~ Blogging her way ~

You probably already know this amazing woman from her fabulous design blog, decor8, but for those of you who don’t I’d like to introduce you to Holly Becker, interior design consultant, uber blogger and now teacher too. As if daily blogging on all things style-related for her 25,000+ readers wasn’t enough, Holly is now sharing her (quite formidable) knowledge of blogging in her online class, Blogging Your Way. I was lucky enough to get a place in the first class and not only were Holly’s tips and advice invaluable to novice and seasoned bloggers alike but the warm and supportive atmosphere of her classroom made for a truly enjoyable four weeks. You also want to hear this lady on a podcast – such a velvety voice!

Okay, enough with the gushing – let’s meet her!

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SC: As well as being an interior design consultant you are the editor of a hugely successful blog – how did decor8 come about?

HB: I attended a writing workshop in Boston in January 2006 called The Perfect Pitch because I was representing a friend who sold handmade goods and I was trying to learn how to write a good press release for her sake. The instructor said, ‘If you don't have a website in this day and age, you don't exist’ and instead of applying this advice to my friend I applied it to myself immediately because I thought, ‘Hey, here I am a new design consultant and I have zero online presence!’ My clients always wanted access to my brain as they said and so, feeling like I needed to be more accessible to them, wanting to demystify the world of interior design (back then it felt very closed and pretentious), and with a desire to showcase the unknowns out there like my friend along with other indie artists I had met at the time (these were the days before the big craft fair and Etsy boom), I went home after the workshop and took a blog I had registered eight months prior in May 2005; I wrote my first post and called the blog decor8, a play on the word decorate because I love names with letters and numbers combined for reasons I'm not so sure of really. :) So that's how it all happened. Plus, at that time there was little inspiration to be found online from blogs anyway as few existed that spoke to me and my personal style.

Did you have a dollhouse as a child? In other words, was this path an inevitable one for you?

Yes, I had a dollhouse – I constructed rooms out of shoe boxes left over from my mother and her thing for pretty high heels, and my aunt handmade a wooden dolls house for me as well, complete with lighting, wallpaper and handmade dolls. My mother and aunt spoiled me with lovely handmade things and both of them gave me a real appreciation early on for the handmade arts and crafts. My aunt (who sadly passed away) was an art teacher and a fine-art painter who lived in several countries and spoke four languages, and my mother – who was trained as a floral designer and who also painted – was constantly decorating and crafting and helped me to become the Holly that I am today; I am forever grateful to these two ladies for all these did for me growing up. So yes, I had several dollhouses, dolls, toys; I was either playing teacher, writing and illustrating my own books, playing with my dolls, rearranging the furniture in our home or pretending to be a realtor or shop owner at a very early age. One thing I was always obsessed about: decorating my bedroom and arranging the top of my dresser perfectly. I had to have things neat and pretty, always.

Describe your perfect room – what does it look like, what’s in it, where is it?

High ceilings, large windows, a transom window over the doorway, ceiling medallion with a large modern light, wide pine floors with imperfections, fireplace with an ornate marble mantel (or a Swedish corner ceramic stove), crown moldings, and tons of sunlight. I'd have to be in a city, but not a huge city — around 500,000 occupants suits me fine. I need to be within at least an hour or two from the sea as the idea of being landlocked disturbs me. I also need to be very close to a forest for daily exercise. My room would be a creative studio where I could listen to music, write, paint, take photos, do some freelance styling work, etc. I also need to see trees from my window and sky. :)

You must be bombarded by so many new ideas every day – how do you organise your inspirations?

Most of my ideas are in my head but the ones that come out to play end up on my blog, decor8, where I organize my inspirations as I feel them on a daily basis. I also use a site called StumbleUpon to organize random bits that I collect online. Haus Maus, my other blog, is another spot where I organize things but mostly random feelings or things relating to German life and culture in Germany/Europe as I see it since I live in both New Hampshire, USA and Hannover, Germany part-time.

I love the concept of Kindred and it truly looks like a labour of love for both you and Ez (from design blog Creature Comforts)– where did the idea grow from and where do you see it going?

One day I was thinking of how much I enjoyed Ez and her pretty blog and so over a year ago now I emailed her and asked if she wanted to work on a project together and that I had some ideas. We had several phone calls and Kindred was born and now it's in full swing and we both love it and contribute equally to everything about it from the artists we select to how the site looks and feels and the themes we select for the quarter. We want Kindred to be a true reflection of us both, combined vs. looking more like Ez or too much like Holly. It's all about being equals and partners and friends and not so much about who does what – that’s not important to me at all. The focus is on the work of the artists we showcase, not on our individual talents, which as it should be.

What constitutes great style to you?

Art is subjective so great style to one may be boring to another. But you don't want that answer, now do you? Ok, so I think to define something as great I'd say it's classic or timeless, like denim jeans or a button down pullover – these are examples of design that may be a bit mundane in themselves but that are great in the sense that they are functional, timeless, and, if modernized by individual designers, can be lovely to wear and own if kept current  – for instance, in the States we have mom jeans which are not really great style as the waistband is almost directly above the natural waistline of a woman but some still wear them, so again, it's about keeping things fresh and current. I think another example of great style is being true to yourself and showing that in what you do and who you are – not just buying something off the rack and thinking that if you wear it you'll immediately be transformed into this cool, hip fashionista. You should wear the clothes, the clothes should not wear you. Same goes with the home, a truly stylish home is one that looks and feels like the occupants and not the pages of a catalog or home they've copied from a magazine.

