Brookhaven boutique owners Katrina and Christopher Terrell have grown their business to the point they are now opening a storefront in Jackson.

The Terrells’ business, “Marl’e By Design,” was founded six years ago. Their business started out small, as it was all run out of the trunk of Katrina’s car.

“We were buying pieces and coworkers were buying from us,” Terrell said. “We wanted to see if this was something we wanted to do.”

Once the boutique moved online, they had a set up in a corner of their bedroom, which included a desk space and their items.

“Online was big, but it wasn’t as big as it was now,” Terrell said. “It was more word of mouth.”

The first store space Marl’e By Design occupied was shared space with Shannon’s Hair Creations in Brookhaven. After finally having a store space, the Terrells decided to build something of their own.

“And that’s when the online really started up,” Terrell said.

The studio they built on their property turned into a warehouse. Terrell said their customers loved the uniqueness of their space.

“The online has been great, but now we’re opening a store in Jackson,” Terrell said.

Marl’e By Design will open a store space Saturday in the Metro Center Mall in Jackson. The opportunity for the space came about on Facebook.

The couple sat on the idea for a week before setting up an appointment to look at spaces. During their tour, there was a particular space that they liked, but it was already claimed.

The Terrells continued their tour and looked at other spaces, but they weren’t seeing anything they liked.

“We weren’t feeling it,” Terrell said.

After about two hours of touring spaces, they walked back past the space. Her husband walked in and looked around at the space.

“This is the space. We’re going to get this space,” Terrell’s husband told her.

He encouraged her that they should inquire again about it.

“Let’s just ask again,” Terrell’s husband said.

After checking again, they found out the space was indeed open. Once they found out the space was open, they signed the paperwork and finalized everything.

Their space is set up on a corner in the mall and looks like a studio. The space is right in the front across from the food court.

“We wanted something different, and it’s very different,” Terrell said. “It’s very nice.”

With the Metro Mall reopening after five years, the Terrells are excited to be a part of it.

“We’re excited to be on the front end of it all,” Terrell said. “Mrs. Sanders never took our money and ran, she always communicated with us. Every time we communicated with them, they gave us options.”

The Terrells are excited for this next step in their business, and they knew it wasn’t accomplished by themselves.

“All the glory goes to God, every last bit of it,” Terrell said. “He grew us in baby steps.”

The couple knows that expanding their business during the pandemic won’t be easy.

“It’s exciting but at the same time it’s a risk,” Terrell said. “Entrepreneurship is a risk, but we’re willing to take the risk. We can see the bigger picture. We’re grateful, we’re humble and we’re so excited about this journey.”