Looking for a luxury interior designer in the Siesta Key and Sarasota area

Joseph Matthews III

Sep 11

4 min read

J Matthews Design Studio. Interior designer in Southwest Florida with twenty years of experience.

If you are looking for a luxury interior designer near Siesta Key or Sarasota, my name is Joseph Matthews and I run J Matthews Design Studio. I offer full-service, turnkey design, which means I carry a project from the first concept through to the finished, furnished room, so you are not left managing trades and decisions on your own. The studio is based in Lakewood Ranch, and I work throughout Southwest Florida, including Sarasota, Bradenton, Tampa, Venice, and the surrounding communities, on both private homes and multifamily projects.

How I ended up designing in Southwest Florida

Across twenty years of interior design, my work has taken me well beyond Florida. I spent a long stretch in Los Angeles, with projects in Beverly Hills, Brentwood, West Hollywood, the Hollywood Hills, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and Palm Springs, along with Montecito up the coast. Earlier in my career I worked on the East Coast as well, in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Maryland. When I came to Florida, I started out on Siesta Key, drawn by the light, the water, and a pace that makes a well-designed home feel worth the time. I am now based in Lakewood Ranch and travel throughout the region for projects.

Interior designer Joseph Matthews of J Matthews Design Studio, based in Lakewood Ranch and serving the Sarasota area

What working with a full-service designer looks like

Full-service means I handle the whole arc of a project, not just the styling at the end. That includes space planning, which is deciding how a room is laid out and how people move through it, along with materials, finishes, lighting, furniture, and the coordination with builders and trades that keeps everything on schedule. You make the decisions that matter to you, and I take on the ones that would otherwise fill your evenings and weekends.

The kinds of projects I take on

I work on two main types of projects. The first is high-end residential: private homes for owners and custom home builders, whether that is a single room or a whole house. The second is multifamily and commercial work, including model units, lobbies, amenity spaces, fitness centers, and common areas for developers and property managers. Each type has its own rhythm, and the studio is set up to handle both.

Why coastal homes in Southwest Florida call for a different approach

Designing near the water here is not the same as designing inland or up north. The climate sets real constraints. Humidity and salt air are hard on the wrong materials, so finishes, fabrics, and furniture have to be chosen with that in mind. Hurricane season shapes decisions too, from impact-rated glass to how you treat anything sitting near large spans of window. The light is strong and warm for most of the year, which changes how paint colors, woods, and textiles read once they are actually in the room. The styles I work in most often suit that setting: coastal modern, transitional, and modern farmhouse.

How to start a project with J Matthews Design Studio

If you are weighing a project, the first step is a conversation about the space, how you want to use it, and what you want it to become. From there I can tell you honestly whether full-service design is the right fit and what a realistic scope looks like. You can reach the studio through the contact page to set that up.

Common questions

Do you only work in Siesta Key?

No. The studio is based in Lakewood Ranch, and I take projects across Southwest Florida, including Sarasota, Bradenton, Tampa, Venice, and the surrounding communities. Siesta Key is one of the areas I serve, not the only one, and traveling within the region is a normal part of the work.

Can you coordinate with my builder or architect?

Yes. On new builds and larger renovations I work alongside builders, architects, and trades so the design and the construction line up instead of colliding late in the process. The earlier I am brought in, the more of that coordination I can smooth out before it becomes a problem.

Is full-service design more expensive than hiring a decorator?

They are different services, so it is not quite a one-to-one comparison. A decorator usually focuses on the finishing layer: furniture, color, and styling. Full-service design covers the structural decisions too, including layout, materials, lighting, and the coordination that ties them together. What it tends to save you is the cost of decisions made in the wrong order, which is often where a budget gets away from people.

Do I need to have a style decided before I contact you?

No. Plenty of clients reach out knowing they want a change without being able to name the style they are after. Part of my job early on is helping you figure out what you actually respond to, then turning that into a clear direction for the space. If you already have a firm vision, I start from there instead.