We’re so thrilled to have the opportunity to share a guest blog post by our friend, and magazine editor, Lisa Mowry! Lisa is the genius behind more than 1,000 features for national and local magazines. Needless to say, she knows a bit about what it takes to have a space highlighted in a publication and why some stories just don’t make the cut.
photo by Christina Wedge
Lisa Mowry has been a home and garden writer, editor and stylist for 25 years. She is the homes editor for Atlanta Magazine and Atlanta Magazine’s HOME, plus the regional editor for Better Homes & Gardens, Traditional Home and all their special interest magazines such as Country Home, Beautiful Kitchens & Baths, Décor, Elegant Homes and Country Gardens.
Without further ado, we give you Lisa’s take on 5 Reasons Your Interior Designs May NOT Be Published…
I get excited when I go to my inbox and see a designer’s name with the subject line, “New Project.” –I never know when the most amazing house will appear before me with all sorts of possibilities for one of my magazines. But sometimes the house in front of me may be beautiful—I may even wish I could move right in myself—yet it’s not a fit for the publications I work with. Here are a few reasons why:
1.It’s not unique enough. If a living room looks “showroom perfect,” that may be impressive to neighbors, but magazines need more depth and personal style. Just as in the world of fashion, often the best rooms have one unexpected element, or may include features both expensive and budget-friendly. Always a pleasure to see: original art, layers of visual interest, and good use of color. I see a lot of swanky white kitchens, for instance, (and included in that category are light gray and light beige) because we all love a light-and-bright place to eat and cook, but the magazines need to show ideas beyond white.
Interior designer Chenault James’s house for a Columbus, Georgia client hit a homerun with Traditional Home magazine, thanks to its classic lines with a few important twists: great architectural elements in the form of metal French doors and windows and the ceiling treatment, plus her clever mix of patterns while still maintaining a serene color palette. Professional photography by Emily Followill enhanced the project even more.
2.Your scouting photography doesn’t capture the space well. I depend on designers and architects to send me photos of their projects a lot of the time. Are professional photographs good to send? Yes, they can be helpful, but rarely tell the whole story. Magazine editors need more than one “money shot” of a room; we need to see all angles, vignettes and details, plus exteriors, and outdoor spaces. Good non-professional shots can be sufficient and are almost always needed to supplement professional photos. Don’t use a wide-angle lens and do turn off most lamps in a room so the lighting is more uniform. An artsy detail of a fern on a coffee table may be something you want for a blog post, but editors don’t need that sort of thing.
This master bedroom in a coastal cottage in Watercolor, Florida will be featured in Décor magazine. Rich pops of color and salvaged doors distinguish it from a typical beach-house look…nice work by Tim Adams. High ceilings don’t feel too large, thanks to the wood-plank walls and large-scale furnishings. Photography: Emily Followill
3.Your projects are too something: too big, too small, too low-end, too high-end. Cavernous two-story living rooms often don’t have a charm factor readers are looking for, and on the other end, the blogging world is filled with first homes having similar DIY looks.
Condos can be a harder sell for magazines because there often isn’t as much architectural charm, but interior designer Helen Davis’s own loft has the advantage of brick walls and an arched window, plus her own swanky furnishings: a colorful mix of vintage, repurposed and personal accessories. Atlanta Magazine has covered her place, and it will also appear in BH&G’s Refresh later this summer. Photography: Sarah Dorio
4.There’s not enough to show. I can’t do much with one room, and designers often send me just the living room or dining room. Occasionally a unique room might work for a magazine (We have a regular feature in Atlanta Magazine called “Room Envy,” for instance), and some spaces such as kitchens or porches can warrant a whole feature, but in general, know that your chances to get published are limited with only one area.
Designer Sherry Hart took this scouting photo of a Buckhead project herself, but put the time into styling and getting the lighting right to accent this Zen-like bathroom. The bathroom itself combines textures and materials in a fresh way, and it will be featured in the fall issue of BH&G’s Kitchen & Bath Ideas.
5. Your project is over-exposed. Be careful not to let every blog around publish your best work; editors tend to shy away from homes where those good ideas have already been shown. That brings up some Magazine 101 refreshers: Don’t submit a project to more than one magazine at a time, and don’t always have your work in the same magazine. Once you get a reputation as a regular contributor to one publication, it can hurt your chances with others.
Wow! This is some fantastic – and super interesting info – for both designers and interior design appreciators alike… It’s amazing all that goes into the production of some of these beautiful home features!
A giant thank you to Lisa Mowry for taking the time to author this wonderful guest blog post and for sharing some of her behind-the-scenes tidbits on working with some of our favorite shelter publications!
