Store Designer Ruth Mellergaard Dies

Detroit—Ruth Mellergaard, owner and founder of interior design firm Grid/3, died Saturday, July 13, in Detroit, Michigan.

Her sister Sarah Yates-Howorth said she died peacefully.

The Independent Jewelers Organization (IJO), where Mellergaard was a member for many years, shared news of her passing on its private member Facebook page.

IJO said Yates-Howorth notified the organization on Monday, July 8, that Mellergaard had been hospitalized and was in serious condition.

She died five days later.

“Many of you know she was scheduled to be in Chicago and had many appointments set up, as well as dinner plans,” IJO’s post said.

“Ruth was so excited to be coming to the show, and this has been very difficult to process. Rest in peace, Ruth.”

Mellergaard, the oldest of seven sisters, was born in London, England. In the early 1950s, she and her family moved to Canada.

She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in interior design from University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada.

She is remembered for her lifelong career in design and her world travels, which she began in the 1960s.

Mellergaard spent time in Denmark, where Yates-Howorth said she further committed herself to her love and knowledge of design.

Later, while living in Toronto, she joined a design firm where she met designer Keith Kovar, her life partner of 45 years who died in November 2023.

They moved to New York and in 1982, established Grid/3 International. With the firm for 40 years, they designed stores in Australia, South Africa, Mexico, Panama, England, Canada, and throughout the U.S.

In addition to her love for design, Mellergaard was also a passionate environmentalist and advocate for the preservation and life of bees.

In her downtown Manhattan residence, she kept a garden, attracting butterflies, bees, and other wildlife.

Yates-Howorth writes, “anyone lucky enough to visit and smell the flowers found refuge from the city’s bustle in a place of color and profusely scented nature.”

In 2019, the pair moved the business to Detroit, Michigan, according to a post on Grid/3 International’s Facebook page.

Mellergaard joined IJO shortly after moving to the Empire State.

She had many friends in the organization and often presented workshops at IJO meetings across the country.

Mellergaard enjoyed learning, specializing in store planning for retail jewelry design.

While lighting, color, materials, and accessible design and jewelry were key interests, Yates-Howorth said Mellergaard loved people and often remarked that her clients and industry contracts were her greatest resource.

She was committed to the values of hard work, honesty, and integrity, and she passionately defended her beliefs.

“Thank you, Ruth, for making our lives richer,” wrote Yates-Howorth for IJO’s post. “We miss you already.”