This Founder Built the Desi Decor Brand She Couldn’t Find in Stores
In conversation with The Borrowed’s Divina Chopra, Soni Mehra reflects on identity, intention, and the quiet power of building something that lasts.
There’s a quiet power in choosing a different path, especially when that path leads you to build something that didn’t exist before. Soni Mehra, founder of Marble Lotus, knows this intimately. Rooted in heritage but with a fresh perspective, Marble Lotus is more than a brand; it’s a reflection of Mehra’s intentionality, resilience, and deep belief in crafting beauty with meaning. In this conversation, The Borrowed’s Divina Chopra sits down with Soni to talk about what it really takes to build a brand from the ground up: the pressure, the pivots, the purpose, and why walking away from the conventional might be the most powerful choice of all.
D: Let’s go back to the beginning — what sparked the idea for Marble Lotus, and what made you brave enough to pursue it?
S: When I was furnishing my own home with my husband for the very first time, I realised that blending our Punjabi, Marathi, and American heritage with our taste for elegant and unique spaces was borderline impossible. There was no brand that encapsulated South Asian heritage but reinterpreted for the modern American home. I wanted my mandir (puja room) in particular to feel modern and not look like my parents' so the initial Namesake debut collection was actually crafted with that room in mind.
D: Heritage is such a core part of your brand. How do you balance honouring tradition with designing for a modern audience?
S: It's very personal and subjective. Right now I'm in a space where I'm way more open to experimenting with modern colour and texture while preserving pattern and motif. In a few years, I may switch! But holding at least one thing constant while thinking out of the box on everything else is my preferred way of designing. The most important thing, regardless of what you're changing, is preserving the story that you're trying to tell. Whether it is of the culture, the artisans, or history, stories are the most important part of building Marble Lotus and Marble Lotus Interiors.
D: What’s one business decision you’re especially proud of — and one you wish you had handled differently?
S: Proud - Opening our first showroom and studio. Having a physical space to operate in is incredibly important to a business! Being surrounded by the manifestation of our brand really helps stay motivated in the mission.
Differently - I launched my first collection for pre-orders way before our products landed in the US and then there was a huge delay and we faced some shipping issues which I felt horrible about admitting to all of our customers that had placed early orders. I’m still thankful for their trust but I wish I was able to give them a better first experience.
D: How do you define success as a founder? Has that definition changed since you started?
S: My definition of success as a founder before was very much correlated with popularity of the brand (do people know about it?). But now it is very much focused on survival and a healthy operating profit. For survival, you need patience and resolve when times get tough and for a healthy operating profit you need incredible attention to detail and an obsession with planning
D: Founding a business is as personal as it is professional. How do you manage the weight of it all — especially when things don’t go to plan?
S: Once again, it's about survival. If something has gone wrong but we are still continuing to operate and survive another day then that thing going wrong is just a lesson for me in the grander scheme of things.
D: Have you developed any rituals or habits that help protect your mental health in the chaos of building a brand?
S: So many! Mental health while founding a company is incredibly important. We've had a crazy three years and I have definitely reached burnout in a way that is different from my corporate jobs. But I've developed some tactics that help me stay sane:
Pilates and gentle movement for exercise and not just HIIT workouts that feel very intense.
Switching from coffee to tea first thing in the morning.
Frequent time scheduled to be creative or do nothing and let my mind wander.
D: How has your identity shaped your leadership — whether it’s cultural, spiritual, or simply how you see the world?
S: I've always loved inspiring people and pushing them to their full potential - that has definitely helped me delegate and grow my team. I think when the founder is inspired by their work, she naturally attracts other team members that would also be inspired and builds a team of people who love what they're working on.
D: What’s a lesson you’re learning right now as a founder, not one you’ve mastered yet?
S: Definitely learning how to balance investment, cash flows, and growth and how to be more patient in the process. I'm used to a very start-up environment but I think I set really tight deadlines for everyone so adding a buffer and accounting for some extra time is definitely something I'm trying to get better at.
D: What’s one misconception people have about being a founder — and what’s the truth you’ve come to learn?
S: You can't really "turn it off" - it's like your baby, you always want to take care of it and are always thinking about it!
D: If you could design the future of Marble Lotus five years from now, what would it look and feel like — both as a brand and a community?
S: I would definitely want to have biannual collection drops and much more furniture in the collection. I'd like the brand to be a thought leader and cultural tastemaker for a heritage aesthetic in global interiors. I would want our community to be as obsessed with the designs and products we create as we are and I'd want them to proudly state that they "got it from Marble Lotus" when someone asks.
Check out Marble Lotus here and follow Soni for more inside access to building a brand and following your passion!