Design blogs have certainly changed the way we view, ingest and share our inspirations, ideas and knowledge. A pioneer of design blogging, Holly Becker of decor8 (decor8blog.com) has taken her reign one step further with the new book, Decorate ($35, Chronicle Books). Becker, along with co-author Joanna Copestick and photographer Debi Treloar, traveled to homes here and abroad conducting interviews and taking photos that illustrate just what decorating means today. Here, Becker talks about the book’s journey, European decorating habits and the future of design blogs.
Long Island Pulse: From blogger to author! Congratulations on your new book. Where did your inspiration come from?
Holly Becker: Thank you! I was first inspired by decor8 readers, because so many had asked me to do a book and I wanted to give them something they could hold onto and find value in that also felt fresh, which was a challenge. People want books to bring them more inspiration than what they can find online, and rightly so…I don’t feel it would be fair to make readers pay for a book if they get the same thing for free on my blog so the book had to feature fresh, new content.
LIP: You have many fellow bloggers, business owners and style-setters contributing to your book. What was it like working with them?
HB: The sheer willingness on the part of all of our more than 75 contributors and homeowners to jump in and help me put this book together was another huge source of inspiration. I also enjoyed working with pro interior photographer Debi Treloar. Working with Debi gave me so much confidence because she treated me like a pro and let me do my thing. I still can’t believe I worked with her for four months—what an honor and a highlight of my career thus far.
LIP: Now that you have been living in Germany, are there any design lessons to be learned that we, as Americans can pick up on?
HB: I think it’s a good idea to not be hooked in by brand alone. Northern Europeans as a whole are less influenced by interiors’ brands and much more influenced by quality first and then design and affordability. They are not such a big consumer culture; they tend to buy things and keep them and they really put thought into what they buy. Most of my friends here will save up for months to buy the chairs that they really want for their dining room instead of settling on something cheaper because they don’t want to wait or the cheaper ones are what they can afford now.
LIP: Do you have any thoughts on where design blogging is headed next?
HB: I could talk for hours on this topic alone! Design blogging has reached a pinnacle in America and eventually, bloggers who don’t run their sites as a business will move on to other, less time consuming ways to share what they love such as through Facebook or Pinterest or new platforms that are developed over time that none of us even know of yet. For those who use their blogs as a business and earn a living from them, like me, we’ll continue to explore new ways to reach my audience through decor8.
Design Tip: Homewoners overseas love to personalize their homes. When decorating, take a cue from their approach and focus on ideas that are unique to you and your lifestyle. Stay open-minded and have fun experimenting with new takes on old designs.