Michelle Lee Parenteau

Owner

Posted Sunday, March 1, 2026 9:00 am

Michelle Lee Parenteau approaches interior design with a clear point of view shaped by experience: spaces should be joyful, personal, and grounded in color. As the owner and creative force behind Michelle Lee Designs, she has built an award-winning interior design firm known throughout Rhode Island for interiors that balance bold visual impact with thoughtful functionality.

Her path to that reputation was anything but flashy. Nearly twenty-two years ago, Parenteau began building her business from the ground up, knocking on doors to introduce herself to real estate agents, forming relationships with trusted vendors, and managing client work while juggling life with three young children in tow. That grassroots beginning grew steadily into a thriving, full-service design studio now serving clients across Rhode Island and beyond.

Today, Michelle Lee Designs offers comprehensive interior design and project management services for residential and commercial spaces. Parenteau works closely with clients on everything from layouts and construction oversight to countertops, flooring, window treatments, furniture selection, lighting, and carefully considered finishing details. Her process is collaborative and highly organized, blending creative intuition with clear communication and hands-on expertise from concept through completion.

Parenteau’s work is widely recognized for its fearless use of color and its ability to create environments that feel both functional and memorable. Recent accolades include being named a Sherwin-Williams STIR featured designer for her work on Ten Prime Steak and Sushi, as well as being featured by Hey Rhody as a Design Influencer. Her portfolio spans private homes and high-impact commercial spaces, including restaurants, offices, and community-focused businesses.

With new projects and creative plans on the horizon, Parenteau shows no signs of slowing down. Her advice, shaped by years of perseverance and growth, remains simple and hard-earned: never let anyone bring you down and keep moving forward. Guided by that mindset, she continues shaping Rhode Island’s design landscape with confidence, warmth, and color-driven spaces that feel personal, enduring, and distinctly her own.