Melonie Monteiro, a rock star designer with Cabot House Furniture & Design, is passionate about what she does. With projects ranging from a Vermont ski home to a Miami pied a terre, to everything in between, Melonie has a strong referral network and works with families on multiple homes.
Vacation Home in Little Compton, RI
When her clients purchased their vacation home in Little Compton, Rhode Island, Melonie was excited to see the space reach its full potential. She envisioned and coordinated several structural changes, including removing columns, resurfacing the fireplace, restaining the floors with a lighter finish, repainting the kitchen cabinets, and updating the heating and air conditioning before designing and furnishing the home.
Harmony between the indoor and outdoor spaces inspired by the natural elements.
Melonie’s first step in the design process was to learn as much as she could about her clients’ goals, priorities, and lifestyle for their summer home. She then measured the rooms and created layouts with the views, setting, and a relaxed coastal feel in mind for a home ten minutes from the beach. She chose comfortable furniture with fabrics including whites and shades of blue to create a relaxed coastal feel.
Sectional and pillows upholstered with Sunbrella performance fabrics
Because of the clients’ four big Labradors, for easy maintenance, she chose performance fabrics for the upholstery and pillows. She accessorized the furniture with 100% indoor/outdoor wool rugs. To maintain a coastal feel, Melonie chose a navy nautical runner with white stars for the stairs with nautical light fixtures. For the time being, a redo of the banister and posts was placed on the back burner.
Navy nautical runner and nautical lights. Banister to be replaced at a later date.
Melonie designed one room at a time, starting with a sectional and swivel chairs for the living room. Color, pattern, and texture all played a role in creating a cohesive design, including smaller design details which add meaningful touches and personality to a home. She had the kitchen cabinets repainted in a lighter color and the floors lightened to modernize the space. Melonie also helped with tile selection and design, wallpaper, lighting, art, and window treatment.
Sitting area in the home office/bedroom enhanced with lighting and artwork
Because her clients have grandchildren, she kept safety in mind and allocated space for cribs. Melonie designed a guest bedroom which also serves as a home office with a spectacular bay view. By adding a sitting area with a sofa, chairs, and ottoman, the room has a professional feel, rather than that of a bedroom.
Sea stars add a personal touch to this coastal bedroom.
Because Cabot House Furniture & Design carries over 100 designer brands, Melonie sourced from many lines, including Gloster, Miles Talbott, Bernhardt, Gat Creek, LEE, Precedent, Highland House, Sonder Living, and Century. She sourced lamps and light fixtures from Visual Comfort, Currey & Company, and Hubbardton Forge, and artwork from Complements Art Gallery. Landry Arcari rugs and carpet were sourced from our Framingham location.
In addition to furnishings, Melonie collaborated on choosing art to enhance the space.
When designing interiors, Melonie’s focus is on balance and scale. She first creates layouts to optimize the space and then chooses fabrics, textures, and patterns. When designing, her goal is for the eye to travel across the room rather than to focus on a single piece of furniture. She describes her process as hands-on. She’s a people person and enjoys spending time with her clients. Getting to know them gives her a visual sense of their lifestyle and needs. Melonie’s designs are comfortable and timeless. Seeing her designs come to life and knowing her clients love their homes, brings joy to her life.
Melonie’s Design Tip: Stay True to Yourself!
Reach out to Melonie at:
