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Goodwill Home Décor Expert - Merri Cvetan

Goodwill Home Decor Expert Merri Cvetan

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.

Follow Merri on Twitter and Pinterest!

Watch Merri on Windy City Live! ... See more videos featuring Merri (and more) on our AmazingGoodwill YouTube channel!


Posted by Merri Cvetan on Dec 15, 2017 12:26:15 PM

Vintage Charm

Just when you think you’ve filled every nook and cranny with snowmen, santas and angels, you realize the china cabinet hasn’t been decorated! Pack away whatever has been on display all year long and create a pretty, vintage winter display.

Posted by Jamie Klinger-Krebs on Jan 20, 2016 3:34:46 PM

Decorating a Winter Mantle

Last week I promised to show you how to decorate your mantle for winter. It’s usually the focal point of a room during the holidays. So, instead of bringing back a non-seasonal group of items, I chose to continue the winter theme with snowmen! I know a lot of you display your snowman collection during Christmas, but they really belong to winter (if you want to get technical).