The Roots: A Shared Passion for Design
Claudia Vásquez Washington and Harry Washington are celebrated Salvadoran designers who have carved out a global presence through their exceptional work in furniture design, interior architecture, and product design. Born and raised in El Salvador and now living and working in Valencia, Spain, they lead a Valencia-based furniture design studio shaped by a unique cross-cultural perspective. The two designers came of age during a pivotal time in El Salvador’s history—a country emerging from a 12-year civil war that ended in 1992 and was striving to rebuild its economy and identity. Against this backdrop, Claudia and Harry found their calling in design and began shaping their career paths in the early 2000s.
Their shared passion for design brought them together when they met at the School of Applied Arts in San Salvador, where both were pursuing degrees in Interior Architecture. Claudia, who was in her final year, met Harry during his second year of studies, sparking both a personal and professional partnership that would later become the backbone of their design studio. They bonded over a shared dream of pushing the boundaries of Salvadoran design to an international level.
Claudia & Harry Washington is a furniture and interior design studio. Their creative process is grounded in their own philosophy that design is meant to connect people to their own human nature and to the essence that makes them authentically happy.
Claudia and Harry met in 2001 while earning their degree in interior architecture in El Salvador. In 2004, they expanded their studies in furniture design in Milan. After their return to El Salvador, they started experimenting with industrial aesthetics through the use of artisan techniques and local manual labor. Their projects often take in consideration a holistic approach, including the design of furniture, lighting fixtures, and products in general. Moved by their aspiration of growing their studio, in 2022 they moved to Spain, where they based their studio in Valencia.
Their venture into the international design sphere began after an encounter with Jerry Helling, President of Bernhardt Design, at ICFF in 2008. One year later, Bernhardt launched The Calibra sofa collection, as part of their 2009 Global Edition. From that moment on, Claudia & Harry Washington would go on to design many other products for international brands.
Claudia and Harry’s work has been manufactured by recognized world-class manufacturers, exhibited in museums and cultural centers, published in international magazines, and their in-house collection is being sold both nationally and internationally. As part of the philosophy, they believe in giving back to the design community in El Salvador. They are founding members of The Carrot Concept, a design platform they co-founded alongside four other Salvadoran studios to promote, sell, and create “Salvadoran” design. They are also organizers and sponsors of Contempo Biennale, the main design contest in El Salvador, which also helped launch their career.
Their work has earned number of recognitions and awards, including the Interior Design Magazine BOY Award, Chicago Atheneum Good Design Award, and NeoCon Gold and Silver Awards.
