Contemporaria

Specialties

Contemporary Italian Furniture + Interior Design Services

History

Established in 1999.

Contemporaria was created as a result of the love and appreciation for architecture and contemporary design by its owner, Peruvian born architect, Deborah Kalkstein. Kalkstein always envisioned a furniture store that would showcase the latest in contemporary design. She had a strong desire to expose people to good design. Taking advantage of her already strong connections with owners and designers from some of the leading manufacturers of contemporary European furniture, Kalkstein decided to open Contemporaria

Contemporaria opened its doors in 1999 in the heart of Bethesda, but in 2003 when the concept of Cady’s Alley was developed as a location for upscale and contemporary objects, Kalkstein knew it was time to move. Contemporaria opened in Georgetown in 2004 and the Bethesda location was closed shortly after.

Now offering a complete range of services from interior design to interior architecture to remodeling and construction, Contemporaria is a full service design firm.

Meet the Business Owner

Deborah K.

Business Owner

Deborah Kalkstein’s background gives her the unique ability to position her design work in a spatial and environmental context. Peruvian-​born, she received her degrees in architecture from the Universidad Ricardo Palma in Lima. She was a practicing architect in Lima with Marcos Kalkstein Architects before moving to Hogar, Peru’s largest home furnishing store, where she was director of interior design. She launched her interior design business in the United States in 1989 and in 1996 introduced her furniture line Modulo at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. Recent commercial and residential projects include the headquarters of Bachrach Asset Management and World Bank residences in Budapest, Kiev, Sophia, Lima, and Moscow.