Today we’d like to introduce you to Ruqiya Imtiaz-Uddin.
Hi Ruqiya, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
From an early age, I was drawn to creativity, art, and the process of building things. I loved the idea that a simple concept could be transformed into something tangible, beautiful, and meaningful. That curiosity ultimately led me to discover architecture and shaped the foundation of my career in design.
I studied Architecture in college, with an emphasis on community development and interior design. My education gave me a unique perspective on the relationship between architecture, interiors, and the way people experience their homes and communities. After graduating, I began my career working with nonprofit architecture firms, where I was fortunate to work on projects centered around community development, neighborhood revitalization, and housing. These experiences taught me that thoughtful design is about much more than aesthetics—it is about creating spaces that support the people who live in them and contribute to the communities around them.
Eleven years ago my husband and I purchased our first home in Temple, Texas. It quickly became my personal design joinery and an opportunity to explore my passion for interiors on a much more personal level. I became especially drawn to antiques, vintage furniture, and pieces with history and character. I spent countless hours sourcing unique finds throughout Central Texas, mixing old and new to create a home that felt collected, layered, and deeply personal
At the same time, I began sharing our home and my design journey on social media. What began as a creative outlet slowly grew into a community of people who connected with my approach to design. As my audience grew, so did the number of people reaching out for guidance with their own homes.
After starting my family, I decided to turn that growing passion into a business and founded Studio RIU, an interior design studio created around my love of architecture, interiors, and storytelling through design. Studio RIU became the perfect balance between my professional ambitions and my role as a mother, allowing me the flexibility to build a business while remaining present for my family.
What began organically through social media and word of mouth soon developed into a thriving design business. Temple provided a wonderful foundation for Studio RIU, particularly through the close-knit community and this continued as my family and I moved to Wichita, Kansas for 4 years before moving back home to Houston, Texas.
Over the years, Studio RIU has evolved beyond simply decorating homes. My approach is rooted in creating spaces that feel collected rather than overly designed, timeless rather than trend-driven, and personal rather than predictable. I love incorporating antiques, vintage pieces, architectural details, natural materials, and modern elements to create interiors that feel warm, layered, and lived-in. My love for vintage and antiques is illustrated in most of my work, and I also share various videos on social media on how to style vintage pieces and incorporate them into your home! I also offer personalized vintage and antique shopping for those clients who already have their homes furnished but looking to add a unique and collected feel to their home.
My background in architecture continues to influence the way I approach every project. I look every home as a whole—considering the architecture, proportions, functionality, natural light, materials, furnishings, and the way a family will actually live within the space. I believe the most successful interiors are those where beauty and function coexist effortlessly.
Today, Studio RIU works with clients to create homes that are thoughtfully designed and uniquely their own. Whether it is a full renovation, a new build, furnishing a home, or simply helping a client understand how to bring their vision together, my goal is always the same: to create spaces that feel authentic, welcoming, and timeless.
I am especially passionate about designing homes that tell a story—spaces that reflect the people who live in them, incorporate pieces collected over time, and become a backdrop for the everyday moments that make a house feel like home.
For me, design has always been about more than creating beautiful rooms. It is about creating a sense of place, preserving character, celebrating individuality, and designing spaces where people can truly live and make memories.
Studio RIU is the culmination of that journey—from a childhood love of creating and building, to architecture, to discovering the joy of transforming my own home, and ultimately building a design studio centered around helping others create homes they love.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Building Studio RIU while raising a family has been one of the most rewarding, but also one of the most challenging, parts of my journey.
When I first started my business, I was learning everything as I went. I was figuring out how to run a business, work with clients, manage projects, build a social media presence, and continue growing creatively—all while being a mom. Some days I was answering client emails during nap time, working late at night, or squeezing in design decisions in between school drop-offs and everything else that comes with raising a family.
One of the hardest lessons has been accepting that I can’t do everything at once, there have been seasons where my family needed more of me and my business had to grow more slowly. There have also been seasons where I needed to give more of myself to Studio RIU. Learning to move between those seasons, rather than constantly trying to balance everything perfectly, has been an important part of my journey.
