Vvalnut* : Motivation, Inspiration, Decoration

Alex’s family produces the finest permanent botanicals in the business, and as kids, Alex and I grew up around these wonderful silk flowers. We grew older - Alex got more involved in his family business and I went to Berkeley to study Mechanical Engineering and Business, taking courses in design, architecture, and art history whenever possible to cultivate my interest in interior and product design.

About a year ago, I moved back from my travels abroad (I was running a travel app startup), and Alex and I happened to cross paths again at a small bar in San Francisco. Over drinks, we caught each other up on the last few years of our lives.

I was telling Alex that I had just moved into a small studio apartment and was slowly trying to make it habitable but was having a very difficult time deciding on quality pieces - “I’m too old for ikea!” I told him, “and I have a mid century 6-drawer dresser that I absolutely love, but it’s just so hard to commit to the right decor pieces to accessorize my apartment.”

The next day Alex came to visit with a box in his arms and presented it to me, welcoming me back to California. We opened the box, and out bloomed a magnificent little vase of blue hydrangeas and olive leaves that worked wonders brightening up my little entryway.

Despite my love of design, I had never decorated with florals before, and I absolutely loved the impact that these hydrangeas had on my home. Those flowers served not only as decoration, but as motivation for getting my apartment in showcase shape while serving as inspiration to find other pieces that I love.

He promised that he would change the flowers out for me as often as I needed to in order to find the exact perfect piece, and in that moment, the idea for Vvalnut* was born. We hope you will join us in sharing this joy with everyone who has an appreciation for beauty and design in the home, and that we can help you find your perfect piece of inspiring decor.