Before Maison de Lela became a lifestyle brand, it was a life being collected.
Jelena Wise was born and raised in Macedonia, where family gatherings shaped her understanding of home. As a teen, she crossed the Atlantic to finish high school in Nashville, finding independence in a new country. After earning a degree in journalism and public relations in New York, she joined Qatar Airways as a flight attendant.
Every destination expanded her perspective. She absorbed architecture, cuisine, clothing, customs and the ways people welcomed others into their homes. “I didn’t bring home souvenirs,” she says. “I brought home a way of living.”
Those experiences found their place in Greenwich. After becoming a wife and mother to two boys, Jelena moved here two and a half years ago. The women she met offered friendship, encouragement and an unexpected sense of belonging. Their support helped her rediscover the creative identity she had placed aside and gave her the confidence to build something of her own.
Maison de Lela, French for “the House of Lela” takes its name from Jelena’s childhood nickname. It brings her passions for storytelling, interiors, cooking, entertaining, fashion and motherhood beneath one roof, each informed by her Macedonian heritage and years of travel.
The result is elegant, warm and collected. Jelena gravitates toward beige, taupe, dark wood and black accents, layering linen, marble, American walnut and unlacquered brass. Her family’s roots in fashion and the marble business taught her to appreciate material, craftsmanship and detail. In her home, inherited pieces from her nana and mama sit beside vintage discoveries and designs.
Yet she rarely recreates a destination literally. Instead, she draws from how it felt: an afternoon along the Champs-Élysées, qahwa in Souq Waqif or a memory from childhood in Macedonia. That feeling might reappear in a texture, an arch or simply the atmosphere of a room.
For Jelena, beauty must also have meaning. She looks for pieces that are thoughtfully made, timeless and capable of becoming part of a family’s story. The goal is a home that feels collected over time, never decorated overnight.
That philosophy is clearest at her table. Jelena grew up around family gatherings, a vineyard and a nana who loved welcoming people. Her years in aviation sharpened her instinct for hospitality and taught her to anticipate guests’ needs. Today, she plans menus, creates signature cocktails and mocktails, asks about dietary needs and writes a personal note for every guest. Her nana’s heritage china now serves generations in Connecticut.
Once everyone arrives, however, she releases the plan. “The details set the stage,” she says, “but it’s the people who make it unforgettable.”
Through recipes, interiors and gatherings shared online, Maison de Lela continues to grow. Jelena hopes to collaborate with women-owned businesses and create experiences while showing other women—especially immigrants, wives and mothers—that heritage and ambition do not compete. They can become the foundation of something entirely their own.
After all, the most beautiful things are not left behind. They are carried home.
Vintage or new? New
Flowers or candles? Flowers
Dinner party or cocktail party? Dinner party
Minimal or collected? Collected
Wallpaper or paint? Paint
One design trend you're ready to retire? Boucle
One thing every home should have? A story
Perfect host gift? Flowers