Long Beach, California has a long history of experimental and innovative architecture. From the Gothic Grotesques of the Villa Rivera to the iconic roundness of the International Tower. While all of this builds our famous skyline, it is what is inside these buildings old and new alike that shape the lives of the locals. Thomas Keene and Christian Rosales are looking to put their mark on the Long Beach interior design business with their new studio KrimsonHAUS. The two met after working on a project together. Their chemistry was undeniable. “The more projects we did, the more it was inevitable that we needed to start our own thing and take our designs to the next level.”
Keene, a Florida native came to California after realizing his style was not fitting his local market. “I always knew I wanted to come to California. I didn’t know when or how, but it wasn’t until 2010 that I decided to make that move. It was after graduating in 2007, which was the start of the recession, I tried multiple design firms trying to figure out where I fit. After realizing that I couldn’t find the right niche for me, I then decided that it was the perfect time to move to California to seek new opportunities and possibilities. I landed in Long Beach because the city felt similar to home but on a larger scale.” There was never a doubt in Thomas Keene’s mind about his passion. It was always design. “Design has been my passion ever since childhood. I used to rearrange my parent’s house every month to see what different configurations I could come up with. I always watched design shows on television and going to school made me realize that this was my passion and what I wanted to do.”
Meanwhile, Rosales is an LA native with his finger on the pulse of the local art and architecture scene. Although it is not his medium his love for architecture has influenced his work. “By no means am I an architect, but I guess that’s why I admire exquisite work. Some of my favorite buildings in Long Beach include the First Congregational Church of Long Beach, the Broadline Hotel, and the Security Trust and Savings bank building on 1st and Pine. I guess I’m a sucker for brick work and Italian renaissance styles. I’m also a big fan of Lloyd Wright and Art Deco. I’m always fond of beautifully designed buildings and think to myself, “I wish I could design the interiors inside that!” Rosales’s creativity has always been itching to show. “I didn’t know that I always had a knack for interior design per se, but I always knew I was pretty creative and artistic. I was going to school for exercise science because I felt like going the physical therapy route was an established career. During school I felt like I needed a creative outlet so I reached out to a friend that works in the film industry doing gadget design. He didn’t need an assistant at the time, but recommended that I work with his friend who does interiors. I met with him and interviewed and he hired me on the spot. I learn so much from him and being hands on. I think what I enjoyed the most is that he was super creative and would always be open to my input. He saw that I really had an eye for this and had me handling my own projects in no time. From there I just kept learning and ultimately fell in love with everything interior design.”
Despite different backgrounds and paths, both Keene and Rosales are thrilled to have ended up in collaboration on KrimsonHAUS. Even the name itself was a collaborative effort. “We sat on the phone for a while trying to figure out what name would be perfect to describe who we are as individuals and how that was going to be portrayed for our company.” The two loved the idea of something not only bold, but high end. “I stumbled upon the word Crimson and that gave thought about what it represented aside from a really cool name. Crimson is one of those colors that is right in between purple and red… It’s kind of obscure. We felt that is the right representation of who we are together. We balance each other out and together we make a bold statement just like the color. That’s what we want to translate into our work- creating unique spaces and experiences for people to enjoy. Haus came about because not only did we want to do a play on words for house, but because when I think of what we want for our clients, I think that it has to be elevated and upscale. If you think of fashion houses back in the days, they all had ‘House’ or ‘Haus’ to represent their entities. Some examples would be the ‘House of Chanel’ or the ‘Haus of Dior’ to name a few.”
Another thing the two agree on, the importance of the customer’s vision. Christian Rosales himself sees the client’s taste as the only one there is. “I think for me my favorite style is our client’s style and how they experience their home. I really like to get in their heads and try to embody them as much as possible while still seeing it from my lens. If I had to choose a style it would probably be eclectic and I feel that every style can work with each other depending how you design it.”
Keene chimed in with a similar thought. “Ultimately, I’m proud of all my projects just because I put the same amount of effort and passion into every project because the ultimate goal is making the client happy.”
The work that has come out of KrimsonHAUS is undeniably beautiful. There is a clear, cohesive and creative eye in their designs that anyone could find themselves hosting in, or sinking into after a long day at work. Keene and Rosales put it best themselves: “At KrimsonHAUS we pride ourselves in what we do and catering to our client’s needs. We make sure that we can be the best that we can be to provide the best experience.”
Interested in more? You can check out their work at KrimsonHAUS.com or @KrimsonHAUS on Instagram.
