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ArtInterview

by Alexandra Mansilla

‘People Always Feel Something About Our Work — Love Or Hate.’ Meet Masquespacio

20 May 2025

When I lived in Valencia, I once stumbled upon a Greek place called Egeo that I will never forget. It felt like a little slice of Greece right there in Valencia — blue and white everywhere, with striking blue Greek columns. It instantly became a spot I kept wanting to return to.
Recently, by chance, I discovered a cool design studio called Masquespacio. As I was browsing their projects, I realised they were the masterminds behind that very place! Those iconic Greek columns, slightly weathered and painted blue, were their work.
Masquespacio is behind so many fascinating projects — always emotional, bold, and full of flowing, organic shapes. Honestly, their list of works feels like a guide to some of the most beautiful spaces in the world — places you have to visit.
The studio was founded by Ana Palacios and Christophe Penasse, a creative duo (and real-life couple) who aren’t afraid to dream big and bring wild, incredible ideas to life. And the thing is, they started completely from scratch — with no money, no connections, and as strangers in a foreign city.
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— Hi Chris! So, you and your wife Ana launched the interior design studio Masquespacio around 15 years ago? I would love to hear how it all came together — from the very beginning. Where are you from? How did you meet Ana, and how did the two of you start the studio?
— I am originally from Belgium. I visited Spain a few times and quickly fell in love with the culture, the atmosphere, and, of course, the sun. I kept telling myself, “When I’m 30, I’ll move here.” Back then, I was really into music and thought I would build a career in event management, maybe even open a lounge bar, something like Café del Mar.
But when I was around 22, I realised I didn’t want to wait. So I decided to make the move right away. I moved to Valencia with a friend, and the first thing I did was study Spanish. And after a few months of studying, I took a simple job at a supermarket — nothing fancy, but it was part of my fresh start.
During that time, I met Ana. She is originally from Colombia and came to Valencia to study interior design. We met at a bar where she worked on weekends to help cover her rent, and things between us moved fast. A month later, I started working at Makro, part of the Metro Group, in retail. After a few months, I realised I still had that same drive and ambition, so I applied for other roles and told my boss I planned to leave. But instead, the general manager offered me a spot in their commercial department, recognising my potential.
I stayed there, but after two years, I wasn’t happy. The job wasn’t fulfilling, and things were tough personally. In 2010, right in the middle of Spain’s financial crisis, I left the company. It wasn’t an easy time, but when I looked at Ana’s school projects, I realised how much talent she had. I told her, “We should start our own studio. You’re too good to settle for basic work.”
So we did. That is how the studio began — she led the creative side, and I handled the management and business side.
— If I understand correctly, you started the studio from scratch — with almost no money, right? How was it? I imagine it must have been tough at first to find clients.
— Very good question. In the beginning, we were two immigrants with no contacts, trying to break into a market where, honestly, if you didn’t know anyone, it was almost impossible to find work, especially in our field. We started super simple, printing flyers and dropping them into mailboxes with fixed-rate offers for home projects. It wasn’t the best strategy (my mistake!), but it was a start, and that is how we got things rolling.
One of our very first projects came through Ana’s uncle — really tiny stuff in the beginning because we were starting completely from scratch. To prove we could deliver, we handled a lot of the production work ourselves. The client didn’t want to pay someone to install the furniture? We did it. Didn’t want to hire anyone to put up vinyl on the walls? We took care of it ourselves. That was our strategy: making it happen, no matter what.
Step by step, we started picking up more projects, but it was a slow process. We expanded our services to keep things going, starting with graphic design, which was easier to get clients for. Then we added art direction, consulting for furniture and lighting brands, and even event design. Basically, we offered anything we could to keep income coming in while gradually landing more interior design projects.
Press coverage also played a huge role — it has been one of our biggest new business drivers. Plus, we leaned hard into social media; we used it to build visibility and slowly but surely grow our client base.
Honestly, I keep repeating this because people might not believe it when they see where we are today, but we really had no money at the start. My mom wasn’t sending me €200 to help out — we had nothing. We would split food between the two of us and figure out the cheapest way to eat. That was our reality for years. Until about the fifth year, we didn’t even have a proper salary — we just shared whatever small amount we could manage between us. Only after five years did we finally start to pay ourselves a basic income, and from there, things slowly grew. Step by step, the studio stabilised, we got more projects, and our income improved.
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Egeo (Valencia, Spain)

