Caterina Heil Stewart is the founder and CEO of StudioCAHS, an architecture, design, and development practice defined by passion, process, and personal expression. Caterina has positioned herself as a leader in these fields through a commitment to craftsmanship, access to and understanding of collectible design, and a contextual style driven by the senses. Ultimately, Caterina develops timeless spaces, restores and elevates heritage properties.
Her success is informed by a diverse professional trajectory and global experience. Born into a multigenerational family of architects in Brazil, Caterina was immediately immersed in art, design, and craft. After graduating with a law degree, she served as an assistant teacher at PUC São Paulo Law School and practiced as a tax lawyer at Baker and McKenzie in São Paulo. This was followed by roles in fashion in New York City, where she also took classes in interior design and architecture. This amalgam of expertise, skill, and style led to the establishment of StudioCAHS.
Everything is about personal process and her principles as a designer. Caterina activates spaces through a sense of movement. In furniture curation, she couples exceptional collectible pieces with works by contemporary artists—all of which have a defined value. StudioCAHS works with a sophisticated array of clients on projects that range from landmark townhouse restorations to ground up developments in the Hamptons.
Outside of the design realm, Caterina Heil Stewart works closely with community-based philanthropic causes, including the Central Park Conservancy, and the Coalition For College, as well as Instituto Terra, a project founded by Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado and his wife, Lélia Dluiz Wanick.