The air is fragrant, crisp, and cool, and leaves are turning beautiful shades of crimson, yellow, and orange. We are loving the change in seasons and are excited to announce new leadership changes at BraytonHughes!
In addition to our 30th Anniversary, this year we are celebrating the promotion of Janea Nakagawa to President and Joel Villalon’s new role as Executive Advisor.
When Janea joined BraytonHughes in 2005, she became the first female principal in the firm’s history. Her project management and corporate design expertise has been invaluable to the company, where she has specialized in corporate, multi-family, and residential interiors. Before pursuing interior design, Janea considered a career in fashion design, and through she is not a big fan of sewing (to this day she can’t sew a button), she taps into aspects of fashion design in her work, putting together elements such as art, architecture, and furnishings into unique combinations that reflect the vision of her clients.
Joel has been with our firm since its beginnings, and his hand is evident in the team’s designs, including various projects that have been recognized for design excellence. When he’s not working or attending concerts, he’s collecting art and tiles on his travels around the globe. See some of his curated collectibles in his Guanajuato home.
Working collaboratively as principals through the years, Joel and Janea have created a nurturing space for everyone to feel respected in their growth as designers. We would not be where we are today without their strong leadership and design expertise, and we are grateful they will have the opportunity to continue working closely together, deepening our roots in hospitality, residential, and corporate work and further diversifying our portfolio.
Upon the firm’s 30th Anniversary this year, please join Towan, Rachel, Kiko, and the rest of the BHD team in congratulating Janea and Joel for forging a path of success and paving the way for more exciting milestones at BraytonHughes Design Studios.
