The Creative Force Behind Folk Project Shows Us Her True Colors

Merijam Roelofs home

Ariana Dreshler

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“This is the stuff we care about; it’s like my altar,” Merijam Roelofs says, gesturing around her living room to a row of shelves bedecked with sculptures, photos, paintings, and other “very personal” keepsakes. The Vista-based furniture designer is the creative force behind Folk Project.

She scours villages and markets to buy textiles from Guatemala and Mexico previously worn by Mayan women, which she uses to reupholster contemporary chairs, ottomans, and other home decor items; she then donates some of the proceeds to worthy causes and mutual-aid groups. It’s a fitting vocation for someone whose life is rooted in several places across the globe.

Roelofs grew up in France, her husband is from Senegal, and they’ve lived in Mexico, Brazil, and elsewhere. Nestled among the shelves are photos of loved ones who have passed, next to which she often lights candles. Below them is a Folk Project chair boasting several peach-hued Guatemalan huipil fabrics. “The peach colors are more rare,” she says, smiling. “I made it for myself.”