After Leaving the Magazine World, This Editor-Turned-Designer Has a Fresh Take on Trends
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Her previous career as a style editor at Martha Stewart and a market editor at brands such as House Beautiful honed Melissa Colgan's keen eye for composition, color, and light. Training under Darryl Carter and Lauren Liess gave her experience with the practical aspects of design—and the confidence to strike out on her own in 2019, launching Melissa Colgan Interiors in Washington, D.C.
Today, Colgan sets her work apart by bringing her editor's eye to projects, harmonizing ideas to create spaces layered with thoughtful details and featuring a sophisticated mix of pattern and color. She wants her clients to feel truly "at home" in their spaces and to see a reflection of themselves. In her work, Colgan is inspired by David Hicks, whose designs she finds "at once rebellious and timeless." That's because, she says, having something fall out of style "is not such a big deal when you spend $80 on a trendy blouse, but it would be very painful if you spent $8,000 on a trendy chair." @melissacolganinteriors
House Beautiful: What's your go-to design trick that delivers a big impact on a budget?
Melissa Colgan: Plants and flowers. A beautiful vase with fresh flowers or a potted plant with meandering leaves truly adds life to a space. And don't sleep on the flower aisle at Trader Joe's! They get seasonal blooms that, when combined and displayed in a nice vase, can be really lovely.
HB: What current design trend are you ready to stop seeing?
MC: White rooms; farmhouse everything.
HB: What retro design trend or idea do you wish would make a comeback?
MC: I love to look at window treatments from the past and think about how a small tweak or two can modernize those "old" ideas. I love to look at ways to make pelmets, tie-backs, and tassels feel fresh.
HB: What’s your favorite ... and why?
HB: Design era/style?
MC: I would say now, since we can combine so many ideas from the past.
HB: Paint color?
MC: I could never pick just one, but a few I love are Tissue Pink from Benjamin Moore (a fleshy soft pink that makes everyone and everything look better); Slipper Satin from Farrow & Ball (a perfect off-white with neutral undertones); and Borrowed Light from Farrow & Ball (a soft blue that is reminiscent of the crispest blue in a summer sunrise).
HB: Artist or piece of art?
MC: I could stand in front of a Rothko painting all day.
HB: Local shopping destination?
MC: Evans & Sheldon for more niche wallpapers and fabrics.
HB: Travel destination?
MC: Italy, from Milan to the Amalfi coast and everywhere in between. I can never get enough of the architecture, the scenery, the people and of course, the food!
HB: Decor item you buy from Amazon or Etsy?
MC: We've commissioned artwork, beds, windsor chairs, and lighting from Etsy makers.
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