Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Occupation: Founder and Principal of Nina Magon Studio.
Instagram: @ninamagonstudio
Home Town: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Studio Location: Houston, TX
Describe what you make: I create immersive environments at the intersection of architecture, interior design, art, fashion, and culture. My work extends beyond traditional boundaries, from private residences and hospitality destinations to collectible design, lighting, and new residential concepts. At the core of every project is a commitment to creating experiences that are emotionally resonant, visually unexpected, and culturally relevant. I approach design as a powerful form of storytelling, shaping spaces and objects that not only make an immediate impact, but leave a lasting impression on the people who experience them.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: KA Residences is the most significant project I have designed to date because it represents a fundamental evolution in how I believe we should live. After more than 14 years of designing luxury residences, I began to question whether beauty alone was enough, and whether the spaces we inhabit could play a more meaningful role in how we feel, function, and ultimately live. KA was born from that question. It brings together design, wellness, longevity, technology, and hospitality to establish a new paradigm for residential living, one where well-being is not an amenity or an occasional indulgence, but an integral part of everyday life. For me, KA represents the future of the home: an environment designed not only to be extraordinary, but to actively support the way we live and evolve.
Describe the problem your work solves: My work challenges the idea that exceptional design is defined by aesthetics alone. A space can be visually extraordinary, but its true value lies in how it shapes the human experience: how we move, gather, rest, work, connect, and ultimately feel within it. I approach every project through this lens, balancing emotional impact with purposeful functionality. The result is environments that are expressive yet intuitive, sophisticated yet deeply personal, and designed not simply to be seen, but to be experienced.
Share the project you are working on now: I am currently leading the creative vision for KA Residences, a luxury residential concept I co-founded around the principles of wellness and longevity. KA represents an opportunity to fundamentally rethink the role of the home, moving beyond aesthetics and traditional notions of luxury to consider how our environments can actively support the way we live, feel, and age. Through KA, architecture, interior design, preventive wellness, recovery, technology, and personalized health are conceived as one integrated ecosystem. This has allowed me to expand my role as a designer beyond the creation of individual spaces and toward the creation of an entirely new residential experience, where every element is intentionally designed to contribute to a person’s physical, emotional, and overall well-being.
What you absolutely have to have in your studio: Music is essential to my creative process. It creates an energy and rhythm in the studio that can instantly shift the way I think and feel. I also need to be surrounded by things that inspire me: beautiful materials, art, books, fragrance, and objects collected through my travels. I want the studio to feel layered, dynamic, and alive rather than overly curated or precious. And there is almost always something sweet within reach. Creativity, after all, requires a little fuel.
What you do when you’re not working: Netflix and chill or kickboxing.
Sources of creative envy (dead or alive): Picasso, Alexander McQueen, Zaha Hadid, Christian Dior visionaries I admire for their ability to challenge convention and create entirely new visual languages.
The distraction you want to eliminate: The constant noise of being connected; my best ideas come when there is space to think.
Concrete or marble? Marble, always. It carries history, artistry, and permanence in a way few materials can.
High-Rise Or Townhouse? High-Rise.
Remember or Forget? Remember.
Aliens or Ghosts? None, please.
Dark Or Light? Dark.
