COLOR THERAPY

Under the skillful ministrations of Carlos Mota, a modernist manse in Lima, Peru, gets a vibrant makeover

-  MITCHELL OWENS

Safe decorating is an international issue, it seems: gray and beige upholstery, a signal lack of patterns to delight the eye, and walls painted 50 shades of white. Even Lima, the capital of Peru, is not immune. "Lots of white, very light, modern, that kind of thing" is how Bettina Iolas, a Lima native, describes the aesthetic status quo. She subscribed to it as well for many years, before embracing chromatic change. "One day, I was going around my house, and all I saw was gray and beige," she recalls. "And I decided I needed more color in my life." Which explains why she flew to New York City one day and had lunch with a friend, the decorator, stylist, and writer Carlos Mota, whose most recent book, G: Forever Green (Vendome), tells you all you need to know about his taste. Green is one of his favorite colors, along with purple and pink. (But fans of his style know that he also loves yellow, blue, red, orange, and much more, as long as the tones are clear and the values are vivid.)