Finding Tiny Joys

Today an artist friend stopped by in hopes of brightening her mood. Although the weather is gorgeous, and things are relatively okay, things just seemed a little overwhelming and out of nowhere the dread crept in. I’m happy we were here for her to lose herself in. I have those days. When nothing feels “right” and I start to despair, I try to surround myself with people and things that I know make me feel safe, warm, and in a beautiful place – emotionally and physically.

This time of year, when the evenings are still warm and the sun doesn’t set right away, I like to sit in the garden and observe the life outside. It’s tiny joys like this that can lift my spirits, put things back in perspective, and give me the energy to try again tomorrow.

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Interiors

This page contains a collection of images that highlight the kind of interior design work that I do. I strive to create an environment that uniquely suits the client’s style and budget. Whether it’s choosing whimsical art or personalizing an en-suite bath, providing a warm, inviting place to begin and end each day is of primary importance to me. Please check back as I will be adding to this page periodically.

“Melisa is a creative genius when it comes to both garden and interior design. If I could have her on permanent retainer I would!

Jenny Perez, Hillsborough, CA

The Iudicello Home –

I disassembled, re-painted and re-purposed an oversize kitchen china hutch as a console that now serves as a bar area for the family when entertaining, and an ever-changing art gallery for the couple’s two young children.

Vintage liquor bottles and jars hold an assortment of whimsical treasure.

Placed in a kitchen nook, an antique desk and chair, along with groupings of vintage jars, make up the daughter’s art table where she draws, paints, and creates on a daily basis.


The living room built-in was stocked with vintage and antique finds as an homage to an elegant  curiosity cabinet.


The children frequently add and subtract items they collect from the antique chemistry jars.

As a break from the usual redwood bench or wicker chairs, I used vintage Italian aluminum bistro chairs and a weathered antique table on the front porch.

In collaboration with the Iudicellos, I chose these two acrylic paintings for the kitchen wall from a local gallery featuring San Francisco Bay Area artists.

The McCullough Home –

“With other designers, I feel like you buy into their look and it’s their way or nothing. With Melisa, I never once felt like she was giving us “Option B” from an A-E set of designs. Frankly, I don’t know if her mind even works that way…her view of the world is completely custom-tailored to the space and the people.”

Lara McCullough, San Mateo, CA

Guest Bathroom

The guest bath was overhauled to give it a seaside cottage feel. I stripped the giant plate glass mirrors off of two walls, repaired, textured and painted the walls and had new glass put in a 1960’s wall mirror to use as the vanity.

Vintage accessories and finds add interest to the small space.

The vintage Lucite clam-shell was perfect for the owners’ monogrammed face towels.

The custom medicine cabinet door was made from a weathered, salvaged shutter.

Sweet Inspirations

The name of this blog is actually an homage to my favorite bakery in the whole world, Sweet Inspiration, in SF. There is nothing that a slice of their poppy seed cream cheese cake can’t solve – broken hearts, back taxes, lack of lovin’ – whatever it may be, they have a slice of cake for that! So on the subject of having something for everyone’s everything, I just came off of a full-throttle month of creativity that saw me making and buying new jewelry, painting furniture, sewing pillows, drawing garden plans and re-arranging the store.

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Helpful Hot Weather Design Tips

One day it’s raining here in San Mateo, the next it’s 80 degrees. It’s been a strange season to navigate and prepare for. When the weather turns warm, I usually stock the shop with flowers that can withstand the heat. I don’t have a floral cooler here and I honestly wouldn’t want one. The reality is that if you take an arrangement from a floral cooler and bring it to your house – which is clearly room temperature (whatever that may be) – it’s a shock to the flowers. From here they go from normal to normal.

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If Wishes Were Horses – And I Were Rich!

When it comes to fantasies, one of my biggest is to own anything at all by Solange Azagury-Partridge. Her designs are so singular and lush that I have been tearing out ads and images for as long as she’s been making gorgeous things to wear. Edgy, odd, dark, and completely playful, she’s my kind of gal! Why would I write about jewelry in my home design blog you may ask? Well if it’s cool and beautiful, I want it.

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Floral Soapbox and Fabulous Finds

Made my weekly pilgrimage to the SF Flower Mart to pick up some fresh blooms for the shop. Each week I am looking for something new, something interesting, and something that inspires me. I absolutely love flowers and I love creating arrangements, but I am nearly obsessed with creating arrangements that no one else would create. I won’t mix roses and baby’s breath for instance.

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More is More…Or Not

Like anyone in a service related industry, I don’t often do for myself what I do for others – as in, the shoemaker’s children have no shoes. In fact, my own home and garden are more like aesthetic laboratories than bastions of great design. I’m fascinated by magazine articles featuring designer’s homes if for no other reason than I can’t believe they actually finished their homes.

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Table Decorations! Samaritan House Fundraiser

It was a busy weekend for us with the fundraiser, the flea market and Alameda. I kept telling myself that if I could get through my overlapping activities everything would be unicorns and roses once again. It was so humbling to be a part of the Samaritan House’s chosen designers. In fact, I had a self-esteem meltdown pretty soon after I saw what the other participants were putting together. I’m not a table decorator by trade nor do I really know how many spoons, knives and strange ladles have to go on which side of the plate. I just like pretty things. It’s as simple as that.

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Who Are You?

The other day I had a heavenly Caligula moment. I was indulging myself in anything and everything involving design. I went to the local bookstore and filled my arms with every imaginable publication – from designing southern style mansions to decorating tiny big city apartments. Flipping through the pages it’s easy for me to decide which ones are worth taking home. If even one picture deeply inspires me, I buy it.

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