Interior Design Student Houston, Texas

Spaces that hold a life,not just a look.

I design residential interiors where comfort and function come first, and the beauty follows from getting those right. I am looking for an internship with a Houston studio.

  • Accessible residential design
  • Textile specification
  • Kitchen color and lighting
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Houston City College AAS Interior Design Expected summer 2027

A sunlit kitchen with cream cabinetry, marble counters, brass fixtures, herringbone oak flooring, and tall windows over the sink.

Kitchen Color and Lighting Study

Light oakMarbleSilent White

The approach

A room should work before it impresses. I start with how a person actually moves through a space, then let materials, light, and color make that easy living feel beautiful.

Selected work

Four studio projects

Residential, accessible design Fundamentals of Interior Design

The Wagner Owner's Suite

Rob and Maryanne Wagner are a retired couple planning to age in place, and their suite had to work after Mrs. Wagner’s stroke without reading as a hospital room. Open circulation, a curbless shower with an integrated bench, and non-slip materials sit inside a serene modern farmhouse palette of warm whites, soft sage, weathered oak, and gold, so accessibility reads as elegance.

  • Concept boards
  • FF&E selection
  • Materials and finishes
Download the presentationPDF 8 pages 0.6 MB
Furniture and finish board for the Wagner owner's suite: a low-profile boucle bed, natural oak nightstand and dresser, a patterned wool rug, a framed landscape, a brass sconce, and a white ceramic vase.
Bedroom furniture selections board for the Wagner suite against a sage ground: a low-profile boucle bed, a rounded natural oak charging nightstand, a light wood curved dresser, longer ADA pulls, a framed television, and brass ceiling and wall light fixtures.
Bedroom furniture selections, with ADA pulls specified throughout
Textiles, specification Textiles for Interior Design

Residential and Commercial Textile Package

A family room textile program specified to professional standards. Each fabric from Maharam, Bernhardt, and Knoll is documented with fiber content, double-rub durability, cleaning codes, and sustainability certifications, then justified in writing against the room’s warm neutral palette and how the family actually lives.

  • Specification tables
  • Tear sheets
  • Written justifications
Download the presentationPDF 8 pages 1.0 MB
Three upholstery textile samples shown side by side: a warm tan basketweave, a flat oatmeal linen, and a grey and white speckled boucle.
Kitchen, color and lighting Color and Lighting

Kitchen Color and Lighting Study

A kitchen designed around how light moves through a day. Recessed ambient light and large windows carry the mornings, pendants deliver shadow-free task light over the island, and under-cabinet strips keep the evenings safe, each layer chosen to flatter light oak floors, warm white walls, and marble counters.

  • Mood board
  • Finish palette
  • Lighting plan
Download the presentationPDF 7 pages 0.7 MB
Kitchen finish palette board showing a dark stained millwork door sample, a white marble countertop with warm veining, light oak plank flooring, and a Silent White wall finish reference.
Residential, modern Fundamentals of Interior Design

The Humphrey Owner’s Suite

Ryan Humphrey took on a higher-pressure sales job and needed a bedroom suite that helps him decompress. Warm neutral tones, natural textures, and sleek modern furniture do the calming work, while vintage Cadillac art and a table book give his passion for 1960s automotive design a place to sit without taking over the room.

  • Concept boards
  • Materials and finishes
  • Art and accessories
Download the presentationPDF 8 pages 0.5 MB
Art and accessories board for the Humphrey suite: a framed black and white vintage Cadillac photograph above a dark wood platform bed, flanked by walnut nightstands, olive trees in white planters, a grey wool rug, and an amber pendant cluster.

How I work

Listening, drawing, specifying, presenting

  1. Listen

    Who lives here, how they move, and what the space has to do on an ordinary Tuesday.

  2. Plan

    Circulation, clearances, and furniture layout before a single finish is chosen.

  3. Specify

    Materials, textiles, and lighting documented so they can actually be ordered and built.

  4. Present

    Boards and drawings that let a client see the room clearly and say yes with confidence.

Portrait of Gabriela Cuesta.

About

Gabriela Cuesta

I am an interior design student with a love for spaces that feel warm, functional, and personal. I am detail oriented, organized, and a fast learner, and I am drawn to residential, kitchen and bath, and commercial work alike.

I am studying at Houston City College for an AAS Interior Design, expected summer 2027. My studio work so far runs from an accessible owner’s suite to a professional textile specification package. I work in Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva, and Microsoft Office, and I am training in AutoCAD and SketchUp. I attend NKBA events and KBIS to stay close to where the industry is going.

  • Mood boards
  • Material and finish selection
  • Textile specification
  • Color palettes
  • FF&E selection
  • Presentation boards

Resume

Education, experience, and tools

Download the PDF

Education

Houston City College

AAS Interior Design Expected summer 2027

Coursework

  • Fundamentals of Interior Design
  • Textiles for Interior Design
  • Space Planning
  • Materials and Finishes
  • Lighting Design

Work experience

Barista

Minuti Coffee 2023 to 2024

Served customers in a fast-paced cafe, balancing speed with care and keeping the space organized and welcoming.

Makeup Artist Assistant

Siro NG Makeup 2023 to 2024

Assisted client sessions, learning to read undertones, match color to each person, and keep clients comfortable.

Software

  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Canva
  • Microsoft Office
  • AutoCAD, in training
  • SketchUp, in training

Professional development

NKBA Student Involvement

Attends National Kitchen and Bath Association events to follow current residential and kitchen and bath practice.

KBIS Trade Show

Walks the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show to study new products, materials, and manufacturer lines firsthand.

Let’s talk

Looking for a design intern who sweats the details.

Open to internships in residential, kitchen and bath, and commercial studios in the Houston area. Happy to send the full project boards.

346-240-8667Houston, Texas

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