— Do you remember a specific project or period in Masquespacio’s early days when things really started to take off? Was there a moment when recognition for the brand suddenly grew? Do you remember something like that?
— Yes, I definitely remember. One of our first projects was a tiny 20-square-meter shop called Piccino. We sent it to The Cool Hunter, which was huge at the time. Honestly, getting featured there was a dream. They replied, saying they loved it and wanted to publish, and we barely slept that night waiting for it to go live. It was a huge honour for us, not just for the exposure but because it meant we were being recognised.
After that, other magazines started reaching out, and we built up a solid network of press contacts. From then on, every new project we did got picked up by the press. We had a unique vision, and it caught attention.
About six years in, we hit a milestone. In the same year, AD Spain named us one of their “New Values”, and Hospitality Design in the US called us part of their “Wave of the Future” group. That really boosted our profile, but it wasn’t like an overnight success where we suddenly had 20 projects lined up. We still had to hustle for every job.
There was a turning point, though. Even though we were doing a lot of branding, design consulting, and event work, we weren’t getting as many interior design requests, which is what we truly love. We started to get frustrated. One night, we looked at our website and realised it was all branding. So we made a bold decision: we shut down the graphic design department completely to focus only on interior design.
— Wow, a tricky step to take. From what I can see, all your projects are, of course, different — each one shaped by its purpose, location, and context. But there is definitely something that ties them all together. I would love to hear how you would describe your approach and style. Are there certain design elements or details that you try to incorporate into every project?
— The first word that always comes to mind is emotion. Even when our projects lean minimal, like repeating patterns or simple forms, they are always designed to evoke a strong emotional response. That is why people either love them or hate them; there is rarely anything in between. Our work never leaves people indifferent.
This emotional core comes from Ana, who is a deeply emotional and intuitive person. She is not afraid to propose something unexpected to clients, even if it pushes the brief. Sometimes it is a hit, sometimes adjustments are needed, but that risk-taking keeps things fresh.
In our projects, you will notice a lot of fluidity, especially in the recent ones. Organic, flowing forms, often with a feminine touch, even if they don’t always read as traditionally “feminine.”
There is always a strong presence of pattern and texture. Texture is key, whether it is through materials or colours, and of course, colour itself is one of the main pillars of our work. Everything — textures, forms, colours, materials — blends together to create a complete experience.
Ana also has a sharp sense of culture and understands different audiences really well, from Millennials to Gen Z. She knows how to design spaces that resonate with each group’s unique tastes and expectations. Gen Z especially challenges the usual aesthetic norms — they want things messy, raw, and real, while we grew up wanting everything polished and perfect. That has been an interesting shift to adapt to, but Ana has a real gift for reading those changes and translating them into design that feels relevant and impactful.
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MO (Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia)

— Also, as I was scrolling through your projects, I started wondering — do you think the spaces you create reflect the spirit of the city they are in? I noticed, for example, some of your projects in Valencia, and thought, “Yes, this really feels like Valencia.” The same with projects in Milan or Paris.
— A lot of them, yes! We are genuinely interested in different cultures and trying to understand them. We are both naturally open and curious about other ways of living. It is something that has been in our DNA from the start. We know how to work with a Saudi client, and we know that is totally different from working with someone from Spain or Germany. And we love learning about these differences — their traditions, their religions, their ways of life. It is fascinating, and honestly, it is one of the best parts of what we do.
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8 Portions (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

— Your home is also your own creation. First off, how did you put the space together, and what made you design it that way? And what is it actually like living in such a bold, complex space every day?
— I will actually start with a little anecdote. Just yesterday, my neighbour showed us his house, which is super rustic with lots of wood. He told me about a project he did with architects once, and said, “It ended up looking like a dental clinic — too white, too clean. I hated it.” We always say: your home should feel like you. It needs to reflect your personality, and it is the architect’s job to understand that. I joked, “In our house, you need 3D glasses because it’s so colourful and there’s always something going on.”
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Home (Valencia, Spain)

