Ready to wake up in a home that feels good, functions better
and looks amazing?
Our affordable online interior design options
will put a smile on your face and a plan in your hand.
From online interior design consultations, home decorating classes to a monthly membership that gives you both personal design guidance and interior design courses —
if you're ready to stop making mistakes and wasting time—
you're in the right place.
Happy Place Interiors is a national award-winning interior design firm offering personal virtual interior design consultations and an interior design membership for homeowners all across the USA and beyond.
Does decorating your home feel harder than it should?
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How should I arrange my furniture?
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Is this the right size of furniture?
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How do I start updating my house?
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How do I make it look cohesive, inviting, finished?
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I'm stuck, I don't even know where to start.
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Can I use this space better?
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I’m afraid to make a bad decision.
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I wish I could share my thoughts with a professional
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I think I know how I want to remodel .... but I'm not 100%
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What will give me the best bang for my buck?
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“I just need someone to tell me what to do!”
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“Pinterest is pretty, but it's not helping me make progress.”
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“I’m scared of making expensive mistakes.”
So.
Many.
Questions.
This is exactly why Happy Place Interiors Virtual exists—
to give you clarity and knowledge so you can create a beautiful
and functional home that you love to be in.
No guesswork.
No big-budget requirements.
Just clear, creative support from a designer who gets it.
Create a vision for your home
Whether you opt to join the Happy Place Design Club, or schedule a personal design session, you’ll gain clarity on a vision for your home. A beautifully designed home begins with a clear vision — find yours here.
Learn simple & practical approaches
You might call it layman’s terms, but we like to think of it as "simple-speak." We've made interior design fun and easy, breaking it down so anyone can grasp the magic of transforming their space.
Cut the confusion
With endless design advice flooding TikTok and the web, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure about what’s actually effective or in style. We’ll clear up the confusion and break things down for you. We’ll help you focus on what really matters in design.
Develop skills for a lifetime
With award-winning designer Melanie, you'll learn skills that aren’t just trendy but timeless. These design tips will stay useful year after year, and home after home.
Make smart decisions
When you learn the basics (and beyond) of interior design, you'll be able to make smart decisions on purchasing furniture, decor, remodeling or updating your home.
Save thousands of $$$$
With a quart of paint costing about $50, who can afford to make mistakes? When you know the basics of interior design and color, you can make better choices and avoid wasting hundreds or thousands on things you don’t like or worse, things you can’t change, like flooring or countertops.
Gain confidence
Picture having full confidence in every home decision you make! Our mission is to equip you with the interior design knowledge needed to make informed choices and feel assured in your decisions.
Relieve stress & anxiety
If every choice feels overwhelming, our simple, practical and easy-to-learn design rules will help you make better and more confident decisions and ease that anxiety. Let’s simplify things and make your space more relaxing.
Whether you're refreshing one room or tackling a whole home renovation, our online interior design services and classes are designed to give you the clarity, confidence, and support you need to create spaces that work beautifully—in real life.
We offer three ways for you to design a home you love—
without doing it alone.
1
HAPPY PLACE
DESIGN CLUB
Monthly Membership with Courses and Personal Design Guidance
Ready to learn, be inspired, stay accountable and on track with your home? And have fun while doing it?
The Happy Place Design Club is where you have the support and tools you need to make smart decisions and help you create a home you love.
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Decorating Courses, Guides, Inspiration, Resources: Start with learning the HAPPY Design method will teach you the design process, then learn decorating fundamentals, then fuel your momentum with resources and deeper learning.
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Monthly Designer Q & A Sessions: Get guidance in a group setting with award-winning interior designer, Melanie Zaelich.
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Private Facebook Group: Share progress, ask questions, and receive feedback in a fun, interactive environment.
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VIP Members: Receive 20% off top retailers, additional 1:1 support and free material samples
2
HOME DECORATING
COURSES
Learn the Secrets, Tip and Tricks of Professional Interior Designers
Happy Place Design Courses and classes are step-by-step video guides and downloadable resources that make designing and decorating your home simple and stress-free.
Whether you want to master lighting, furniture, or styling tricks, these Guides give you clear, actionable advice you can use right away.
All courses, classes and guides are free for members of the Happy Place Design Club, or you can purchase them individually if you’re not ready to join.
3
VIRTUAL INTERIOR DESIGN CONSULTS
Professional Interior Design Advice
Perfect for homeowners who want expert, yet affordable interior design guidance and a plan—without full-service design fees.
Meet online with award-winning interior designer, Melanie Zaelich, to get personalized guidance on your project(s).
Get actionable recommendations and practical interior design guidance that will give you a solid plan to design your home.
• PAINT COLORS
• KITCHEN UPDATES
• DECORATING IDEAS
• HOW TO STYLE A ROOM
• FRESH EYES ON YOUR PROJECT
• REMODEL BLUEPRINT REVIEW
• GET A STARTING POINT
• MAKE A PLAN
• AND MORE!
Hi,
I'm Mel.
