Bense Garza

Bense Garza is the founder and principle designer of Garza Art & Design, a Kansas City, Mo. design studio specializing in surface design, licensing and product development for projects in architecture, interiors, fashion, furniture and art. Garza is recognized for his versatility and strong color sense, and his work has been featured in Home Fashion, HFN, Accessory Merchandising, LDB Interior Textiles, Furniture Today, Home Accents Today, Home Décor and The Kansas City Star. He has a BFA in Commercial Art from Columbia College in Columbia, Mo. The Texas native currently resides in Missouri.

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Designer Insight

Recent Posts

Summer Inspiration - Bense Garza

July 14, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Describe your idea or memory of the perfect summer place. Has anything about that special place in time provided inspiration for your work?

My favorite summer getaway for leaving everyday cares behind is vacationing in Goliad, one of the three oldest cities in Texas. It’s abundant with historic sites, outdoor recreation and nature tourism. Remarkably restored buildings surround the 1894 Courthouse Square and are filled with quaint shops and restaurants. Located just off the Square is the Market House Museum, overflowing with historical area facts on Goliad and its colorful history. It is this museum where I took my very first art lessons at the age of 12. Visiting here brings back wonderful memories. Located just minutes from downtown is Presidio La Bahia. This fort exists today as the only fully restored Spanish Presidio in the Western Hemisphere. Vacatio...Read More

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Retail Stories - Bense Garza

June 11, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

The last time you shopped for home decor item(s) for your home, what did you buy? Where did you buy it? And what attracted you to that particular shop?

Bense Garza: The last time I shopped for a home decor item I bought a product called AromaCones which are actual pine cones dipped in a fragranced wax fomula. The cones serve as decorative accents and fragrance your home as well. The color assortment and different sizes make it easy for one to fit them into any decor. I bought them at an independent retail shop called Aesthetica in Kansas City, Missouri. The store owner's highly creative store displays attracted me to this shop as well as his reputation for bringing in unique and creative decorative accessories.

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Design Forecast for 2008-Bense Garza

January 13, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Color acts as a metaphor for diversity. I see a continued use of ethnic-influenced hues emerging for 2008. People are more socially aware today than in the past and are exposed to many cultures and color traditions. A global movement toward peace, health and well-being brings blue, green and yellow to mind. The color blue tends to have a calming effect that counteracts chaos and agitation; green is the color of nature and one that says growth, balance and harmony; yellow denotes joy and happiness and creates a cheery and uplifting effect. Looking ahead, I personally feel that these colors will be popular with consumers.

--Bense Garza

Recent Posts

Yuck at first sight...

September 4, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

A decorating mistake I notice with display pieces is when the colors of one unit clash with the colors of another one nearby. While shopping in a store I want to visualize what something looks like in my home and am turned off by paint colors used on store walls that don’t even come close to popular home interior colors. I look for floors that are clutter-free; too much merchandise makes me feel cramped. A comfortable shopping experience can only make me want to come back. --Bense Garza