James Aldana is an architect based in Tucson whose residential work blends modernist structure with the textures, materials, and light of the Sonoran Desert. His buildings are striking but grounded — the kind of houses that look like they grew out of the landscape. We talked with him about how interior furnishing completes the picture.

Your buildings have a very specific material palette. How do you think about the furnishings that go inside?

“The interior is the last 20% of the design and it has an outsized impact on how the space feels. I work with a lot of rammed earth, concrete, and steel, so the furnishings need to bring warmth without fighting the architecture. Wood tones, textured fabrics, handmade ceramics — those are the things that make a concrete room feel like a home instead of a gallery.”

How did you discover Sellwise?

“A client had the Modesto Credenza in walnut and it caught my eye immediately. The proportions were perfect for the space and the material quality was obvious across the room. I started recommending pieces to clients after that. The Sellwise aesthetic sits right in that sweet spot between mid-century warmth and the clean, honest simplicity I’m going for in my buildings.”

Which pieces work best in your projects?

“The Alameda Pendant Light in raw steel is almost a default for me now over dining areas — it has that honest, industrial quality that complements exposed structure. The Cambria Candle Holders in desert clay feel like they were made for desert homes. And the Malibu Print Series adds the right kind of organic color to walls that might otherwise feel austere. The whole collection has this quality of being refined without being fussy, which is exactly what my work calls for.”

What’s your advice for someone building a modern home in the Southwest?

“Respect the landscape. Let the light in. Use materials that age gracefully. And furnish with pieces that have some soul — things that were made with care and intention, not just extruded from a factory. A home should feel like people live in it, even when it’s architecturally ambitious.”