Maja’s Magic
Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter
Photographs by Sara Prince
Like a moth to a flame, Maja Smith has always been drawn to beautiful things. And she’s seen plenty of them all over the world, leading her to become an expert at sourcing unique objects for the home. This talent for the hunt ultimately turned into a vocation, and her online store, FOUND BY MAJA, offers a wide variety of exquisite items culled from around the globe. (There’s also a brick-and-mortar location in San Francisco.)
Smith’s first foray into selling her finds occurred after college, when she had a small kiosk (later a store) at Newport Beach’s Fashion Island, selling tabletop items imported from Mexico City. But love intervened, and Smith relocated to New York City to be with her future husband. Marriage and the birth of twins ensued, followed by a move to Japan. “In Tokyo, I was able to continue my love of travel and my appreciation for all things aesthetic, beautiful, and artisanal,” she says. “It definitely helped shape my design appreciation.”
Along the way, Smith’s treasure-hunting habit morphed into an interior design business, as friends and clients encouraged her to bring her finds into their homes and curate their environments. After moving to San Francisco with her family, she began hosting trunk shows at her home. “I couldn’t always find what I was looking for, so I would travel to find gorgeous rugs and beautiful accessories and pieces, and I would always bring back more than I needed for a project,” she says. “So I had this small cache of things.” Thus, Found by Maja was born.
Smith and her family recently purchased a home in Santa Barbara. “Ever since going to school here, I knew I would come back,” she says. “It’s a small cottage, and I’m excited to fill it with all my found things.” And to entertain: “I love to have a dinner party.” To that end, Smith relies on her grandmother’s centuries-old Swedish silver as a starting point, and she “layers” her table with vintage linens from Marché aux Puces in Paris, Terre Mêlée plates, Murano glassware, vases and candlesticks by Davide Fuin, and vintage French coupes. She recommends the same to her customers: “People are excited to have something they can layer on top of their wedding china, alongside their grandmother’s crystal, something handed down. I encourage people to layer their table and to connect all those things.”
Smith still travels as much as ever, averaging four buying trips per year. And she’s purposeful in her acquisitions: “I try to buy as much as possible from women, from small artisans,” she says. “Most of it is handmade, most of it is hand-painted, and most of it is done by women.” foundbymaja.com
Maja's Must-Haves for Entertaining
MY GRANDMOTHERʹS SILVER
MONOGRAMMED LINENS (best found at Marché aux Puces in Paris; look for your initials)
MURANO GLASSWARE
FRESH FLOWERS in different-size vases (French and Italian opaline, ceramic, silver ice buckets)
CAVIAR ON POTATO CHIPS
BAR CART STOCKED WITH FRENCH CHAMPAGNE (serve in vintage French coupes)
