STAY IN THE KNOW

our newsletter is your gateway to staying inspired with the latest in home staging and design. Each edition delivers exclusive insights, styling tips, and a peek into our curated spaces that blend comfort and elegance.

July 31st, 2025 | 4-min read

July NEWSLETTER

Here's what I've learned about building something from nothing: starting a business doesn't just take everything you're willing to give. It takes more than that. It takes the stuff you didn't even know you had. The reserves you discover only when you're running on empty.

January 31st, 2026 | 4-min read

JaNUARY NEWSLETTER

My calendar was decently full this month... walkthroughs, strategy meetings, planning how I want to push myselF and this business further this year. A FEW staging projects came through, no crazy NUMBERS yet, but I can see what's building. I'm answering emails at all hours (why are there always more emails?), fielding recommendation texts, laying groundwork. But here's the thing: most of the work right now is invisible. It's the kind you can't photograph or put in a portfolio.

December 31st, 2025 | 4-min read

December NEWSLETTER

If you've ever wondered about our name, Maarten & Croix, well... half of it comes from here. Saint Martin (Sint Maarten in Dutch, Saint-Martin in French). This tiny island that's split between two countries, two languages, two currencies, two ways of being, and somehow makes it all work beautifully. It felt like the perfect namesake for a business built on holding multiple truths at once: luxury that's accessible, design that's professional but personal, spaces that are both polished and deeply human. Coming back here always reminds me why we chose this name. Because this island doesn't try to be one thing. It's layered. It's complex. It's unapologetically itself.

November 30th, 2025 | 4-min read

November NEWSLETTER

I'm grateful for every person who's said, "Hey, I see you, and what you're doing is amazing." For the people who stop to say, "I can't wait to work with you someday." For the random compliment about a piece of art or a design choice. For everyone who acknowledges this work, this dream, this journey.

October 31st, 2025 | 4-min read

October NEWSLETTER

October has me thinking about all the things we’ve forgotten how to do. Not because they weren’t good, but because we got so busy chasing what’s new that we forgot to look back at what actually worked. This month reminded me that sometimes the best solutions aren’t the ones we invent, they’re the ones we rediscover.

September 30th, 2025 | 4-min read

SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER

For the longest time, I pushed back when anyone called Maarten & Croix a family business. In my mind, that meant everyone was on payroll, everyone had official titles, and it wouldn't just be me on the line with the IRS every year. Since my family aren’t collecting paychecks and it is indeed just me who stands to be in trouble with the IRS, I figured I was just running my business with a little family help. But as I reflect on this incredible first year, I realize I’ve had it backwards this entire time. I don’t have a business despite my family ... I have a business because of my family.

August 31st, 2025 | 4-min read

August NEWSLETTER

This August has reminded me that staging isn't just about arranging furniture, it's about creating connections. Between people and spaces, between families and their dreams, between what is and what could be.

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June 30th, 2025 | 4-min read

JUNE NEWSLETTER

Some days I caught myself wondering if I was making this harder than it needed to be. If maybe "good enough" was actually good enough. But then I'd walk into a space we'd just finished, and I'd remember why we do this work the way we do it.

The details matter. Even when—especially when—no one else sees them.

May 31st, 2025 | 4-min read

May NEWSLETTER

There's something powerful happening right now at M&C. We're finally starting to tap into that place where design doesn't just look good, it feels true. Like it actually reflects who we are and what we care about. Every project feels more intentional, more grounded, and more like the kind of work we've always dreamed of doing.

April 30th, 2025 | 4-min read

APRIL NEWSLETTER

Most people don’t know this, but while I was in school earning my MBA, I also made my first real leap into entrepreneurship… by opening a tropical and rare online plant store.

For two years, I sold some of the most sought-after plants in the world—plants so rare, you could only find them in obscure online communities and niche auctions. The prices? Honestly, if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me. I barely believe it now. But it wasn’t about flipping rare greenery for profit—it was about the thrill, the connection, and the unexpected joy of cultivating something that felt one-of-a-kind.

March 31st, 2025 | 4-min read

March NEWSLETTER

We blinked and suddenly it's the end of March - anyone else feeling like this year is in fast-forward? Between the spring bloom and the start of the real estate busy season,

things are buzzing in the Triangle!

February 24th, 2025 | 4-min read

February NEWSLETTER

As February unfolds, we thought it would be the perfect time to reintroduce ourselves-especially with so many wonderful new connections joining our journey. Maarten & Croix began as a shared dream between two sisters passionate about design and has grown into a business dedicated to transforming homes into spaces that inspire, connect, and sell. From our first project-late nights fueled by excitement and caffeine-to building a portfolio of designs that honor both style and soul,

we've come a long way.

January 9th, 2025 | 4-min read