Ep. 130 Design Without the Drama: Real-Life Decor Tips for Busy Moms w/ Marlaya Ross

Show Notes:

In this down-to-earth and inspiring episode, we sit down with Marlaya Ross, CEO and lead designer of Studio One Nine Design, to explore the world of soulful, contemporary interiors that actually work for real families. Marlaya shares her unexpected journey from aspiring attorney to sought-after interior designer—and drops a wealth of practical, mom-friendly design wisdom along the way.

From managing toy chaos and countertop clutter to discovering your personal design style without overwhelm, Marlaya offers solutions that are stylish and sustainable. Whether you’re living in a modest home or dreaming big, she proves you don’t need a massive budget to create a cozy, beautiful space.

Hosts Cindi and Crissy get honest about their own design struggles—everything from undefined style to endless kid mess—and Marlaya meets them with realistic, no-shame advice. Learn how to make big-impact changes on a small budget (hello, paint and pillows!), why performance fabrics are a mom’s best friend, and how closed storage can be your secret weapon.

If you’ve ever felt like design shows don’t reflect your reality, this episode is for you. Tune in and let Marlaya help you fall back in love with your home—clutter and all.

Top Three Things You Will Learn In This Episode:

• How to Identify and Stick to Your Personal Design Style
  Marlaya shares easy, stress-free ways (like using design questionnaires) to help you uncover your style and make decorating decisions without overwhelm.
• Smart Solutions for Managing Clutter in a Stylish Way
  Learn how to use closed storage, performance fabrics, and organization tools to keep your home looking good—even with kids in the mix.
• Budget-Friendly Ways to Refresh Your Home
  From painting and rearranging furniture to switching out throw pillows and rugs, Marlaya offers simple tips that deliver a big visual impact without breaking the bank.

Episode Notes and Resources:

https://www.studiooneninedesign.com

https://voyageraleigh.com/interview/exploring-life-business-with-marlaya-ross-of-studio-one-nine-design-llc

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Transcript:

Crissy  

Today, we are joined by the incredibly talented Marlaya Ross the CEO and lead designer of Studio One Nine Design. Marlaya’s journey into the world of interior design wasn’t a straight path, so initially she planned to become an attorney, but quickly realized her true passion was elsewhere. With sheer determination, 50 cold emails and a deep love for creating beautiful spaces, she carved out a name for herself in the design world. Now, she specializes in crafting soulful, contemporary interiors for high achievers, transforming homes into stunning, functional spaces that truly reflect their owners. From designing million dollar homes to giving back through nonprofit design work, Marlaya Ross is all about making a meaningful impact. Today, she’s here to help us tackle one of the biggest challenges busy moms face, creating a cozy, stylish home without the stress. I know that’s something I face in my home a lot. So marlea, welcome to mama. Needs a moment. We are so excited to have you.

Marlaya Ross  

Thank you so much. That’s such a lovely introduction. I really appreciate that. I’m excited to be here. So thank you guys.

Cindi  

We just were talking before starting recording, and when I heard that you were close to us, I was like, Oh, I can use your services. This would be great. And then I hear million dollar homes. I’m like, I’m not a million dollar home, but I do have a very I have an old home that we’ve owned for about 12 years, and have been working on it constantly. It’s constantly a work in progress, because me, like a lot of other moms, want a cozy, functional and beautiful home to us, but I can tell you firsthand that I often feel very overwhelmed by all the choices. Sometimes I even struggle with knowing what my style is. What is the first step you recommend for someone who wants to create a space they love without stress?

Marlaya Ross  

Yes, absolutely. Well, first, I just want to say that I don’t only work on million dollar homes a few. It runs the gamut. I have like, condos, apartment dwellers, first time home buyers. So if you need help, I can definitely help you being happy at home without the stress and overwhelm. That’s pretty much what I specialize in. And you know, whether you’re working with me as a client, or you’re doing it. DIY, the first thing is finding that design direction. Like you said, Cindy, the first step is figuring out your style. So for my clients, I have a design questionnaire where we talk about the colors and the materials that you’re drawn to. I also have a GET TO KNOW YOU questionnaire, just so I can get to know you as a person and your lifestyle and what that looks like. But that’s definitely the first step. And so if you’re at home, you can just go on Google, type in interior design questionnaire, and it will tell you what your style is. And once you have that style, stick to that, and that’s like your guiding light, so that you don’t get overwhelmed with the millions of choices out there. Wow.

Cindi  

I had no idea that it was that easy. I thought it was going into the store and seeing what spoke to me and how it made me feel, and buying things when I’m there and finding a place for them. Yeah, you’re making it easier already. So I’ll be sure to go do that and figure out what my style type is.

Marlaya Ross  

And I’ve experienced this too, like sometimes you go into the store or the showroom and it looks beautiful and amazing and gorgeous, and then you bring it home and it doesn’t quite look the same as it did in the store, or it’s too big, or it’s too small, so it’s important to just figure that out ahead of time, and really, you know, find things that work for your style first, and then go and look for those things that fit into that.

