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On Aesthetic Intelligence

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".

My work is to assist you in developing true accord with your environment. In my experience, the fundamentals which create an environment of well-being begin with I am seen, I am heard, I am known.  

Your family is a cohesive, interconnected system with one another, your interior space, and the natural world outside. I design for the delight and functionality of your now and for your future. 

Composing an environment in which your family feels reflected is my specialty and true joy.

I listen on all levels so we can create a space where you and your family feel safe to grow and soar.

And that is how we design for well-being.

Education, Training, and Background

I have been designing interiors for seventeen years, and opened Melissa Kite Designs in late 2012.

I have a BA in Art History from The University of Texas at Austin and an Associate 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.

I have found that my focused ballet 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.