Designing Spaces with Heart: Marely Fernandez Builds Homes and Community Through Vivienda Collective

A journey across cultures

For Marely Fernandez, home has always carried different meanings. Born in Puerto Rico to parents from the Dominican Republic, her journey across countries and cultures eventually brought her to New York and the Hudson Valley.

“My parents are from the Dominican Republic, but I ended up being born in Puerto Rico because my father found a job there to find a better life for the family,” Fernandez shared.

After spending her first 14 years in Massachusetts, her family moved back to the Dominican Republic, where she completed high school and earned her interior design degree.

She believes living in different places shaped not only her worldview but also her approach to working with people.

“Being able to live in different places has made me more well-rounded in the different type of people that are out there,” she said. “I kind of put myself in other people’s shoes.”

SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTER

You are now signed up for our newsletter

Check your email to complete sign up

Her Hispanic background, she says, influences the warmth and openness she brings into her work.

Discovering a creative path

Fernandez’s love for creativity began early.

“When I was in high school, I found a love for drawing,” she said. “I especially loved drawing portraits.”

Although she considered becoming an artist, she wanted a career that combined creativity with practical problem-solving.

“I looked at interior design and thought, ‘Working with color — that’s good,’” she said. “And I’m also solving problems, so it felt right.”

While attending university, Fernandez worked at her sister’s jewelry business during the day and went to school at night. There, she helped create store displays and arrange merchandise.

“I would help create beautiful displays and make the merchandise more appealing for buyers,” she said.

Those experiences later helped shape her approach to design.

More than making things beautiful

Fernandez believes interior design is much more than decoration.

“It’s not just making it look pretty,” she explained. “It’s making it functional as well.”

She says homes should support people’s daily lives rather than forcing people to adapt to their spaces.

“When you come home after a full day of work, you want to make sure that the space works for you — you’re not working for the space.”

Years specializing in kitchen and bathroom design reinforced that belief.

“The kitchen is kind of the heart of the home,” she said. “The functionality of it is going to help you cook faster, cook better, and have the storage you need.”

Instead of using one formula for every project, Fernandez begins by learning how clients actually live.

“I go out and do an in-home consultation,” she explained. “When I create a design, it’s based on what their needs are and what their wants are.”

Building Vivienda Collective

After years of working in kitchen and bath design, Fernandez launched her own business in 2025.

The decision came after being laid off during economic uncertainty — a difficult moment that became a turning point.

“My whole family was telling me, ‘You’ve got this,’” she said. “That was kind of the push that I needed.”

The name Vivienda Collective reflects both her heritage and long-term vision. Vivienda means “home” in Spanish, while collective represents her dream of creating a collaborative design hub.

“I want it to be a one-stop shop,” she said. “A collaboration of different trades.”

She hopes to eventually bring contractors, materials, furnishings, and design services together under one roof.

Inspired by the Hudson Valley

Living and working in the Hudson Valley has also influenced Fernandez’s design perspective.

“The Hudson Valley is a beautiful space,” she said. “It’s kind of that sense of bringing the outside in.”

She feels homes in the region often have more character and stronger connections to nature.

“I like using vintage pieces and new pieces as well,” she said. “It feels more lived in. It feels more natural.”

As a mother of two and spouse of an active-duty Army National Guard soldier, Fernandez understands the importance of support systems.

“It takes a village to raise a child,” she said.

She hopes to give back by offering services to military families, mentoring young designers, and eventually creating workshops where community members can learn practical skills.

“I love being able to go somewhere and learn in person,” she said. “It’s more personable.”

For Fernandez, design is ultimately about more than spaces — it is about helping people feel comfortable, understood, and truly at home.

This is a paid promotion.