Designer crafts inventive solutions for challenging spaces
Coming from a family of architects and builders, Mike Ampuja knew that he wanted to be a designer from an early age. After attending a technical high school for building design and studying architectural engineering in college, Ampuja went on to become an NKBA-certified designer with the North Smithfield, RI firm Closettec.
Ampuja previously received a nod in KBDN’sAugust 2018 issue for his mobile showroom design, a solution born out of a need to work around customers’ demanding work schedules. In designing the showroom, Ampuja had to deal with many unique concerns, including weight distribution, lighting the displays and incorporating a mobile power source. According to Ampuja, the showroom puts clients in need of custom storage solutions for tricky spaces at ease. He hopes to have additional mobile showrooms on the road in the near future.
Much like the mobile showroom, Ampuja’s designs are perfectly tailored to clients’ specific needs in order to maximize the utility of available space. One recent project in Boston, for example, a custom movie theater bar, boasts custom storage for 3-D glasses, remotes and candy. When considering customers’ needs, Ampuja emphasizes the need to create timeless designs that will grow with clients and their families.