Cindi  

After my husband and I recently went, we were filling our house with art, so we went into a store and just bought a bunch of art with the intent of taking stuff back, but bringing it home and being like, how does it look here? How does it look here? So, yes, it was overwhelming.

Crissy  

But fun too. I feel like a lot of that is, well, maybe not for everybody, but I feel like it’s such a fun process to kind of think about a space. What could it be used for? What would look good here? Now, something I struggle with, Marley, maybe you can help me. Here is clutter. I with kids. I don’t it just seems inevitable, the toys or the drawings or the just the tiny little things that are everywhere. How can moms families balance having a stylish, cohesive home, which some families might not care about, but a lot of us want to have that we want to present with a stylish, cohesive home while also keeping it practical and kid friendly.

Marlaya Ross  

So I have a few different tips for you. In terms of the clutter, I highly recommend having closed storage options so that looks like bookcases with drawers or doors with shelves that you can close and hide things behind storage, ottomans that you can just lift the top and put toys and games in. Anything with closed storage is going to help because it adds that functionality in terms of having the things that you and your family likes to have, you know, within reach. But it it doesn’t add. Add to the visual clutter that kind of can bother homeowners, especially moms. So having that clothes storage is a great choice. And even for my client projects, I partner with a woman named Jenna. She owns The Arranged Abode. I believe she’s in carrier apex, and she’s a professional home organizer. So sometimes we’ll tag team the project. I’m working on the design aspect of it, she’s working on the organization aspect of it, and that works really well. So being organized and having closed storage is really nice. Another thing to look into is performance fabrics. So I had a client, we’re doing her living room, and originally she had like, a dark gray sofa and a dark gray loveseat, because she figured, you know, I have little ones, and I don’t want them to mess up anything. And I said, No, we can get a sofa and a loveseat and a bright color that has a performance fabric, so it’s completely upholstered in a Sunbrella fabric. It’s stain resistant, it’s easy to clean. It’s durable, and so you’re able to get both the style and the functionality of it.

Crissy  

Such important things. And that’s definitely something I guess I’m aware of on some level, but I have never walked into the furniture store with that top of mind, and it probably should be, because I have a couch upstairs right now that is covered in these couch cover things because of that exact reason. So I was slightly hoping that you were going to tell me that we just need to get rid of all the toys, and then I was going to take that and go tell my child that this expert guest we had on Mama needs a moment said that we had to get rid of all her toys. But I guess I won’t do that to my child, and we’ll do both.

Marlaya Ross  

Just hide it away. Tell them to hide it away.

Cindi  

 Well, maybe you have a little bit of feedback. We have the spot on the counter, like the clutter counter, where everybody comes in and they just dump the papers and whatever on the edge of the counter. What do you think baskets? I mean, how do I control the counter clutter? 

Marlaya Ross  

100% I definitely recommend getting, like, some beautiful trays, beautiful bins and baskets. It might be something that has to be a conversation, like I’ve had clients have to, you know, tell their families. Okay, I know for the past, however, many years, we would just come in and dump things here. But now marlea has come in, and she sourced us this beautiful tray, and so we’re going to keep everything organized in this tray. And it’s a bit of a change, like a lifestyle change, but after a while, they come around, and it’s, it’s totally fine after that. Well,

Cindi  

I hope so, because it also spreads. It spreads across the counter because, yeah, it’s it’s crazy.

Crissy  

I don’t know a ton about the different terminology for like, different styles of decorating a home. Do you find that there’s a certain style that is more conducive to managing clutter for a family with a young kid?

Marlaya Ross  

One thing that’s really important to me, just in my personal life and in my professional life, is authenticity, right? And so for me, when I’m working with a design client, it’s really important that the home feels authentic to who you are and your lifestyle. And especially a lot of moms have such busy families. So you know, it kind of pains me to see certain homes look great esthetically, but you can tell that they’re not really that lived in. It’s not very warm and inviting, like it feels too precious and too formal. So for me, I don’t think there’s a certain style. I think if you just find those clothes storage options and find the pieces that work best for your family, I think there’s a way to do both. I wouldn’t sacrifice one for the other.

Cindi  

When I try to get style inspiration, I’ll go and I’ll look on websites, or, of course, you’ll go to Pinterest, and a lot of times, the things that draw my eye are very expensive, and then I feel, I feel really disappointed, because I’m like, There’s no way that I can implement that into My house with it being so expensive, do you have some small, budget friendly changes that you could suggest to us that moms can make that will have a big impact on the look and feel of their house right away, without spending a bazillion dollars? 

Marlaya Ross  

Of course, yes. So my biggest thing is definitely paint you can do so much with just changing the paint color in a room or adding a new accent wall. I mean, it’s very affordable, it’s very easy, and as long as you have like, the right color and the right undertone, then that alone can make a huge difference. The other thing that I would say is those finishing touches right? So maybe it’s something as simple as switching out a rug or getting new drapery or finding new throw pillows. Sometimes it’s something as simple as the layout of the space. Maybe move your sofa a little bit more to the left, or, you know, turn that accent chair to the right. It’s those little changes that can have a big impact, and that don’t cost a ton of money.

