Founders of xorvalenuthep
xorvalenuthep began as a shared sketchbook between two friends who collected scraps of paper, wood offcuts, and small stories from their travels. Today that sketchbook has become a studio for handmade home decor in Columbus, United States.
The hands shaping your decor
Our founders combine a love for flat graphic design with an interest in how people move through rooms. Every piece from xorvalenuthep is touched by both of their perspectives.
Mara · composition lead
Mara arranges each set like a printed poster, paying attention to how lines and shapes guide your eye across a shelf or wall. Her background in layout design shapes the Z-pattern that appears in many of our pieces.
Eli · materials lead
Eli works with wood, textiles, and paper. He chooses surfaces that feel smooth to the touch but keep a visible grain, so your decor reads as handmade even from across the room.
For every project, Mara maps the flow of a room while Eli tests how materials sit in real light. They arrange test pieces in the studio at Dublin Center, checking how they feel at different heights and angles before finalizing a set.
Mornings start with quick sketches and notes from recent client conversations. Afternoons are reserved for sanding, painting, stitching, and assembling the hand-finished decor that leaves the studio.
Read the studio storyWhat guides our handmade work
The founders of xorvalenuthep agree on a simple goal: create decor that feels gentle enough for everyday life and special enough to mark a moment.
- We prefer subtle shifts in color over loud statements so your existing pieces still shine.
- We select sturdy bases that can live on busy tables or shelves and handle regular dusting.
- We listen closely to how you describe your home so we can suggest decor that matches how you live there.
Mara and Eli read each message that reaches the studio inbox. If you share a photo of your home, they respond with ideas tailored to your space before offering a decor set.
Write to the foundersWhere our ideas begin
Many of our designs start with details noticed on walks through Columbus, United States: painted doors, tile lines on sidewalks, and storefront signs.
Neighborhood colors
The founders note color combinations from nearby houses and reuse them in soft gradients and stripes inside our handmade pieces.
Everyday objects
Coffee mugs, book covers, and envelopes inform the proportions of our tiles, trays, and small framed pieces.
Light at different times
Morning and evening light in the studio help the founders choose finishes that stay gentle under changing daylight.