Meet Melissa Pinto, the Designer Who Turns Every Space into a Story
Melissa
Pinto
Colombian-born, Miami-formed, New York–refined. Bold but not loud. Modern mixed with vintage. Always, the quality of life.
Colombian-born, Diamond Baratta–trained, New York–refined — Melissa Pinto on jet planes, grandmother's clocks, and why every second in this city is a precious inspiring moment.
Bold but not loud. Modern mixed with vintage. Always, the quality of life.
Melissa Pinto began her career in Miami — residential projects across the city, buildings like Santa Maria, Murano Grande, a private residence in Key Biscayne, a summer apartment renovation in Cartagena. Then New York called, and with it three formative years at Diamond Baratta Design, one of the most storied firms in American interiors, collaborating hand in hand with principals William Diamond and Anthony Baratta on high-end residential projects at grand scale.
Since stepping out on her own, she has worked across New York, Los Angeles, New Canaan and Hong Kong — including a freelance project for AD 100 Studio Shamshiri in Los Angeles, and five years managing residential and commercial projects for award-winning architect David Howell. With over eleven years of experience, her practice is built on something personal: working with clients one on one, finding what they actually need, then delivering it with creative flare, elegance and, above all, quality of life.
It was challenging to give style, comfort and personality to such a small space. You have to be very clever in what you choose — on top of that there are permits, codes and requirements you have to comply with.
Melissa Pinto — on the jet plane project
possibility
masters
perfected
elegance
fearless
refined
"They open my spectrum of possibilities. What I thought would be impossible was a no brainer for them." — on Diamond and Baratta. And then there is the artistic family: ideas, concepts and inspirations shared every day.
"It's also difficult to incorporate
existing clients' endearing pieces
into your design."
Like el reloj de la abuela — the grandmother's clock. The pieces that cannot be moved, cannot be replaced, and must somehow become part of a room that is entirely new. That is the real design problem: not the blank wall, but the beloved object in front of it.
"You recognize and appreciate in a wonderful way other people's passions. That's what makes you so beautiful and real — you are inspiring." — Meli, love you, thank you. It's friends like you that inspire me every day. ✦ — Leila
