Today we’d like to introduce you to Joana Agnese.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Early on in my childhood, I would watch my parents working and was inspired by them. My parents were both architects in Brazil. My mother taught architecture in a traditional architecture school in Rio de Janeiro for over 20 years while my father worked on several commercial and residential projects all over Brazil.
Leaving high school, I took some credits on Industrial Design; however my life goal was always to follow my parent’s footsteps and to dedicate myself to the art of architecture and interior design. I graduated from college in 2000 but I had already been working independently as an interior designer for four years.
In the early 2000’s my husband received a job offer to relocate to the USA. We lived in Miami for approximately five years, where we started our family and had our two beautiful boys. While taking care of my family, I took some time off from my career to study the U.S.A construction methods. In 2011 we moved to Houston and I started Joana A. Design in Texas in 2012.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Besides of the traditional struggles of starting a new business from ground up, I can certainly highlight that the most challenging obstacle I faced is the “way of constructions” in the USA. In Brazil, almost everything is built on a concrete base and without many of the resources one can have here in the USA.
For example, a bathroom remodeling project in Brazil can take up to four months to complete while here in the USA, you can do it in weeks or sometimes even days.
In addition, it took me sometime to build a trustful and reliable team of contractors and service providers.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Joana A Design’s vision is to create exclusive spaces with “personality designs”. We are specialized in remodeling that removes the “cookie-cutter” residential designs out of the way. We remove pillars, re-shape rooms, create new areas that will completely transform a house into a more functional and visual appealing space. We are proud to transform areas into exclusive designs within the budget.
My clients become friends and we are happy to share our family events in these amazing spaces created by me. This is my greatest achievement!
What were you like growing up?
Growing up as a child surrounded by architects was a very rewarding experience. I learned what looked good and what didn’t at a very young age and I would always dream of working on my own projects just like my Mom and Dad. I think that architecture runs in the family. My parents taught me to love and admire the art of architecture and interior design, and I am now passing that on to my youngest son, Eduardo, who enjoys creating houses in his video games and visiting architectural landmarks like Falling Water.
Contact Info:
- Phone: (832) 691-6074
- Email: joanaagnesedesign@gmail.com
- Instagram: Joana A. Design
- Facebook: Joana A. Design
- Other: m.me/2170288379867965
Image Credit:
Paula Andrade Photography
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