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Melissa Galt, Linea Interior Design
by Lynn Lamousin
The Piedmont Review, May 2005

Melissa Galt got the design bug early and credits her mother as her inspiration. As she recalls it, “My Mom had a well-traveled sense of style often incorporating such disparate elements as antique Persian rugs with exotic Chinese opium beds as sofas and a hand painted chest from Mexico converted into a bar.” Melissa began experimenting with interior design in college, admitting that she once recovered all her furniture without sewing it. Held together with pins, somehow the makeshift upholstery managed to last for three years.

As owner of Linea Interior Design (Linea is Italian and means pattern and design), Melissa has come a long way from her co-ed upholstery days. Melissa believes in creating “timeless enduring design that adapts and changes to meet evolving lifestyle needs.” Specifically, Melissa strives to create personal interior spaces that look as if it they grew over time.

Her Atlanta home, which also serves as her office, is a showcase to this lifestyle design philosophy. Blending her favorite styles — mission, classic, and contemporary — Melissa’s personal space mirrors her personality and manages to be lovely, relaxed, and surprising all at the same time.

Since art is one of her primary design passions, Melissa looks for non-traditional ways to consider and display artwork and personal mementos. In addition, she considers rugs "artwork for the floor" and refers to them as “the canvas upon which you can build a great color scheme.”

In her own home you’ll find eclectic artwork ranging from lively sculptures by Atlanta-based artist Kimmy Cantrell to vintage movie posters spanning the career of her mother, Academy Award-winning actress Anne Baxter. Although her Mother’s essence is in her home, she is not Melissa’s sole style inspiration. As the great-granddaughter of acclaimed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Melissa spent childhood Thanksgivings at Taliesin, a home which is considered one of Wright’s most important later projects in his prairie style of architecture. This insider’s eye into the work of America’s greatest architect influenced Melissa because she saw that both he and her mother “earned respect for their creative genius and for doing what they loved.”

Melissa’s design services take the full living area into account and no element is left out of her master plan. From selecting a color palette, lighting and furnishings, to spaceplanning and custom cabinetry, every area of a room is considered in the overall design. In addition, Melissa is also an expert in kitchen and bath renovations and terrace level home buildouts.

For both her residential and commercial design projects Melissa takes a flexible approach to ensure her client’s personal taste and style comes through in the space. Melissa describes her signature style as, “a personal collected look that appears to have evolved over time, though it may be produced in a matter of weeks.” This accommodating approach fits well with any project and Melissa and Linea Interior Design have been commissioned to undertake assignments ranging from the historic renovation of a farmhouse to designing for the communal needs of a public pavilion and entertainment area.

Melissa’s projects typically range from $15k to $300k and she works out a spending plan upfront so that there are no monetary surprises for either the client or designer. But, you can obtain a bit of Melissa’s signature style for a fraction of the price at her Designer Warehouse located online at www.lineainteriors.com/resources/bargains.cfm. Full of one-of-a-kind artwork, lighting and furniture, her Designer Warehouse is stocked with items from recent design projects, including the many showhouses and model homes that Melissa is a part of.

Her love of design and belief that “everyone deserves good design at every point in his or her life,” has lead her to explore mass media as a way to educate others and philosophize about how “a home is your external heart connecting you with the world.” Her free monthly newsletter, Design Destinations, is full of design tips, home interior inspirations, and news on the latest design trends. Publishing her own newsletter was a logical step for Melissa who is a talented writer with many published articles to her credit.

Melissa has appeared on radio and television talk shows all over the country and comes across as natural and comfortable in front of an audience (which is probably another quality inherited from her mother). She is a dynamic and sought after speaker at conferences and corporate events. Her engaging topics include “Don’t Wait for a Mate, Feather Your Nest Now” and “Living Rich in a Ready-Made World,” and they can be tailored for workshops, seminars, or roundtable discussions.

To sign-up for the free “Design Destinations” newsletter, shop the online warehouse sale, or learn more about Linea Interior Designs and owner Melissa Galt, visit www.lineainteriors.com or www.melissagalt.com. Melissa can be reached by phone at (770) 650-6528.

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