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All things design, diy, and lifestyle.
Do it all yourself!
Words by Grace van M
I started a DIY blog with the goal of creating a more beautiful and functional home. As we designed and decorated our space, we got more comfortable with power tools, formed genuine connections, and figured out what being a good influencer is all about.
More than just a pretty Instagram grid.
Our story began with a blank canvas—a new construction home, an Instagram account with zero followers, and formal graphic design training. In the spirit of sticking with what I know, I started with a brand style guide for the house to establish a visual direction.
As we added more personality to our home, our content creation business became more dynamic as well. With more robust marketing efforts, I took on the role of writer, photographer, website developer, and project manager.
Consistent posting and strategy helped expand our reach, and eventually landed us exciting collaborations with some of our favorite brands.
Our Reach
Followers on Instagram
Average Instagram Post Comments
Instagram Engagement Rate
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Total Blog Posts Published
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Blog Traffic From Social Media
Sponsored Posts
We can all have beautiful homes!
Beyond making our own home special, we set out to inspire and empower our audience to do the same. I wanted to prove that good design can be accessible, approachable, and affordable with simple, high-impact, low-cost projects.
I designed an organic and forgiving pattern paired with clear instructions to make hand painting “wallpaper” an easy project for beginners. Zero artistic skills or special equipment required. I loved seeing my audience try this in their own spaces!
In The Wild
The (Sponsored!) Kitchen Renovation
After working with brands on one-off campaign posts, we went big and lined up sponsorships for our kitchen renovation. I designed the entire kitchen in Adobe Illustrator and shared my plans to clearly communicate the vision to our brand partners.
The result was ~10 brand sponsored blog posts, hundreds of photographs, a few videos, and a brand new kitchen that proudly built with our own two hands!
Our Sponsors
Free art for all!
If you are a graphic designer or content creator, you have likely had to source stock photos for a client. And if you need to be economical, you’re probably already familiar with open source imagery, but I realized that most people do not know this trick of the trade!
I went on a curating bender and put together about a dozen collections of open source artwork that could be printed off at home. The vast majority come from museum archives—my virtual happy place during the summer of lockdown.
Favorite Collections
My lasting impression
The Highlight Reel
Of all the content that I created for the Collected Eclectic brand, the collection that sticks is a set of home decor specific icons for Instagram highlight covers. I initially made them for myself and eventually offered them as a free digital download.
Years later, I am still finding myself stumble across a complete stranger’s Instagram profile using these icons.
Free Home Decor Instagram Highlight Icons
Click here for a Canva template featuring my favorite 24 home decor specific icons with fully customizable colors. My treat!
Collected Eclectic was an independent blog focused on documenting the transformation of a builder grade house in to something special. All content was designed, photographed, and written by Grace van Meurer in Houston, Texas.
© 2018 – 2021