and alive. We are grateful to design spaces that hold meaning — where journeys begin, moments are shared, and beauty supports everyday life.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
Working makes you powerful. Working with consistency and dedication, even more. It’s not just about the results — even though they obviously matter — for us it’s really about the process: the strategy, the creativity, the moment you hit “go.” There’s no project without problems, but finding the solutions is exactly what makes us feel strong, because everything has a way, a tweak, a workaround.
And when one project wraps, we’re already looking ahead to the next. It’s a cycle that doesn’t slow down and barely gives you time to breathe — but the process itself is endless, and that’s what enriches us every single day, giving us more experience and real empowerment.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Honestly? No. There were tough moments, yes. But wanting to quit or walk away from everything? Never. What we’ve built is way too important to even consider leaving behind. We take care of it, we protect it, and like we said before, every problem pushes us to find solutions and keep moving forward.
Let us share a little story that really fits this moment. Lali was living in the United States on a work visa. Until one day, she had to fly back to Buenos Aires — and with some paperwork issues, she ended up stuck there for a month. When everything finally got sorted and she was able to return to her life in the US, she realized that her roots were calling her back. Her family ties and friendships — especially because of her kids — felt too strong to ignore.
So she had to put her family life and her work life on the scale. Something that comes up often, but this time it was black or white. Lali chose to stay in her home country, and find a way to make everything work with Angelique from the distance. And honestly, it’s incredible how we managed to build such a strong team remotely. It’s been three years now with our virtual office running through video calls, and we have a constant, fluid connection.
Our strengths keep complementing each other, and our weaknesses turned into opportunities to problem-solve and bring in more people for our bigger projects. Without a doubt, our biggest challenge was keeping the Hemera Catalpa partnership alive despite the distance — with consistency, dedication, and a lot of heart.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
We love what we do. We love the challenge. We love waking up and finding solutions to whatever the day throws at us — because yes, there’s always something, we already said that. We care about the work, the professionalism, the process… but we care even more about guiding each client to a place where they feel truly comfortable.
Every client is different. Some come in with a very clear vision, others a little less, but none is better than another — because each one teaches us how to walk alongside them in a different way. What we want is simple: for whoever hires us to end up feeling happy, at ease, at peace. It’s our joy to bring out the best in each person so the final result reflects their own vibe.
Of course, our studio is our business — but there’s a deeply human part at its core that allows us to connect with our clients in a personal and genuinely special way.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
This personalized depth in the relationship is everything for us. We believe design is a lot like psychology — it shifts with your history, your day, your feelings. That’s why we see ourselves as the tutor of a growing plant: we’re there to guide, to support, even if it means answering ten questions all at once. We’re the ones who walk alongside someone while they’re creating their home, their workspace, their vacation retreat.
Many times people feel pressured to choose something just because it’s trendy, because “it’s what everyone is doing,” or because it simply looks good. But that’s not how we work. We want to offer uniqueness, personality, identity. We give our clients the confidence to follow their own path, validating who they are and making sure their space becomes truly one-of-a-kind.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hemeracatalpa.com
- Instagram: hemera.catalpa
Image Credits
Angelique Bousidan
