Melissa Gear
Colour & Design Consultant
Online Educator
Melissa Gear is a serial renovator and colour aficionado. While her career started in travel, she always had a keen interest in design which led to many renovations of her ‘forever home’ with her builder husband. Wanting to grow her design knowledge further, Melissa enrolled in a Certificate of Interior Decoration at Sydney Design School where she found her true calling – colour.
Pursuing this love affair saw Melissa complete her training in advanced colour and take a role with Porters Paint as a Colour Consultant, while simultaneously setting up her own successful interior design business ‘Colourplay’. Melissa enjoyed her design study journey so much she returned, this time as an Educator with Interior Design Online. Nowadays she spends her time split between managing ‘Colourplay’, working on her own renovation projects and sharing her knowledge and infectious love of colour with her students.
What do you love about colour?
“How simply and effectively you can transform a space with colour. It has the power to radically change the feeling of a space and positively impact people’s lives. I especially love working on projects with clients who are brave and open to bold colour choices.
Often even small colour changes in a home can kick start bigger changes. What starts as an interior colour consultation can lead to a full-blown renovation. It’s like people suddenly find the courage to be more adventurous once they see a space evolve. It’s so exiting watching it all unfold.”
What is inspiring you?
“The amazing choices in wall coverings. Improvements in technology has seen the introduction of some truly incredible wallpaper choices. From tactile textures to digital imagery, there is so much on offer and it doesn’t stop there. The range of paints colours and specialty finishes, like micro cements and even metallic effects, is growing all the time as are the innovative use of tiles and other materials not normally associated with walls.
Gone are the days of just slapping a white paint onto some walls. With the everchanging choice of colours, finishes and materials, there is no limit to creativity when it comes to bringing surfaces to life.”
How have you evolved as a Designer?
“I have come to really appreciate the importance of sustainable design. I believe it is our duty as Designers to be part of the solution and not contribute to the problem. Whether it’s for a client or on my own renovation projects, I try really hard to work with existing materials and preserve key pieces of furniture. I’m so much more aware of the wastage in our industry. We all need to make better decisions for our environment.”
What do you most enjoy about being an Educator?
“Being part of the new wave of Designers. I honestly get as much as I give, probably even more. I’m always amazed by how much inspiration I draw from the students and their work. Watching their self-confidence grow as they progress through their studies reminds me of my early days as a designer. I know from experience that you build confidence through knowledge.”
