In just six years, Barcelona interior designer Gloria de Palleja has wowed the international market for luxurious contemporary furniture incorporating precious metals, leather and velvet, and in the United States she has huge new displays in the expanded Janus et Cie showrooms in both Los Angeles's Pacific Design Center and in New York.

Architects such as Spain's Javier Barba favor her designs for their bold, architectural lines, her innovative combinations of materials, impeccable and durable craftsmanship and high-quality finishes.

De Palleja is a serious environmentalist. She uses sterling silver instead of toxic chrome and swears by environmentally friendly materials; her wood comes from companies that are involved in reforesting and she shuns baby leather. "This is very important to us in the 21st century," notes de Palleja, who oversees production in her workshop outside of Barcelona.

Her leather chairs with stainless steel are popular (the Truman I is available in five woods: maple, light and dark limed oak, dark oak cherry and wengé), as are the chests of drawers and other wood pieces that incorporate silver, such as the maple bench (above) and Harrison (left).