Hi, cuties! It’s officially August and I am oh-so-ready to send off the summer in style with our August Trade Spotlight on the lovely Marlaya Ross of Studio One Nine Interior Design. I promise that the sense of joy and fun that Marlaya brings to her design work is guaranteed to make you smile!
Based in North Carolina (though they happily work with clients nationwide through their full-service virtual design offerings), Studio One Nine Interior Design specializes in “soulful, contemporary interior design for busy, professional women” (okay, *loving* that!).
Outside of work, Marlaya finds joy in her faith and in spending time with friends and family, and as a designer, she draws strong inspiration from travel, history, and from the places in this world that are meaningful to her clients.
“I’ve been working with KKH Trade for over 2.5 years now, and what stands out to me is the diverse range of unique and stylish products, the generous trade pricing, the white-glove storage and delivery, and the access to wholesale and to-the-trade vendors that I wouldn’t have been privy to otherwise.
I also love how dedicated to customer service the Trade Specialists are and the workshops and seminars that are hosted for designers as well. Honestly, I love everything about KKH, and, from the products to the buying process, I can say wholeheartedly that working with KKH has elevated my business, my designs, and the experience I provide for clients.” -Marlaya Ross of Studio One Nine Interior Design
Read on to learn more about Marlyaya and her philosophy on interior design, client relations, and her commitment to always growing and evolving her business as a creative entrepreneur.
Marlaya Ross of Studio One Nine Interior Design
Tell our readers about your business—what are your specialties and core offerings?
Studio One Nine Design specializes in soulful, contemporary interior design for busy, professional women so they can live life more fulfilled at work, at home, and on vacation.
“We’re passionate about providing a comfortable, luxury experience through Full-Service Interior Design so clients can stop feeling stressed and overwhelmed when it comes to design and use that time and energy to get back to thriving within their own Zone of Genius.”
We love handling the entire design process from beginning to end and taking everything off their plate so the design of their space is one less thing they have to worry about.
Do you have a favorite interior design style to work with on projects?
I like to define our style as “soulful contemporary.” It’s refined, it’s storied, but it’s still comfortable, and heavily influenced by global design. I love working with natural woods, geometric patterns, and pieces with organic shapes and silhouettes or that have a handmade, artisan quality to them.
Photos by April McLaurin
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How would you describe the style of your own home? What’s your favorite aspect of your own home?
The style of my own home is contemporary with rustic accents to reflect both me and my husband—clean lines with accents of wood and metal. My favorite place in our home is our back patio.
“Our outdoor furniture is inviting with plush cushions and wicker accents and we’ve hung string lights around the deck.”
I love sitting out there in the mornings with my Bible and journal feeling the sun on my skin and listening to the birds. It’s a great way to stay grounded and slowly ease into each workday.
Tell us about your “Welcome Home” project shown in the gorgeous photos here!
“Welcome Home” [shown here] is the biggest project we’ve had thus far—a whole-home transformation via Full-Service Interior Design of a four-story, $2 million new construction build. The clients were a NICU nurse-turned-stay-at-home mom and her CEO husband who were moving from Washington D.C. to this custom build in Cary, NC with her mother and their three sons. We wanted to provide them with a turnkey experience that would delight them as soon as they opened the door to their new home.
“We designed almost every room in the home including the basement and attic additions incorporating sentimental pieces they shipped down from D.C. and new items that would help them tell their story in this new home and last them for years to come as they get settled in their new state.”
The client and her mother are of Haitian descent and her husband is Spanish and Chinese so I sourced global-inspired pieces from KKH that used natural materials in a modern way to pay homage to their backgrounds. The goal with this home design was for the clients to not have to lift a finger by the time they got there, to celebrate who they are, and to give them room and hope to explore who they wanted to be as a family in their new location. It was an honor to help make their transition an easier one.
Having KKH Trade on my side to complete this huge project was truly a blessing! Coordinating white-glove deliveries to work around my and the movers’ schedules made it so much easier to furnish this entire home and stick to our tight timeline during Reveal Day weekend. I even ran into a snag where an item I had ordered needed to be held longer than expected as the builders were finishing up the home, and KKH coordinated storage for me which was a huge relief.
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What have been some of the biggest joys and challenges you’ve faced in your career in the design industry?
As a self-taught designer and a young entrepreneur of color, I’ve had to teach myself the basics of owning a business while teaching myself the art and science of interior design, and that has been a challenge. I’ve struggled with fear, doubt, comparison, and imposter syndrome. I’ve also struggled with feelings of loneliness being in an industry that has not always been the most diverse.
“I’m grateful for the self-work that I’ve been doing to move past these obstacles, and booking clients like the Welcome Home project reminds me to continue showing up authentically for myself and for my clients.”
The opportunities to continue learning and growing like KKH’s webinars and attending High Point Market every year have helped so much as well, and the efforts I’ve seen from the design industry to support and connect designers of color continue to encourage me. I’m also inspired by Kathy; seeing how much she has done for her business and how much she continues to give back to designers is comforting and inspiring!
Are there any design trends you see on the horizon for the year to come? Any trends on their way out?
While I can appreciate how a neutral space can promote peace and tranquility, I believe clients are ready to stop playing it safe when it comes to color and incorporate more color into their spaces. I love the color-drenching technique that is becoming popular now and seeing how much energy a certain color can bring to a room.
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What advice would you give someone who wants to work with an interior designer on their home, but they feel intimidated or hesitant? For someone who’s never worked with a designer, what’s the major upside?
The first piece of advice I would give someone who wants to work with an interior designer is to do a little bit of research. Read about what the process is like, window shop for furniture to get an idea of how much you should allocate towards the project, and find a few designers in your area you feel aligned with aesthetically.
“Most designers offer a complimentary discovery call so you can discuss your project with no pressure and ask any questions you may have. It never hurts to hop on a call to get more information and see if you’re a good fit with someone.”
The major upside to working with a designer is the freedom from stress and overwhelm from beginning to end. You will have a dedicated design professional on your side and who wants to create livable art for you that enhances your quality of life, all without you having to lift a finger. It’s a wonderful experience with an ROI that lasts well beyond the time of you working together.
Speaking to fellow design pros: what advice do you have about working with a challenging client or overcoming unforeseen obstacles on a design project?
When it comes to challenging clients, the best thing to do is weed them out from the beginning. Everything about your company, from your website and sales copy, to the questions you ask on your discovery call, should be attracting the types of people you want to work with, and repelling those you don’t.
If you’re already working on a project and a client becomes challenging, have an open and honest conversation with them about what their concerns truly are, and reassure them with solutions and guarantees that you’ll do what you need to do within reason to provide them with a wonderful design and a wonderful experience to boot.
“Remember that the majority of our clients have never gone through this process before, so continue to explain the reasoning behind your decisions, set as many expectations upfront as you can, and have grace with them.”
Are there any exciting updates with your business that you’d like our readers to know about?
I’m excited to share that we now also offer commercial and hospitality/short-term rental interior design for clients with businesses or real estate properties. This means that I can continue supporting the wellbeing of my clients at home, at work, and on vacation, and I’m looking forward to providing for my clients in this way!
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The Kathy Kuo Home Trade Program
Feeling inspired by Chrissy Ritter? If you’re an interior designer or architect you can apply to our Trade Program to enjoy a wide array of professional benefits, as well as access to a thriving community of interior design pros. You can learn all about it HERE, but in brief, KKH Trade members receive: Competitive Trade Pricing, Low Storage Fees, Dedicated Trade Specialist to Coordinate Orders from Start to Finish, and More.
