When you come home after a long and possibly stressful day, do you feel that your home welcomes you? That is, does it feel like a space where you can finally exhale after your long day? Melissa Dale, owner of Olivine Designs and Home Solutions, Inc., feels that your home should offer that sense of peace. Melissa chose the name of her company, Olivine, after a mineral that is believed to contain the properties of refinement, revitalization, creativity, and emotional healing. Investment in Olivine’s design services can be a positive life-changing decision.
Born and raised in Middleton, Melissa is now raising her own family here. She has a Business degree from Madison College, as well as a degree in Interior Design. Melissa feels very fortunate to have interned at the Designer’s Studio. There she found a supportive group of five women designers who encouraged her success as an Interior Designer. The experience of finding this group right out of school had such a formative influence on Melissa that she purchased a partnership in the Designer’s Studio in 2003. Melissa is a licensed Realtor, working for her family’s real estate business in Middleton. She sees how well the two, Real Estate and Interior Design, work with one another. Melissa’s interest in interior design came at an early age when she enjoyed designing her own room and continued as she began remodeling her own homes.
When working with her design clients, she considers their first meeting to be an interview. This takes place in their home so she can get to know them, their needs, wants, and design style. From that meeting, Melissa uses this information to put together a presentation. This may include paint selection, furniture, finish selection, a kitchen or bath remodel or any other remodeling. Melissa knows that this is a real investment for her clients, and she always has “an appreciation for what people want to spend.” She is also conscious of how much time clients want to spend on the design process.
Even with all the energy and creativity brings to each project, she doesn’t want someone to walk into a newly designed space and immediately know that she was the designer. Her goal is “to bring out the personality of clients,” not her own personal style, which she jokes might be “all beige.” She encourages her clients to incorporate “things that will set you apart from your neighbors.” One client wanted to include a piece from a great-grandparent that didn’t exactly fit into the style that had been decided on, but Melissa found a way to incorporate it into the final design. She is committed to be with her clients in every detail and in every step of the process.
Melissa is happy to have a fabulous resource for kitchen and bath design as well as all of the design resources needed for any project. She is very thankful for the team of contractors, subcontractors, and installers who share the same attention to detail and help her bring her designs to life for her clients.
Melissa is looking forward to incorporating the 2025 trends into her clients’ projects. These trends are continuing to move away from grays and into natural earth tones. She also encourages her clients to consider the use of textures and even bold patterns. Why not have Melissa help you create your home to be a place that expresses your own unique style and a place where you can truly exhale?
Mellissa's goal is “to bring out the personality of clients, incorporating things that will set them apart from their neighbors."