principal designer & founder
Mel founded Studio Skara in 2019. A graduate of Northwestern University’s Film program and UCLA’s Interior Design program, she spent the first part of her working career in the entertainment industry, before switching to event production and marketing. Her passion however, has always been in designing spaces, objects and experiences. Art, design, architecture and the creative process have always been a massive part of her life. She is obsessed with understanding how things work and how they are constructed and has a pathological need to learn everything about everything. Mel was born and raised in Indonesia, but has lived in Malaysia, Chicago and France. but will always call Los Angeles the home of her heart.
coo
Chris joined the Studio Skara team in 2022, primarily to manage financial, HR, online, and retail functions. He has 30 years of management experience leading publicly owned companies, start-ups, and his own businesses. He was excited to bring this experience to bear at Studio Skara, but even more inspired by being part of the creative process. Having spent his career overseeing logistics for large corporate projects and advising Fortune 500 companies on their positioning and communications, he's motivated by physical design and the creation of spaces that provide both elevated form and function.
designer
Krista has been a valuable member of the Studio Skara team since July 2023. Originally from Minnesota, Krista's zeal for creative work and design began at an early age and it inveitably led her down a design career path. She holds a degree in Interior Architecture from Columbia College and embarked on her professional journey in the city of Chicago. Krista has gained a wide range of experiences in both commercial and residential design while working for a large firm in Chicago. She has since relocated to Los Angeles, where she developed a profound appreciation for hiking and LA's climates. She has yet to succumb to cardigans in the summer.