We were searching for a typical Valencian home — something traditional. When we stepped into this house, we didn’t finish the tour before telling the owner, “We want it.” It was perfect: two connected buildings, one industrial, the other more rustic and authentic.
The house had been abandoned for 20 years and was basically used as storage for tractors. We had to renovate everything. And honestly, it was a huge challenge for Ana for a few reasons. First, we always complain when clients have limited budgets, but when it is your own house? The budget is even tighter. Second, while Ana had designed exhibitions before, she had never designed her own home. And third, there was no brief. It is strangely harder than working for a client.
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Home (Valencia, Spain)

The design itself really respects the house’s original character — we kept imperfections, preserved existing flooring where possible, and maintained the old spirit of the place. The result is a mix of all the design influences we have explored over the years. Looking back, we realise the house reflects our evolution as designers: a bit of Memphis, a touch of Art Deco, some futurism, and of course, arches — those were trending, but we made them our own. A friend of ours, a journalist and once the director of AD Spain, visited and said, “I love it because it tells the story of your career.” We hadn’t even thought of it that way until he pointed it out.
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Home (Valencia, Spain)

The colours are another story. Ana didn’t choose them because they were trendy or tied to a client brief — she simply picked what she liked in the moment and combined things freely.
What is it like to live in such a colourful world? I am more rational by nature, someone who enjoys quiet and calm, but honestly, it doesn’t bother me at all. I don’t find it overstimulating. I like it as it is. The space feels good.
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Home (Valencia, Spain)

— One project that absolutely blew me away is Novu, the waffle spot in Saudi. I honestly think it is exactly what a waffle place should be. Tell me the story behind it — how did this project come about?
— The first thing I would love to mention is that clients were really open. The owners came to us with an existing brand, a small takeaway spot in the east of Saudi Arabia, and the branding was fun, playful, and really well done.
We knew we had to match that playfulness. The concept was all about waffles, which was funny for me personally because I am from Brussels, so we had this natural connection.
Ana immediately saw the potential: since it is a low-cost brand, she thought, let’s lean into the waffle as a graphic pattern. The waffle shape is iconic, and she wanted to use it everywhere. Her first idea was to bring in bricks, because many small bricks actually mimic the grid of a waffle. It was the perfect material: affordable, easy to work with, and instantly on-theme.
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Novu Waffle (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

That became the foundation for what we called the “waffle world.” Ana designed a pattern that reimagined the waffle texture across the entire space, from the walls to the windows to the stools. The pattern wrapped around everything, creating a really immersive, visually striking look. And because it is a takeaway spot, we didn’t want people to linger for too long. The space hits you with energy the moment you step in: bold colours, strong shapes — it is designed to feel vibrant and dynamic, perfect for grabbing your waffle, soaking up the vibe, and moving on.
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Novu Waffle (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

We also thought carefully about how people move through the space: you enter, turn to order, pick up, and exit out the other side. There are digital screens for communication and updates on your way out, so it is a full, thoughtful loop.
One of the key design moves was the centre space, where people can step in to eat if they want. From the outside, you can see the hanging waffle-inspired structure inside, which draws people’s attention and pulls them in. It is simple but really effective, and creates that “wow” moment even before you walk through the door.
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SENSORA, Milan Design Week

— You also had an amazing installation at Milan Design Week, SENSORA, Can you tell me more about it? What does it mean, and what was the idea behind it?
— This was a collaboration with Élitis, a French brand that specialises in wall coverings, fabrics, curtains, and upholstery.
We created a spatial journey with three distinct environments. From the entrance, you pass through a corridor that leads you into different “moments” within the space. It is really about connecting with the product through a full design experience. In the first section — the entrance — you sit facing four framed “windows,” each showing a different setup with its fabrics. These vignettes explore the idea of verticality and encourage you to think about your own perception of space, blending the physical experience with a more introspective layer.
Then you move into a circular area, where you are surrounded by fabric panels that create a labyrinth-like effect. This immerses you even deeper, as if you are walking through a living sculpture. There is also a downstairs section with another experience, continuing the theme of discovery and interaction.
What we always try to do with projects like this is to push the storytelling in a way that is a bit deeper. But at the end of the day, the main goal is to showcase the brand’s products in a fresh, unexpected way. A lot of architects and interior designers don’t always see the full creative potential of materials — they think of fabrics in standard terms: curtains, upholstery, wall coverings. We want to break that mindset and show you can do much more. You can create forms, build environments, even sculptural elements — all with fabric. For example, you can shape a circular bench and wrap it in fabric to create something striking and immersive. That is the kind of exploration we aim for in these kinds of exhibitions.