Designs by Human is a full-service interior design studio founded by Joe Human - a designer whose creative roots run deep. Raised in rural Idaho by a builder and a homemaker, Joe spent his childhood sketching, building (and rebuilding) Lego creations, and absorbing the art of making a house feel like home. After honing his technical skills at a large architecture firm for seven years, he moved to New York City in 2012 to fully immerse himself in the world of design, creativity, and craftsmanship.
In 2015, he launched Designs by Human with a mission to create beautiful, layered interiors that reflect the personality, history, and needs of each client. The studio’s signature style is rooted in contrast - mixing the refined with the relaxed, the modern with the timeworn, and the architectural with the handcrafted. Every space is intentionally designed and thoughtfully detailed, often featuring custom furniture, global sourcing, and collaborations with artisans from New York to Southeast Asia.
Now based in St Petersburg Florida with and a team in Jakarta, Indonesia our studio works throughout the East Coast and internationally. Our team works across a range of residential, hospitality, and private development projects - including custom yacht interiors. Whether it’s a downtown penthouse, a coastal retreat, or a luxury vessel at sea, our work is known for marrying creativity with construction expertise - turning vision into reality, down to the very last detail.
Design inspiration can be found in everything which is why Joe loves to be out in the mountains with his wife on his bike or in the pits of his secret obsession: nitro-fueled drag racing. We encourage our team to travel and pickup new and meaningful inspiration worldwide.
meet Our core Team
Mayra Human
As the backbone of our day to day financial operations, Mayra keeps our office running smoothly behind the scenes. You will oftentimes see her jumping in, carrying boxes and taking much needed measurements. In her spare time she reads, knits and loves playing with and training the dogs.
Financial Director & Style Analyst
Joe Human
The founder of Designs by Human, Joe has a background rooted in architectural design but a desire to bring in soft and layered ideas to each project. When not working Joe loves to be at the racetrack or on his bike when Mayra and him are not traveling the world.
Principal Designer & Owner
Senior Designerstacey klempel
As the only team member originally from Florida, Stacey brings her organized and creative design to the team. Stacey has led several projects now from Florida to New York. You will see her obsessing over her two dogs when she is not collaborating and managing our projects.
Where OUr Clients have Taken Us
Sophisticated Fun is how we describe our work: bold pattern, fearless color, and rooms that make people smile, drawn in enough detail to be built exactly as designed. Our clients have taken us from Connecticut to the Florida coasts, and we go wherever their homes are. We work side by side with builders and architects from the first sketch to the final install, and we source directly from makers in Europe, Indonesia and Vietnam, so every home holds pieces made just for it.
