Founder and principal designer of a full-service design group, showroom, and online shop, Melissa Crotty takes a fresh approach to mountain decor. Crotty founded Root’d Park City in 2010 and the business has rapidly grown. With over 13 years of design experience, her passion as an Interior Designer comes from getting to know her clients on a personal level and working with them on a one-on-one basis. Getting to know the clients, asking questions, and listening to their answers is how the design process starts for each project. And, it has been her greatest pleasure to help others transform their residential or commercial space into something more - with a few pops of the perfectly unexpected. “Timeless design reflecting personal vision,” that’s our mission at Root’d says Crotty.

As a child, Melissa Crotty tagged along with her mother, also an Interior Designer, to job sites and on creative adventures. “My mom’s intense passion for interior design, paired with my dad’s entrepreneurial spirit, played a large role in who I am today. I think I knew from a very young age that I needed to be a part of the creative world,” says Crotty. After graduating with a BA from the University of Dayton, Crotty went on to study jewelry design in Southern California. Wearable designs quickly and naturally transformed into interior design and the first Root’d opened in 2007 in Cincinnati, OH. Her dreams of the West grew, so she moved to Park City, opening Root'd. And now, Crotty and her family are rooted in Park City, Utah.

FAVORITE CRAFT ADVENTURES FROM THE PASSIONATE DESIGNER

1. YOU ARE THE CO-OWNER AND LEAD DESIGNER OF A HOME DÉCOR STORE IN PARK CITY. TELL US ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN DÉCOR DESIGN TRENDS YOU’RE SEEING AROUND PARK CITY/SUMMIT COUNTY?

I feel that the trends aren’t necessarily what we are looking at when we think about design at Root’d, so that is a hard question to answer. We look at the overall design/trend directions and where people are gravitating. We then mold it into something that speaks to us, which in turn has been received very well by our clientele. We are really into usable and functional furniture with personality. We embrace clean lines, but nothing too “cold". We are in the mountains; you want to feel welcomed, cozy, and at home.

2. If you were visiting Park City for the first time and wanted to purchase an item to remember your visit, where would you go? What would the item be?

I would grab some coffee and some chocolate from Ritual Chocolate!

3. What are your five favorite boutiques in Summit County?

Panache - a contemporary women’s clothing boutique
Cake Boutique - hip women's store carrying fashion-forward, designer clothing, denim & accessories
Flight Boutique - stylish shop stocking a selection of fashionable women's clothing, shoes & accessories
The Collective - clothing, accessories, home goods, and gifts that reflect Park City style
Indigo Highway - consciously curated mountain + desert lifestyle for the modern journey

4. You have two young kids. If you have a free afternoon to spend with them and they want to do something crafty. What and where would you go to get your hands dirty or bring out the artist within?

We love to go to the Park City Nursery! There are always fun things to look at, touch, and feel! The staff at the nursery are very informative and love to have kids around. Occasionally, we will do an “Art Walk” on Main Street, where we ride the trolley and visit local galleries. We look with our eyes and talk about colors and what they see when they look at pieces of art. There are some great galleries off of Main Street that we like to visit too, like Julie Nester Gallery.

5. You can find works from those who create beauty all around Park City/Summit County. Who are your three favorite local craftsmen?

There are so many, but I do have a few near and dear to my heart:

Anything else that you would like to tell us about yourself?

I have a business partner now! Jen Gode came on as a partner in August 2019. Her corporate background and our mutual passion and knack for design made this combination the ultimate business partnership. This partnership led to a re-branding - the Crotty Carr Design Group (CCDG) was launched on February 4, 2020 with a primary focus on design.