I’m ENTP, so my design work reflects how I naturally process the world—through people, intuition, and dialogue, grounded by clear thinking and structure.
Manila-born, Texas-raised interior designer James JJ Acuña, came to Hong Kong in 2015 to start his own business, JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio. The multi-disciplinary interiors and concept architecture practice is based in Hong Kong and Manila, and creates high-quality bespoke interiors for hospitality, restaurants, retail spaces, workspaces and homes.
What was your proudest project in 2025?
The first is a warm and intimate 1,200-square-foot residential home in Kowloon, designed for a newlywed couple. What makes this project especially meaningful is its location within a vintage building constructed by the husband’s family in the early to mid-1980s—an era when the architecture was quite masculine and blocky. Our task was to introduce a light, airy, and spirited design language into what is essentially a white modernist structure with relatively low ceiling heights, and lower opportunities for direct sunlight due to windows and building Northern orientation. The clients were drawn to a sense of openness with a coastal, breezy warmth, which we expressed through light oak finishes and natural materials such as rattan. The result is a home that feels calm, generous, and deeply pleasant to inhabit—an atmosphere that is immediately felt upon entering. The project is very bright and it was nice to see this elevated approach to materials with our concept.
The second standout project is an IVF clinic in Singapore designed for entrepreneur Margaret Wang, who is driven by a clear mission to support women and families on their journey to parenthood. GenPrime brings together state-of-the-art medical technology with our approach to front-of-house hospitality design. By fusing lifestyle programming with the operational requirements of a high-tech clinical environment, we aimed to create a space where the experience of care feels affirming, compassionate, and as gentle as possible. As healthcare design globally moves toward more domestic, human-centred environments, we see our role as being at the forefront of this shift—creating spaces like GenPrime that support women and families by making the path to building a family feel more accessible, dignified, and emotionally supported.
How does your design work reflect your MBTI?
I’m ENTP, so my design work reflects how I naturally process the world—through people, intuition, and dialogue, grounded by clear thinking and structure. I’m energised by collaborative conversations, and many of my ideas are shaped through exchanges with clients and my team, which is why my work often carries a strong sense of hospitality and human experience. I tend to lead with intuition and concept narratives— thinking about urgency, impact, atmosphere, emotion, and how a space is lived in—while balancing that with practical decision-making to ensure clarity, functionality, and purpose. That balance allows me to create environments that feel warm, considered, and emotionally embodied, while still being detailed, planned, and beautiful.
