Yohandel understands the bold gesture as well as the economy of the perfect detail, and knows exactly when each one is the right call.

Yohandel Ruiz is a co-founder of Studio DADO, a hospitality-focused design studio headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida. Founded in 2016, the studio is now led by three partners: Ruiz, Jorge Mesa, and Javier Calle. Before co-founding Studio DADO, Ruiz was a Senior Associate Interior Designer at RTKL Associates.

Ruiz was named IIDA South Florida Designer of the Year in 2019. Studio DADO’s portfolio is built around hospitality environments: Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas, Oceania Cruises, and Loews Hotels among their clients. Maritime hospitality is a consistent thread in their work, a demanding specification environment that requires furniture to be compact, durable, and built for continuous use.

For Cumberland, Ruiz designed the Alton, Drexel, and Celina pieces, lounge and bench seating that reflects Studio DADO’s South Florida design sensibility: warm, welcoming, and built to perform in environments where hospitality is the product.