About
A lifelong curiosity...
Hello There! My name is Anderson Mendes, and I am the founder and creative force behind Mendes Design Studio.
My relationship with design began long before I knew it would become my career. Growing up, I was fascinated by architecture and the way buildings came together. Whenever I could get my hands on an architectural magazine or an old floor plan, I would study it. I loved walking through construction sites, imagining what the finished home would become. I was equally fascinated by what happened inside those walls. I loved arranging furniture, experimenting with layouts, decorating, and finding ways to make a space feel beautiful and complete.
As that curiosity grew, so did my desire to study architecture.
Finding my way to interior design
I began my studies at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida, where I immersed myself in architectural courses. But as I prepared to transfer to the University of South Florida to continue studying architecture, I began questioning whether architecture was truly where I belonged. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy architecture.
Something felt missing.
I found myself approaching design differently from the way I was being taught. While much of the focus was placed on the exterior form of a building, I was drawn to what was happening inside. I wanted to understand how people would actually inhabit a space before determining how the walls, windows, and structure should come together.
I wanted to design from the inside out.
I wanted the furniture, the way people would move through a room, the relationship between spaces, the views they would experience, and the natural light to inform the architecture, not simply the other way around. Looking back, I realize I wasn't questioning design. I was beginning to discover my own way of seeing it.
That realization eventually led me to Chicago.
While visiting a friend shortly before beginning my architecture studies at USF, I happened upon Harrington College of Design. Curious, I walked inside, discovered their Interior Design program, toured the campus, and spoke with an advisor.
Something clicked!
Not long afterward, I left Florida and moved to Chicago to pursue my degree in Interior Design. I completed my bachelor's degree in two years, graduated with honors, and immersed myself in everything the school and the city had to offer.
It was the beginning of a completely new chapter.
Learning the craft
My professional journey gave me the opportunity to work alongside incredibly talented designers on projects ranging from residential interiors to custom homes and full-scale project management.
I had the privilege of working with designers such as Shelly Handman and AD100 designer Alessandra Branca, experiences that greatly influenced the way I approach design today. I learned not only about aesthetics, but about the discipline, thoughtfulness, and attention to detail required to bring a vision to life.
My experience eventually expanded beyond the design concept itself. In Florida, I became deeply involved in custom residential construction, working through every stage of the process—from permitting and coordinating subcontractors to site visits, installations, and the countless details required to bring a home together.
Those experiences taught me something I still value today: beautiful design is only one part of a successful project. Thoughtful planning, communication, collaboration, and careful execution matter just as much.
Design with intention
Mendes Design Studio grew from my desire to help people create homes that feel personal, intentional, and uniquely their own.
I don't believe a beautiful space should simply look good in photographs. It should feel good to live in.
The spaces around us influence our daily experiences in ways we don't always recognize. They can create a sense of calm, inspire creativity, encourage connection, or simply give us a place where we truly feel at home.
This is why I approach design intuitively as well as thoughtfully, considering the relationship between color, light, texture, proportion, movement objects, and most importantly, the people who will inhabit the space.
For me, design is about creating harmony between all of these elements.
There Are No Rules—Only Possibilities
I don't believe a home should be defined by a set of design rules.
We're constantly told what belongs together, what doesn't, what's timeless, what's dated, what's “right,” and what's “wrong.” But I believe the most meaningful spaces emerge when we give ourselves permission to look beyond those expectations.
Your home should feel like you.
It should reflect the things you love, the places you've been, the objects that carry meaning, and the way you want to experience your everyday life. Sometimes that means following traditional design principles. Sometimes it means breaking every one of them.
My role isn't to impose a formula, but to help you discover what feels right for you.
Because ultimately, the most successful space isn't the one that follows every rule. It's the one that makes you feel at home.
Beyond design
Over the years, my curiosity has expanded beyond architecture and interiors into a broader exploration of creativity, consciousness, and the human experience.
I became a licensed massage therapist and Reiki practitioner, and these experiences deepened my awareness of the relationship between the physical environment, the body, and the way we experience ourselves within a space.
My personal journey has also led me to explore some of life's larger questions: Who are we? Why are we here? What does it mean to live a meaningful life? And how can we move through this world with greater awareness, compassion, and connection?
I don't believe those questions are separate from creativity or design. If anything, they have made me more curious about the spaces we create and the lives we live within them.
At its heart, Mendes Design Studio is an extension of that curiosity - a place where design, art, creativity, and exploration can coexist. It is where I can share what I create, collaborate, and continue exploring the many ways beauty and intention can shape our experience of life.
I believe we are here to experience, to create, to learn, and to help one another along the way. And I believe our homes can be part of that journey.
Welcome to the Studio
Whether I'm designing a new home, selecting a single piece, exploring an artistic idea, or simply following an unexpected spark of inspiration, my intention remains the same:
To create with curiosity.
To design with intention.
And to make space for beauty, connection, and meaning.
Welcome to Mendes Design Studio.
-Andy
