A design for how you actually live.
INTERIOR DESIGN + ARCHITECTURAL ADVISORY:
FURNITURE DESIGN, ART ADVISORY, LIFESTYLE CURATION
About
Bold moves. Bent rules.
RECOGNITION
"You're a person who recognizes quality instinctively. You crave the rarest and the finest. Not just different but distinct."
RECOGNITION
At MHLI, we're leveling up luxury living and raising the bar (and the heat) for modern interiors. What drives us? Our compulsion to skip past the best option and secure the only option for you. Transformation is our technique. Detail is our discipline. Quality is our religion.
MEET
MARC
From the religious cult I left behind to the ocean I crossed to chase my dream, my entire life informs my design perspective.
SPACE TRANSFORMATION & LUXURY LIFESTYLE SPECIALIST
I've had the textbook design entrepreneur journey:
1) attend an internationally-acclaimed design school
2) pay your dues at top notch London and NYC firms
3) bruise your knuckles in the various pots of interior design, lighting design, furniture design, product design, and project management
4) get fired on a boss's whim or recruited to a more prestigious firm
5) repeat ad infinitum
I couldn't stay on that track, because I wanted to connect directly with clients, find out what makes them tick, and learn about their curiosities, fears and aspirations, not simply get information funneled down from the top.
I founded my studio to do just that. To glean firsthand those critical components of the intensely personal and sacred crusade that is building a home. To inspire those who crave a revolutionary experience of home. To excavate their unique essence, not crank out recycled concepts. To hunt the rarest the world has to offer for those who recognize quality inherently, revere ingenuity and, like me, run from mediocrity.
For 15 years I've helped homeowners capture their most authentic expression in homes that exceed their wildest imaginations. In that time, I've learned that a bond of mutual trust is essential fuel to power truly unforgettable spaces. I want to partner with those for whom only the rarest and the finest will do—who insist on not just different, but distinct.
CLICK VIDEO TO LISTEN
"Marc is like your favorite therapist. Kind and patient when you're feeling hesitant but always pushing you toward that one-of-a-kind vision."
I cut my teeth selling lighting to architects.
My first design job while attending the UofMD was at a lighting showroom in Washington, D.C. I'm still a lighting geek, so you'll have the coolest fixtures around.
My mother was my principal.
And I wore a tie to school grades 1-12. The takeaway: fastidious care (and grammar) are in my blood, and I'm equally at home in a Full Windsor and a hard hat.
As an ex-Evangelical and recovering cult member...
Not much phases me. Comparatively, gut renovations are a walk in the park.
I'm a proud Bostonian (less the accent) with severe wanderlust.
Among the cities in which I've lived, London solidified my affinity for Indian food and my Italophilia. On that note...
Italians do it better.
And by 'it', I mean everything. Italy is both heaven on earth and mecca of enduring style. Expect Italian-designed furnishings to show up in your presentation.
Distance biking and weight training keep me sane.
I'm a speed junky who enjoys my 30-mile loops around Manhattan and Houston and pilgrimages from Boston to Ptown. A Dolomites bike tour and a luxury gym project are on my bucket list.
Inside the studio...
There's likely a mix of 90's hip hop, film scores, Motown, tango, Chopin, and Tori Amos playing. She's my personal Jesus.
Outside the studio...
I'm bingeing historical, biographical, and war documentaries or happily sweating over a stove. Select clients have been invited to my fabulous dinner parties.
In another life...
I'd direct music videos or compose film scores. For now, designing iconic homes absolutely lights my fire.
At MHLI, we're hyper fixated on making your life better. We take our art damn seriously and we scour the globe, hand-selecting every detail to infuse your home with emotion and make it unapologetically yours. So what's our signature style? It's the one we design just for you.
Founded by Marc Houston in 2011, we're a small but mighty multidisciplinary studio that lives to create delusionally distinct spaces. Homes where utility and fantasy elegantly coexist. Where architectural precision and and avant-garde flair merge to seduce and captivate. We're artists and technicians operating at the intersection of imagination and science to deliver unforgettable, boundary-pushing design.
We view interior design as an art form of spatial storytelling that prioritizes atmosphere, longevity, and intent over trend. We don't just shop fabrics and furniture, we shape immersive, evocative experiences that capture your wildest fantasy in the place you call home.
Our Vision
Simply, to elevate your daily routines into anticipated rituals of ease and delight.
Our Mission
.jpg)
Our DNA
We're undeterred by the constraints of tradition, possibility, and expectation. We don't dictate what should be—we invite what can be. We're compelled to chase the inconceivable, no matter how seemingly insurmountable the challenge. We detest mediocrity. Ignore the noise. Defy convention. And dare to do things differently.
_edited.jpg)
We're dogged defenders of original
design, fiercely anti-trend, and
perpetually averse to the obvious choice.
We champion the inherent value of the
genuine object over the expedience of
imitations, and we reject the use of
knockoffs, replicas, and facsimiles.
