La Union Studio

What La Union Studio does

La Union Studio is a Seattle-based, full-service architectural and interior design firm specializing in cultural placemaking for BIPOC and immigrant-owned small businesses, with secondary practices in custom residential, ADU/DADU, multifamily, commercial tenant improvements, and office interiors. Founded in 2018 and led by co-founders Sonia-Lynn Abenojar (Director of Creativity) and Sergio Max Legon-Talamoni (Director of Design and Culture), the firm builds on a project basis with a small core staff of approximately six supplemented by a network of design collaborators engaged per project. The studio's signature capability is weaving cultural and historical narratives into commercial and residential environments — for example, embedding Filipino batok motifs in Hood Famous Cafe & Bar or Hanoi Old Quarter references in Phin Vietnamese Coffee — distinguishing it from generic design firms competing on aesthetics alone.

The firm operates a professional services revenue model with project-based, quote-driven fees determined through a website intake form capturing scope, budget, and timelines. Distribution is built primarily on warm referrals from community organizations, the City of Seattle Office of Economic Development (where the studio serves as a designated Commercial Space Consultant), the Beacon Hill Business Alliance, the BCO Fund partnership, and earned media in outlets such as Archinect, Luxe Magazine, and Monograph. Service delivery spans concept design, space planning, FF&E selection, permitting support, and construction administration across roughly 30+ completed projects spanning the Pacific Northwest, New Jersey, and California. The firm formalized its physical footprint in 2024 by acquiring a 1,200 SF permanent headquarters in Seattle's Mount Baker neighborhood through the Business Community Ownership Fund, in partnership with Seattle OED, Grow America, and JPMorgan Chase.

The studio remains founder-owned, with no disclosed institutional equity capital; the only external funding on record is a 2025 Comcast RISE grant of $5,000 plus in-kind services. Customer logos are concentrated in food-and-beverage SMBs (e.g., Raised Doughnuts, 20 Oz Tea, Boon Boona Coffee, Cafe Avole, Sol Boba) but increasingly extend into healthcare (Progressive Motion PT), nonprofit headquarters (Rainier Valley Community Development Fund, The Beacon), and mid-market office (The Vida Agency). Geographic footprint is intentionally aligned with diaspora communities relevant to the firm's positioning rather than built through mass-market regional expansion.

Name

La Union Studio

Legal name

La Union Studio

Website

https://launionstudio.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

La Union Studio is a Seattle-based, founder-led architectural and interior design firm specializing in cultural placemaking for BIPOC and immigrant-owned small businesses, delivering commercial, residential, ADU, and multifamily projects across the Pacific Northwest, New Jersey, and California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interior Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410), Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Garage-to-ADU Conversion (HSAPAMAC)

Keywords

• Interior design services
• Architectural design services
• Cultural placemaking design
• ADU design services
• Commercial tenant improvement

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Full-service architectural design for commercial and residential projects including space planning, permitting, and construction administration.
2. Interior Design Services: Interior design services encompassing space planning, material selection, lighting design, and furnishings for multifamily, commercial, and residential projects.
3. ADU/DADU Design Services: Accessory Dwelling Unit design services including pre-designed plans and custom ADU design with permitting support.
4. Commercial Space Consulting: Technical assistance and consulting with business owners including advocacy with landlords and contractors, budget development, space planning, and project management for City of Seattle programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

La Union Studio is a Seattle-based interior design and cultural placemaking studio that provides architectural design, interior design, ADU/DADU design, multifamily residential design, commercial tenant improvement design, and project management services for cultural, retail, hospitality, food service, and custom single-family residential projects. The studio integrates cultural and historical narratives into its design work to create spaces that reflect the client's identity, brand, and community context.

Product overview

La Union Studio is a full-service interior design and cultural placemaking studio offering a unified portfolio of design services. The core offerings include Architectural Design, Interior Design, and Cultural Placemaking, which work together to create spaces reflecting cultural narratives. Service verticals cover Custom Residential, ADU/DADU Design, Commercial (restaurants, retail, offices, cultural facilities), and Multifamily Residential. Supporting offerings include Design Consulting, Project Management, FF&E Selection, and pre-designed and custom ADU plans. The studio primarily serves cultural, retail, hospitality, food service, multi-family, and custom single-family residential projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design
• Interior Design
• Custom Residential Design
• ADU/DADU Design Accessory Dwelling Unit and Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit design services, including pre-designed plans and custom ADU design with permitting support for additional living space, rental income, or multigenerational living.
• Pre-Designed ADU Plans Collection of pre-designed ADU plans available in one- and two-story configurations, offering flexible, practical designs that can be tailored to suit unique client needs.
• Commercial Design Commercial space design services for restaurants, cafes, retail environments, offices/workplaces, and cultural facilities, integrating cultural narrative and brand identity into the buildout.
• Multifamily Residential Design Interior design and FF&E (Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment) selection for multifamily residential developments, creating cohesive community living environments that balance aesthetics with durability and resident functionality.
• Design Consulting and Project Management Advisory and full project management services including design consulting, bidding and negotiation support, construction administration, color/material finishes coordination, and permitting support.
• Commercial Space Consulting for City of Seattle OED Technical assistance and consulting provided to small businesses through the City of Seattle Office of Economic Development, including advocacy with landlords and contractors, budget development, space planning, architectural design, and project management.

