For over 20 years, we at Design HQ have been passionate about creating spaces reflecting the individuality of our client. Imagination and knowledge are the core values that drive us. We strive to push our imagination for a fresh look injected with design savvy and an eye for detail in the modern and eclectic styles we predominantly design in. We continually expand our knowledge from the experience each project gives us and keenly watching and learning market innovations. Working together with an emphasis on listening, the result is truly a collaboration between Design HQ and the client.
Frenjick Quesada, PIID, CPA
Frenjick draws from over 19 years of interior design experience and 6 years of corporate finance and business consultancy as a Certified Public Accountant with Sycip, Gorres and Velayo (SGV) and Procter & Gamble. Clients welcome his perspective that balances creativity with business aspects of a project. He apprenticed for Naomi “Shoko” Matsumoto, a world renowned theater and interior lighting designer. He enjoys sharing his experiences with the design community through speaking engagements. These include talks by the Ayala Museum, the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers and the University of the Philippines among others. In 2015 Philippine Katha Awards, he was part of the board of judges.
Principal
Hisako Hirayama
Originally from Tokyo, Japan, Hisako, or Chako as she is known, received her degree in Interior Design from the Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID). Having worked as a producer in the field of theater & performing arts for several years in Tokyo prior to her move to the Philippines in 1997, her background in the arts has provided a natural transition to the world of interior design. Since co-founding Design HQ with Frenjick, she has designed both residential and commercial spaces in a variety of styles, from modern to transitional to eclectic. She has a particular interest in lighting design, and has attended French lighting guru Louis Clair’s workshop in Manila, among others.
Senior Design Manager
Jobele Tee
Jobs graduated from UST with a BS Interior Design degree. She likes the number “2” and loves anything dark chocolate. Some things she would love to cross off her bucket list include watching U2 live in concert, having her own letterpress studio and riding the tallest, fastest, oldest, most looped roller coasters in the world.
Senior Design Manager
WELL AP
Denille Teh
Den graduated from UP Diliman with a degree in Interior Design. As a WELL Accredited Professional, Den believes that advocating for healthier interior spaces adds a whole other dimension to interior design. She is passionate about deepening her understanding of the design practice, and part of this is learning how creative fields like interior design can play a positive role in nurturing people’s health and well-being.
During her free time, she enjoys reading books, watching TV series, attending workshops and experimenting in digital art.
Interior Design Manager
Social Media Manager
Macon Davila
Macon is an Interior Design graduate from UP Diliman. She takes inspiration from human experiences, culture, and the human psyche and strives to translate them into well-designed spaces. Her thought process is always paired with a fresh glass of iced coffee or milk tea, and some of her brightest ideas can come from a good stretch during yoga.
Senior Interior Designer
IT Officer
Terence Yu
Terence is a graduate of the Philippine School of Interior Design. He is someone who finds all facets of design fascinating. A true car nut, his hobby is collecting die-cast automobiles. He can also always be found reading articles about cars or playing car-related games. He also loves to sleep, which he finds makes him very creative, with ideas emerging as he wakes up.
Interior Designer
Tina Guintos
Tina is a graduate of the University of San Agustin-Iloilo. She has an aptitude for manual and technical drawing with a good color sense and an eye for detail. She is a good leader and supervisor in handling projects and can develop designs that are appropriate, functional and aesthetically pleasing. She is an outgoing person and likes to express herself through mural and portrait art. Her design mantra revolves around modern contemporary design but is open to expanding her aesthetics.
Interior Designer
Patricia Gamboa
Patricia graduated BS Interior Design from UP Diliman. She loves travelling and getting lost in new places where she often finds her design inspirations. She is always excited by the culture, architecture, and beautiful interiors of the different countries she visits. In her free time, she likes to sketch and design Filipino inspired furniture pieces and accessories, her creative outlet in expressing her love for the arts, crafts, and culture of the Philippines.
Architect
Jonica Caasi
Jonica is a graduate of P.U.P. Sta Mesa with a BS degree in Architecture. She is a coffee lover with a sweet tooth. She is also a music enthusiast. She used to play guitar and the drums in a band during her high school years. She believes that through any form of work you serve and you learn, and she is passionate and determined in everything that she does, especially in the field of design and construction. Her dream is to build a house with a music room and a great view where she can sit and enjoy coffee.
Interior Designer
Jorese Chan
Jorese graduated with a BFA in Interior Design from University of the East- Caloocan. From when she was a design student, her dedication to interior design has never waivered. She particularly enjoys doing the detailed drawings of projects she handles. An introvert’s persona with an extrovert’s soul, she is mostly found exploring outdoors, doing food crawls and travelling. She also likes attending concerts even if she has to go alone. Her hobbies include journaling, calligraphy, and macramé, and recently has added crocheting which she turned into a small business during the pandemic.
Junior Design Manager
Mari Alyssa Loreto
Alyssa graduated BS Interior Design from the University of San Carlos. Growing up in a small town beside the shore of a vast sea and in front of a majestic mountain range, she adores the beauty of nature. At home, she finds time to appreciate the view of the sunset at the beach with her guitar and her music as a companion. She has always had a passion for the arts: Visual Arts, Performing Arts, and Literary Arts. She believes that this passion is what will help her to leave her mark in this world.
