House Beautiful Magazine asks: Who are design bloggers, really?

This month House Beautiful Magazine asks: Who are design bloggers, really?

Can you match the number under the photo with the blogger who did the room that HB featured?
Most of the bloggers have posted about their good fortune, and the answers are in the magazine and on the web site, so maybe this isn't going to be too hard. Whoever gets all eight correct first will win a prize, some worthless trinket of my choosing.

Match the names of the blogger to the numbered photo and leave your answer on the comments screen.

Your multiple choices are: Mrs. Blandings, Design Sponge, Hollister Hovey, Peak Of Chic, Decorno, Habitually Chic, Easy and Elegant, Cool Hunting.
All photos from House Beautiful web site.

#1.

Lately alot of bloginistas are getting ink in newspapers and in the very shelter magazines they are usurping. It's always interesting to see how style bloggers decorate. We all have points of view that we offer profusely and unabashedly. Some of us are design professionals; some of us are writers; some of us are wannabe professionals; some of us are design students; some of us just like pretty things. It's all good.

#2.

It's fun and surprising to see how our personal spaces match up with what we advise others to do, what we promote as good or bad, or if it really plays as magazine worthy, which is still the holy grail for everyone who decorates. If you want to read something about being magazine worthy go HERE to The Design Geek. It's the best thing I've read on the subject.

#3.

Lots of blather always gets bandied about about the young person's take on things, I guess because they're still the biggest shopping demographic, and advertisers want to know what the kids are buying. I used to think that decor was ageless, but maybe not. I think you can tell the generation of the person by looking at their rooms. You can probably figure out gender, and how much money they have too, and maybe what they like for breakfast.

#4.

I get huge crushes on other bloggers. I really admire so many of them. In my mind's eye they're an accomplished lot. So it seems to follow that their homes would be put together well, with thought and wit, and know-how. I'm not talking about expensive impressive decors, I'm just talking about a room looking like someone with style and savvy put it together.

#5.

Above all I don't expect the rooms to be ordinary, because the bloggers are so not ordinary.

#6.

I don't know how House Beautiful chooses the pictures, what professional criteria they apply if any. After all we're just bloggers working for free. Maybe they just feed the hungry editorial machine, and pick anyone who sends in a photo. You can send yours in. I just sent mine in!
Send your photo to: sendus@housebeautiful.com

#7.

Because no matter how successful you are, whether you've had editorial a zillion times, or you're just starting out, it's always nice to see your name in print (with hopefully a favorable mention ha ha), and then blog about it. Everybody likes bragging rights for the hard work we do. We're a polite group, so we brag while thanking the person who mentions us. It makes it seem less loutish, and that way we can toot our own horn and still be a lady (or gentleman) about it.

#8.

I'd really like to lean on the horn and shout ME ME ME. They picked ME ME ME. And I'd like to think it really means something to have been chosen ha ha.

Do you care if the room of a fellow blogger disappoints? We know we love it when someone knocks our socks off.
I feel sad if I like the person, or if they're really trying hard and just not getting it. I feel validated and bitchy when I think the person is smoke and mirrors with imaginary skills and clients and a big pontificating mouth.
Do you think you have to be a good decorator or designer to know what's good or bad and comment about it on a blog? Probably not ha ha.
But really what does it matter? In a way the blog is a persona we create, with bits of our reality, and a bit of a fantasy life too. And magazine life as portrayed in a published room (even your own), and real life are certainly very different even if you're a pro being paid to design and decorate.


I respect and support the work of my peers, and rely on their honesty whether they're in the business or just love pretty things. And I want them to respect, and yes like me, and my decor ha ha. I want them to rely on me. I used to think style bloggers should be groomed and attractive too. But what do I know since everybody thinks we're unkempt bums living in raggedy pajamas.

One of my favorite blogs is Petunia Face. Some people write it off us a mommy blog. And I don't know what's wrong with a mommy blog, or what's right with putting them down.
This cool little image was posted HERE, and you can make one for yourself HERE. Or at least you can if your computer is not a four year old iBook ha ha.
I couldn't make one, but maybe you can. It might be fun to use the image of one of your rooms on it. I thought about doing one of our tango pictures too.

Anyway, leave me your answers and a comment!
Be brave, maybe say which rooms you like, which rooms work, which rooms are so-so. It's okay to have and express an opinion about one another. You do it about everything else you blog about ha ha. You can give it the old blogger YES? or NO?
And I'll announce a winner by the end of the week.

Posted in: Blogs And SItes You Might Like, Contests, Magazines