Welcome! If you’re new to The Inspired Room or joining from my friend Bre’s book launch for The Gift of Home, I’m so glad you’re here. I’m excited to celebrate Bre’s beautiful book with you and share a little about my home and design philosophy.
There’s a fun giveaway for Bre’s book and links to other bloggers participating in the tour. Be sure to comment to enter and check the list at the end of the post before you go!
My name is Melissa. I’ve been writing about home since 2007 and over the past several years I’ve written books about the connection between feeling at home and overall well‑being. My newest book, A Lovely Life, is coming out this spring. Today I’ll give a brief introduction to my home and what making a home means to me.
Creating a home has been a passion for me long before I owned one. Bre and I share a similar approach to homemaking, so I’m thrilled to take part in this launch. You may know Bre from her blog Rooms for Rent.
Three months ago we moved into a new house after becoming empty nesters. Just as our youngest prepared to move out, we found what felt like our dream home: a cozy cottage on an island in the Salish Sea. It felt like a blessing during a challenging season.
After making an offer and listing our previous home, we navigated a hectic and sometimes stressful process to get here. Despite the whirlwind of decisions and the unpredictable real estate market, the effort was worth it. We find ourselves pausing throughout the day to appreciate that we really live here. If you’d like to read more about the journey to find this home, I wrote a three‑part series about it.
For me, creating a home is an ongoing refining process. It’s about shaping a meaningful and welcoming place in any season of life, not waiting for a perfect or permanent space. We learned to redefine what “dream house” means for each stage of life and to make the most of every home we’ve had.
Each of our homes has felt like a gift for that season. From our first condo to a Tudor fixer‑upper and a 1950s house we recently left, we treated each place with care and made improvements within our budget to turn it into a sanctuary.
I care deeply about a rhythm of life that nurtures the people who live in our home. Making a home is about telling your story, creating connections and savoring everyday moments. It’s not about a magazine‑perfect look or an Instagram‑ready room; it’s about how a space makes you feel. Small changes—slowing down, tidying spaces that cause stress, letting go of what no longer serves you, and making rooms more comfortable—can have a large impact.
January can feel long and dreary in many places, so I decided to dedicate that month to refreshing one room in our new house. The goal was simple: make the space more functional and inviting so we’d feel more at home. I chose our bedroom and focused on small, practical updates as part of a challenge I called A Lovely January. You’re welcome to join anytime.
This week I shared recent bedroom updates—three simple changes that helped the room feel more like our winter sanctuary. Even modest, affordable improvements have a surprising effect on how a room feels. We have more plans for this space, but making small changes now keeps progress from getting postponed until “someday.”
Now that the new year is underway, I’m inspired to continue making this house our own. If you’d like to follow along, you can find all posts about our new home in the “My New House” category on the blog, subscribe to my newsletter for updates, and follow my Instagram stories for daily happenings and behind‑the‑scenes moments.
If you ever feel unsure where to begin decorating or need a gentle push to continue your home journey, Bre’s book The Gift of Home is filled with attainable room ideas and practical advice for making your current space feel more like home. It’s a warm, hardback book with beautiful photography and approachable tips.
I’ve included a few interior sneak peeks of the book below, along with links to other bloggers joining the tour so you can find more inspiration.
Don’t forget to enter the GIVEAWAY at the end of this post. You can enter on each participating blog!
THE GIFT OF HOME BOOK TOUR: SCHEDULE AND LINKS:
Wednesday 1/19
Melissa Michaels – The Inspired Room
KariAnne Wood – Thistlewood Farms
Claire Berard – Claire Lynn Home
Sarah Wagner – Dreaming of Homemaking
Friday 1/21
Bre Doucette – Rooms for Rent blog
Beth Hunter – Home Stories A to Z
Courtney Fernan – A Thoughtful Place
Lucy – Craftberry Bush
Andrea – Pine and Prospect
ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF THE GIFT OF HOME by commenting on this post below and registering your entry in the Rafflecopter widget included at the end of the post.
Click here to order Bre’s new book, The Gift of Home
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Next on the tour is my friend KariAnne Wood of Thistlewood Farms. We met in real life and she’s just as fun in person as she is on her blog. She and I also co‑authored a book together, But Where Do I Put The Couch? And Answers to 100 Other Decorating Questions. You’ll love her home and the stories she shares—click to visit KariAnne’s blog for more inspiration.