Picture this: Small-town girl (we mean really small town) follows her instinct for great design and her photographer’s eye for beauty; then one day becomes an interior designer at Mom’s Design Build. Melissa Mlejnek is that designer, and on her way to Mom’s she studied Art & Design and earned an Associate’s degree in Interior Design. Over the next 15 years, she applied her knowledge and talent working at a few remodeling/construction firms, often specializing in Kitchen & Bath renovations. Along the way, Melissa met a guy who shares her urge to renovate (they’re on their second major home-improvement project). Together they also built a family, which includes three teenage boys and two small pooches.

Besides her family (and pets), Melissa enjoys travel, music, painting and photography, pizza—and lemon drop martinis. As an interior designer, one of Melissa’s favorite things is her role as a transformer. She is especially fond of the Before-and-After pictures. Not just the snapshots of a living space-in-need, followed by photos of the glorious results. No, it’s also the “before-and-after” effects seen on homeowners’ faces when they experience their new environments. Their joy just might have something to do with Melissa’s knack for building partnerships with her clients as they imagine, design and create the renovation of their dreams. Picture that!