In the world of design, the creative process is a journey of discovery and innovation. We had the pleasure of speaking with Melissa Sutton from Riloh, a visionary whose approach to design is fueled by a deep-seated appreciation for the interplay of light, color, and form. This Q&A session delves into the heart of Melissa's creative process, her inspirations, and the philosophies that drive her work.
What is your creative process?
Melissa: I think my process stems from internal curiosity. It’s not always about having answers—but more about exploring questions. A recurring thread is the willingness to step into the unknown and embracing the discovery rather than the execution. But it’s a constant balance of anticipating what the market needs and listening to my creative intuition.
How does your lifestyle influence your creativity?
Melissa: I’m equally interested in imperfections and failure as a necessary component in making meaningful work. The design process, like life, is not linear. It’s layered and messy. I think the early collections explored simpler forms because I like the least amount of drama/stress possible. And the later works show more risk because I’ve sort of built a safety structure that made me feel confident in exploring more.
What are you most passionate about?
Melissa: This isn’t a sexy answer but I’m passionate about doing honest work. Not everyone is going to be drawn to it and I’m more than ok with that. I’m more focused on people understanding that I’m just coming from a pure place and I just want to design lighting that can stand on its own in a room. Beauty with no agenda.
How do you know when a design is finished?
Melissa: The simple answer is, I don’t really. I think having restraint in design is a super power. Ultimately, I don’t want it to be about decoration but rather refining. It’s about creating objects that speak in a confident voice. I’m a visual storyteller at heart so I suppose I think it’s finished when I don’t have anything else to say.
What is on your radar right now (books, music, travel)?
Melissa: I’m currently reading: Terence: The Man Who Invented Design—It’s kind of nerdy but he was a huge influence on British design. I’m fascinated by outliers and people that live outside of comfort zones.
I’m always referencing Nowness videos. I’m obsessed with their “In Residence” series. I don’t think they’ve made one in a while and I wish they’d bring it back.
As for music - I am ALL over the place. Today I had Charles Bradley covering the Black Sabbath song “Changes” and British rapper Ren Gill on repeat. It makes no sense.
Travel: I’m heading to Portugal and Marrakech this fall, and I’ve never been to either. I’m the person that gets on instagram and looks for the local art gallery or coffee shop and then finds the owners’ instagram and then proceeds to stalk who they follow and patronize locally. I’ve found so many hidden gems or new places that haven’t hit the travel guides yet.
Thank you, Melissa! Discover Riloh
