Melissa Lee
Bio
Melissa’s love for design started at a young age as she assisted her father around their family home in Virginia with endless home improvement and design projects. Her childhood home was inspired by the style of Colonial Williamsburg, and she soon followed her family legacy earning a BBA from The College of William and Mary in 2001. After graduation, she began her career in fashion retail buying, which allowed her to mix her analytical skills with her creative talents. Realizing that her true passion was in home décor and design, in 2009 she completed her design education from The New York Institute of Art and Design. After ten years of working in the fashion buying industry, most recently at Belk Department Stores, Melissa started her interior design firm, New South Home, in 2011.
Since launching New South Home, Melissa has had the opportunity to work on countless projects ranging from small room updates to full home remodels including kitchens and bathrooms. Her experience as a fashion retail buyer taught her how to select the right furnishings for her Southern clients, creating a perfect balance between upcoming trends and classic style. Her design work has been featured multiple times in the Charlotte Observer’s Home and Design section and has won numerous accolades from her clients and peers. Her design team has won “Best of Houzz” for five years running in Customer Satisfaction based on personal reviews submitted by their clients.
When working on any design project, Melissa’s main focus is to create a comfortable and inviting space that reflects each client’s personal style. She likes to ensure that each space has a function for her clients’ lifestyle and will stand up to everyday life, especially considerate of children and pets living in the home. She excels in creating beautiful rooms from empty spaces and loves the puzzle of designing each home to fit within her client’s individual tastes, budget, and family life.
Melissa and her husband, Hayden, renovated their first town home in Northern Virginia to sell it quickly before moving to Charlotte in 2006. Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Melissa loved the smaller city feel and Southern hospitality that Charlotte offered for a young family. Melissa and Hayden have a son and a daughter at home who are both elementary school aged. Her family has lived in their Matthews home since moving here in 2006 and they love everything about living in Charlotte and the Town of Matthews.
Find more information on Melissa Lee at https://newsouthhome.com/about/ or see her projects on Instagram via @newsouthhome .