“Uniqueness is the Theme in this House”: Interior Design, the Makia Way

Both David and Bei are originally from Cameroon in West-Central Africa. Bei credits her Cameroonian father for shaping her aesthetic sensibility from an early age. “My love for unique, intentional design goes back to my father – he was always particular about art, always wanting things that stood out rather than blending in,” she reminisces.

Bei also lived in Germany for 13 years, where she developed a fondness for modern, European-style furniture, before moving to the United States. It was there that she met and married David, who shared her passion for fine design. “We combined our African roots with my European sensibility, and now an American lens, into a style that’s entirely our own,” she says.

Partners in life and work, the Makia’s run a healthcare business that provides services for veterans with disabilities. They have two children, an adult daughter and a teenage son. “As a couple, our favorite pastime is exploring furniture showrooms and new luxury home construction. We’ll even travel to Houston or Dallas to see beautifully furnished homes,” says Bei. “Beyond design, we love traveling, dancing, singing, shopping, and spending time with family.”

When they moved into their current house, the Makia’s took a carefully considered approach to buying new furniture. They craved pieces that truly spoke to them as design connoisseurs, even if such pieces would take a longer time to find. Nothing they saw quite fit the bill – until they walked into Copenhagen San Antonio.

“Shopping at Copenhagen was a whole different experience,” says David. “It took 18 years to finally find a place where we said yes, this is the type of furniture we want in our house.” Beyond beautiful furnishings, it was also stellar service that won over the Makia’s.

“We met our design consultant on our first visit, minutes before closing time,” Bei recalls. “We felt bad walking in so late, but she told us not to worry, she’d wait. That kindness set the tone for everything after.”

David was especially touched by the way their design consultant would prepare them coffee from the complimentary beverage station during each visit. “Whenever we arrived, there was coffee for us, and she would ask, ‘How do you want it?’ I’d never seen that, it was very unique,” he says. “Even though Copenhagen is a business, the people we worked with made us feel like family, and that means a lot.”

Visiting Copenhagen soon became a ritual. “We’d go almost every week, just to see what was new,” says Bei. “Copenhagen is like one of our hobbies. I think my husband has an addiction to this store,” she laughs.

As they curated their home, their design consultant remained supportive at every step. “She saw we already had a clear vision, so rather than steering us, she supported us – guiding us through measurements and logistics while trusting our eye for what we wanted,” Bei explains. “We did the creative work, and she made sure it came together properly.”

Both the Makia’s agree on the Copenhagen piece that changed everything for them – the Senator Dining Table by Cattelan Italia. “It was the framework and foundation on which everything else came to be,” David declares.

Bei adds, “My husband found it and called me immediately – he said I had to see it in person. It was love at first sight. He worried it might be too long for our space, but I knew instantly: it wasn’t just going to fit, it was going to define the room.”

Featuring an organic shape and a breathtaking swirled pattern under a glass top, the Senator table makes a natural focal point for the Makia dining room. Its size and construction initially posed a challenge for the delivery team, but with some clever thinking, they devised a solution.

“The delivery truck couldn’t take it up the steep driveway, so we had a special cart built to transport it,” explains John Milk, Copenhagen’s Texas Regional Manager, who has worked closely with the Makia’s.

After the Senator was placed, it was complemented with the striped, grey Celeste Rug, a pair of textural Walford Vases, and not one, but two, sets of dining chairs. An observant viewer will notice that, while all the dining chairs have off-white leather upholstery and rounded contours, the Miranda Chairs on one side of the table have a slimmer shape with a back cutout, while the Bombe Chairs on the other side have a thicker body and the ability to swivel. Together, the effect feels clever yet composed, and anything but cookie-cutter.

The Makia living room is designed to gracefully accommodate the 9-10 parties and gatherings they host per year. Two leather Anzio Sofas are placed on either side of an Atari Coffee Table with a sculptural base, while nearby, matching blue Caveoso Chaises mirror each other for a conversational feel.

What really makes the space pop is the accessories. For example, the Relaxed Girl Sculpture playfully poses under the organic frame of the Kenya Mirror, while plush Pisani Pillows adorn the couches, and discreet red LED lights in the corners add ambiance.

The accessories reflect the distinctive taste of both the Makia’s and John Milk. “John brought some extra accessories for the photoshoot, and we liked them so much that we bought them all and left them where John had placed them,” explains David.

The outdoor space also deserves a special mention, with three Baloo Chairs grouped around an accent rug. “Even though this is supposed to be an indoor chair, we decided to buy it and use it outdoors,” says David. “It’s very comfortable and can recline a little. We put them out for special occasions, enjoy them, and bring them back in when we’re done.”

Each stage of the design process was made much easier by a shared sense of style between Bei and David. “If I fell in love with a piece, I already knew he would too. There was never a debate, only the same excitement at the same time,” says Bei. “That compatibility in taste made building this home together feel effortless. I led the design vision, while my husband focused on the construction and functionality of each area.”

Bei describes their shared goal as “intentionality without overwhelm, where each space has a distinct identity. We want every room to feel curated but never staged – beautiful to look at while still feeling like home.” David succinctly puts it, “Unique, high-quality, different – that’s the theme in this house.”

The Makia home is also continually evolving. With the living and dining spaces furnished almost entirely with Copenhagen items, David and Bei are turning their focus to other rooms. For the media room, they are considering the Turin Sectional, upholstered in ultra-plush fabric, as well as a new media stand. They are also fans of the new clocks by Canetti Design, and plan to get one for their kitchen.

“We will spend more time at the showroom because it’s an environment that’s very welcoming,” says David. “We have even come to a point where we’re considering buying furniture to keep in storage and switching it out when we want to.”

In their time working with Copenhagen, the Makia’s have one moment that has especially stayed with them, which is when their design consultant saw their home in person for the first time. “She was amazed at how every piece fit the space,” Bei recalls. “She kept saying we really knew what we wanted. It was rewarding to see our vision validated by someone who works with beautiful furniture every day.”