My drive and inspiration begin with Aesthetic Intelligence, a phrase I found in a Buddhist journal that spoke volumes to me. I feel it perfectly encompasses what great design is.
Great design has, as its highest priority, intelligence; a formal gathering of knowledge, which comes from the experience of success, failure, education, and wisdom. Within the ordering of that intelligence, alignment is derived from chaos. The fruit of the lotus arises; beauty and joy surface.
Hence my work’s goal, and my business’ tagline: “BEAUTY, INTELLIGENCE, JOY".
I have a BA in Art History from The University of Texas at Austin and an Associates Degree in Interior Design from Parsons School of Design, The New School, New York. In my pre-college years, I was a ballerina. At the age of 15, I moved to Houston to study with The Houston Ballet on scholarship.
This focused training continues to inform my eye as to line and movement in space, and ultimately is my foundation as an interior designer. As well, that foundation instilled in me a deep appreciation for classical form, which both contemporary and antiquity curiosities magnify.
I find all are elements of creating an excellent home-refinement experience.
I have been in this industry for seventeen years, and began Melissa Kite Designs in late 2012.