Listening first
Great design starts with truly hearing you: how your family lives, what you need, and the story you want your home to tell.
The studio
Meet Aubri Velez
Founder and lead designer, Vela + Co.
Warmth, layered
It started with a love for the way a home makes you feel.
My path to design began in real estate. I became a realtor at just twenty, and the part I loved most was never the transaction. It was the homes themselves: the layouts, the details, the small things that made each one special and helped me find the right family for it.
I have been designing since 2021, working alongside builders and homeowners on remodels and custom spaces, and in 2025 I established Vela + Co. as my own independent design firm. It is the culmination of a journey just short of a decade long, full of growth and more than a few trends along the way.
We moved to the Emerald Coast from Oklahoma in 2022 and planted roots almost immediately. This place felt like home from the very start, and we have no plans to ever leave.
Why “Vela + Co.”
Vela means “sail”, a name that felt coastal but was chosen for something more personal. “V” names carry deep meaning in our family: our last name is Velez, and our daughters are Vada and Vesper.
The “+ Co.” is part hope, part intention. A nod to the day Vela grows into a full team of designers, and to the classic, considered feeling I want every Vela home to carry.
A beach community, but not every home has to be coastal.
Designing here is a gift. We are surrounded by the water, but I do not believe a home has to be beachy to belong on the Emerald Coast. First and foremost, a home should tell the story of the family who lives in it.
My signature is warmth. Warm tones. Golds and brass. Timeless marbles and quartz. A layering of textures and shapes that feels collected and intentional, refined but never cold. Designed to feel like you, and to still feel current years from now.
Selections, 8 Yacht Club Court
Beautiful, functional, and truly yours.
Warmth & timelessness
Warm tones, brass, and natural materials, layered into spaces that feel collected and that will still feel right for years to come.
Beauty & function
A home should be as livable as it is beautiful. I design for the way you actually live, within a budget that works for you.
In partnership with
JP Carducci Construction, Inc.
Aubri is the designer behind the spec homes of JP Carducci Construction, Inc., a well-respected Fort Walton Beach builder, and works alongside many of their custom-home clients from early selections through final styling.
Begin your project
Let's create your Vela home.
Vela + Co. takes on a limited number of projects each year. If our approach resonates, I would love to hear about yours.
Start an inquiry