Biographical Information for Melinda Graham

Melinda first opened Surroundings in Morgantown West Virginia as an Interior Design Consulting firm in 1994 shortly after graduating from West Virginia University. The business quickly evolved into a retail shop featuring the "marketable version" of her every day life. Over the years, the shop has become known for all the lovely things that Melinda has cultivated into her own signature style...casual opulence.

In 1996, Melinda’s career took an unlikely turn when she was asked to fly to New York to tape a segment for Lifetime television’s Our Home. For years to come she continued to share her decorating, crafting and gardening ideas on a variety of networks and programs such as:

NBC's Later Today
Discovery Channel's Home Matters
HGTV's The Almanac with Willard Scott
Lifetime's Our Home
Oxygen's Pure Oxygen

Melinda's career took another jump into the national spotlight when her home was featured in Woman's Day magazine. Since that time her home and business have appeared in a number of other publications including Budget Decorating Ideas and a hard back decorating book by author and illustrator Mary Engelbreit.

Melinda continues to write and illustrate beautifully whimsical children's stories and this year she has completed her first novel! This promises to be a wonderful chapter in her life.

Surroundings is now located on the beautiful island of Sanibel in Florida. The shop includes all the wonderful treasures to which her followers have become accustom plus the added beauty of sea air and incredible sunsets. Not in Sanibel…? We have now launched an online store…so feel free to stop by any time!