Cindi  

I love that feedback. As you were talking to me, I’m like, Hmm, what chair can I shift a little to the right?

Crissy  

But do you know, when you like you redo a room, there’s just this whole new energy. And it might not be the best furniture arrangement, but there’s just something about changing it every once in a while, it can really make a big difference. So I think that is excellent advice. Are there any common decorating. Mistakes You see families making, and are there easy ways to fix them?

Marlaya Ross  

I think, and I get it, it’s kind of difficult to find that balance right between style and function, but I’m telling you, it’s possible. And the decorating mistakes that I’ve seen is when a family leans too far one way or the other, like they have a beautiful, gorgeous, stylish, Instagram inspired or Pinterest inspired home. But you know, you don’t see those family pictures, and you don’t see the kids toys out or the book bags out, and it doesn’t feel very warm and lived in. And then I go to other homes where that’s all you see, and it’s just like a toy and video game bomb exploded all over the home, but there’s not much storage. There’s not much style, and so I tend to see that as mistakes. I think finding those pieces that work for both to find that happy balance so that you can live in a comfortable but beautiful and functional authentic home is really special.

Crissy  

I love your clear commitment to authenticity and honoring each of your clients for who they are and their own unique style. I think that’s so important. Because I think we see this a lot, especially in motherhood, this need to sort of be, as you said, Pinterest or Instagram worthy, and kind of mimicking the trends and the styles. But this is your home. This is your safe space. You want it to feel welcoming and after a long day out in the big, scary world, it’s your safe space to come home to. So I think it’s really important. I am very intrigued by your story. Can you just very briefly talk about how you went from being a lawyer to doing this that has been in the back of my head this whole time?

Marlaya Ross  

Yes, oh, 100% and thank you for your kind words, and thank you for asking to kind of sum it up. Growing up, I grew up with an immigrant father. My father’s from Liberia, West Africa, and so I saw his immigration journey and decided that I wanted to help people live the American dream and to help them enter the country legally and find work legally. And so that was just what I decided to do. And so for the longest time I was on that track. I was like, Okay, I went to UNC Chapel Hill, and after that, I started working at a law firm. And I was like, This is it. I’m going to go to law school. I’m going to do the whole thing. And so I’m working as a paralegal, and I start to think about design and less of a passive way and more, as you know, a viable career, but I was still working in law, so I took the LSAT and I picked my law school, and I get a phone call from the admissions officer. And during that phone call, I don’t know what it was, I call it the Holy Spirit, but it was just my intuition telling me that it was not the right path. And I thought, Wow, I can’t do this. I can’t do this. And so I decided, well, what do I really want to do? And I thought, you know, I really love design. Why not just go for it? And it was something that was always there, like even while I was at the law firm, I was reading design magazines, I was making little mood boards, which I probably shouldn’t have been doing on the clock, but it was just something that I always loved. So I just thought, you know, I’m just gonna go for it. And sent out those emails. Thankfully, one designer in Chapel Hill took a chance on me, and I interned with her and and here we are.

Cindi  

That’s an amazing story, and I love it, again, you stuck to authenticity. You just have this way of directing people and yourself towards what feels most pertinent to them and most authentic to them. That’s so admirable, beautiful story. I have two questions left to ask you. One is, I want you to give me a little bit of slap of reality here, because for so many years with my kids as they’ve been growing up, I had this idea in my mind that I wanted our house to be picked up enough so that if somebody stops by with just to visit or whatever, without letting me know, that they could come in and it wouldn’t be a complete mess. I think that’s my I’m dreaming, because people don’t really do that anymore, as much as you’d like to have community where they just stop by and here have a biscuit with some tea or whatever. How realistic is that to think that I want to keep my home that clean? Because it does add stress, but at the same time, I love the way it feels when it’s clean.

Marlaya Ross  

I’m going to be honest, I feel like, unless you are blessed enough to be able to hire help, I don’t think it’s that realistic, even my own home, like, because, like I said, it’s lived in. You have people coming in and out. There’s school and work and, you know, think homework on the table, or, you know, things for your business on the table. It’s just hard to, you know, keep it 100% picture perfect. But I think that’s the beauty of it. And I mean, at least for me, I really use that closed storage, like, I’m hiding things. I’m hiding things in the storage. Audubon, you walk in, you have no idea. You had no idea what it looked like beforehand, you know. But we’re all just doing the best we can.

Cindi  

Oh, so it’s like, if you see someone drive up in the driver, you’re like, Nana’s here. And it’s like, Everyone’s stash!

Crissy  

Noah says I am the queen of piles. If there’s ever anything missing, he’s like Crissy, because he knows I’ve swept it up just like, swished into a pile and hit it somewhere. I’m guilty of doing that quite often.

Marlaya Ross  

That’s great. Yeah. I mean, that’s just real life, you know.

Cindi  

Thank you so much. It’s been a pleasure to have you with us. Thank you, Marlaya!

Marlaya Ross  

 This was a joy. Thank you!