Hey y'all, 

I'm Melissa or Mel as most people call me.  I have had a love for decorating...or re-decorating ever since I was a small child.  My bedroom was constantly being rearranged because I either did not like the way one of my toys looked sitting next to a piece of art that I had made or the blue chest that held my records needed to have some yellow and white flowers on top to match my quilt and pillows!   I can thank my talented Mother for that, although she always said "I've created a monster" because I had to have my room just so before going to sleep at night. 

I am from a tiny town called Poolesville in Maryland originally but have always had southern roots as well due to my other beloved family and talented friends in Cary, NC.  They enticed us to the Outer Banks later in life and when my parents retired there I moved to Greenville, NC where I attended East Carolina University.  I majored in Merchandising and Business because I believed it would be a more lucrative way to involve myself in the fashion and design industry.  I quickly found that you have to perform years of retail service to understand the ins and outs of merchandising which ultimately results in desired retail sales goals.  

After a few years of learning all there is to learn in retail, aspiring to be a fashion buyer in NY or LA, I really learned that I did not want to live that life.  Always the entrepreneur, I created ways to work smarter not harder by becoming an in-store Wardrobe Advisor.  I'd rather create a wardrobe list for my clients to shop from rather than selling them a single boring tee shirt that would never amount to much in their repertoire.  As I enjoyed that immensely, when I was able to not only earn money but very beautifully made fashions by selling more and more wardrobes to women, I also watched and paid close attention to my co-workers who were "visual merchandisers" create amazingly beautiful sceneries and colorfully inviting windows to the world of women's fashions.  That is when I realized that what excites me and gets my heart fluttering is when I see these kinds of displays of merchandise juxtaposed with other styles and items that created a visual story. I began to realize that I am much more inclined to be driven by these designs in stores and more importantly in people's homes!  My Aunts all have wonderful decorating and design talents that I have spent years luxuriating in and knew that is what I wanted to do.  Bring other people joy and comfort in creating spaces in their homes and work places that fulfill all their senses.  

Shortly thereafter, I moved to Raleigh via a short stint in Charlotte where I threw myself to the mercy of one poor soul who I exhausted with questions and requests for training and this amazing lady, Christine, saw what I was capable of and how passionate I was about my love of all things fabric, color and design so she hired me.  That began my professional career of interior design and my title as Design Consultant at Norwalk, The Furniture Idea.  It was a retail home interiors and custom furnishings store that offered in-store and in-home design consultations.  I LOVED it, I was hooked.  Did I love the retail days and hours, no, so instead of seeing it as what it ultimately was to my bosses, a sales position, I saw it as my way to give these overwhelmed customers a service where they did not have to lift a finger.  Once they met me and I excitedly expressed to them that I could create a whole room or house to buy from, surrounding these one or two furnishing pieces that they needed initially, my customers became clients and then they became my friends who trusted me with their homes for years on end completing their list of desires for their spaces as they could come back time and again when they could afford it to add to their overall project that I had originally presented to them.  We called them Home Plans.  It was a dream come true.  

After almost 10 years with Norwalk and forming many, many relationships with clients and all the wonderful amazing friends, co-designers and colleagues ( family really) that I had made I decided to go out on my own.  That was when Sittin' Pretty Interiors was born...in my mind. 

I mean I did a lot of the side hustle as Insight Out Interiors offering interior and exterior paint choice consultations and helping clients pick what bed linens they should use to go with their new room that I designed, what plants to plant in their new gardens and what tile to pick for their new pool all along with my time at Norwalk, then Furniture & Design, which was encouraged and appreciated.  I formed a very special relationship with a wonderfully talented, smart and savvy lady who made amazing window treatments so our partnership was invaluable which brought many more clients in and allowed me to offer yet another integral part of my designs.   She taught me a lot about the design industry as an independent which made me want to be my own boss more and more.  

Sittin' Pretty Interiors was actually first conceived as a very special interior design partnership with my beloved friend Sarah, who is also so consistently sweet, loving and talented as they come, in all areas of art, creation and design!  We had a wonderful and short but successful stint of projects including one large commercial project in downtown Raleigh converting a historic Victorian home into a retail space for local artisans to sell their wares and offered catered events and tea service.  Such a fun and amazing opportunity to get on the map.  Thank you Sarah & V, of V's Teas and Treasures!!  Sarah was much younger than I and in a different stage of her life that took her to find her own endeavors - we are still great friends though and I was one of her bridesmaid's at her, obviously gorgeous wedding and ultimately her daughter and my son ended up attending the same pre-school.  Amazing how real friendships last through every stage in life! 

Finally and currently I have been the sole owner and operator of this interior design business and handle all the aspects of the business on a daily basis.  I have run this design operation in reality since 2002, designing and decorating for family, friends and colleagues since childhood!

All of my designs are inspired by my client's history, background, culture and love or passion of something or someone in their lives.  Whether it be their need for a functional kitchen but also comfy spaces for the cats or a family of 7 that clearly needs clear and concise organization and storage while offering a healthy dose of color and fun for the kids and active family I can listen to your needs and what really matters to you on a daily basis and come up with a plan of attack. 

I've designed several custom furniture pieces from kitchen banquettes complete with venting and storage and ease of cleaning to stand alone closets where there weren't any and added bookcases and cabinets to spaces you couldn't believe, just to mention a few.  If you love an old piece of furniture but the covering is quite worn, I can find the best fabric or leather and have it reupholstered for you and incorporate it back into your home.  If you need a piece of upholstery with very specific functions I have designed those as well.  I've filled homes with all new furnishings and trims from floor to ceiling but most of the time and my most favorite part of my job is learning about when & where personal treasures in my client's homes are from and why they should be an integral part of their ultimate design.  Art selection and complimenting my client's existing art is another love of mine.  Lighting design, wall coverings and tile added to create a unique space with texture are just some of the tricks of the trade that I can offer.  Your imagination and mine is the limit.  

My passion to delight my clients for years to come through many projects and homes/businesses and other endeavors is why I am still in business today.  I will work tirelessly and make the very best efforts to achieve your goals in time and on or under budget. 

I have my clients to thank for trusting me with their most precious space - home.  

If you've read this far I thank you for your time and now you can hit "Contact Me".

Peace & Love, 

Mel