3D Specialist
Yuri Ishida
Yuri started Civil Engineering at Mapua Institute of Technology and then shifted to Architecture to pursue her dreams since a child. Her inspirations comes from these Iconic Architects, Kenzo Tange, Tadao Ando and Zaha Hadid. Aside from her passion in Architecture, she enjoys hiking and travelling across the Philippines to find and explore different wonders of nature.
Technical Designer III
Sheda Manota
Sheda is an Interior Design graduate from College of the Holy Spirit Manila. She loves reading everything about history, philosophy, cats and zodiac signs. Shes also a fast learner, competitive, and best at solving problems. When it comes to design, she likes to tackle space saving solutions, planning small spaces and incorporating bold ideas.
Junior Designer
Audrey Gaffud
Audrey fell in love with art and design at a young age. Her dad spoiled her with blank canvases to fill with colors and creative imagination. This simple activity developed her innate passion for design. Every summer she traveled to Shanghai with her family and visited places such as the World Expo exposing her to different international architecture and interiors. This gave her the additional push to take up Interior Design at the University of Santo Tomas.
Junior Designer
Bianca Mico
Bianca is an Interior Design graduate from P.U.P. Sta. Mesa. She enjoys learning new facts and acquiring new skills. She is fascinated with astronomy and one of her dreams is to visit NASA. In her free time, she enjoys watching anime, playing music and making music. Music helps in a big way to spark her creativity.
Junior Designer
Jhessa Romero
Jhessa, or “Jai-jai” to her friends and kins, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from the University of San Carlos. She was the Silver Winner of the Asia’s Young Designer Award 2018 held at Asia Center Auditorium, Quezon City. Fascinated by the way design shapes and forms the world as well as how mundane spaces and objects can be transformed into something extraordinary, it would be an understatement to say that interior designing is indeed her cup of tea. Besides the design world, she spends her leisure time freediving, traveling, and immersing herself in different cultures and walks of life.
Junior Designer
Faith Perez
Faith (a virgo) believes that the best designs are those that cater to all of the client’s specific needs. She prides herself on her excellent work ethic when she’s not stressing over deadlines–which isn’t a bad thing–as it keeps her highly motivated. When not busy, she enjoys spending her time watching old Hollywood movies and truly believes that Paul Newman and Marlon Brando still remain peak standards for Hollywood leading men (Henry Cavill coming in close second). Faith also enjoys enriching her mind through self-improvement books, and allows herself to indulge in overpriced coffee every now and then.
Junior Designer
Ira Oblepias
Ira earned her degree in Interior Design from the University of Santo Tomas.
Her passion for the arts started at a young age, leading her to pursue a career in design. She is fascinated with all art forms and consistently looks for interior design possibilities. She also enjoys nature and traveling and finds inspiration in her explorations. In her free time, she likes sketching and painting, watching movies and series, and listening to music.
Junior Technical Designer
Eunice Galat
Growing up, Eunice saw blueprints from her dad’s work all over their home, which sparked her interest in the field of construction and design. She eventually got her degree in Interior Design from the University of Santo Tomas. She is also fascinated by furniture design and aspires to create and produce her own furniture collection someday. Aside from this, she is a curious learner and is passionate about the things she does and believes in. In her spare time, she likes listening to podcasts, spending time with friends, and playing with her nephews.
Junior Technical Designer
Alexa Geronimo
Alexa graduated from the University of Santo Tomas with a degree in Interior Design. She loves making and drinking coffee, and spends her free time going to coffee shops that pique her interests. With this, she dreams to open her own coffee shop in collaboration with her friends and set up a furniture studio as well. A fan of sunsets in front of the sea. She is also often caught binge watching shows on the weekends.
Junior Architectural Designer
Villgates Pua
“Each new situation requires a new architecture.” This statement, by French architect Jean Nouvel, inspired Villgates to believe that architecture and design had to be considered as unique solutions to a particular set of circumstances resulting in new innovation. Villgates earned his Architectural degree at New Era University. He is very fond of drawing and painting, leading him to regularly participate in art-related competitions. He also likes playing basketball and online games to relieve stress.
Junior Architectural Designer
Azalea Mercado
An Architecture graduate from Holy Angel University, Azalea has been into design since she was young. Instead of playing with dolls and toys, she’d often be happy just having a pencil and paper to draw with and creating her own floor plans. During her free time, her hobbies are cross stitching, crocheting, and sewing which are on the artsy side too. As a foodie, she is also into cooking and baking, and she experiments with different recipes she finds online.
Junior Technical Designer
Celine Cruz
Celine is an alumna of the University of Santo Tomas. She is an Interior Design graduate with a knack for art. She loves to paint and sketch during her spare time to de-stress. She also takes interest in creating various crafting projects. She aspires to be a furniture designer and have her own design studio someday.
