Meet Melanie TheBeautiful | Interior Designer and Color Extraordinaire

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melanie TheBeautiful and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melanie, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I’m from Albany, GA. I grew up in a family of 95% successful business owners. My grandfather’s, grandfather’s, grandfathers were carpenters. So I grew up around building homes and interior design as a kid. Entrepreneurship is a staple in our family, yet, I NEVER wanted to be an entrepreneur. I interpreted seeing so much success as too much work so I shied away from it. I won’t lie. I was comfortable walking into a building, doing some work, and getting a paycheck twice a month. I took solace in that. My mother owned a bakery that, in an age of no social media back in the 90s, succumbed to 2 devastating floods in my city. The thought of my dream not working was a scary, embarrassing thought. But, I just wanted to create beauty. I love the feeling that I get when I see something beautiful. The thrill of transformation is a high for me. I realized that during all of these years of being a scientist/professor, there was something else that I loved. There was something else that had my heart, but I had yet to have the “ah ha” moment until 2019. I guess it should have hit me like a ton of brick when we had just acquired a new lab at my previous employer, and we were focused on getting it ready for patients. The first thing I said in the meeting was “I’ll design the bathroom!” and “Can we put pictures up for the patients?” I just wanted the patients to feel calm, cozy, at home even. That should have been my “ah ha!” moment, but it wasn’t. That moment came when the grant money was coming to an end and I was slated to interview, with hierarchy, for other positions within the institution. I realized then that I didn’t want to go to another team within the institution, or even walk back into the building. So, I left after the grant ended. I like to think that I’ve had many dreams and good ideas. Most I let drift out of my mind the same way that they came in. Starting my own interior design company was the one dream that I couldn’t live without at least trying. I was afraid to fail, and I had all of the other imposter feelings. For this dream, I was motivated to put all of those feelings to the side, and it paid off.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m not sure if anyone can say that entrepreneurship is easy. I definitely won’t be the first. I’ve made it this far professionally by God, confidence, and literally putting one foot in front of the other each day. I attended Clark Atlanta University and I gained valuable lessons from CAU as it relates to people skills and emotional intelligence, public speaking, and handling heavy loads of work. One of my greatest lessons learned is to always value, not just your own time, but the time of others. Time is so precious. I dare not take it from someone in futility. If you set a meeting, be there and be there on time. You never know what the other person had to sacrifice to avail themselves.

One of my biggest challenges is work-life balance on a day to day. There is always something to be done. On the footsteps of year 3, my team is bigger and stronger than on day 1 and that has helped. Find people who can help you. Build a solid trade team. I am lucky to have my Uncle Salah and cousin Jameel as mentors who own very successful construction companies in Georgia. The knowledge I’ve gained from them is priceless. This is why, as an interior designer, I build what I can’t find, hence, Beauty and the Build. If I can’t find it in store, I create it, paint it, build it. With my skills I am able to significantly reduce design limitations for my clients.

To combat the imperfections of my work-life balance, I prioritize travel several times a year, and that always gives me the reset that I need to keep going. I also use these trips as opportunities to study design globally. I bring pieces of that inspiration back to my clients in my designs.

About Me and My Brand: Prepare to have fun if you hire me as your interior designer. We laugh alot. Don’t be surprised if you feel moved to invite me to the family BBQ. I treat my clients like family to a certain extent and it relaxes the process. My job is to make your life easier as it relates to transforming your space. Allow me to do that. I believe that the place where we dwell has the greatest power over us mentally, so I always design with mental health in mind. It is why I incorporate color in many of my designs. Color has the power to uplift, to make you smile, to bring you peace. I believe we are apart of nature, not superior to it, and as such, the same colors that we see in nature are the same colors that should be incorporated in our homes. I have nothing against a neutral palette, I promise. I just believe if color harnesses so much power, we should be using it, not neglecting it. One of the greats, Kelly Wearstler said, “to live without color, is to live without love.” Color, done right, produces an outcome that is simply beautiful.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love to eat so most of my spots would likely consist of restaurants with good food and good vibes. I love Mexican food and brunch so we would hit Breakfast Boys for brunch and Gabinos for dinner. My favorite restaurant “right now” is Rumi’s Kitchen. I love the salmon hummus and corn ribs, and the Glimpse of Paradise cocktail is a game-changer! We would definitely hit a few Homegoods for some good finds, and maybe Crate and Barrel to get lost in glassware, my favorite design element. First Fridays at the High Museum would be a great place to unwind. On Saturday, we could attend a yoga class with my favorite instructor, TJ, at Highland Yoga and maybe walk the beltline to people watch. I love football so a Falcons game would also be nice.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My daughter Myelle is my number one inspiration. I want to live in a way that shows her that you are never set on any one path. Life is fluid. You have the power to change directions at any moment and experience another level of success. She was my assistant when I didn’t have any assistance. She’s a buck, 20, wet but she helped me carry boxes, hang pictures, everything she could and everything I asked. She is an integral part of the success of this business. I love you Myelle. Also, my mom, Lillian Jefferson, has been my biggest cheerleader. She has made me believe I could do things that I have never done before. Her faith in me is what I step out on when I don’t have it in myself.

Website: www.beautandthebuild.com

Instagram: beauty_andthebuild

Twitter: beauty_andthebuild

Facebook: facebook.com/MelanieTheBeautiful

Yelp: Beauty and the Build

Image Credits
Interview Photo was shot by LoveByrd Photography