Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Mino. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Hi Julie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! I’m a wife, mom, artist, and interior designer living in Timberwood Park. We’ve lived here since 2019 (when we found out we were expecting twins!) and in San Antonio since 2015. I’m originally from Devine, Texas, just an hour south on I-35. This year I’m launching my business, Julie Mino Art & Design, and I also assist in design work for my husband Garrett’s pool company, MiniPools.
I have always been drawn to home design – as a teenager I poured over my mom’s Architectural Digest magazines, sketched house plans and built intricate forts complete with themed rooms for my four younger siblings. My love of art, especially abstract art, developed throughout my years at Texas State University as I studied art history, color theory, interior design and graphic design. My plan was to become an architect, but my path led me to major in Communication Design – Advertising, which is where my professional career started. I moved to Dallas for my first “real” job, which morphed over 16 years from advertising & marketing to tech.
In January of this year, I was laid off from my position at an eComm tech company – but this time was different, because for quite a while it had been on my heart to lean into my love and talents in art and transformative home renovation. The experience of our projects over the past five years – remodeling our kitchen, revamping the flooring, reimagining the fireplace, painting the brick exterior, building a shipping container home, installing our own pool during Covid, and even remodelling a vintage AirStream trailer – really ignited my passion for transforming spaces so they feel, and function, better.
Instead of jumping right back into another company in the field, I began investing in my education. If I was to wholeheartedly pursue my artistic talents and help others create their dream homes, I wanted to learn from other designers who have been there. First, I attended a course in Portland, Oregon with residential designer Kami Gray, who had made a similar career change when she started in design.
In addition to residential design, I had become interested in Short Term Rental (STR) design as we have been building our own rental property in Wimberley, Texas. I found an incredible course by stager, designer and educator Audra Slinkey, and completed her training so I could specialize in helping STR owners increase nightly rates and occupancy by helping their property stand out from the crowd with great (and thoughtful) design.
My personal style is a mix of modern and eclectic, but my true gift is learning what my clients’ style is and making their home their own. Some of my current projects include a modern tiny home, a 100+ year old Folk Victorian, a rustic cabin update, and a breezy hill country remodel. What I’ve found to be a challenge for most clients is visualizing the changes, so I create not only style boards which show the finishes and furnishings, but also floor plans for space planning, 2D elevations for built-ins and cabinetry, and sometimes 3-D visuals or renderings.
On the design side of my business, I offer design consultations, remodel planning and execution, furnishing plans, virtual design plans, STR furnishing, and start-to-finish turnkey services.
As an abstract artist, I offer original paintings and prints, and open a limited number of commissions each quarter.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road is still going! It’s actually taken a while for me to really listen to my inner voice and go all in on building a business based on my creative talents. There are the usual struggles as well – going from the comfort of a full-time job in tech to the unknown of entrepreneurship comes with financial risks, and there is a lot to learn along the way. I want to show myself and my children (4yo b/g twins) that it’s never too late to follow your dreams. And I hope they can learn earlier not to listen to people who don’t “get” your vision, who don’t live life from a viewpoint of abundance – there are many paths to personal & professional success.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’ve found connecting with other designers, rental owners, and remodeling contractors to be educational and a way to offer mutual support. I love to collaborate on projects and am always open to seeing how I can help other entrepreneurs and professionals fill in gaps with my design or art services.
What’s next?
My business, Julie Mino Art & Design, is just officially launching. I am looking forward to helping clients make their homes or rental properties uniquely them, solving space issues with smart design, and taking some of the guesswork out of DIY projects. I’m currently reworking my art studio space to allow for more regular collection releases, and I will be taking on a limited number of commissioned paintings for patrons and interior design clients. My art website will be relaunched soon to include my Interior Design offerings.
I also run MiniPools with my husband, Garrett. We service north San Antonio, Bulverde, Canyon Lake, Spring Branch & Wimberley, TX areas. (texasminipools.com, @minipools)
Our own rental property will be available for guests to rent in the fall! (@highside_wimberley)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.juliemino.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliemino_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julieminodesign
- Other: https://www.texasminipools.com/
Image Credits
Kitta Bodmer
