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What makes a purchase “worth it”? The answer is different for everybody, so we’re asking some of the coolest, most-shopping-savvy people we know—from small-business owners to designers, artists to actors—to tell us the story behind one of their most prized possessions.
Who?
Mel Reneé Leamon is a freelance wardrobe stylist based in Brooklyn, by way of Miami. Her professional work is a direct reflection of her personal style: sophisticated, sleek, and sexy. The “visual storyteller,” as her Instagram bio states, has styled everyone from Keke Palmer to Sahara Lin. “I do a lot of brand work, editorial, and community-based projects,” Mel says. Such brands include MCM, Finish Line, and, most recently, Nike.
What?
Just as her professional and personal aesthetics are intertwined, so is her taste in interior design. While shopping for her new apartment, Mel wanted her space to feel natural, but with a few modern pieces to “really amp it up a little.” The first big item that she bought for her new spot was directly in line with that vision: a big white leather chair with curved silver handles. The statement piece ran for $375. “When you think of a rocking chair, you usually think of your granny’s house, but it’s so modern,” she says. “I thought it was really interesting. The shape drew me in. My mom has always been into interior design, and she definitely passed that down to me.”
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Where?
When you think of Florida, vintage shopping may not be the first thing to come to mind, but Orlando has a bustling design district. Mel found her chair at a quaint thrift store named Something Different, which offers antiques, midcentury pieces, and retro furniture. “I went home for about six months, and my mom moved to Orlando, so that’s where I was staying,” Leamon says. “One of our favorite things to do is vintage and antique shop. I also got all of my lighting at a store called Atomic Junkies and all of my vases at The Lovely in Orlando.”
When?
While Mel was in Florida last year during the height of the pandemic, she bought the rocking chair in June. “My mom and I did a bunch of vintage shopping, and I got a lot of pieces in anticipation of getting a new apartment,” she says. “So, I bought it in Florida and brought it up here [to Brooklyn] when I moved last October.” Next on Mel’s furniture wish list is a new couch. “I want to get a chocolate brown couch to bring the space back down to earth,” she says. “I want to get something that feels luxe and adult.”
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Why?
Mel’s eye is immediately drawn to silver—no matter the category. From statement chairs to bold jewelry pieces, she loves to decorate her home and her body with the shiny hue. “I knew I wanted those accents in my space,” she explains. “My personal style can be a little eclectic, but still sleek and clean with an edge. They say we should take off one piece of jewelry when we look in the mirror. I’m like, ‘No, I need to add on more.’ I’m heavy on silver, so I think that translates to my space with the chair and some of the accessories I have in the house. I never think, ‘Do these things go together?’ I just buy things that I like and figure out how to make them work. I like accessorizing. I’m a Sagittarius.”
