Courtesy of Shelly Gates
- Mississippi teacher Shelly Gates, 49, designed her daughter's dorm room at Mississippi State in 2020.
- After she posted photos of it, other moms started hiring her to design their college kids' dorms.
- Gates, who runs her dorm business on the side, said over-the-top rooms are part of Southern culture.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Shelly Gates, 49, whose Jackson, Mississippi-based interior-decor firm Mary Margaret Designs focuses on college dorm rooms. She posts videos of her work on TikTok, where she has over 17,000 followers. The essay has been edited for length and clarity.