I wasn't always an interior designer. In fact, I couldn't even decorate my own home.
I spent over 20 years as a graphic designer and art director, styling TV commercials and photo shoots to perfection.
But the funny thing—I couldn’t even decorate my own home. Trying to make it feel right for both me and my husband was overwhelming, and I felt totally stuck.
So, I went back to school for interior design and eventually started Happy Place Interiors here in Minnesota.
Fast forward 10 years, and now I'm an award-winning interior designer and I’ve helped more than 2,000 homeowners all across the U.S. create homes that not only look beautiful, but actually work for their lives.
What lights me up is teaching homeowners how to decorate—making it easy, fun, and way less overwhelming.
Whether it’s through Virtual Interior Design Consultations, Courses, or the Happy Place Design Club, my goal is to give you the tools, confidence, and clear steps to finally love the home you live in.
Because I remember how it felt to be totally stuck and overwhelmed.
You're in the right place if you’re craving a home
that finally feels right.
Melanie will guide, inspire, and educate you on the art of creating a beautiful and joyful home. Through collaborative efforts and expert guidance, she will empower you to make informed decisions, allowing your personality and preferences to shine through every corner of your space.
Do you:
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Have ideas and want to collaborate with a designer?
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Enjoy learning about all things home?
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Want to work within your budget and time frame?
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Need a fresh set of eyes?
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Need a professional, non-biased third party to help make decisions?
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You need a starting point?
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You want to learn how to do decorate yourself?
LEARN HOW TO GET STARTED,
SELECT PAINT COLORS,
GET THE RIGHT FURNITURE
AND MUCH MORE.
Online Interior design help that turns
“What should I do with this room?”
into
“I can’t believe this is my home.”
I felt so comfortable sharing my home and its nuances with Melanie, and she knew exactly how to encourage and inspire me.
I will refer to her as my home décor therapist going forward!
– Jean
Thank you so much for your vision! Honestly I am now excited for the first time about this house and can finally see a way forward.
– Imelda
I received more from you in our short time together than eight people combined that I’ve paid sufficient money to.
You are an inspiration!
– Tracy
Melanie is an incredibly talented designer.
We have had the pleasure of consulting with her on a variety of projects, and she has been superb at them all. She covers a lot of ground in a short amount of time, and the design ideas just flow from her so smoothly & naturally.
All of her suggestions make so much sense,
it's like a design light bulb goes on in your head every time she presents an idea!
– Hoda
Thank you, Melanie!
I was a little intimidated to have someone help, but your openess, enthusiasm and practical tips were awesome.
– Starr
Stop making mistakes, being overwhelmed
and scrolling social media for answers.
You don't need more ideas, you need a solid plan.
We offer three ways for you to finally have a home you love.
No design degree required!
No big budgets required.
1
HAPPY PLACE
DESIGN CLUB
Monthly Membership with Courses and Personal Design Guidance
Ready to learn, be inspired, stay accountable and on track with your home? And have fun while doing it?
The Happy Place Design Club is where you have the support and tools you need to make smart decisions and help you create a home you love.
-
Decorating Courses, Guides, Inspiration, Resources: Start with learning the HAPPY Design method will teach you the design process, then learn decorating fundamentals, then fuel your momentum with resources and deeper learning.
-
Monthly Designer Q & A Sessions: Get guidance in a group setting with award-winning interior designer, Melanie Zaelich.
-
Private Facebook Group: Share progress, ask questions, and receive feedback in a fun, interactive environment.
-
VIP Members: Receive 20% off top retailers, additional 1:1 support and free material samples
2
HOME DECORATING
COURSES
Learn the Secrets, Tip and Tricks of Professional Interior Designers
Happy Place Design Courses and classes are step-by-step video guides and downloadable resources that make designing and decorating your home simple and stress-free.
Whether you want to master lighting, furniture, or styling tricks, these Guides give you clear, actionable advice you can use right away.
All courses, classes and guides are free for members of the Happy Place Design Club, or you can purchase them individually if you’re not ready to join.
3
VIRTUAL INTERIOR DESIGN CONSULTS
Professional Interior Design Advice
Perfect for homeowners who want expert, yet affordable interior design guidance and a plan—without full-service design fees.
Meet online with award-winning interior designer, Melanie Zaelich, to get personalized guidance on your project(s).
Get actionable recommendations and practical interior design guidance that will give you a solid plan to design your home.
• PAINT COLORS
• KITCHEN UPDATES
• DECORATING IDEAS
• HOW TO STYLE A ROOM
• FRESH EYES ON YOUR PROJECT
• REMODEL BLUEPRINT REVIEW
• GET A STARTING POINT
• MAKE A PLAN
• AND MORE!
Melanie Zaelich is Featured in Better Homes & Gardens
September, 25, 2025
Melanie Zaelich was recently interviewed by Better Homes & Gardens to share her expertise on one of today’s most talked-about kitchen trends—open shelving.
Being featured in such an iconic publication is a true career highlight and an honor.
And what did she say about open shelving?