Tell us about you and your background.

I was born on February 11 1983, in Puerto Rico. In 2006 I founded RSJdesign, LLC, an award-winning interior design firm specializing in luxury residential and commercial spaces. Timeless elegance, mastery of the design process, and a love for refinement and the exquisite are all central elements in the RSJ Design philosophy. I was born on the Island of Puerto Rico, so naturally my first visions of interior spaces ranged from Spanish Colonial Villas infused with Caribbean colours, to the traditional neoclassical architecture of the mid-18th century. One of my first design projects was at age ten when asked to help in remodelling the family home, drawing architectural and interior plans, and cultivating in the process what would later become a passionate and ever evolving career.

 

I entered The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale in 2004 where I graduated summa cum laude. Afterwards I began my career at Valley Forge Textiles, the world’s largest supplier of decorative upholstery fabrics for the hospitality industry. There I would create and execute interior design schemes for ultra-premium hoteliers like The Biltmore, Caesar’s Palace, Mandarin Oriental, Nikko, Le Meridian, W, Ritz Carlton, and Lowes, to name just a few. But in 2008, I moved to New York City where I began working with industry leader fashion houses Polo Ralph Lauren, Rugby Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, OPRAH Magazine, and Kenneth Cole, eventually assuming the role of acting Global Visual Manager of the Calvin Klein “HOME” collection. I also modelling for some of the world’s leading modelling agencies. 

 

Now armed with my considerable fashion expertise and an affinity for period architecture and bygone design styles, I am translating my experiences abroad in some of the world’s most prestigious living environments into my own lifestyle brand to produce photography onto canvas with “RSJ Art,” alongside the “RSJ Collection,” which will include candles and luxury home fragrances. I am also the Founder of The Atlanta Rainbow Crosswalks, a historic LGBTQ+ public arts project in the City of Atlanta that symbolizes acceptance, unity, and tolerance.  

 

My goal and mission is to provide comprehensive design services to clients seeking customized, elegant, and modern living spaces, environments that ultimately incorporate a client’s own personal styles and affinities.