French-native, raised in Paris and Africa, I completed my MBA in Paris in 1996. I then spent 10 years within the L’Oréal Group, worldwide leader in cosmetics, where I held various marketing positions, designing and launching many strategic new product lines for several global brands, among which L’Oréal Paris. All the while, I worked closely with Trend Labs and fashion designers to identify upcoming trends in colours, textures and effects in the textile industry and apply them to the cosmetic industry, developing unique colour palettes. This experience allowed me to build a very strong colour expertise and develop my project management skills. In 2005, I moved to Winter Park, Florida, USA, and went back to school, enrolling in the studio art degree program at Rollins College and completing all Studio Art Foundation courses and Contemporary Art and Theory and Modern American Art History courses. I then enrolled in the Professional Online Diploma Course in Interior Design administered and taught by Rhodec International, in partnership with the National Design Academy.
I founded Vahena Marsili Interiors, an interior design firm providing high-end residential design services, in 2010. For the past ten years, I have managed a broad portfolio of projects, from re-designing single spaces to overhauling multi-spaces renovations. On each project, I act as the project manager and interior designer for my clients, leading all aspects of the design process and collaborating with a highly skilled design and conception team including kitchen designers, bathroom specialists, bespoke furniture designers, lighting specialists and art gallery directors.