Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Manuel.
Hi Matthew, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I received my architectural education in upstate New York, at Syracuse University. The program allowed me to study design in Florence, Italy for my 4th year before returning to complete my thesis. In 1996, I graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture and continued to live and work in Syracuse. I spent eight years with Holmes King Kallquist & Associates Architects, a small firm that had a strong interest in residential design. This is where I developed my skills and passion for residential architecture.
In 2005, I left New York to pursue a call to missions work and later moved to Senegal, in West Africa. While in Senegal, I designed a training center for missionaries and also acted as the General Contractor to build the structure. After returning to the United States, I founded MFM Design Group in 2008, with a focus on residential design. In 2015, I relocated to the Austin area of Texas with my new family, where I designed and built our own farmhouse.
The experience of being a General Contractor for my own home was a great step in informing me on how building in Texas works. I have great relationships with a number of builders and subcontractors, but a significant portion of my work is from individual homeowners and word of mouth recommendations. I am truly passionate about construction, and have a wealth of hands on building experience. This informs my designs and the construction details. I pride myself on focused attention to my clients needs, while blending creative and site-specific design.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been a pretty smooth road, not too many struggles.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in custom residential architecture, ranging from thoughtful small additions to large, complex custom homes. What I love most is the creative collaboration with each client, every project is unique, shaped by their personal taste, the site, and specific program needs. I see my role as listening carefully, interpreting their vision, and blending it with my own design sensibility to create something neither of us might have imagined alone.
Some of the most rewarding projects are the ones that push me outside my natural aesthetic preferences. Constraints and styles I wouldn’t instinctively choose often lead to my favorite outcomes. My portfolio reflects this variety, you’ll find contemporary homes alongside French Country, Spanish Mission, Craftsman, and more. Two particular standouts are a warm, elegantly detailed French Country estate (a style I had never explored before that commission) and a Spanish Mission revival house organized around a beautiful central courtyard.
What sets my practice apart is the belief that good architecture, like good music, transcends personal taste. You may not love jazz, country, or classical—but you can still recognize when a piece is masterfully composed and performed. I strive for that same level of craftsmanship and emotional resonance in every home, regardless of style. A client should feel that their house is unmistakably theirs, yet elevated to its highest possible expression.
I’m most proud of the long-term relationships I’ve built with clients. Many have come back for second and third projects. Also my greatest reward is the assurance that people genuinely love living in the homes we create together.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was the kid who was always making something. From the earliest age I was obsessed with drawing and painting—crayons, watercolors, whatever I could get my hands on. Legos were my other great love; I’d spend hours building sprawling cities across the floor.
I was equally happy outside. We lived near woods and water, so fishing, camping, and just wandering in nature were constants. There was something about being outdoors that quieted everything else in my head. Even as a little kid I felt a deep connection to it, like the natural world was speaking a language I instinctively understood.
Looking back, it’s clear those early passions—drawing, building, and immersing myself in nature—were the foundation for everything I do now as a designer. I’m still that same kid at heart, just with better tools and bigger Legos.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mfmdesigngroup.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mfmdesigngroup
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mfm-design-group-taylor
- Other: https://www.houzz.com/pro/mfmdesign/