Motherhood has actually shaped the way I design and the way I work with clients. Having a family of my own has given me a much deeper understanding of what makes a house truly function. I understand the importance of beautiful spaces that can also withstand real life—kids, messes, gatherings, busy mornings, and all of the everyday moments that happen inside a home.
I’m proud of what Studio RIU has become, but I’m even more grateful for the life that exists alongside it. My family is a huge part of why I started this journey in the first place, and being able to build a career that reflects my creativity while raising my children has been one of the greatest gifts of my work.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am the owner and lead designer at Studio RIU, a full service interior design firm, where I specialize in creating warm, layered interiors that feel personal, collected and timeless. I am also a home & design social media content creator, where I share various projects, DIY’s, and “how to style” home videos. My work ranges from full scale renovations, to furnishings homes of various styles, home staging, Mahjong room design, paint and pool selection consultations, design selections and decorating.
My background in architecture is a big part of what sets my approach apart. Understanding the home holistically, how It flows, how the rooms relate to one another, and how the space needs to function for the family living there. I approach each project first by thinking about the entire home and then bringing all the pieces together- from larger decisions like layouts, materials, space planning, furniture and smaller details of lighting, art and accessories. I enjoy brining all the pieces together seamlessly and cohesively.
I’m probably best known for creating homes that feel collected rather than overly decorated. I love the tension between old and new—pairing antiques and vintage furniture with more contemporary pieces, mixing textures and materials, and finding those unexpected elements that give a room personality. I don’t want everything to feel too perfect or too coordinated. The best homes, in my opinion, have a little history and a sense of individuality.
For me, the goal isn’t to create a home that simply photographs beautifully. It’s to create a home that feels just as good to live in as it looks—and one that becomes more meaningful as life happens inside it.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
We live, work, and play around the Houston and surrounding areas! The best thing about Houston is the diversity in people, food, cultures and the arts.
Our home is in Richmond, Texas which is a growing suburb of greater Houston. The growth in Richmond has brought convenient shopping areas and new neighborhoods -increasing the community and diversity while continuing to maintain a charm of a smaller city with open areas, plenty of trees and a local vibe. We love the city life but after living in Temple, Texas and Wichita, Kansas we knew we wanted the flexibility of having space, while still being within 30 minutes of the city. We wanted a space for our family to live and grow slowly and intentionally, a place to play, grow, raise animals and have various gardens. An evolving space that grows with our family for years to come.
The most recent project at Studio RIU, is designing and renovating my personal home. Transforming our custom 90’s home into a traditional modern cottage. Our home sits on 9 acres with over 100 lush trees- a unique property we discovered 3 years ago when we finally moved back home to Houston, and the dream is to slowly transform our home to a traditional modern cottage, the land with various gardens, an outdoor entertainment area and a pool with surrounding gardens, and eventually a greenhouse!
Slowly creating our home into our custom dream home is my favorite and most challenging project yet. Being my own client is one challenge-while living in a home with family and renovating can prove its own challenges, but being mindful of the order of renovations is key. Understanding how each family member uses each space in the home and being mindful of how one space can become a priority over another. The most current project is our outdoor entertainment and garden pool project. This project is currently in progress- the design selections were picked out considering the current home materials -to create an outdoor space that is an extension of the home. The entire renovation and design journey is documented on social media IG -Ruqiya Imtiaz and TikTok – Studio RIU Home. I’ve included photos of the process and can’t wait to share a reveal when the project is complete with the beautiful outdoor furniture and vintage decor we have selected!
Home takes time and the process and journey is just as important as the completed project- A home is always evolving and in fact never actually complete- it evolves with those who occupy the space, and how they use the spaces. Appreciate and embrace the process, live in the spaces, and make endless memories.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://studioriu.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruqiyaimtiaz/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.tiktok.com/@studioriuhome
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@studioriuhome
