Today we’d like to introduce you to Luciana Prado.
Hi Luciana , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My path into interior design has been anything but linear, but looking back, there’s a common thread: I’ve always cared about how design shapes people’s everyday lives.
I moved to the United States 18 years ago and decided to study something I had always loved but hadn’t pursued professionally: interior design. My degree was in Advertising, and I had already spent several years working as an art director and UX designer. Over the next four years, I completed certificate programs focused on interior design, ecodesign, universal design, and kitchen and bath design.
While I was studying and completing my internship, my family was growing, too. I had a son during the first years of the program, and by the time I completed my final certification, I was pregnant with my daughter, Luiza.
When Luiza turned one and I was ready to return to work, the housing crisis had made opportunities in interior design scarce. UX, on the other hand, was thriving. I updated my training and joined the Bay Area startup world, moving from designer to senior director in less than a year. Even as my career in technology grew, I continued taking on interior design projects for friends and acquaintances.
In 2018, we moved to Austin, where we were surprised to learn we were expecting our third child. Then the pandemic arrived. I was navigating life with a newborn, postpartum depression, and a job at Oracle that no longer felt fulfilling. I also lost my father to COVID. It was a deeply difficult period that led me to reconsider what I wanted from my life and work.
I decided to leave Oracle and commit fully to interior design.
One of the first things I recognized was how much clients needed support beyond the design itself. They needed someone to stay involved throughout construction and help bring the vision to life. That understanding shaped how the business grew. I gradually expanded my team and partnered with another designer. Today, we have a studio and a team that handles both design and construction.
I bring all those experiences into my work: the visual storytelling of advertising, the attention to people’s needs that shaped my UX career, and the perspective of raising a family through different stages of life. My path took a few turns, but each one helped shape the designer I am today.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of the biggest challenges has been finding the balance between raising a family and building a career, while also knowing when to change direction.
After spending four years studying interior design, I was ready to enter the field just as the housing crisis made opportunities scarce. I chose to return to UX, where there were more opportunities at the time. It was a practical decision for my family, and it led to a rewarding career, but interior design remained something I wanted to pursue.
The hardest turning point came during the pandemic. I had a newborn, was struggling with postpartum depression, and lost my father to COVID. At the same time, I was working in a role that no longer motivated me. Those experiences made me rethink my priorities, although making a career change while navigating grief and motherhood was far from easy.
Leaving an established career to focus on interior design meant starting again in many ways. I had design training and experience, but building a business brought a different set of challenges. I quickly realized that creating the design was only part of the work—clients also needed support throughout construction. Growing a team and expanding into that side of the process became an essential part of building the business.
My path has required patience and a willingness to adapt. Some decisions were about supporting my family; others were about finding work that felt meaningful to me. Both have shaped where I am today.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Our studio brings interior design and construction together, helping clients move from an initial idea to a finished space with one team involved throughout the process. I built the business alongside another designer, and our team works on both developing the design and bringing it to life.
That approach grew out of a need I saw early on: clients needed more than a design they loved. They also needed support through the decisions and challenges of construction. Staying involved in that process allows us to carry the design intent through to the details that shape the finished space.
My background brings a particular perspective to our work. Before focusing fully on interiors, I worked in art direction and user experience design. That experience taught me to look beyond appearance and pay attention to how people interact with their surroundings. My studies in ecodesign, universal design, and kitchen and bath design further shaped how I think about functionality, accessibility, and the choices we make for a home.
What I’m most proud of is building a team that can support clients through both the creative and practical sides of a project. There is something deeply rewarding about seeing an idea become a space that someone gets to live in and enjoy every day.
I want readers to know that our work begins with understanding the people who will use the space—their routines, their needs, and what makes them feel at home. From there, we bring together design and construction to create spaces that feel personal, thoughtful, and comfortable to live in.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
One of the most valuable things I did was complete several internships in the industry while I was studying. Experiencing different work environments helped me understand what kind of work I wanted to pursue and, just as importantly, what wasn’t the right fit for me.
That experience shaped my advice for finding mentors and building connections: be curious, ask questions, and give yourself opportunities to learn from different people. You don’t have to know exactly where you want to end up before you start.
For me, internships were a natural way to make those connections while gaining practical experience. They gave me a clearer sense of direction and helped me make more informed decisions about my career. Sometimes, learning what you don’t want is just as valuable as discovering what you love.
Pricing:
- Pricing is customized based on each project’s scope, size, and complexity. Please contact us to discuss your project and request a personalized proposal.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lupradodesign.com
- Instagram: @lurado,home
- Facebook: @lupradodesign
- Other: google – https://share.google/YWbCyoipDPHMXOoyS
