Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Limehouse.
Melissa, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I am an Interior Designer in Charleston, SC. I’m originally from Woodstock, GA and went to school at the University of Georgia. I am frequently in and out of Atlanta visiting family and friends and feel that half of my heart is still in Georgia. I own my own interior design firm, Haven Interior Design, with my business partner, Jamie Price. We work out of Charleston but provide our services to outside locations as well.
Art has always been a passion of mine, which is why I chose to pursue an Interior Design degree at the University of Georgia through the School of Fine Arts. From a young age, I was always drawing and creating. In Middle School, I painted windows at the school, as well as various local establishments. In high school, I started getting passionate about design and that lead me through to my degree in college.
I moved to Charleston permanently in 2008 and have had experience in a wide range of design related positions. I was the Interior Designer for the College of Charleston’s Residence Life & Facilities. I was a designer and project manager for a large commercial custom cabinetry and millwork company. From there I was a designer & project manager with a commercial office furniture company and then moved to a residential interior design firm. After that, Jamie & I started Haven.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do? Why? And what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My full-time passion is Interior Design. Jamie & I created Haven Interior Design to serve as our own personal haven where we are free to design and create in whatever way our hearts choose. We also want to create a haven for our clients as well. Whether that be in their office or their homes. We do design work for residential, commercial, and hospitality spaces. My personal goal is to provide clients with a space that reflects their unique personalities in a way that they never would have imagined. My favorite thing that clients tell us is “I never would have thought to do that, but it’s perfect!” That shows me that we are providing a service that is needed and appreciated. A space can truly change how you live your life, and I take great pride in working with someone to not only create something beautiful but to create something that will better their living experience.
I would describe my personal design style as warm, inviting, eclectic, art-centered, and full of natural elements. I enjoy mixing different styles, materials, and textures to create a “lived in,” inviting, and interesting space.
My side passion is photography. While I am not very skilled on the ins and outs of a DSLR camera, I do own one and try to teach myself when I can. I have won a couple of local photography competitions with amateur and professional photographers alike. But I can 100% say I am just an amateur with a great appreciation for photography. Mostly I just enjoy trying to capture moments in the way I perceive and feel them. I think the most interesting aspect of photography is that it allows you to see the world through someone else’s eyes. My Instagram serves as an outlet for this passion. It’s sort of a photo journal that helps feed that photography love.
The stereotype of a starving artist scares away many potentially talented artists from pursuing art – any advice or thoughts about how to deal with the financial concerns an aspiring artist might be concerned about?
The financial strain of being in the creative field is a real one. I have always been of the mind that if you want something bad enough and are willing to work and research, you can achieve whatever you desire. I think the same goes here in the creative field. If it is truly your passion, and you’re willing to work, you can be financially stable.
Starting my own business was a huge financial risk. I had established a lucrative and steady salary whilst working my way up the traditional way through other firms and businesses in Charleston. Taking the leap from that to starting my own business was a scary one. What I have found is that while the stress caused by the financial strain is real, the happiness and fulfillment in what I’m doing far outweighs it. I now have the creative freedom as well as the freedom to conduct my business in the ways I see fit.
A large concern I had while deciding to go out on my own, was the fact that I could not take any of my portfolios with me. Working for other firms meant that my work belonged to them. (And rightly so! I was employed by them representing their company). But that meant that I had no work to show for myself that was truly just mine. That was the scariest part because how can I prove to the outside world what I can do with none of my past work to show for it?
The answer to this was personal relationships. I have been working in the Charleston design community now for over a decade and have made friends and contacts along the way. When I went out on my own, I reached out to a lot of those contacts simply to alert them of my new venture. The support was overwhelming, and many people came out of the woodwork with recommendations, job opportunities, and encouragement. All of these relationships, paired with all of the great relationships Jamie brought with her, created the foundation for our business. These contacts are where our first projects came from. They allowed us to build a portfolio that is now attracting clients based on our work alone, without the need for references. (Although references are by far the most powerful way to gain clients!)
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My interior design work can be seen at www.havenint.com.
Or on instagram: haveninteriordesign
Or facebook: Haven Interior Design (Charleston, SC.)
My personal photography:
Instagram: melissalime27
Contact Info:
- Address: Charleston, SC.
- Website: www.havenint.com
- Phone: 843.410.8335
- Email: melissa@havenint.com
- Instagram: haveninteriordesign or melissalime27
- Facebook: Haven Interior Design
Image Credit:
Melissa Limehouse
Leslie McKellar
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
