Melissa Mitchell expands her art toward furniture

Artist Melissa Mitchell s Bloomingdale s installation features bold chairs ottomans and rugs in her signature abstract prints Image by Sherri Daye Scott Credit Sherri Daye Scott On the men s floor of Bloomingdale s Lenox Square in the corner where returns were once processed Abeille Creations founder Melissa Mitchell has installed something closer to a dream made tangible The space reads like a hybrid gallery and retail pop-up oversized paintings line the walls rugs explode with color and mannequins wear her signature saturated prints Up front greeting visitors as they step in are her newest creations custom-upholstered indoor outdoor chairs and ottomans designed with Atlanta-based Jaxx Beanbags I had three things on my vision board for planes a children s line and furniture Mitchell says as we catch up seated across from each other on matching bold chairs I m not going to stop until I see my art on everything The collaboration with Jaxx began by chance While visiting MODA one of her go-to boutiques she struck up a conversation with a fellow customer who admired her leggings and suggested her patterns would look strong on furniture Mitchell happened to have a pair of her printed curtains in the car Within days those fabrics had been reworked into a beanbag and ottoman When Jaxx leadership saw the pieces the partnership fast-tracked You have to be prepared for your prayers to be answered Mitchell says I was ready Credit Sherri Daye Scott Credit Sherri Daye Scott Mitchell s Bloomingdale s space features her new furniture line alongside retail racks of scarves headbands and tumblers Images by Sherri Daye Scott That readiness and willingness to keep expanding her canvas has shaped Mitchell s career Nearly a decade ago Lupita Nyong o wore one of her headwraps and later reported Vogue it was a expedition essential launching Mitchell into the global spotlight Since then her Bahamian-inspired abstractions have appeared on apparel accessories and in collaborations with Spanx Coach Foot Locker Microsoft and more I had three things on my vision board for planes a children s line and furniture Artist melissa mitchell The Bloomingdale s installation captures that trajectory Alongside canvases priced from to the space showcases her beaded headbands scarves tumblers and rugs But it s the furniture that pulls people in Mitchell sees them as functional works of art centerpieces for dreaming for doing as she puts it designed to anchor a room and spark conversation The installation runs through December but the furniture won t stay confined to a department store floor Jaxx Beanbags is preparing a wider release this fall and Mitchell tells me Rooms to Go has signed on for a children s line later in the year For Mitchell it s all another step toward the vision she s intent on realizing and a reminder that her art was never meant to stay stuck on a wall The post Melissa Mitchell expands her art toward furniture appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta