A Jungle-Adjacent Creative Space

Designer Kim Ficaro’s casita at Otorongo in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

A conversation with Laura L. Rubin, founder of AllSwell Creative | Photos by Kim Ficaro

Multi-hyphenate creative Kim Ficaro is a renowned set designer, sought-after prop stylist, and entrepreneur — she’s the founder of Totem Home, a curated collection of handmade items for the home. This woman has style and a well-used passport, 24 countries and counting. When not creating beautiful environments and images for clients, including Khaite, Coqui Coqui hotels, Rolex, Herman Miller, and Bergdorf Goodman, Ficaro has been spending time in Costa Rica since the late ’90s. So when an opportunity to design a casita of her own in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, floated her way, she jumped at the chance to make it “a place to imagine, to play, to share.” The result is a jungle-adjacent, calm, creative spot with proximity to surf where Kim lives part-time — and sometimes rents out to lucky travelers. 

I’ve been fortunate to share space with Kim (we cohabitated in North Malibu during Covid times), so it was a close-to-home pleasure to chat with her about this latest project and hear what kind of magic she’s dreamed into reality this time. 

Laura Rubin: You are a beach girl, through and through, and I know you have a long-standing relationship with Costa Rica. What brought you there initially, and what keeps calling you back? 

Kim Ficaro: My first trip to Costa Rica was on the Caribbean side, to Puerto Viejo in 1999, and then to the Osa Peninsula in 2003. These first trips to Costa Rica made a deep impression within me. About 12 years ago, my dear friends brought me to Santa Teresa, a place that was close to their hearts. Those days, very much like these days, consisted of early beach walks, surf, morning tide pools, simple meals, time for rest and play, the voices of the howler monkeys, and being immersed in the wild.

LR: Ahh, yes — I know that howler soundtrack. How did this particular project find its way to you?  

KF: I’ve always dreamed of having a place here, and last year, my dear friend Rafael Chaman, who was the visionary of this project, showed me the last of four casitas that were available on the property. I think I said right away, “Well, that’s mine, of course.” 

Because I work in interiors and creating spaces, I was beyond excited to make this feel like a dream, a vision I’ve always had. I kept saying I wanted to create something that felt a bit mysterious, a place you can go solo and work on a project or a book, write music, and be close enough to the water but set back enough that you feel the jungle energy all around you. 

LR: I just finished my largest scale creative endeavor to date, writing a book, and can attest to the influence of environment on the creative process. What does the property look like? 

KF: There are four open-plan casitas on the property, located by the beach and down a dirt road. We mainly want them to function as a place to rest, a place to feel private. And if you want to engage in the surrounding community outside of the casitas, it’s all there. Of course, you will see your neighbors at times, but there is a sense of privacy. 

LR: You often work on spaces for others. What was it like to do what you wanted without external input? And what kinds of materials did you use? 

KF: I style for many commercial brands, hotels, properties, and homes. I travel for work around the world. But this is completely different because it’s mine. No client, no other voices, just me. It was an opportunity to just do what I wanted, to make a small space using what I could from local builders, bringing in elements from the outside when needed. But most important is how I feel in it: It’s a place to imagine, to play, to share. I wanted the casita to feel warm and sexy, inspired by warm tones.  

The floor and the kitchen are all sealed concrete, and I layered in texture via materials such as Moroccan zellige tile. I added a stone sink with an unlacquered brass faucet. I used vintage batik textiles to hang over the kitchen cabinets and oversized rattan pendants. I put a giant, vintage, muted Moroccan carpet in the main space with a teak coffee table made by local woodworkers.

LR: It sounds and looks gorgeous. If someone would like to stay at Otorongo, how should they go about it? 

KF: This is our first season, and they’re ready to rent. If you’d like to come stay, DM me on Instagram at @otojungle.