Originally from the East Coast, Melissa MacDonald has been focused on handwork, crafts and the arts for all her life. She studied fine arts, woodworking,  and apprenticed in furniture making and landscape architecture. She began her career in metalwork by apprenticing to Dennis Leudeman who has influenced her approach to the metal arts.

Melissa opened her own metalworking studio in Berkeley in 2000, with a focus on creative collaboration with architects and designers to fabricate well crafted architectural elements  in metal such as staircases, doors, gates and railings with a contemporary design approach. Her work is primarily done in steel, stainless steel and brass, her design sense is modern and architectural, with attention to beautiful detail, function and craftsmanship.