Noa Santos
Noa Santos is a Hawaii-born designer and the founder of NAINOA, an international architecture and interior design studio specializing in luxury residential and commercial spaces. After studying at Stanford University and beginning his career at one of Manhattan’s leading design firms, Santos worked extensively with private clients before launching an interior design agency representing more than 1,000 designers across the United States, which he later sold in 2018.
Founded in 2019, NAINOA has offices in New York, Los Angeles, and London, with projects spanning internationally. His work is characterized by a refined balance of warmth, material richness, and contemporary elegance.
“Home is a very personal affair — everyone defines it differently.”
INTERVIEW
Construction timelines. No surprises there, I’m sure haha.
We are lucky enough to live in a time where inspiration is everywhere – it seems like you can’t miss it. So I don’t spend much time looking for it, I just let it surprise me. Our process, on the other hand, is quite defined. We have a pretty linear and logical process, whether we are working on a 2,000 sf home or one that is the size of a hotel. All clients more or less follow the same steps that we are, of course, constantly tweaking and improving.
I studied Architecture and Business at Stanford and moved to NYC shortly after graduating to work in a renowned NYC firm. It was really during my time there that I fell in love with interiors and the profound effect they can have on people.
In our work, we marry architecture and interiors in a way that I hope feels completely symbiotic.
I don’t know that I’ve had a single defining moment professionally – I’ve been lucky enough to have what feels like quite a few of them.
While it might seem unrelated, if I had to pick one moment, it would be meeting my husband, now almost thirteen years ago. He’s a true artist and has been a champion of my drive, passion, and aspirations, and, in that way, has given me the confidence to keep pushing the boundaries of our work.
I love clients who have a strong perspective. I want opinions, preferences, and eccentricities. Those individual qualities are truly what make each project unique.
Home is a very personal affair – everyone defines it differently. So for us, creating a “home” is first and foremost about listening. The aesthetics follow a very intimate understanding of what home means to someone.
Client happiness. That, above all else – above how something looks or if it photographs well or if it represents our “brand” – that happiness is what drives us.
I don’t have one, fortunately. We are working on homes, hotels and commercial spaces all over the world and each one is my favorite in some way or another. Sometimes the project is ideal simply because I adore the clients and can’t wait for them to step through the front door.
I spend most of my days in meetings with my team or with our clients. We are working on roughly 80 projects around the world, so that tends to require most of my time.
We are constantly learning how to toe the line between following a process we know works very well while managing the details of projects and clients that are all unique in their own ways. I don’t expect we will ever stop.
I follow so many creatives on Instagram, I don’t know where to start. I am continually amazed by the work they produce and so grateful we get to participate in the conversation.
Clients are becoming more and more involved in the design process – as they should be. Design is now more than ever a conversation and a dialogue. For some creatives, I imagine that’s challenging – it means more constraints, opinions, and preferences – but for us, it’s a worthwhile price to pay for each project feeling incredibly unique.
Gain technical knowledge – learn to draw, draft, and detail. You may only use it day-to-day for the first part of your career, but having that foundation is imperative.
Transportive.
I’m ashamed to say I get most of my information online these days. We are (hopefully) having a baby soon, so unless anyone is interested in parenting books, I’ve got nothing.
We are always hiring talented people from around the world – so reach out if you’re interested 🙂
Thank you so much Noa, for this lovely interview!
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