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working in the design world — Silva in interior
design and merchandising, and Heius on the
business side with a background in home
decor sales. They worked together for many
years as freelance interior decorators before
starting INCASA a few years back.
“We combine the retail environment with
home decor,” Heius said. “We also consult clients,
so if they need help with their interior design
— anything from color, to furniture placement,
to small decoration — we do all that. We
sell the product, but we also help them decorate
their space.”
While most of their design clientele are
Manhattanites, Heius and Silva dreamed their
first store would be in Astoria. When they
opened their doors in late June, they immediately
fit right in to the community.
“We like that we don’t really have this type
of store in the neighborhood,” Heius said.
“What we noticed in Manhattan is clients
want more high-end products; they are very
label-focused. I feel like in Astoria, it’s a little
closer to our heart because clients love the
product’s ‘story.’”
Heius took me around the quaint shop,
detailing each product’s history (unfortunately
Silva was unable to join us). Most
everything is handmade and from all over
the world. As their mission statement suggests,
many of their items are made in Latin
America, namely Mexico, where Silva is
from. Heius is Romanian, and there are a
few pieces from there as well.
“We wanted to bring in a lot of unique products
that you don’t see mass produced,” Heius
said. “We work with very small companies, not
big producers.”
INCASA’s space is smaller than the duo
originally envisioned, but they’ve made
it work in a way only expert designs can.
In the center of the room is a large table
displaying all of their dishes, glasses and
flatware — all made in Mexico. One of their
best-sellers is the hand-blown glassware, all
in vibrant shades of blue and purple. The
ceramic plates and bowls and cotton placemats
and napkins are all handmade. There’s
a gray circular platter sitting on one corner
made from volcanic rock by a husband-andwife
team.
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