Melissa brings more than 30 years of experience in creating spaces that feel welcoming and deeply personal.

Her work is shaped by deep roots in the Upper Cumberland, where her earliest memories include walking job sites with her father — a respected builder in multiple states whose local projects included the Tennessee Tech Fitness Center and the Putnam County Justice Center. He taught her to read blueprints long before she ever imagined a design career, giving her a rare understanding of how great spaces are built from the ground up.

Melissa even married into the industry. Her husband of 32 years, Brian Halfacre also has over 30 years in the building industry. Brian retired from Lowes as the contractor warehouse manager in 2004, he has worked in contractor sales and has been a project manager for several years.

Over the years, Melissa worked for — and eventually ran — two of her family’s construction, plumbing, and electrical businesses in both Cookeville and Chattanooga. That hands‑on experience across multiple trades gives her a practical fluency that sets her apart in the design world. She understands the full lifecycle of a project, from the structural realities behind the walls to the finishing touches that make a house feel like home.

A lifelong artist with a keen eye for décor, Melissa brings outside‑the‑box creativity to every project. She approaches each design with genuine care for the families and business owners she serves. Her clients describe her as organized, mindful of their budgets and an overall joy to work with.

Through her talent, long‑standing industry relationships, and decades of experience, Melissa has flipped, designed and decorated dozens of homes and businesses — creating spaces that are timeless and delivering returns on investment as high as 330%. Melissa works with realtors, commercial and residential contractors, investors, business owners who want to make their spaces welcoming and homeowners on their new builds, remodels or making over their spaces.

At Selah House of Design, she continues to blend artistry, technical knowledge, and heart to craft environments that truly reflect the people who live and work in them.