STREET STYLE: MARK OF ARLINGTON HOME INTERIORS
By Arlington Stylebook | October 28, 2020
In this week’s street style, we are catching up with Mark Manlove of Arlington Home Interiors. Born and raised in Delaware, Mark has been in the Washington, D.C. area ever since he graduated from the University of Maryland. After working in the corporate grind for several decades, Mark decided to join his wife Suzanne and fully immerse himself in their interior design business. When Mark isn’t at his desk, you can find him digging through crates of records, perfecting his yoga practice via YouTube, reading classic fiction, or riding “appropriately sized waves.”
Keep reading to learn more about Mark, his perspective on interior design, and more!
Photos by Sarah Marcella Creative
ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS:
How long have you owned your business? Suzanne started Arlington Home Interiors in 2007. I joined her in 2017 to oversee marketing and operations.
What inspired you to make it a family business? After twenty plus years in the corporate grind, I wanted to focus my energy on growing our business together. It's certainly challenging but it's also incredibly rewarding. And yes, we spend LOTS of time together so we do our best to un-plug with a weekly date night.
What are you currently working on that you're excited about? We're working on our first beach house, which was one of our goals. It's an amazing new-build, beautifully crafted home in Rehoboth.
Favorite part of your job? People invite us into their homes, really into their lives, and that takes a huge amount of trust. It's really an honor.
AT THIS TIME:
How can the community support you and your employees during this time? People need more from their homes these days (office, school, sole source of entertainment). We're here to help them make their homes as comfortable and functional as possible.
One act of kindness you’ve witnessed? Our seventy-eight year old neighbor helps runs the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) distribution in South Arlington and nothing slows her down.
Favorite hobby? I collect vinyl records. I love the 80s (especially anything from England), I'm a huge roots reggae fan and I love 60s soul. If you have a stack of records you're looking to de-clutter, I'll give them a good home.
Top must-read books? I go for classic fiction more than best sellers. I love buying hard-bound used books from the Friends of the Arlington Library book sales. Some all-time favorites include; John Steinbeck's East of Eden, J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey and John Irving's The World According to Garp.
Binge-worthy suggestion(s)? We're usually binging Netflix shows like Queer Eye, Stranger Things, The Crown and about a hundred others. We're spending way too much time watching TV.
What local business have you supported this week? Ruthie's All-Day is our new favorite Arlington restaurant that's practically in our backyard! Amazing food and plenty of outdoor seating. Check it out and support this new local biz!
Favorite carry-out restaurant? Tacos seem to fair well for take-out. Our family really enjoys Taco Rock in Rosslyn.
Favorite family pastime? Spending as much time as possible at the beach. The southern end of the Outer Banks is our happy place.
Go-to at-home workout? Yoga with Adriene. (She's my YouTube crush.)
To learn more about Mark and Arlington Home Interiors, visit their website or follow the duo on Instagram.