Meet Wellington Marinho | Architect | Interior Designer | Furniture Designer | Lighting Designer | Photographer.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Wellington Marinho and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Wellington, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Back in college, the dream of being an architect and making a difference in the world was always inside my head. I had great mentors that gave me not just a “good job” but also fair critics of my work process and way to think. Before finishing my graduation I was 100% sure about what type of work I would finally make happen. I decided to work for the environment, people, and well-being of my future clients. Well, life is not about dreams, it’s about knowing who you are and what you want, some people will just find out in their 30, 40, or maybe 50, 60 doesn’t matter and when I realized that I saw myself working for companies with the same speech “ we’re family (but not), we care about our community (but not), we care about the people that work here (but not). It was all about money. I was spending 8 hours of my day feeling not fulfilled enough to believe in that speech. I wanted to make decisions about the designs, and the concept, would be good for the public too? Not even talking about The time wasted in commuting driving going to the office, and backing home I used to ask. So, as many of us out there the desire of being free of that frustration was always on my mind and the reasons are basically simple: having creative and financial freedom, an opportunity for personal and professional growth, to create my own schedule, the opportunity to make a difference, which helped me develop new skills and expand my knowledge base as an interior designer, architect, furniture designer, and photographer.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have different graduation, my first one was in journalism. I was a very shy person before studying journalism, but this choice came with the fear of facing my true dream, architecture. I used to think “Oh, this must be too much engineering for me”, which means too much rational thinking and I’m a creative person. After spending 6 months living in Spain I realize I couldn’t run away from architecture anymore… I used to go on long walks around Madrid and then Bilbao, where the Guggenheim Museum is, with my Fuji camera and see the beautiful architecture over there and at that moment I decide to study what was really my dream. I came back to Brazil, finished my Journalism school, and then started Architecture and it was the most hate and love for 5 years of my life. The experience of living in Europa and studying the “art of concrete” in South America brought me an exotic and pleasant eye for design, architecture, and modern living. After accepting a job offer here in Dallas I didn’t think twice. As I said I started like everybody else: working for someone else’s dream, making profits for someone else, and in the end, I wasn’t happy. So I started my own journey. I graduated in Interior Design from The New York Institute of Art and Design, while I was starting my own business, that comes 4 years ago and now I’m studying landscaping architecture, to offer my clients more perspective on design and to have technical skills about what the clients need for their home outside and inside.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Sure, there you go:

Eating:

Pecan Lodge: This BBQ joint is famous for its melt-in-your-mouth brisket and delicious sides.

The Rustic: This restaurant and bar features live music and a beautiful outdoor patio, and serves up tasty southern-inspired dishes.

Meso Maya: Enjoy delicious Mexican cuisine at this popular restaurant with locations throughout Dallas.

Drinking:

Truck Yard: This fun outdoor bar and beer garden features a rotating selection of food trucks, live music, and games like giant Jenga.

The Standard Pour: This trendy bar serves up craft cocktails and has a cozy speakeasy vibe.

Deep Ellum Brewing Company: Check out this local brewery for some of the best beer in town and a fun atmosphere.

Visiting:

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza: This museum chronicles the life, death, and legacy of President John F. Kennedy and is located in the building from which Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated him.

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden: This beautiful outdoor space is the perfect place to take a stroll, admire the flowers and plants, and relax in nature.

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science: This interactive museum is great for kids and adults alike, and features exhibits on everything from dinosaurs to space exploration.

Hang out:

Klyde Warren Park: This park in the heart of Dallas features food trucks, live music, and other events throughout the year.

Bishop Arts District: This trendy neighborhood is full of unique shops, restaurants, and bars.

Dallas Farmers Market: Check out this outdoor market to find fresh produce, artisanal goods, and delicious food.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dedicate my story to my mom. A great and strong woman that taught me how to be resilient and follow my dreams.

My mom has the same story as many other women out there. She raised my sister and me by herself, working a full-time job Monday to Friday, arriving at home sometimes or most of the time at midnight. I remember me and my sister waiting for her, even when she told us not to stay late, because of the school next day, but we usually did. We’re trying to make sure that she was ok, that she didn’t find any housework to do [ we usually had the house clean, no dish to wash, food ready for when she come home] she always taught us the value of hard work and me and my sister we just didn’t think was fair for her to come home and having to clean, to cook or to worry about a messy house, and believe me latin moms have their own way to deliver a message of not coming home to a messy house haha. But beyond that me and my sister, we knew that whatever we did wasn’t enough close to what to be a single mom is. Later then she owned her own restaurant, then a boutique store and today she owns her own Hotel in a beach town in Brazil. My Maria, or Mrs. Mara [ as friends used to call her] my very strong, funny, gentle, and resilient example of how to be a great human being, for my family, friends, and everybody around us. Everything that I do for her is not even close or enough to what she did for us. I love her very much and I’m planning a visit later this year, as I do every year, to try her famous cakes and typical local food. Thank you Mom, I love you. “Amo voce” in Portuguese.

Website: archmarinho.com

Instagram: @archmarinho

Youtube: archmarinho

Image Credits
All images/ work are part of my portfolio.