Chef and mother Melia Marden has the kind of gentle demeanor that makes you feel instantly calm in her presence. On the day of our shoot, Melia, who is the executive chef of The Smile, was 9 months pregnant with her second baby (daughter Daphne Zenith arrived in September), while gracefully chasing after her adorable, energetic toddler son, Alfred Kodak. The colorful home she’s created with her husband, DJ and artist Frank Sisti Jr., feels equal parts cool adult oasis and kid heaven. The inviting space is filled with found treasures, art, and antiques which give the newly remodeled townhouse a playful feel. The heart of the home, not surprisingly, is the light-filled kitchen complete with checkered floors and pink marble. Despite their busy schedules, the couple has made alone-time together a major priority by sharing home-cooked meals almost every evening. When Melia first welcomed her baby boy into the world two years ago, she explained to us that the experience of transforming from an individual into a mother turned her life upside down, and she “retreated into the world of just Frankie, Alfred, and me for a while and felt like I was the only person in the world who had ever had a baby before.” On the eve of adding a new member to the family, and with two plus years of mothering under her belt, she describes her current life as a mother in the most beautiful, honest terms: “The best part about being a mom is experiencing everything as new again through my son. Mundane day-to-day moments with Alfred can make me so unreasonably happy.”
At home with …Melia Marden & Alfred
“The best advice I’ve ever received is to do what’s right for you and your family and don’t compare yourself to other parents. Everyone is different and babies are different so what makes sense for us doesn’t necessarily work for someone else.”
On Melia: vintage dress from Colonia Antiques in Hudson, New York
On Alfred: Petit Bateau top
Melia and Alfred, weeks before she welcomed her daughter, Daphne into the world
On Melia: Hatch dress
“When Alfred was born, Frankie and I were both definitely ready for a new phase in life so it wasn’t hard to give up the freedom of being child-free but it was emotionally overwhelming at first. I’m not one of those people who is casual and easygoing about taking a baby everywhere. I definitely retreated into the world of just Frankie, Alfred, and me for a while and felt like I was the only person in the world who had ever had a baby before. Looking back I can’t quite remember that sense of extreme difference now that our lives have normalized and I imagine with our second child I will be able to keep a foot in the real world a little bit more. Now that Alfred is getting older and interacting with his surroundings, new places, and new people, it’s been exciting to see him face the world as his own person.”
Custom-made bed by Suzanne Shaker Interiors, bedding by Dusen & Dusen
On Melia: Hatch dress
On Alfred: Bon Ton top
“My sister and I are only a year and half apart so we were always very close. I like the idea of the kids having each other as allies, so I think I always imagined recreating that dynamic with my own children.”
On Melia: vintage dress from Colonia Antiques in Hudson, New York
On Alfred: Petit Bateau top
“Partly we’re just lucky that Alfred is a pretty mellow kid. I’m also lucky to have a husband who is an extreme natural at parenting. He’s both the fun parent and the disciplinarian so he brings a level of order and calm that I don’t think I would have on my own.”
On Melia: Hatch dress
“I think our décor was always very kid friendly: lots of pop-y bright colors, toys, and graphic prints. We moved to a new place last November and we’re still in the process of rearranging and setting up the house so Alfred’s furniture and toys have been incorporated as we go.”
Couch from Neven & Neven Moderne in Hudson, New York
Sign over the couch: “It’s from a hardware store on 2nd Ave that closed after 30 years right before we moved.”
On Melia: vintage dress from Colonia Antiques in Hudson, New York
On Alfred: Petit Bateau top
“I wish I was more creative and fun. Frankie is really good at coming up with songs, stories and games that Alfred loves and it makes our lives a lot easier. When I’m alone with Alfred, I’m struggling to keep things exciting.”
Teepee: “This was a gift from Frankie’s best friend Jeff Roberts, bought on Amazon and hand painted by Jeff.”
Berber rug from Morocco
“Having a newborn made me feel very vulnerable. It’s strange to not be just yourself in the world, physically and emotionally. I didn’t really do anything to get over those feelings, I think they just faded with time and with Alfred’s independence.”
On Melia: Hatch dress
“I think making decisions together about Alfred makes us more of a team than ever. Alfred goes to bed at 7:30 PM so most nights Frankie and I will unwind from the day with a nice dinner at home together. When Alfred was a still a newborn, we would still go out of our way to cook and sit down and enjoy each other’s company, even if we were juggling a crying baby.”
On Melia: vintage dress from Colonia Antiques in Hudson, New York
On Alfred: Petit Bateau top
“For the past three years, my personal style has been altered by being pregnant or breast-feeding but I’ve tried to maintain some sense of my pre-baby style.”
Room & Board bureau and Kalon crib (the art on the wall is actually cards from a vintage IQ test that Melia and Frankie put these together and had framed)
On Melia: J.Crew dress, Chloé shoes
On Alfred: Bon Ton top and shorts
“I don’t fit in exercise! My husband and I are good about giving each other time to do our own thing and trading off spending alone time with Alfred. Right now Frankie and Alfred make coffee together every morning so I can lie in bed for a few more minutes and take my time getting ready. Of course that will change when the baby is born.”
On Melia: J.Crew dress, Chloé shoes
On Alfred: Bon Ton top and shorts
On Alfred: Petit Bateau top
On Alfred: Petit Bateau top
Alfred's Favorite Things...
On Melia: J.Crew dress, Chloé shoes
On Alfred: Bon Ton top and shorts
On Melia: J.Crew dress, Chloé shoes
On Alfred: Bon Ton top and shorts
Custom-made bed by Suzanne Shaker Interiors, bedding by Dusen & Dusen
On Melia: Hatch dress
On Alfred: Bon Ton top
On Melia: Hatch dress
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