A dreamy farm scene in Branches, France.

ABOUT

MARVALENE is a curated shop of well-designed goods, established by Angie and David De Groot in 2018. Based in Washington, DC, it sources a mix of new and vintage housewares, art objects, children's toys, and more. It’s grounded in the belief that excellent design is timeless and found in everyday goods.

Marvalene is the name of Angie's late grandmother. A woman of many talents with a strong sense of self and style, she's a source of inspiration for this shop. Her eye guides Angie and David’s selection of brands and products.

The backstory

MARVALENE is a bit of a dream, willed into being by enthusiasm for great design.

In May 2018, after a somewhat disappointing day of walking around DC while searching for things to marvel at, David described his dream shop: one with multiple rooms, each representing a particular country or region and featuring new and antique goods. Angie added her two cents, and the spirit of MARVALENE came to life. They spent the next two weeks discussing the pros and cons of opening a shop, tearing down most ideas they put forward. But they couldn’t drop the sense that they should do it, so they did.