How Home Altars Became the Most Important Part of These Creatives’ Spaces
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Photo: Pepe Molina
Home altars have always held a central place in my domestic life, not as religious relics but as deeply personal spaces that anchor me amidst changes and challenges. Moving out of state to college, relocating internationally, and then navigating the demands of a fast-paced career—each transition was made a little easier by the presence of an altar. These sacred spaces provide grounding, a sense of home when far from the familiar, and a connection to the people, memories, and objects that matter most.
Through my experiences, I’ve come to see home altars as more than static displays; they are ever-evolving spaces that reflect my emotions, intentions, and personal growth. In seeking to understand how others approach altar-making, I spoke with three designers: Laura Kirar, Josué Ramos Espinoza, and Mike Diaz. Each offered a distinct perspective on creating and curating altars, shaped by their cultural heritage, creative practices, and personal philosophies.
What struck me in these conversations was the harmonious blending of design, meaning, and healing in altar-making. Whether inspired by the seasons or crafted with intention to hold energy, these altars create spaces for reflection, connection, and restoration, deepening our bond with ourselves and the world around us.
Their insights reveal how altars serve as vessels for healing, artistic expression, and storytelling, effortlessly woven into the rhythms of daily life. Like my own, their altars are not just collections of objects but profound reflections of their journeys—of who they are, where they’ve been, and where they are headed.
A seasonal approach to design
When Laura Kirar first moved into her 300-year-old hacienda in Mexico, the artist and designer considered converting an old chapel into a bedroom. However, during renovations, workers uncovered remains beneath the chapel floor. “The discovery of those remains shifted my perspective entirely,” she recalls. “Instead of covering up the space, I knew I had to honor it in a way that respected its history.”
This epiphany led Kirar to transform the chapel into an open-air sanctuary, leaving the roof off to invite nature in. Her altar within the space is a blend of reverence and nature, filled with plants, candles, and objects that resonate deeply with her. “The space became a place of reflection and meditation, where the past and the present meet,” she adds.
Kirar’s altar is synced with the rhythms of lunar cycles, so she interacts with it as the energy shifts with each phase of the moon. “The full moon, for instance, is a time of completion, so I focus on letting go of things that no longer serve me,” she explains. “The new moon is for new intentions—an opportunity for renewal.” This cyclical practice maintains her connection to both nature and herself.
Living in Mexico has profoundly influenced Kirar’s personal view of altars. “It’s not just a religious practice, but a way of honoring the past, the environment, and people’s stories,” she shares. For example, during Día de los Muertos, the altar takes on a deeper significance. “It’s a moment of honoring those who came before us,” she says. “We don’t just celebrate death; we celebrate life, memory, and family.” Outside of these celebrations, the sanctuary serves as a tranquil space where she can reconnect and reflect, using the changing seasons and lunar rhythms as guides.
A story of memory and identity
Josué Ramos Espinoza’s approach to altar-making is intertwined with themes of reflection, ancestry, and self-discovery. “My altar reflects my journey,” he says. “Each object tells a part of my story.” For Espinoza, altars are sacred spaces where the past and present converge, holding not only personal experiences but also connections to his roots. “It’s a way to honor where I come from, to ground myself in my roots,” he explains. From heirlooms passed down through generations to objects collected during his travels, every item on his altar represents a piece of his life’s story—a physical manifestation of both his personal history and the histories of those who came before him.
Placement is a key consideration for Espinoza, as he carefully chooses a space where the altar feels integrated yet distinct within his home. “The altar has to feel part of the home while standing as its own special space,” Espinoza says. For him, the altar is not just a collection of objects but a living repository of memories and emotions. It is a space where his identity is reflected and where he can pause to reflect on the complex interplay of his past and present. “It’s about creating balance,” he says while emphasizing the importance of harmony between the objects and their placement. Espinoza’s altars are not just decorative pieces—they are dynamic, evolving stories that hold the power to evoke deeper connections with oneself, the people he has loved, and the places he has been.
Espinoza believes that altars serve as vessels for storytelling and grounding, offering a sacred space to connect with the past, present, and the spiritual. “The altar is a place of balance and remembrance, where I honor my family, my ancestors, and my journey,” he adds. Espinoza is reminded that the altar is a living space for connection, where memory and identity converge to create something that is both deeply personal and deeply universal.
Ceremonial balance and universal harmony
Mike Diaz takes a deeply philosophical and ceremonial approach to altars, believing that everything he designs is an altar. “Actually, for me, everything has to be an altar,” he insists. “My work is intended for ceremonial use as opposed to being functional or iconic.” This reverence for altars manifests in his approach to design, where every piece serves a higher purpose—an offering to the sacred space of the home.
Diaz’s altar is a place of constant reflection, not a static display. When selecting decorative materials, he follows a principle of balance. “It’s important for me to feel that my environment has vegetable and animal, hard and soft, round and square and triangular,” he says. “Cool and warm colors, male and female, hot and cold, positive and negative.” For him, altars are a direct reflection of the universal harmony that can be found in nature.
When it comes to the placement of these objects, Diaz considers how an altar should not only inspire but also function within daily life. “The best function is to be around something that gives off an energy or facilitates reflection,” he explains. His own altars, while deeply meaningful, are not reserved only for quiet moments of meditation. “There is enough room to slip one’s cup of coffee—that’s all that is necessary,” he says, suggesting that the altar’s primary purpose is to create a space that nurtures the soul, even in everyday moments.
Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
