Joe Ureña is the founder and Creative Director of Mosaiclegs Art Studio, a luxury custom mosaic design and fabrication studio based in Southern California. Since 1998, Joe has been designing, fabricating, and installing custom mosaic art for residential pools, commercial spaces, and architectural installations across California and nationwide.
Joe’s work begins where most artisans stop — at the source. He works exclusively with premium Mexican smalti glass, hand-selecting materials for color fidelity, durability, and the way they interact with water and light. Every project is designed from scratch: no templates, no shortcuts. Clients bring a vision, and Joe brings it to life in glass, stone, and color.
Over more than two decades, Joe has developed deep expertise across every phase of the mosaic process:
“Every project we take on is a unique experience for our client. We pay immense attention when designing for you the client. Inspired in dialogue along with photos and digital designs, we bring them all together to create a unique design for every customer.”
— Joe Ureña
Joe believes a mosaic should outlast the building it’s installed in. He designs for permanence — selecting materials, adhesives, and grouting systems that hold up for decades in the harshest conditions. It’s why clients who worked with Joe in the early 2000s still refer new clients today.
Whether you’re designing a custom pool mosaic, a luxury interior feature wall, or a large-scale architectural installation, Joe brings the same level of craftsmanship and personal attention to every project.
Joe Ureña is a Mosaic Designer and the founder of Mosaiclegs Art Studio, with over 25 years of experience creating handcrafted pool mosaics, murals, and architectural installations across the United States and Caribbean.
Joe began his mosaic career in the early 1990s studying traditional Italian and Byzantine techniques. He trained in the use of smalti glass — a hand-poured opaque glass with origins in ancient Rome — and developed a methodology for translating architectural drawings into precise, durable mosaic installations. His work spans all-tile swimming pools, large-format wall murals, airport installations, and fine art reproductions.
The Mosaiclegs studio is located in Southern California, where Joe manages a skilled team of mosaic cutters and installers. Projects begin with a design consultation where Joe reviews the client’s space, budget, and aesthetic goals. He produces a scaled concept drawing, presents material options, and walks the client through the fabrication timeline before work begins. As a Mosaic Designer, Joe brings both technical precision and artistic vision to every commission. Working as a Mosaic Designer for over two decades means he has encountered virtually every substrate, scale, and design challenge that luxury residential and commercial projects present.
Joe has led mosaic fabrication and installation across the United States and the Caribbean. Major projects include a 38-foot mosaic mural at San Diego International Airport, a luxury all-tile Italian mosaic pool in Paradise Valley, Arizona, and a custom 7-foot bird sanctuary mural for a residential client in Texas. Each project is designed and fabricated in-house using premium Mexican smalti glass and traditional opus vermiculatum techniques.
Joe’s work has been featured in regional design publications and has drawn clients from across the luxury residential, hospitality, and commercial sectors. He has collaborated with some of the country’s leading pool builders and landscape architects, and is regularly brought in as a specialty subcontractor on high-end pool renovation projects. For more on craft mosaic tradition, see: Architectural Digest.
Joe personally oversees every project from concept through installation. If you are considering a custom pool mosaic, a mural installation, or a bespoke architectural element, contact us to schedule a consultation. Initial consultations are complimentary for qualified projects.