Do you have any collections?

Yes, magazines, decorating and craft books, art prints, stationery and paper! I also have a collection of vintage hats from the 20s-40s passed on to me from my mother. I once worked in a millinery shop in Boston where I made headpieces for brides, hair pins, hats and clips for bridal party members, and lots of fun hats for older ladies who frequently held events where hats seemed to be the theme of the night. Too cute, right? I met some great customers! As a result, I started to love hats (I was only 18 at that time) and enjoyed designing them, even designing for Boston area bridal shows for models who wore them in runway shows. I learned all about working with wire, horsehair, forms and fabrics and when I got married, I made my own headpiece and veil for my wedding. I no longer collect hats but I love the collection that I do have. I tend to collect 'things' in general, which means that I have a tag sale in my yard once a year in the summer when I sell lots of what I've collected or inherited from others over the year. I have a special room for my collection of things and when it starts to get crowded, I throw a big tag sale. I guess it's the shop owner in me coming out to play.

You recently taught your first e-course, Blogging Your Way – did you enjoy the experience of teaching and do you plan to run the course again?

Yes, I loved the experience of teaching, it was a lot of fun and the energy was great — my students really put themselves into it from actively participating in the forums to making a genuine effort to get to know and offer advice to fellow students. The homework assignments were especially fun, I loved seeing what each student had to report on each week. My next class will be longer, six weeks, and will kick off in September. I had planned to do another in June but realized that perhaps some would like to take some time with their family this summer (me included) so I thought that September would be a better timeframe for all. I will announce more, including a link to register, on decor8 August 10th.

In your opinion, what three things can a blogger do to improve their blog?

1) Write from your heart and don't water things down by over-editing and worrying about what people will think.
2) Treat your blog like a magazine in which you are the Editor-in-Chief. Take your work seriously and so will others.
3) Think of what is missing out in the blog world and fill that void – don't seek to copy what is already out there but instead, be yourself, develop your voice and aesthetic, and show the world your unique self.

What books, music, art etc is inspiring you right now? Do you have any hot recommendations for us?

Nothing in particular with books, music and art – it's more 'themes' I guess you could say. A lot of the things I was into in my 20s are resurfacing again. For instance, I'm crazy into floral design (again), all things French (I had an eBay shop for 4 years that I ran on the weekends called Paris Mornings selling French linen, ribbons, trims and books), Australia and Japan (dying to travel to both destinations), decorating (as usual), mixed media art, gosh I could go on forever as I have a running list of interests a mile long at all times.

I love these books:

Bazaar Style by Selina Lake
any of the jeu de paume books
Domino: The Book of Decorating by Jennifer Needleman
Flea Market Style by Emily Chalmers
Midwest Modern by Amy Butler
At Home With White by Atlanta Bartlett
Indulgence Cookies and Indulgence Cupcakes (Murdoch Books)
IKEA has this great book that my friend Vanessa sent to me called Beloved Homes that is simply awesome.

Working from home can often mean you’re working 24/7 – how do you maintain a good work/life balance?

I was working 6-7 days per week but April 1st I decided to change my entire life/schedule and I've been so much happier because of it. Monday-Friday I work normal business hours but I always break 30 minutes for lunch and 3 hours for dinner and time with my husband, then I jump online again before bed to check email and then give myself about an hour before bed to read a book, stretch, listen to music and have a cup of tea so that my body and brain can start to power down so as to have a proper rest. I notice that when I go from the computer to the bed without this important hour of me time in between I am restless and sleep so badly. As for the weekends, I always have a ton of plans starting on Friday night until Sunday evening whether it's mundane tasks like errands or cleaning my house/laundry to going out with my friends or husband so I don't have much time for work then.  I check email early Saturday morning but then I log off until late Sunday night when I check email again to get a slight jump start on Monday. However, on Saturday I allow myself ONE hour online and on Sunday ONE hour and that is it — I'm very strict with myself!

What’s your motto?

Live with no regrets. Say yes more than you say no. Show love when someone else's action would merit anger. Be the change you wish to see. Cherish your family and friends and don't be so quick to replace them when times are tough. Be loyal. Be honest. Be creative. Be yourself.

You're having a dinner party and can invite six famous people from the past or present – who would you choose?

I'm skipping this one because I quite honestly don't think I'd be interested in meeting anyone famous, dead or alive, at a dinner party. I almost don't want to ruin the mystery, people can be so boring during dinner parties anyway. I guess if you change the setting, I'd love to do jell-o shots with Martha Stewart, have Tony Bourdain make the appetizers, Morrissey to just sit there and complain, and see if Oprah is up for some karaoke. I imagine famous people would be much more fun and willing to share when intoxicated.

Thank you so much for joining us today, Holly! I'd write more but i have a sudden urge to go to Amazon and buy some books….

[Photo credits: Holly Becker]