Quantifiable outcome

• BCO Fund enabled 1,200 SF headquarters purchase
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• City of Seattle Office of Economic DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Studio serves as Commercial Space Consultants providing technical assistance and support to small businesses through the city's program. Services include advocacy with landlords and contractors, budget development, space planning, architectural design, and project management. Clients include King Donuts, The Beacon, Kaffa Coffee & Wine Bar, and Tabletop Village.
• Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2023La Union Studio partners with Seattle OED and Grow America to participate in the Business Community Ownership Fund (BCO Fund), becoming one of the first businesses to secure permanent commercial space through this innovative program designed to combat commercial displacement of BIPOC businesses.
• Beacon Hill Business AlliancesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Beacon Hill Business Alliance to work with legacy restaurants Baja Bistro and CheBogz returning to the neighborhood after displacement due to gentrification.
• Business Impact NorthwestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Business Impact Northwest as part of the Port of Seattle Business Accelerator Program completed in 2023.
• Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) - Tenant Improvement GrantsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Union Studio collaborates with Seattle OED's Tenant Improvement Grant program to support small businesses like The Beacon with reimagining their spaces through design services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NBBJ: Large global architecture and design firm headquartered in Seattle, serving healthcare, commercial, sports, and cultural clients worldwide. Operates in the same Seattle design market and overlapping commercial interior and cultural facility capabilities, though at significantly larger scale.
• Gensler: Largest global design firm operating across commercial interior design, workplace, hospitality, retail, and cultural projects. Overlaps with La Union Studio in commercial tenant improvement and hospitality/restaurant interior design work, but competes primarily at enterprise scale and lacks La Union's cultural-placemaking specialization.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with offices across North America offering interior design, master planning, and cultural/institutional design services. Comparable to La Union Studio's full-service architectural and interior design capabilities, though operating at vastly larger scale across commercial and institutional segments.
• SHoP Architects: New York-based architecture firm known for design-forward commercial, residential, and cultural projects with innovative use of materials and digital tools. Comparable in cultural-design ambition and interdisciplinary design services, though operating at much larger commercial scale than La Union Studio.

Regional players

• Olson Kundig: Seattle-based architecture and design firm with a strong Pacific Northwest portfolio spanning residential, hospitality, commercial, and cultural projects. Geographic and market overlap with La Union Studio in PNW design excellence, though with a much larger team and broader client base.
• The Miller Hull Partnership: Seattle-headquartered architecture firm focused on integrated, sustainable design for civic, cultural, and residential projects in the Pacific Northwest. Comparable as a Seattle-anchored studio operating across architectural and interior design with similar Pacific Northwest cultural-design orientation.

Direct peers

• wHY Architecture: Los Angeles-based architecture firm known for cultural, institutional, and adaptive reuse projects with a strong narrative and community focus. Similar to La Union Studio in prioritizing cultural relevance and craft in both commercial tenant work and cultural facility design.
• MASS Design Group: Boston-based architecture and design firm with explicit social-equity and community impact focus, often partnering with underserved communities on cultural, civic, and residential projects. Directly comparable to La Union Studio's mission of using design as a vehicle for community empowerment and BIPOC cultural representation.
• Adjaye Associates: Global architecture practice founded by Sir David Adjaye, renowned for cultural, arts, and community-centered buildings across museums, libraries, and civic spaces. Comparable to La Union Studio in its emphasis on cultural placemaking and narrative-driven design that reflects community identity and heritage.
• David Baker Architects: San Francisco architecture firm with strong focus on affordable housing, multifamily residential, and community-oriented design. Comparable to La Union Studio in mission-driven design serving underserved communities and providing multifamily residential interior design services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/launionstudio206
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-union-studio
• Instagraminstagram.com/launionstudio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about La Union Studio