It began at the age of 14, when he assisted the legendary British designer David Hicks in the redesign of his own family’s home in Johannesburg, South Africa. Today, Charles Allem is President and Chief Executive Officer of CAD International, Inc., widely recognized as one of the most influential design firms in the world. From his principal design studio in Miami, Charles Allem directs a global b
usiness whose achievements are unparalleled. Named to the prestigious AD 100—Architectural Digest’s list of the world’s most gifted interior designers—five times, Charles Allem stands at the pinnacle of his profession. It has been a three-decade journey led by his uncompromised creative vision. For Charles Allem, interior design is not merely about achieving a visual effect. It’s about creating an experience through which life itself is elevated to an art form. Color, texture, form—Charles Allem has mastered these elements as few designers of this or any other era. Yet the effect is never formulaic. Charles Allem has no signature style. Each design project aims to derive from its site, its setting, and its historical context a unique interpretation of perfection, created exclusively for the needs and desires of the client for whom it was commissioned. Fearlessly experimental, Charles Allem remains grounded in classical precepts. His knowledge of period styles, his embrace of diverse cultural influences, has allowed him to juxtapose the iconic with the unexpected, the simple with the sophisticated, the sacred with the profane. The result is a body of work that has for more than 30 years consistently achieved groundbreaking statements able to articulate a radically simple belief: that life can be lived in a state of perfection. The spaces he creates, the furniture he designs, and the objects chosen for his interiors inspire the mind and express the soul. Discipline, Balance. These are the characteristics shared by all Charles Allem designs. Under his vision, CAD International now interprets the design philosophy of Charles Allem for a range of residential and commercial projects unrivaled in its global scope. Charles Allem boasts a remarkable list of high-end residential commissions (including the homes of various undisclosed celebrity clients) – many of which have been documented in leading design publications. In addition, the numerous commercial commissions of CAD International include: The Mira Hotel in Hong Kong; Vanke Tongshanjie Project in Shanghai; W Hotel Macao, Ten Aragon, a luxury development in Coral Gables, FL; and 254 Park Avenue South, one of New York City’s premier residential addresses. As Director of Design of CAD International, he drives a team of designers, draftsmen, architects and project managers to execute to perfection commissions of virtually any scale, scope, and consequence.
02/09/2022
