Your dream home is vibrant and unique — just like you —
but buying items piecemeal and trying to put them all together isn’t giving you the *cohesive* home you had in mind.
When you’re faced with having endless options to choose from and not knowing where to start — it makes having a cozy, functional, magazine-worthy home seem almost impossible.
And if you’re a busy woman, out here gettin’ things done…
I know you don’t have the time, money, or energy to waste trying to figure it all out – and stressing yourself in the process.
You dream of waking up every day in a home you love — you just don’t know how to get there.
And that’s where I come in.
HI! I’m marlaya (Mar-lay-uh)
an INTERIOR DESIGNER FOR AMBITIOUS SOULS and your new partner-in-design
I revel in creating soulful contemporary interiors for busy professionals who are *ready* to be their best selves at home.
As a former paralegal, I guided clients through the immigration process to help them get one step closer to the life of their dreams.
Now — through the interior design process — I design for clients the home of their dreams, so they can live a life more fulfilled.
as featured in
it all started with 50 cold emails
AND a determination to create a new beginning for myself
After realizing a future life as an attorney was not for me (the LSAT alone almost took me out!), I decided to delve deeper into my lifelong passion for interior design and spent hours upon hours educating myself by creating design boards, reading design magazines, and taking design courses online to break into the industry.
I emailed every interior designer in the Triangle area until I landed an internship to learn the ropes. Then, I sold furniture and decor at a global retailer and later designed kitchens and bathrooms at a national tile and stone showroom. Once the pandemic hit and the stay-at-home order went into effect in 2020, I decided then, more than ever, was the time to take a leap of faith and start my own business.
Four years later, as the CEO of Studio One Nine Design — a boutique interior design studio specializing in soulful contemporary interiors for high-achievers in Durham, NC and beyond, I’ve had the honor to design million-dollar homes for luxury clients and donate design services to local non-profit organizations supporting women and children. I am a member of the National Interior Design Society (IDS), the International Community for Interior Designers (ICID), and certificate holder of Women’s Entrepreneurship from Bank of America x Cornell University.
I know what it’s like to desire more for yourself, and my mission is to empower hard-working humans to invest in themselves by investing in their homes.
Are you ready for a new beginning?
your dream home in 3 simple steps
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book your Complimentary Call
We’ll discuss the details of your project and the interior design process during our initial video call
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Design + Project Management
After our in-home meeting, I’ll begin creating your custom design and handling every aspect of the process for you
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Transformational Reveal Day
While you’re away, I’ll have all hands on deck transforming your home to reveal it to you when you return
“One of the best things about working with Marlaya was her willingness to CONSIDER MY IDEAS, while at the same time ensuring I didn't compromise the feel or look of the design.
I highly recommend Marlaya if you are looking for a full-service design where what you want matters and you don't have to lift a finger.”
— NEFATERIA, in Durham, NC
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4.9+
avg client rating
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70+
total clients served
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2,579+
total design hours
what sets me apart
my design perspective
I was raised between the inner city and the countryside of North Carolina.
Days with my father in Winston-Salem were filled with Liberian cuisine and listening to him speak our tribal language, while days with my mother in Wilkes County included soul food and our neighbors’ horses in the backyard.
I design spaces in the same way I grew up: appreciating duality.
Spaces that are beautiful yet functional, classic yet contemporary, refined yet comfortable -- clean lines with soft places to land.
I believe the best designs tell the stories of who we are, and when we lean into the things and places that mean the most to us, we invite the opportunity to learn more about ourselves, celebrating it all through the design of our homes.
a few fun facts
AUTHENTICITY
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WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
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INTEGRITY
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KINDNESS
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EXCELLENCE
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AUTHENTICITY • WOMEN EMPOWERMENT • INTEGRITY • KINDNESS • EXCELLENCE •