Junior Technical Designer
Angel De Guzman
Angel’s passion for colors, fabrics, furniture, floor plans, and all things “design” started at a very young age and has grown into a lifelong fascination with interior design. During her time in the interior design program at the University of Santo Tomas, her artistic and creative skills have grown immensely, and each project has allowed her to explore new ideas, respond to new challenges, and build design skills and knowledge. She wants to be known for her interior works and she wants to inspire people through her designs. Aside from all things design, in her spare time, she plays mobile games and cooks food for her family.
Junior Technical Designer
Mary Joice Ligas
Mary Joice received her BS in Interior Design from Philippine Women’s University Manila. She grew up with a love for making miniature models from recycled material with her father. This has led to an awareness and respect for the environment, and to pursue a career in design. Growing up in a rural area, she dreamed of building her firm next to the rice field and enjoying a simple and abundant life. She spends her spare time with her nephews and nieces, watches k-drama, and listens to classical music.
Junior Architectural Designer
Jayvee Francisco
Jayvee began his Architectural journey at Bulacan State University where he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree and Certifications in Building Technology & Architectural Interiors. For him, design is experiential rather than visual. Spending time with his family consumes his spare time. He also finds relaxation through sketching and doing watercolor drawings.
Junior Technical Designer
Andrea Mae Ortiz
Andrea enjoys going to different countries and exploring new places. She believes that traveling is important as it exposes us to different cultures and gives us a chance to meet new people. Her fascination for the arts and design grew from her travels, which led her to pursue Interior Design. She earned her degree in BS – Interior Design from De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde. Apart from this, Andrea is also very fond of her dogs, enjoys listening to music, trying out new recipes , and re-watching her favorite TV series .
Junior Technical Designer
Ryan Gablines
An avid urban sketcher, mural artist, and creative, Ryan enjoys all things about art, design, and history. He graduated BS Interior Design from the University of San Carlos and considers himself hardworking and passionate with a determined mindset. Sketching outdoors, doing abstract paintings, watching anime, and playing the bandurria are some of his hobbies that keep him motivated. As a young advocate of culture and heritage, he always loves to visit and see
heritage structures, museums, and artifacts from the past. One of his bucket lists is to have a
design studio with his friends.
Junior Technical Designer
Elle Celajes
Elle earned her degree in Interior Design from UP Diliman. Her passion for designing started with DIY projects and small room decorations, followed by being inspired by K-dramas and music videos which led her to pursue the course. Elle believes that a good design can heighten one’s well-being. She also likes incorporating organic forms and natural materials in her work. She aspires to encapsulate the meaning of style, functionality, equity, and what it means to live well through the spaces she shapes. Aside from design, Elle also loves reading about astronomy, history, culture, and just anything that piques her curiosity.
Junior Technical Designer
Jamie Stevens
Jamie graduated cum laude in BS interior design from the University of Santo Tomas. She believes that designers are storytellers who reflect one’s journey, ambitions, and aspirations through the spaces they create; this belief fueled her passion for design. Together with her siblings, she hopes to open their own design firm someday. While she may prefer staying indoors, she loves swimming to destress and once was a part of their school’s varsity swim team. Her idea of a perfect day off is snuggling with her dog in bed all day while binge-watching rom-com movies and reading her daily horoscope.
Junior Technical Designer
Kaye Fernandez
Kaye is an Interior Design graduate from the University of the East Caloocan. Growing up in a family of engineers and architects started her passion and interest in design. Her interests include writing poems, typography, and listening to deep sleep playlists. She also enjoys watching K-drama and rom-com series during her free time with chips and an upside-down
caramel macchiato on the side.
caramel macchiato on the side.
Junior Technical Designer
Rand Patrick Corleto
Rand found his interest in art and design when he was a child. Being exposed to the creative world as a Special Program in the Arts student, he was inspired to take the creative path and pursue Interior Design at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. He likes spending his leisure time outdoors traveling and experiencing new places as it helps him shift his perspective and look at things differently. Aside from the design field, he also loves photography, plant scaping, and immersing himself in different community involvement activities.
Office Manager
Joluz Mijares
Joluz graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Northern Philippines in Vigan. She loves the color green and leopard prints, and she is an adventurous cook. In her free time, she finds peace and relaxation when sewing and crafting various things, which she often gives away to people she cares about. She dreams of owning a craft store someday and sharing her creations with the world.
Accounting Officer
Vanessa Gabon
“Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.”
This verse inspires Vanessa and has been etched in her heart. Vanessa received her Bachelor of Science degree in Internal Auditing from Far Eastern University. Being a working mother with two kids has changed her life’s attitude. Hard work and determination is her strength and her children’s success is her happiness.
Company Driver
Roy Anthony Nillar
Roy is the company driver and a father of two. When he was young, he used to assist his father on carpentry and electrical works which exposed him early to the construction world. In his free time, he loves to go hiking, playing basketball, fishing, joining marathons and bonding with his family.
Project Designer
Lejeune Dela Cruz
Project Designer
Rod Lascano
Project Designer
Archie Marquez
Design Support
Aleisa Lamboloto
Accountant
Jean Alcantara
Project Manager Consultant
Daday Ang
