HOME STYLING & STAGING
We're a socially-conscious interior design company in Minneapolis, MN.
Decorating your home should feel exciting—so why does it feel so hard?
Too many options.
Pinterest, Instagram, stores, opinions of friends…
They give you ideas, but not clarity.
Maybe you just don't have a plan, or even a vision or simply, you just have no clue where to start.
So, of course, you're stuck!
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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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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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“I’m scared of making expensive mistakes.”
You second-guess.
You worry about making expensive mistakes.
And your home stays unfinished—or almost right.
Designing and decorating your home becomes more simple and much more fun when you have clarity.
When you understand what to choose, when to choose it and why it works,
everything becomes easier. These are learned skills that are "designer secrets"— and that’s exactly what I teach inside the Happy Place Design Club.
Meet the Happy Place Design Club
The Happy Place Design Club helps you think like a designer and learn the skills designers have so you can have confidence and fun decorating your home.
This isn’t about trends.
This isn’t about copying someone else’s space.
It’s about learning how to make design decisions that work for your home, your life, and your budget.
What you get with the Happy Place Design Club
Instant Access to the HAPPY Design Method™
Decorating Masterclass
No more guessing | Learn what & how
Designing your space shouldn't be random. Interior designer's use a process to design homes, and that is what you'll learn here. Once you know the process, everything gets easier and way more fun!
LIVE Design Guidance and Q/A Sessions
No more mistakes | Get solid answers
With a CORE Membership, you get feedback on your specific projects or questions and learn from everyone else too. All sessions are recorded, so even if you can’t make it live, you’ll still have access.
Growing Library of Video Classes,
Guides, Curated Lists, Checklists
No more scrolling | Have direction
In an addition to the HAPPY Design Method™, you'll have free and instant access to a library of classes, curated lists of the best online stores, products, furnishings and resources.
Supportive Online Community
No more stressing | Have fun
With a CORE Membership,, you’re never alone in our Club. Dive into our community where sharing, feedback, and fun are all part of the journey. It’s awesome to have friends all aiming for the same goal.
Monthly Motivation
No more overwhelm | Stay engaged
We know it can be hard to juggle life, so we’ll help keep you on track and making progress with our monthly motivational emails. You'll stay inspired and making progress.
Earn FREE Design Sessions
All happiness!
With every friend you refer, that joins the Core or VIP membership, you'll receive a FREE 30 minute Virtual Private Design Session. That’s a $150 value!
The Happy Place Design Club gives you personal access to an award-winning interior designer to help you create a home you love.
If decorating your home feels harder than it should,
you're in the right place.
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 practical decorating 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 overwhelming 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 design 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 buying 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 dollars
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 in yourself
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.
How the Happy Place Design Club Works
This is your source for DIY home decorating guidance that makes it truly as simple as 1-2-3.
#1
JOIN
Jump in your dashboard
set your goals, join our online community and get ready to finally
be successful.
#2
LEARN
You'll have instant access to the HAPPY Design Method™ and HAPPY Design Fundamentals. This will help you learn how designers think and approach projects, You'll understand what matters, what doesn’t, and how to prioritize.
And if you have questions,
you can simply ask in the monthly Q & A.
#3
APPLY
Make confident decisions, with me by your side.
Apply the guidance to your own home—at your own pace and create a home you love without the spiral of second-guessing.
And if you want feedback, additional ideas or reassurance, simply ask in the monthly Q & A.
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 in Minnesota.
Fast forward 10 years, and now I'm an award-winning interior designer.
My work and expertise have been featured in national publications, including Better Homes & Gardens, and I’ve spent years guiding hundred's of both local clients and DIY homeowners through the same design decisions you’re facing now.
The difference?
Designers aren’t guessing.
And now, you don’t have to either.
I've got you!
As a busy, working mom of two; I have so appreciated the expertise and ease
the Design Club has offered.
We moved into a new home and I didn’t know where to start. The Design Club had offered both informative guidance and convenience throughout this process.
I love knowing there are multiple avenues to the information I’m seeking, when I need it. Thanks to the Design Club, we are slowly making this new house a home!
— Colleen
Jan
“I’d been thinking about redecorating my bedroom for years but didn’t know where to start.
Through the Design Club, Melanie provided tools, resources and ideas that sent me on my way to creating the bedroom of my dreams.
And now I have the confidence to tackle my next design project, thanks to the skills I’ve learned from the Happy Place Design Club."
Mary Beth
“When Melanie launched her design club I knew I had to join!
It’s been an incredible way to learn about design concepts and implement them into my own space. Melanie has put her heart and soul into this group to give us the tools we need to create spaces we love.
The monthly subscription is an incredible deal and we get so much value from the monthly workshops and Q&A sessions.I’ve learned so much from this group and can’t wait to see what I learn next!"
Thanks for talking about our living room in the Design Club meeting today.
Just watched the [replay] discussion and found it very helpful!
— Liz
Thanks so much for today's Design Club Meeting! I learned so much.
These are ideas I just wouldn't have thought of myself!
— Jill
The Happy Place Design Club Is For You If…
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You’re a DIY homeowner who wants guidance
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You want to trust your decisions before you buy or commit
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You’re tired of second-guessing every choice
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You want a home that feels cohesive and intentional
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You love learning about home decorating and interior design
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Have ideas and want to collaborate with a designer
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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
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You're a new home decorator and want to learn from a seasoned pro
It’s Not for You If…
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You’re looking for full-service, done-for-you design
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You want someone to make every decision for you
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You’re only looking for quick trends or shortcuts
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You don't enjoy learn the how, what and why behind design decisions
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Home decorating just isn't "your thing"
Choose the Level of Support That Fits You
Whether you want quiet access to guidance or more hands-on support, there’s a membership option designed to meet you where you are.
For less than the cost of a throw pillow, never make a mistake again.
LIMITED SPOTS
AVAILABLE
I'm fascinated and just so impressed with your knowledge
and practicality for real life.
— Mary Clare
This is DIY home decorating help help that turns
“What should I do with this room?”
into
“I can’t believe this is my home!”
LEARN HOW TO GET STARTED,
SELECT PAINT COLORS,
GET THE RIGHT FURNITURE
AND MUCH MORE.
Melanie Zaelich Featured in Better Homes & Gardens
January 11, 2026
Melanie Zaelich was featured in Better Homes & Gardens as an expert source in their article covering the Color Drenching trend—a bold, cozy design approach that paints the walls, trim, and ceiling all in one cohesive hue.
In the feature, Melanie shares how, why and when color drenching works so well.
AI Image to show concept of color drenching.
