House Beautiful
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On the use of Pratt & Lambert’s Spicy 9-16, Melanie says, “It’s a modern twist on a neutral. It’s fantastic with oatmeal, chocolate brown, or pale blue, and I’ve also used it with more fiery colors like magenta. You get the unexpectedness of orange, but with more sophistication and depth.”

Traditional Home
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Some hire a decorator for splash or sophistication, but with Laura Kofoid it was for pure joy. Explore the combination of colors and prints as Laura was very clear with Melanie, "No beige allowed!". Elston carries this couple's devil-may-care design philosophy throughout their 1927 Lake Shore Drive Chicago apartment.

Chicago Tribune
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Pattern is a must! and when it comes to blue and white, Elston recommends using an updated pattern to make it interesting, as well as incorporating accent pieces in white such as coral, marble or laminate. Elston's favorite blue? Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue.

Factio Magazine
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What do you do when your client hates beige? Elston found a bronze metallic to work in, in good taste. "Elston is the reason I'm this side of good."

Traditional Home
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Past really is perfect as Elston balances whimsy with clean-lined Art Deco designs. Melanie creates a harmonious scheme in which palette, as well as form, contributes to the equilibrium of this study.

CS Interiors
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Although Elston got three directives from her clients: 1) No beige. 2) No beige. 3) Oh, and no beige., she was delighted to help them push the envelope...unifying these audacious spaces [while providing] little breaks here and there from all the saturated color and intense pattern.

CS
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Elston was charged with seeking out the rich materials, chic furnishings and updated accessories that instilled a fresh elegance. Her powerhouse chic carries over into several areas of the house and replaced well-worn shag carpeting, 1950s foil wallpaper, and dated bathroom fixtures.

Traditional Home
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During her career, Elston has been privileged to work with esteemed firms from Dallas to Vail to Chicago, where she served with Oprah Winfrey’s Nate Berkus. She has been recognized by both House Beautiful and Traditional Home as a “young designer to watch.” Her informed taste, enthusiastic accessibility, and sage advice have elicited respect and repeat business from a discerning clientele.