We can't help but be struck by how powerful yet restrained interior designer Melanie Turner's spaces are, and we were even more struck by how down-to-earth and cool she is. In only seven short years after opening her interior design business, she's earned such accolades as Veranda's Southeastern Designer of the Year, Trad Home's Top 10 Designers, Architectural Digest's 2010 Kitchen of the Year, and many more. We were beyond thrilled when she sat down to talk with us about her recents trip to Morocco, the power of vision boards, why she never puts bookshelves in a home, and so much more.

WHAT YOU'LL HEAR ON THE SHOW:

• How Melanie uses vision boards to turn her dreams into reality
• We talk about the photo shoot Ballard Designs did at Melanie's house
• The powerful history of her historic home and the spiritual connection she has to it
• Why she feels like a steward of her house instead of an owner
• She talks about how practical the home is for modern life, even though it was built in 1923
• We talk a bit about Atlanta architect Phillip Shutze and historic preservation
• How owning a historic home has helped her with her client work
• All the fabulous locales where she currently has projects
• She tells us all about her trip to Morocco, including what she brought home and visiting Yves Saint Laurent's house
• How you remember much more if you can't take photographs
• Why instead of gifts, they take a family trip every year during the holidays
• Why editing is the most powerful thing you can do to refresh your home
• Her approach to picture frames -- framing them in one big mass on a stairwell instead of spread throughout
• Melanie talks about how she manifested her project onto the cover of Veranda magazine with a vision board
• How rewarding it is to give purpose to her client's homes
• How at her client installations, the husband is usually the one who cries the most!
• Why you shouldn't dismiss how important your home is
• Why she loves decorating for bachelors
• Why it's so hard to decorate her own home
• How many times she's moved since she's been married (she's married to a builder and developer)
• How you can give a new build home that old character that gives a house soul