We take the time to do things right, even
the parts no one will see. We'll never
abandon quality for speed. Our high
standards are our investment in our
clients. We give our best to deliver the
best, and we expect the same of those in
our orbit.
Our next work is our best work. We
make something amazing, then we do it
better. Our ravenous curiosity about
the world of the past and the one
around us inspires us to learn, evolve,
and improve.
Radical Individuality
Excellence on Every Level
Big Thinking
Perpetual Growth
Creative Partnership
Trust is our fuel for every endeavor and
we'll do what it takes to earn it. We're
ride-or-die partners committed to the
optimal outcome and equally to our
convictions. Even when we tell you
what you may not want to hear, we've
still got your back.
We always swing for the fences and
we're relentless in our pursuit of
territory beyond the known horizon. Our
instinct compels us to tackle the
inconceivable no matter how seemingly
insurmountable the challenge. In
impossibility we find our greatest
opportunity.
There are a million design firms out there. Here's what makes us different from them, and better for you.
There are a million design firms out there. Here's what makes us different from them, and better for you.
Our Values
01
Radical Individuality
We're dogged defenders of original design, fiercely anti-trend, and perpetually averse to the obvious choice. We champion the inherent value of the genuine object over the expedience of imitations, and we reject the use of knockoffs, replicas, and facsimiles. If it's already been done, we'd sooner stay in bed. And that includes our own work. We don't repeat our past selections. Does this demand more of our time, energy, and resources? Sure. But you deserve better than a cut-and-paste home recycled from someone else's dream.
02
Excellence at Every Level
We take the time to do things right, even the parts no one will see. We'll never abandon quality for speed or artistry for convenience. Our exacting standards are our investment in our clients. We give our best to deliver the best, and we expect the same of those in our orbit.
03
Big Thinking
In impossibility we find our greatest opportunity. We'll always swing for the fences and we're relentless in our pursuit of territory beyond the known horizon. Our instinct compels us to tackle the inconceivable no matter how seemingly insurmountable the challenge because we know the rewards discovered in the unknown far surpass results achieved through convention. On this ride, you can expect the thrill of cutting edge over the familiarity of tradition.
04
Perpetual Growth
Our next work is our best work. We make something amazing, then we do it better. Our ravenous curiosity about the world of the past and the one around us inspires us to learn, evolve, and improve.
05
Creative Partnership
Trust is our fuel for every endeavor, and we'll do what it takes to earn it. We're straight shooters and ride-or-die partners. We're committed to the optimal outcome and equally to our convictions. We've still got your back, even when we tell you what you may not want to hear.
Are we a match?
Talk of the Town
Services
,
WE SHALL NOT CEASE FROM EXPLORATION. AND THE END
OF ALL OUR EXPLORING
WILL BE TO ARRIVE WHERE WE STARTED AND KNOW THE
PLACE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
T.S. ELIOT
.jpg)
[hover to discover]
CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT
PROCUREMENT
PRODUCTION
FULL SPECTRUM SERVICE
Deluxe renovations without the stress. You grant approvals,
we handle the rest.
Production
No fretting about the wrong size sofa or keeping track of thousands of project details. We orchestrate all necessary third parties for custom furniture, lighting and millwork and oversee installations to ensure they meet design intent.
Procurement
No waiting around for furniture deliveries that may arrive late or be canceled without notice, or spending hours on hold to remedy a damaged shipment. We manage the entire purchasing process, handle claims, and transport all goods to your home in a single delivery.
Construction Support
No 7am site meetings with contractors or mediating disputes between electricians and painters. We administer the entire bidding process for our clients and act as their liaison for construction matters related to spaces we design.
Press & Recognition
Press & Recognition
MHLI awarded Top 100 Designers in the US;
Best Interior Design Studio
Luxury Lifestyle Awards | November 2023
MHLI featured in ADPro Directory
Architectural Digest | August 2023
Marc Houston Designed this Brooklyn Townhouse With a Focus on Art, Color and Whimsy
1stDibs Introspective | September 2022
.jpg)
After a flood, we helped them rebuild with a design for good luck.
In Chinese culture, monkeys are talismans of good fortune and success. While some might call it 'woo woo,' we call it relationship. Our design is an investment in our clients' lives, families, and futures, and we only want to see them win.
Radical individuality is the ultimate luxury
MHLI is a full-service, Black-owned interior design boutique specialized in luxury residential renovations, new builds and comprehensive furnishing projects. Read more
Subscribe to our newsletter for the inside track
MHLI
.jpg)
Schedule a
Private Consultation
Entrust your home to someone who understands its significance.
It's All Up From Here.
Just browsing Sotheby's? Perusing options from your broker? Already working with an architect or builder? Contemplating upgrades to your forever home? In whatever stage you find yourself, let's talk it through.
JOIN OUR UNIVERSE
Treat your inbox to our inspiration, latest projects, and insider advice.