Thoughtful design has earned Piper Gonzalez Design recognition in publications like Architectural Digest, Jupiter Magazine and Modern Luxury. But beyond the beautiful spaces and editorial features, it’s the studio’s personal approach that has earned the trust of clients across Palm Beach Gardens, North Palm Beach, and Jupiter.
For nearly two decades, founder Piper Gonzalez has been turning houses into homes that actually reflect the people living in them, one relationship at a time. We sat down with her to talk about where that passion started, what really happens behind the scenes of a project, and the people who help make it all come together. Consider this your introduction to the woman behind the work.
What first drew you to design?
Oh, I’ve loved it since I was a little girl. I grew up spending my early years at a boutique hotel my parents built from the ground up on a remote Caribbean island. There was always something to figure out: a room that needed fixing, a corner that needed to feel a little more like home for guests who’d traveled so far to get there. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that little island was basically design school, years before I ever set foot in an actual classroom.
Getting there professionally, though, wasn’t exactly a straight shot. I didn’t want to leave the state for college, and there wasn’t a strong design program near me at the time, so I studied marketing instead and told myself it was “creative enough.” I got my MBA, worked as a marketing manager, even taught marketing and ran a DECA program for a while. Then I became a mom, we moved back to South Florida, and because design had never actually left me, I started painting murals and helping friends put their homes together, just for fun. Except it didn’t stay “just for fun” for long. My husband was the one who finally called it: this is more than a hobby, this should be your job. So I went back to school, this time for design, and once my youngest started kindergarten, I hired my first employee and never looked back.
If you had to describe your design philosophy in one sentence, what would it be?
A home feels timeless when it reflects the person living in it. I choose pieces because they’re current, sure, but more than that, I choose them because they make a client feel like themselves the second they walk in. At the end of the day, my clients are the ones who have to live in the house, not me. So it has to be built around who they are, not around whatever’s about to feel dated in five years.
Walk me through what a first meeting with a new client actually feels like, from your side.
Part of my job is having individual conversations with each of them, figuring out what really matters underneath it all, and finding, almost every time, that they’re closer than they think.
These days, technology helps a lot with this — we build a shared photo album, and I ask clients to upload anything that gives them a feeling, whether or not it looks like “design” at all. It could be a sunset. It could be genuinely anything. Then I look at the whole collection and find the threads running through it, which clients are often surprised to see themselves — maybe it’s a color palette they gravitate toward without realizing it, or a texture, or the fact that they’re drawn to anything with a little sheen. That’s usually where the real design work begins, and it’s my favorite part of the whole process.
Is there a local project you’re especially proud of that you can talk about?
A few come to mind, each for a different reason. One we call The Modern Punch in Mirasol, Palm Beach Gardens, a true soup-to-nuts renovation where we handled the facade, landscaping, roofing, driveway, windows, pool, and the entire interior. Projects like that let us shape a home from the outside in, and there’s nothing quite like seeing it all come together as one cohesive vision instead of a patchwork of decisions.
Another is what I think of as Livable Luxury, also in Mirasol, Palm Beach Gardens. It was a heavy, dated Tuscan-style home that we transformed into something elegant and current, layout and all. We completely reconfigured the primary suite, turning what used to be an old au pair suite and bathroom into a generous his-and-hers bath, a large closet, and a dedicated laundry room. It’s one of my favorite examples of how much a smart layout change can improve daily life, not just how a room looks in photos.
And then there’s Social Sanctuary in Mirasol, a smaller property we designed specifically around entertaining and hosting adult kids when they’re home for the season. My favorite detail is a “back kitchen” that lets the family cater and prep out of sight, so the main kitchen stays picture-perfect for guests. It’s a small thing on paper, but it completely changes how a family actually gets to enjoy their own party.
Outside of design, what’s a part of your life that quietly influences how you work?
Family, without question. My husband and I are both very family-oriented people, and that shapes how we run this business more than almost anything else. The only thing we put above our clients is our team. That might sound like an unusual thing to admit in a client-facing business, but I’ve found that when you genuinely take care of the people you work alongside, that care has a way of extending to everyone we serve, whether they ever see it happening or not.
Travel has also had a big influence on the way I design. Experiencing different places and cultures has taught me that people interact with their surroundings in very personal ways. No two people define comfort, beauty, or home in exactly the same way, and I think that’s what makes design so meaningful. It reminds me that my job isn’t to create a home that reflects my taste. It’s to create one that feels authentic to the people who live there.
Meet the Team Behind the Designs
None of this happens alone, and I’m lucky to work alongside people who bring skills I simply don’t have.
Bruce Ringuette – Contractor
Bruce from Atlantic Builders, is my contractor partner and, in a lot of ways, the operational shield for every project we take on. He’s old-school, ultra-organized, and runs the job site with a printed master spreadsheet he knows better than I know my own calendar. I like to think of myself as the creative, tech-savvy half of the partnership, while Bruce handles the boots-on-the-ground realities of code enforcement and trade labor — which frees me up to focus on design integrity and keeping our clients’ expectations met. We joke that between the two of us, we’ve got both halves of a project covered, and honestly, it’s not really a joke.
Jamie Lawson – Design Manager
Jamie is calm, proactive, and relentlessly organized, and she treats every project like it’s her own. As your main point of contact, she manages communication, scheduling, orders, and logistics, and somehow always seems to anticipate a challenge before it happens. If a project runs smoothly and nothing slips through the cracks, that’s Jamie. She genuinely loves helping clients feel at home, and it shows in every update and invoice she sends your way.
Sal Reyes – Property Site Manager
We call Sal “the closer.” Officially, he’s our Punch List Specialist, making sure every last detail of your project is finished to our standards, and he also runs field services for our Concierge HomeWatch program. If something needs fixing, adjusting, or wrapping up, Sal’s resourcefulness means it gets solved. He’s the one working closely with clients in a project’s final stretch, tying up every loose end — so you’re in very good hands right up to the last day.
Misty Beckum – Operations Manager
Behind every project that runs on time is someone making sure all the pieces are in place. For us, that’s Misty. As our office manager, she tracks deliveries, sets timelines, coordinates installations, and runs operations for our Concierge HomeWatch service, sending clients a monthly update along the way. What stands out most about Misty is her consistency — once something’s in her hands, you know it’ll be seen all the way through.
David Maron – CAD Designer
Design only goes so far on paper. David makes it buildable. With a degree in architecture, he’s our CAD designer, translating concepts into detailed elevations, cabinetry drawings, permit sets, and construction documents. Because he understands both what a space should look like and what it actually takes to build it, his drawings bridge the gap between vision and reality better than almost anyone I know.
Matthew Weber – Field Operations Lead
The best spaces require flawless coordination, and Matthew keeps them moving. As our Field Operations Lead, he supports Sal on logistics, keeps clients in the loop, and doubles as a Concierge HomeWatch monitor. Whether he’s on a job site or doing a routine walkthrough, his communication and can-do attitude keep every detail running like clockwork. He says the best part of the job is seeing a client fall in love with their finished home — and honestly, same.
If you’re searching for the best interior designer in Palm Beach Gardens, North Palm Beach, or Jupiter, I’d love the chance to sit down and hear your story. Reach out and let’s talk about what your home could feel like.