Today we’d like to introduce you to Louise Finlay
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Deco x Mia (pronounced Deco and Mia) is the go-to online store for anyone who loves Miami – the beaches, the culture, the people, and most importantly, the city’s unique sense of style and design.
The company was launched by Louise Finlay in late 2023. Born in the UK, Louise first fell in love with the city in the mid-90s when she moved to the city as a teenager with her family and attended Ransom Everglades. Twenty years later, in 2012, Louise moved back to Miami and has lived on Miami Beach ever since. A lover of design, decor, and gifting, Louise decided to launch Deco x Mia with a mission to bring a bit of Miami magic into everyone’s home, with unique home decor and gifts that reflect Miami’s most iconic designs and landmarks.
Deco x Mia’s first collection of Miami-inspired products are a series of heirloom-quality, limited edition glass ornaments, inspired by Miami Beach’s iconic lifeguard towers. They are manufactured in Poland, where glass ornament making started, and come in colorful keepsake gift boxes, that include the street address of the corresponding Lifeguard Tower and include a “Love from Miami” message.
Customers can shop the ornaments online at decoxmia.com, with free local delivery for Miami Beach residents. You can also find Louise and Deco x Mia at a number of markets across Miami, including the upcoming Miami Market for Makers in the Design District, and at the Lincoln Road Antique and Collectible Sunday markets.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Launching a new brand is never easy, especially in today’s digital age where we are bombarded with ads and promoted posts for new products consistently. And Deco x Mia was late to market for the 2023 holiday shopping season, only going live online in November 2023. However, The advertising and outreach that Louise did on Instagram and through her network of Miami locals worked. One highlight that sticks out is when Louise was invited a neighbor over to see the ornaments, and that neighbor pulled up a screenshot she’d taken of one of the Deco x Mia ads from Instagram, and told Louise that she’d taken the screenshot because she’d never seen ornaments like these ones, and wanted to buy them for all her family.
Word of mouth and social media sharing from Louise’s network, and local influencers really helped sales the first couple of months, especially as Louise was not able to get Deco x Mia into any of the markets until January this year. And once customers were able to see and shop the ornaments in person at those markets, the brand really developed a loyal customer base, and demand for new ornaments started to grow. So to celebrate Miami Beach Pride in April, Louise launched a new ornament based on the 12th Street rainbow colored Lifeguard Tower, that epitomized the vibrancy and sparkle of Miami and provided the perfect gift for everyone in, and in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
But it’s not been easy, and Louise still sees every sale as a huge win, especially with her ornaments being seen as a holiday product. So Deco x Mia did branch out with new home decor and original artworks painted by Louise and her mother, Susie Frosell, an artist based in Laguna Beach, California. The original artworks in particular proved very popular but demand remains highest for the Lifeguard Tower ornaments.
We’ve been impressed with Deco x Mia, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Deco x Mia (pronounced Deco and Mia) is the go-to online store for anyone who loves Miami – the beaches, the culture, the people, and most importantly, the city’s unique sense of style and design.
Founded by Louise Finlay, a longtime Miami Beach resident and lover of design, decor, and gifting, Deco x Mia’s mission is to bring a bit of Miami magic into everyone’s home, with unique home decor and gifts that reflect Miami’s most iconic designs and landmarks.
That mission is clearly seen in Deco x Mia’s limited edition glass ornaments, inspired by Miami Beach’s iconic lifeguard towers. With their unique shapes and designs and their candy-coated hues, the towers are a true representation of Miami’s splashy and vibrant culture and community. Made of glass and hand-painted, Deco x Mia’s ornaments are created in Poland (where glass ornament making started!) and come in a gift box that includes the street address and an image of the tower that inspired each design.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Before launching Deco x Mia, Louise worked in marketing for 20 years with B2B, tech and consumer brands across industries including Retail, Travel & Hospitality, Energy, Fintech, Telecommunications, and IoT. In the Summer of 2023 Louise was suddenly let go from her corporate job which had a huge effect on her mental health and felt like the worst luck in the world. But as they say, every cloud has a silver lining, and the time out that Louise took that Summer to regroup and rethink her next steps is what led to the creation of Deco x Mia. Louise’s first love was always design, so what felt like the worst time in her life actually gave her the opportunity to do something that showcased her creative talents and make her fall in love with work again.
Pricing:
- Star Lifeguard Tower ornaments retail at $45 each, or $120 for a set of three (orange, pink and blue)
- Pride Lifeguard Tower ornaments retail at $55 each with Ten percent (10%) of the sale of each Pride Ornament will be donated to Miami Beach Pride, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization whose key mission is to raise funds for events and community outreach programs that support the LGBTQIA+ community of South Florida.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://decoxmia.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/decoxmia/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovedecoxmia/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/decoxmia/
Image Credits
Louise Finlay
