At Home in Arkansas: What are your must have items for the new year? Melissa Haynes: 1) I love Savon de Marseille soaps. They are made of olive oil so they are gentle on your skin, and they come in amazing scents and beautiful glass refillable bottles. We use them on every project! 2) It was love at first sight for the new pale pink rock crystal Trieste lamp by Aerin Lauder for Visual Comfort. I ordered one for myself. 3) We recently used Roost brass and glass boxes for a client. They are perfect for displaying a collection of some of your favorite things. They look great in bookshelves or on top of a stack of books on a dresser or chest. AHIA: What is your favorite paint color at the moment? Melissa Haynes: We just painted a study Benjamin Moore Hale Navy and it turned out to be everyone’s favorite color in the entire house. AHIA: What is the last thing you purchased for a client? Melissa Haynes: A pair of Christopher Spitzmiller handmade ceramic lamps in Hope Blue. AHIA: Is there a design trend or product you are dying to try or purchase for a client in 2014? Melissa Haynes: I wouldn’t call it a trend, not yet anyway. But I have been obsessing about purchasing a Biedermeier chest or chair or commode for a client. I just can’t stop thinking about it… AHIA: What is one design secret you can share with our readers? Melissa Haynes: I regularly find myself changing clients light bulbs out! These days choosing a light bulb is like ordering coffee at Starbucks….so many options! Whether it’s CFL, LED or other, the most important thing is the color temperature of the bulb. The higher the temperature, the bluer the light will be. So choose a CFL or LED that has a temperature of 2700-3000K. It will give you a warmer light and your room will instantly be more inviting.

Thanks, Melissa!

Melissa Haynes | MH Design Visit melissahaynesdesign.com to learn more about Melissa & MH Design and browse through gorgeous project photos. Find MH Design on facebook & pinterest for behind-the-scenes project images and lots of design inspiration.

{Stay tuned! We’ll be sharing more fun interviews with Arkansas designers in the coming weeks!}