The People Behind Véla
The Team
A host’s instinct and an architecture-trained eye — two ways of seeing a room, one standard for how it should feel to live in.
Véla Living & Design is a studio of two, by intention. Bailey Kimbell spent nine years hosting the homes she designed; Isabela Ruiz trained in how buildings hold the people inside them. Together they design homes, short-term rentals, and new builds across Austin & Central Texas — and every project is touched by both.
Founder & Creative Director
Bailey Kimbell
Bailey grew up in Alvin, Texas — a small town south of Houston — and moved to Austin a decade ago with one house and a conviction: a home could feel like the best hotel you’ve ever slept in. That first home became The Hether Haus . She designed every inch of it herself, listed it on Airbnb while she traveled, and it has rarely had a quiet weekend since.
Then came five years of luxury hotels and slow mornings across Greece, Italy, London, Mexico, and Bali — travel that sharpened her eye for architecture, materials, and the quiet mechanics of comfort. She brought it all home to a second property, Bali in Bouldin , in the 78704: every accent wall, custom shade, and styled shelf her own, down to the custom outdoor grill, the faux fireplace, and a kitchen stocked to the last coffee spoon. It performs even better than the first.
Nine years a Superhost — elevated to Airbnb Luxe in 2026 — Bailey has watched thousands of guest nights unfold inside her design decisions. That is the instinct she brings to every client: homes, rentals, and new builds composed like the places you never want to leave.
Her homes are open for stays at velalivingatx.com ↗
“The best Airbnb I’ve ever stayed at. Beautifully designed, attention to every detail — warm, clean, and well appointed. The host is superb; she’s thought of everything!”
Designer
Isabela Ruiz
Isabela came to interiors through architecture. With an architecture degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio and experience across residential, commercial, and hospitality projects, she designs with a builder’s understanding of space — how a room is framed, how light moves through it, how it will actually be lived in.
Her interiors are warm and timeless: elevated, livable, and drawn from natural materials, European influence, and contemporary design. Plaster and pale oak, a clean line softened by something collected — rooms composed to photograph beautifully and feel even better in person.
At Véla, she carries a concept from the first drawings through selections and space planning to the final layer of styling, so every project holds together — from the floor plan down to the smallest detail.
The Portfolio
The rooms say the rest
Work With Us
Begin with a conversation
Tell us about your home, your rental, or your next build. We take a small number of projects at a time, in Austin and across Central Texas — and every one gets both of us.