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IN GOOD COMPANY:
Meet Marquet BY M I C H A E L A B EC H LE R | PH OTO S BY L AU R A ST E FFA N
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n the works for nearly two years, Marquet, a delightful shop filled with treasures of all sizes, is set to officially open its doors this fall. Owned and curated by interior designer Jenny Vorhoff, Marquet was created to be a resource for anyone shopping for furniture, while also offering everything from pottery to paper goods. “I moved home to New Orleans five years ago after living in New York for 19 years, and a lingering lunch with friends not long after helped the roots of Marquet take hold in my mind,” Jenny shares. “I’d always been inspired by the storied shops and antique dealers that historically filled Magazine Street, and in a fast-changing retail landscape, it felt important to me that New Orleans hold onto shops with a real point of view. I have long wanted to give back to the city that’s given so much to me and building Marquet has become my way of stitching myself into the fabric of New Orleans.” Derived from the French word marquetry, which is the intricate craft of using inlaid materials, Marquet is a nod to craftspeople, markets, and a created world. The shop is also a reflection of Studio Riga, Jenny’s boutique interior design firm. “I’m buying for Marquet the way I source for my design clients. I still think about furniture I’ve left behind at flea markets because I didn’t have the right home for it yet. I’m delighted that it’s all coming with me from now on!” Jenny hopes that Marquet will be a destination for intentional and inspired shopping and set up the store to reflect that vision: books and cozy layers are found in the library, serving pieces are in the kitchen, and terracotta pots and garden accessories are arranged in the workshop. Merchandise and rooms will evolve weekly, and Jenny’s goal is for shoppers to find what they’re looking for, while also discovering something you didn’t know you needed. Much like her design style, Jenny says she’s not caught up in provenance. “I’m drawn to pieces and things with character. I love color, and I don’t take things too seriously. Everything has to be something I’d own myself or source for a client. Beyond that, it needs to be connected to artistry or be a genuine workhorse in a home, whether that’s a basket, an art book, or a set of rattan placemats. In a world full of noise around brand recognition, quick ship, and fast manufacture, we take the alternative approach: sourcing small and one-of-akind. While many of our pieces are made by artists and artisans, we’re not a gallery. Everything we sell can live comfortably in any home.”