Joel and I were born and raised in the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, "La Isla del Encanto". We both obtained our Bachelor's degree at the University of Puerto Rico, where he studied Business Administration and I studied Translation with a minor in Modern Languages.

We met in 2013 and 4 years later we decided to tie the knot. We worked hard and saved every penny to have our whimsical rustic dream wedding.  A couple of months after we got married, a category 5 hurricane destroyed our apartment. It was such an impressive image seeing our house without a roof and most of our belongings under water. 

 
In 2018, Joel and I were offered jobs in Orlando, Florida, so we decided to move. We bought our first house in 2019 and became parents to Murphy, our mini Australian Shepherd, the one who really runs the house. This is where Ibis+Joel was born.

I was laid off from my job in 2020, a little before the pandemic started. I couldn't find a job anywhere because many companies were trying to figure out the sudden changes due to COVID-19. It was truly a terrifying moment but little did we know this would be a blessing in disguise. It was a  season of going back to basics and getting reacquainted with our dreams and passions.  

Joel started woodworking, a craft his grandfather introduced him to since he was just a boy. I had decided to enroll in Interior Design courses in January of 2020, but had to pause because of work. But, was I was able to get back on track with my classes. What started out as a hobby or a way to distract ourselves from the news became an "AHA!" moment. It just felt like everything was falling into place. Being the BIG dreamer that he is, Joel saw the opportunity for us to join forces and create our small business focused on home décor (and interior design consulting services in the future). Ibis+Joel has been the result of hard work and a self-discovery process. Being in a different country, away from family and friends, made our house not only a home, but also a safe haven. Personalizing our home with familiar décor that reflected our personalities and our story became even more important. Although it has taken us a while, and many setbacks, here we are, chasing our dreams and making them come true. It has been a long journey to find our way and we hope you feel inspired to chase after your own dreams like we did. 

Friday, March 11th, 2022 is the Ibis+Joel Grand Opening and we are excited to share our story with all of you.