Meet Cesar Carcaboso and Josep Vicens

 

We were lucky to catch up with Cesar Carcaboso and Josep Vicens recently and have shared our conversation below.

Cesar and Josep, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Santa Living started from the need to escape the hectic city life and explore interior design and textiles more deeply. Building this over the past 5 years has been challenging but rewarding, helping us grow personally and professionally. Even with our success, the impostor syndrome still lingers and gets bigger.

Being two people with shared goals at Santa might make things easier, but there are days when we question: Do people still care about what we do? Are we really enough? Do we have what it takes for that project? These doubts persist, but what really interests people? What is enough? What do we need? Honestly, it’s not easy to strongly question something that makes you doubt and then turn it into something positive.

Thankfully, with perseverance and as you grow as an entrepreneur, you learn to pause, take a breath, and zoom out. We remind ourselves of what we’ve achieved, why we’re here, and reconnect with our passion for new projects.
Sometimes, returning to the roots, like visiting our hometown or spending time with loved ones, makes us feel stronger. Often, they believe in us more than we believe in ourselves.

Indeed, time is crucial in these situations. Allowing ourselves to make mistakes and discover our own skills is part of the entrepreneurial journey. Revisiting past projects, exploring inspiring artists on social media, watching documentaries helps us to feel understood, also attending events helps connect with others who share your passion. (We have many friends from those times, and it’s really comforting to have them nearby.)

But, sometimes we get stuck in our routines so, we stepping out to discover new perspectives or simply reflect is a valuable luxury that helps us grow.

It’s funny how giving advice can be easy, but following it ourselves is often harder. We often end up practicing our own advice without realizing it, like seeking inspiration in nature and unplugging from social media. That’s a topic for another time, right?

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

We founded SANTA in Barcelona in 2019, driven by a desire to create an interior styling and textile design studio that offers an escape from the hectic city life. Through our textiles and interior design projects, we craft serene spaces inspired by the peaceful coastlines of the Mediterranean, our homeland.

We don’t limit ourselves to one way to explore the interior design world. Each project is an invitation to slow down and enjoy the process, whether we’re designing textiles, curating art and furniture, or transforming interiors.

SANTA began as an e-commerce platform where we only sold our home textiles around the world. Thankfully, it was a success! With limited resources, we took on everything ourselves from creative direction to communication and shaping the brand as we went. Soon, we began receiving requests to design custom textile collections for villas and hotels. Today, we’re a studio known for transforming spaces, collaborating with architectural studios, and featuring in top international design magazines like Architectural Digest, Yellow Trace, Ignant or Manera Magazine.

Our guiding principle is simple: we treat our clients’ projects like our own. This mindset shapes everything we do, from materials to design and production. We approach each collaboration with an open heart, bringing our expertise and the talents of local artisans to create something truly special.

What’s been most rewarding is how fast SANTA has grown and the journey it’s taken us on. Leaving L’Empordà for Barcelona 15 years ago was a big step, but reconnecting with our roots through our work has been even more meaningful. We’ve even thought about moving back.

We’re incredibly proud of this journey, not just personally, but professionally too. For all our projects, whether in textiles or interior design, we rely on skilled artisans—a craft that’s disappearing. We’ve revived textile workshops that now collaborate with us, using manual and sustainable processes. This commitment to quality is why we only work with certified organic textiles or small workshops that allow us to maintain a high standard of craftsmanship and exclusivity.

Right now, we’re excited to be working on a new textile collection inspired by summer nights with loved ones and an ephemeral interior design project. We can’t wait to share more with you soon!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

We both love starting projects by creating stories that inspire us. Finding a common thread gives everything meaning and helps us decide what fits and what doesn’t. As a team, we’ve learned it’s crucial to recognize your limits and not push too hard. Experimenting is good, but knowing when to accept your limits and delegate is key to success. it’s a daily challenge, both as partners in life and in business.

Becoming an entrepreneur is a journey of self-discovery. You’ll uncover skills you never knew you had and see just how far you can go with the ones you already do. Just trust the process and let yourself grow.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

The past 12 months have been a time of constant change for us. This year has brought exponential growth to SANTA, but we were also juggling freelance work for other brands, which made our schedules irregular and took a toll on our social lives, both as a couple and individually.

Five months ago, we made the decision to focus 100% on our own brand. This shift has allowed us to fully enjoy the process and find a better balance. Success isn’t just about having numerous projects; it’s also about savoring the journey, appreciating what you have, and building a quality of life that doesn’t involve nonstop work. That’s why we decide to start this adventure.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Photos by:
Javi Dardo @javidardo
La Dichosa @ladichosa
Salva Lopez @salvalopez
Carlota Grau @lota.grau

Clients
Tramuntana Studio @studiotramuntana
Maison Brummell @maisonbrummell
Riad Brummell @riadbrummell
Claudia de Sousa @claudiadesousa_interiordesign
DLinea Architecture and Design @dlinea.architecture
Isabel Francoy @isabel.francoy
Anna Enrich @annaenrichmurt

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