the team aka "the Girls"
Jamie Graff
Melissa Lockwood
Melissa Lockwood
Jamie Graff - Co-Owner
Jamie has had a passion for art and design for as long as she can remember. As a young child, if she wasn't building floor plans out of her older brother's legos, she was sitting next to her great-grandma learning how to paint or sew. She came from a large family of entrepreneurs and she always knew that someday sh
Jamie Graff - Co-Owner
Jamie has had a passion for art and design for as long as she can remember. As a young child, if she wasn't building floor plans out of her older brother's legos, she was sitting next to her great-grandma learning how to paint or sew. She came from a large family of entrepreneurs and she always knew that someday she would follow that path.
When it came time for college, Jamie didn't have a specific answer to "what she wanted to be" so after asking herself "what do you like to do," she came to the conclusion that she would study art, photography, and math. Little did she know, those are the three key fundamentals that are all a part of Design Eyes. Through her studies of art and photography, Jamie’s love for architecture and interior design grew. Jamie received a Bachelor's degree in Interior Design from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.
After graduating in 2009, she joined a flooring sales team and focused on residential new construction. Jamie helped clients select finishes that not only fit their lifestyle but their budget. In 2011, after having her first child and wanting to spend more time at home with her growing family, Jamie transitioned into working as the Administrative Assistant for the Riverton School District. With her passion for design not getting the fuel it needed, Jamie was looking for a creative outlet. A family friend introduced her to the world of real estate photography in 2016 and Jamie and never looked back! When Jamie walks into a home, she is able to quickly note which features are going to make the home stand out from the competition. She has found her happy place in Design Eyes!
Jamie resides in Riverton, IL with her high school sweetheart Brandon and three children Grady, Brody, Lilly.
Fun Facts about Jamie:
Although she’s very precise and detail-oriented, she thrives in chaos and does her best work when down to the wire. No wonder Real Estate is her perfect career!
She loves to host family get togethers, but doesn’t do any cooking/baking.
Jamie and her husband took their home down to the bare bones and completely re-built it to fit their family's needs/style.
She's super crafty and loves doing DIY's. From Halloween costumes to repurposing furniture, you name it - Jamie can do it!
Her favorite type of house to photograph is a Mid Century Modern. The exposed beams, wood-paneled walls, and symmetry of it all is an art within itself.
“Success isn’t what others can see, but how you feel. It’s living your truth and doing what makes you truly happy. That’s success.” - Robert Tew
Melissa Lockwood
Melissa Lockwood
Melissa Lockwood
Melissa Lockwood - Co-Owner
As a child, she obsessively watched “This Old House” and clipped furniture and bedding out of JCPenney catalogs to create her own mood boards and space plans. The oldest of 5 children, and the only girl, she was determined to make a change. Her love for design took a backseat and straight out of high school, Me
Melissa Lockwood - Co-Owner
As a child, she obsessively watched “This Old House” and clipped furniture and bedding out of JCPenney catalogs to create her own mood boards and space plans. The oldest of 5 children, and the only girl, she was determined to make a change. Her love for design took a backseat and straight out of high school, Melissa joined the Air Force. Proudly serving as a Staff Sergeant in active duty for almost a decade, she traveled all over the world, interacting with different cultures and people, and learning priceless training and integrity. She graduated with a BS in Information Technology from the University of Phoenix. Yes, she can fix your computer and she’s slept on a cot in Afghanistan.
Melissa’s passion for design still lingered, and she decided to trade in her combat boots for high heels in 2007. She jumped in headfirst into the Architecture and Interior Design fields and became completely intrigued with helping people understand that everyone should have a beautiful aesthetic to come home to - no matter their budget. She worked closely with top-rated Architects and Interior Designers over the years to further her craft. Melissa is well versed in creating functional design solutions for both Residential and Commercial spaces. Her favorite spaces to create are kitchens and baths.
Fast forward to 2015, and Real Estate photography jumped into Melissa’s lap. She took her extensive background of helping homeowners, her die-hard military work ethic and poured it into what is now known as Design Eyes. Melissa is known for being an extremely enthusiastic people person and it's common for her to stay at appointments longer than necessary talking about life and will ask to give you a hug when she leaves. And if you have a pet, she WILL pet it. She truly has found her calling and it shows.
Melissa resides in Huntsville, Alabama with her fiancé Stephen, and furbabies cats, Arrietty and Benedict Caterbatch, and dog Cecilia.
Fun Facts about Melissa:
She is 6 ft tall and can’t play basketball to save her life. But, she is awesome at hanging art and getting things off shelves.
She loves animals, all species. As a child, she found an injured rat in her basement and made a leg splint for it using a popsicle stick.
She won 1st Place in a Lip Sync Competition by performing Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary” at a Realtor Appreciation Event. Yes, she even did the dance.
She loves to paint abstract art and spends hours free-flowing and creating!
Her favorite type of home to photograph is a Mid-Century Modern. She has been known to tear up at a house because of the beauty!
She's photographed over 4,000 homes and remembers EVERY single one. It's really creepy actually. She can recreate floor plans off of memory alone.
“Have a fierce resolve in everything you do. Demonstrate determination, resiliency, and tenacity. Do not let temporary setbacks become permanent excuses. And, finally, use mistakes and problems as opportunities to get better—not reasons to quit.” ― Angela Duckworth, Grit: The Power of Passion and Persevera