Cristina Villalón

For Cristina Villalón, great design is more than how a space looks. It's about how people feel when they walk into a room, how that space works in everyday life, and the impact it has on its surrounding community. That philosophy has helped the Puerto Rican interior designer build one of the largest minority-owned design practices in the United States.

As co-founder, CEO, and director of interior design at Álvarez-Díaz & Villalón (AD&V), she leads the architecture and interiors firm alongside her husband and business partner, architect Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz. Together, they have developed projects ranging from hotels to commercial and institutional spaces, with projects featured in Puerto Rico, New York, Florida, Panama, and beyond.

© Cristina Villalón

For Villalón, her love of design began with art. She studied art history at Pitzer College in California before moving to New York, where she earned a master’s degree in interior design from the Pratt Institute. She also spent time in Copenhagen, an experience that influenced her work and approach to design. In 2005, she founded Villalón Interiors, which merged with Álvarez-Díaz’s practice in 2012 after years of collaboration.

As her business grew, Villalón began paying more attention to how the company operated. She paid attention to how her employees were treated and paid, and to the company's impact on the environment. She wanted to bring the same care she put into her designs to the way she ran her business.

This approach earned her recognition in 2023. The United Nations Global Compact Network USA named her a USA SDG Pioneer in the Small and Medium-Sized Companies category. Among her initiatives was a collaboration with MIT to adapt the Living Wage Calculator for Puerto Rico, helping define what workers need to earn to cover basic living expenses on the island. And a year later, AD&V became Puerto Rico’s first Certified B Corporation design firm, earning recognition for meeting standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

© Cristina Villalón

Her involvement in Puerto Rico extends beyond the studio. She has served on the boards of several educational and cultural organizations, including the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, where she was appointed as the only female board member in 2018. Following Hurricane María, she and Álvarez-Díaz directed proceeds from their book, Places of Purpose, towards Habitat for Humanity Puerto Rico’s rebuilding efforts.

Today, Villalón continues to bring her vision of thoughtful design to projects in Puerto Rico and beyond. Her influence, however, goes beyond the spaces she creates. She shows the next generation of designers, especially women, how creativity and business leadership can go hand in hand.