Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Enriquez.
Melissa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I opened my first retail store in Manhattan Beach, California in 2003. It was Los Angeles, so I quickly found myself working with celebrities and professional athletes designing their homes. It was a great time, and I learned so much about sourcing furniture & art for that type of clientele. I closed that store in 2008 and went corporate to run an international home store brand and open stores for them. In 2012 I opened a store for them in Dallas, and that’s when I truly fell in love with the city. I quickly decided to not only make it my home and leave LA… but where I would go off on my own again to open Gallerie Noir.
I guess you can say the rest is history! I hunted down retail space for months and kept finding myself in the Dallas Design District. At the time, it was the only place I could afford to buy a warehouse space that would suit my business model of combining a white wall art gallery with both customs designed furniture and interior design business. It’s the space where my creative ideas could flow freely, and our clients can come in and immediately understand the vibe. Fortunately, that has worked for us, and we’ve been able to establish ourselves as both interior designers, and art gallerists. It’s truly a magical combination for us.
The newest addition to the Gallerie Noir family is our new location in Miami. The art scene in both Dallas & Miami is so inspiring to be a part of and we love the diversity of both places. The new combination has been a welcome addition to our artists who now are represented in markets they may not have been able to get into before. Our sophisticated clientele in both cities demand the most current in design and in art, and we are so happy we can provide that to them.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
New businesses are always tough to get going, especially when you are new to a city. I had a very steep learning curve of meeting people and also explaining a somewhat new concept to them. I loved every minute of it when someone would come in and say, “I want to LIVE in this space”! That was the best.
But of course, there were also the people who would come in and not say a word, and make a loop and leave… We got a kick out of that too. I guess I’ve learned that not everyone will get me, or the concept… and that’s ok. In fact, I think I actually prefer that! The good news is that our branded style of a slightly, darker, sexier, eclectic look has become much more widely known and accepted, so we spend far less time trying to explain it.
Gallerie Noir – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Gallerie Noir is an art gallery/ interior design studio. That’s the easiest way to quickly describe us. However, those are very simple words for all that we really are. Here are a few more words… design anthropologists, art curators, researchers, trend breakers & setters…
We specialize in interior design for clients that are looking for something different than what their friends or neighbors have. Knowing what our client’s design voice is, even if they don’t, is something we work very hard to achieve. When someone entrusts us with a project, no matter how great or small, it’s truly a leap of faith for them and we take that very seriously. Design can certainly feel like therapy sometimes. There’s usually a major event in our client’s lives that have happened that get them to the place where they are in need of design help. It’s usually a move, or a renovation, or a divorce…. that is a lot for anyone to take on, and it’s our job to make it easier for them to get through. We usually end up becoming very trusted friends with our clients, and that is so gratifying for us!
As far as our art gallery and curation business, that is something that is constantly evolving and is one of the most interesting parts of my job. Finding that perfect piece of art for a client, or finding an artist that fits on our roster, is a gut feeling based on so many factors. I’ve kept tabs on artists I want to work with for many years, and have been able to either place them in collectors homes or represent them. It’s really been a dream for me and something I am very proud of.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success at home is when my family is happy, healthy, and thriving. That’s an incredibly fulfilling feeling and one I am constantly striving for.
Success in life is maintaining balance, always challenging myself, and being organized. I think those are some of the constants that never go away, and are daily goals for me.
Contact Info:
- Address: Dallas | 4855 Vicksburg Street, Suite C, Dallas, TX 75207
Miami | 8650 Biscayne Blvd, Suite 25, Miami, FL 33138 - Website: www.gallerienoir.com
- Phone: 214-760-9536
- Email: melissa@gallerienoir.com
Image Credit:
Aaron Fairooz, Micah Nunley, Shana Fontana
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