Opposite: Melissa Levinson’s in-houseseamstress rescues centuries-old appliqués
and hand-stitches them onto high-end fabrics
to create one-of-a-kind pillows. This page,
right: Italian carved-wood panels create an
inviting arrangement above a neoclassical
sideboard. Below: Monumental cast-iron urns
fi ll the enormity of the showroom.
victoriamag.com 82I
n search of life’s next adventure,
Melissa Levinson returned after
college to Los Angeles, the place
where she was born and raised.
Having just received a degree in psychol-
ogy, she hardly expected to fi nd her career
in interior design, but personal connec-
tions and a longtime love for art drew her
into the industry. Under the wing of tal-
ented colleagues, she discovered both a
keen eye and a passion for antiques, and
after learning the ropes of the trade for ten
years, she started her own fi rm.
Today, Melissa’s eponymous business
fl ourishes from within a 6,000-square-foot
warehouse just outside the heart of the city.
Its faded brick walls house countless arti-
facts brought back from Italy and France. A
portion of this glorious décor is sold as-is to
customers, some furnishes the interiors of
clients’ homes, and more still is refurbished
by her team of skilled artisans.
The idea of restoring partially dam-
aged relics and using them in new pieces