MELISSA MICHAELS

Welcome!

This blog is a happy mix of realistic interior decorating,
simple homemaking, & inspiration for authentic living.
And it’s fun.

Hi! I am a wife and mother of three ranging in age from 7 to 20. In my “professional life” (that sounds so, well, professional) I am an interior design consultant for my business, The Inspired Room in Portland, Oregon. In addition to helping clients, I write about design and lifestyle, including a monthly column for Christian Women Online Magazine and am the {Blissful Home} editor for Blissfully Domestic online magazine. I am so glad you came by my blog home! This is one of my favorite places because it is where I get to interact with all of you!

Here is a little overview of my philosophy:

I am passionate about practicing what I call Authentic Living. Authentic Living is living a life that really works. It is focusing on things that are appropriate for me and the season in my life. It is about being true to my values. It is about letting go of pressure to live out a life that isn’t really “me.” And that includes creating a home that may not look like the cover of a magazine, but nurtures my family and reflects more about WHO I am than WHAT I HAVE.

Living authentically gives me permission to do things differently than everyone else! I love to explore ways to live authentically — creating both a beautiful life and a beautiful home. I think life and design should go hand in hand and I enjoy weaving the two together. For me it is about the focus, I design my life first and then I create rooms that reflect, complement and inspire that life.

Creating a beautiful home isn’t about being a slave to trends or spending lots of money, it is about finding joy in living my own life and reflecting that joy in my surroundings.

“When life inspires our home, our home will inspire our life.”
Melissa Michaels

I like to open my eyes to new things to inspire me in living a beautiful and authentic life — hopefully things that will inspire you too! I love to dream, find inspiration in all sorts of places, and then take what I find and apply it (on a budget and usually using what I already have!) to my own home and life. My life is crazy busy and I am no Martha Stewart, so this blog is about making the best of it all!

Along the way I hope to slow down enough to appreciate all the beauty around me every day. Life flies by too quickly and I don’t want to fail to notice the little things.

Want to read more about my journey towards authentic living? Click here!

If you’d like a virtual visit to my real house, click here to see where I spend my days!

KIND RECOMMENDATIONS ON MY WRITING:

“I am very happy to find your blog as it is one of the best I’ve seen. You really are an excellent writer, and it is very enjoyable to read about what you are thinking and feeling. Clearly, I’m not the only one who realizes how good you are! Based on their comments, your audience really likes what you have to say, too.”

–Lauri Ward, best-selling author, founder & President of Use What You Have® Interiors and the Interior Refiners Network®

“Your ability to weave faith into an article is always brilliant and inspiring. In fact, this one left me in tears. Few people can write interesting content and match it with quality images the way that you do. That’s a rare combination! When can I buy your book?”

–Darlene Schacht, Founder and Editor, Christian Women Online Magazine, www.christianwomenonline.net

“From my perspective as a fellow blogger, Melissa is one of the sweetest and most genuine people out there. From my perspective as a writer, she has one of the freshest, most accessible, and authentically vibrant voices in the blogosphere. She takes on design, inspiration, and personal style at a level we all can relate to, no matter what kind of home we have.”

–Abby Kerr, Proprietor of The Blissful, A French Inspired Boutique, Canton, Ohio

“Melissa Michaels’ decorating articles for Online Christian Women are authentically delightful! She has touched the ‘decorating psyche of the everyday family’ and given them both ideas and permission for creating a home that is a true reflection of their own family’s unique spirit—a home that is comfortable, attractive, and welcoming, but not necessarily perfect. How refreshing!”

–Kathryn Bechen, Professional Writer & Consultant for home and garden publications and entrepreneurs www.KathrynBechenInk.com

Want to read more?

Featured blogger for HomeGoods (find my articles here)

The Washington Post Blog Watch
and has also been featured in The Seattle Times!
Radio interview: Click here to listen to my live interview on Blog Talk Radio: The “O” Myth!

Want to know more?

You are invited to visit my new amazon.com store! Click here!

See what neat ideas I’ve stumbled upon here!

Get regular updates from me on Twitter!

Want to contact me or hire me? Click here for my contact page.

This is my life as a magazine cover.

If you too live an authentic life, you can cut and paste this code into your sidebar
because you are a kindred spirit!

<a href="http://theinspiredroom.net" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3099/2568453513_b6963ee0f1.jpg?v=0" alt="" width="175" height="230" /></a>

I have other blog buttons for The Inspired Room here.