I started my career as an interior designer when we finished remodeling our home that was built in the 1890s. I loved the space planning, choosing finishes and decorating every little inch. It was trial and error, and we made mistakes, but I learned a lot along the way. Along with being a learning process, working on our home was also a hands-on project. We did everything ourselves (actually, my husband Tom did all the building and heavy work, I did the fun stuff!). I’ve had the decorating bug ever since I was a little girl, but I wanted to know everything about design, so, as a result I returned to college (Mount Mary) for a second degree in Interior Design.
I’ve been collecting antiques and vintage furnishings forever. My favorite shopping places are flea markets, antique stores and of course, Goodwill. I love DIY projects and saving money by taking an object and re-purposing it into something beautiful and useful. I’m also an amateur photographer, love to travel and study French (J’adore tous ce qui est franҫais)!
Although I love to entertain, I’m not much of a cook. My party philosophy is "if the table looks fantastic, it doesn’t matter what you serve."
My weekly column for Amazing Goodwill and my design blog, Design Coach, are about all things design, living a stylish life and entertaining (like setting a great table). I share DIY projects, decorating and design tips, as well as ideas and secrets.
If you have a specific question for Merri, feel free to email her at askmerri@goodwillsew.com.
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Watch Merri on Windy City Live! ... See more videos featuring Merri (and more) on our AmazingGoodwill YouTube channel!
Wedding season is no longer a season anymore. People get married every month of the year. But spring and summer still rule. Because the cost of hosting a wedding keeps going up, brides are always looking for ways to cut expenses and doing it yourself is one way.
The trend in wedding design is to coordinate your colors. Flowers, dresses, ties go with napkins, table settings and centerpieces. Black and white is a sophisticated and elegant color combination.
The best (and hardest) part of planning a wedding is deciding on the theme and a color scheme. The big trend in weddings is to coordinate everything: the wedding party wardrobe, flowers, the ceremony and reception décor. How an engaged couple arrives at that decision is a personal thing, but paying attention to every detail doesn’t have to cost a fortune if you plan and shop wisely!
There are so many things to think about when planning a wedding. Formal or casual? Trendy or classic? Elegant or funky? Whatever style you choose, it should reflect the personalities of the bride and groom.
We’re quickly moving into wedding season and that means some of you will be showering the bride with a party. Choose a theme and color and go all-out to honor the bride-to-be.
Bridal couples spend an average of $25,000 on their wedding! Of course there are many ways to save money, especially if you’re a DIY’er and shop at Goodwill. One of the concerns I hear from brides is not being able to find dozens, or hundreds of the same item. My answer? Everything does not have to match. In fact, designs are much more interesting if they don’t. Think coordination and don’t worry about matching; you’ll save so much money.
You can always count on finding hundreds of glasses at Goodwill. Dozens of styles and sizes in prices ranging from $.49 to $2.99. Wouldn’t it be more festive to offer a champagne toast with “real” glassware instead of plastic flutes? Your guests can take theirs home or donate them back to Goodwill. Either way, they won’t end up in a landfill!Wedding season is upon us. Every bride wants her day to be special and unique.The more you can do ahead of time to prepare for your wedding, the less stress you will have on the big day.
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