Our story

My love for Europe stems deep - from a young age, my room was ornamented with statues and artwork of the Eiffel Tower. I remember vividly the bubblegum pink walls of my bedroom that housed the very start of Marvella. I would lay on my bed, dreaming of the day I’d get to visit Paris’ most iconic monument myself. Little did I know at the time, that dream I had as a child was God setting up the story to discover my life’s passion.

Growing up, I always felt like a piece of my heart belonged to Paris and Italy. Everything from the architecture to the fashion to the food to their way of life captivated me. My friends and family knew that if a product said “Made in Italy” or “Made in France,” it was most likely going to make its way into my home. I admired the craftsmanship that went into European made ceramics, and having my home filled with products made from Europe brought me so much joy. It felt like a special connection to a place I couldn’t wait to experience someday.

In the spring of 2024, I had the opportunity to travel to Paris, Venice, the Amalfi Coast, and Rome with my husband, Josiah. I was drawn to the quaint flower shops on every street in Paris. The corner cafes that served a steaming cup of hot chocolate and a place of refuge from the brisk weather. The sparkling waters of the Amalfi Coast and shops filled to the brim with intricately painted ceramics. The historical architecture and vintage home decor shops nestled into the streets of Rome. The steady stream of boats cruising through the canals in Venice. I was in love with the way of life in Europe and I wanted to find a way to recreate that experience back home.

I began decorating our house with all the souvenirs I collected in Europe. Each morning, as I started my daily routine, I’d see the feather quill pen I purchased in Venice sitting on my desk. The photos of Josiah and I drinking out of giant lemons in the Amalfi Coast, and I’d get dressed in a cashmere sweater made in Italy. All of these little reminders brought me right back to the memories we made in Europe. They transformed my home into a storybook and preserved the feeling of strolling the streets of Paris and Italy that I never want to forget.

These pieces from Europe helped me realize that interior design is so much more than just aesthetics or following trends; its visual story telling. Home decor is an intimate reflection of who we are, even if its as simple as bold versus neutral color preferences. Every selection from the wood tone to the wall texture to the hardware down to the carefully-curated decor harnesses the power to tell a piece of our story and who we are. My hope is that with every purchase from Marvella, we can help so many others discover the beauty of European made and inspired home decor and begin to tell the story of who they are within their home.