About
The beginning
Meri-Lou was inspired by my own personal experience of becoming a mother.
A few years ago I shared some photos on social media of our vintage family crib and after sharing I received a lot of questions about it.
I thought it would be so great to allow others to enjoy such a beautiful and unique item and such an item wasn’t on the market yet.
The desire to have our vintage family crib go into production was huge and I couldn’t wait to sell it.
The cradle would become part of a small collection of interior accessories,
because I had many more ideas.
However, the cradle should obviously meet current safety requirements, and although it is also mandatory, I believe this is also very important.
What I came across, was, that applying these strict measures became a very difficult and time-consuming process.
The model of the crib had to be changed significantly to meet the strict requirements and this took away the charm of the crib.
I decided to left the cradle for what it was.
I really wanted to have the other interior accessories produced and so I decided to continue.
It would be a shame if I didn’t release the items in a collection, I thought they were too good to keep to myself.
A good addition
With a number of beautiful, international brands already on the market, I also noticed that there was a craving for innovation.
A new brand with a renewed collection with its own style.
And so it happened.
Design and collection
I design all items myself and they are produced by factories in India and Indonesia, with which I have a good cooperation.
The items are handmade and they are sophisticated, contemporary, unique, and they have a vintage feel.
What great is that the Meri-Lou collection can be combined well with various modern interior styling and can be placed in all areas of the house.
I cannot wait to expand the collection and my head worked overtime with new ideas.
Production and environment
In addition, I also find the social aspects of the production of our items very important.
Meri-Lou’s items are handmade by the locals of the factories in countries where our presence can make a difference.
The employment that Meri-Lou provides in producing the items provides bread and butter for many families.
I am proud to announce that the factories we work with have a SA 8000:2014 certificate.
SA 8000:2014 Standard is based on internationally recognized standards of decent work,
including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ILO conventions, and national laws.
To minimize emissions to the environment, I make sure that the items are shipped from the factory in one shipment as much as possible.
I try to avoid plastic packaging and prefer to use paper and cardboard to protect our beloved environment
and, if possible, I try to reuse packaging materials.
Safety and quality are also top priorities at Meri-Lou.
Textiles used in the production of our collection are all STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certified.
STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is one of the world’s best-known labels for textiles tested for harmful substances.
It stands for customer confidence and high product safety.
About me
In the past I have worked for a long time as a visual merchandiser in retail and as a freelance interior and photo stylist.
Creating is what I like to do.
With my husband and two sons (Fimme and Fender) we live in Hoorn, a beautiful, old town in North Holland.
Besides my family, I love a sunny spring, white chocolate raisins and dancing with friends.
The items of our collection can be ordered from our retailers, click here for an overview of our beloved partners.
Do you have an online or offline store and are you interested in becoming a retailer of our collection?
Please contact us via our contact form or email us at info@merilou.nl.
Thank you for reading my story and let me hear from you, feel free, you’re welcome!
Laurien | Meri-Lou Living
