Interior designer expands with new Mirror Lake studio

Rob Bowen, a St. Petersburg native and award-winning interior designer, has expanded his footprint in the Sunshine City with a new 3,000-square-foot studio on Mirror Lake.

Rob Bowen Design was previously situated on Beach Drive, but after a year-and-a-half construction and redesign process, just reopened at 180 Mirror Lake Dr. N. The new building was previously an architect’s office, which Bowen described as an “industrial look,” so he spent months rebuilding the space to bring his luxury interior design style to his new location.

The new space serves as both an office for Bowen’s 10-person design team and an “experience center” for clients. Bowen, who also acts as Principal, Designer and Creative Director, describes the studio as a reflection of his design philosophy and a showcase of various design elements.

“We wanted this space to reflect what we do every day,” Bowen said. “When you walk in, it feels very residential and approachable, almost familiar, yet there’s a sense of mystery – so much mystery that you think, ‘I have no idea what I’m looking at, but I love it.’”

Rob Bowen and his dog Bentley (whose official title is “Chief Happiness Officer” for Rob Bowen Design) inside the grand living-room-inspired lobby of his new studio and office space on Mirror Lake.

The new studio features a two-story lobby Bowen likens to a living room, where initial client conversations take place. Fully designed bathrooms also introduce clients to new features like a faucet that hangs from the ceiling, and the conference room doubles as a hidden kitchen with integrated, expertly hidden appliances. The space is designed to introduce visitors to various design elements and techniques, from linear light diffusers to Venetian plaster.

“I wanted to build a space that you as a client could say, ‘What do bronze walls look like? What do silk walls look like?’ There’s a little bit of everything that you can come interact with,” Bowen explained. “It really has exceeded the expectation of what I had for it.”

Bowen was born in St. Pete and raised in Central America before returning to the area to begin his interior design business. For more than a decade, Rob Bowen Design has been taking on clients from around the country, but Bowen said he’s long been committed to his hometown and its potential for growth.

“St. Pete has evolved so much since I was a kid,” he said. “This is the first time that most of my work has existed here. Usually, we’re splitting time between St Pete, we’ll have a big bulk [of work] in New York, we did a project in South Africa and one in Australia. So all those are great, but our recent clients have all been local, which has been interesting because so many people are moving here from those cities that we used to work in.”

Bowen’s firm has made a name for itself in the luxury condominium market, with projects in nearly every new high-rise in St. Petersburg. Bowen’s portfolio also includes many commercial properties, and he said his firm has thrived on repeat business and referrals.

“Our average client, we’ve done one or two homes for already,” he explained. “We’re super thankful for that, and it also helps us with being a little bit more efficient in our design process. We’re also seeing generational clients, so children of the parents we’ve worked for. That’s really fun.”

The new studio, located just blocks from Bowen’s residence, represents more than just an expansion of space. It signifies a shift in the business structure, allowing Bowen to focus more on the creative aspects while his husband, Jason, manages operations. The couple also previously owned (and recently sold) the downtown restaurant Social Roost.

Bowen’s new studio features built-in smart lighting for any occasion, outfitted to show clients the possibilities for luxury and innovation.

Looking ahead, Bowen has ambitious plans for the firm, including the launch of a rug collection and potentially expanding into lighting and furniture. He sees these ventures as collaborative efforts with trusted vendors. The new studio space near downtown St. Pete has given his firm this opportunity to expand both its physical space and its staff.

“I wanted a team that is equally as smart, if not smarter [than me] because if I’m the smartest person in the room, I’m in the wrong room,” Bowen said. “I only want to surround myself with the best of the best of the best, and I think we’ve been able to do that here.”

Bowen hopes to take on more local residential design projects in 2025 – with a special focus on helping Floridians who weathered the recent back-to-back hurricanes.

“Because I’m such an empath, I really felt the pain that everyone went through with the destruction from the hurricanes,” he said. “We weren’t affected, but so many of our family members and clients lost their homes. Even our community in general, it’s been so difficult [to see] so much damage.”

“I want to be a part of helping people recreate their lives,” Bowen added. “I want to help these people that were really affected establish their new life; get them settled again and kind of reinvent their world. Yes, because it’s great to do all the design work, but also, let’s figure out how to get them into something pretty awesome.”

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