Well the short answer to what do interior designers and bloggers do is: A lot of juggling! Those are two full time jobs really, which may explain why I’m tired! But there IS certainly crossover between the two for a design blogger.

Some days managing the design business is like herding cats, some days it’s like pulling teeth, and some days it’s like giving birth. Supply chain issues are here to stay for a while and we, along with everyone else, are learning how to navigate that new normal. But there is nothing as rewarding as transforming a house into a wonderful and welcoming home for a client!

Blogging is what I do because not everyone is in a position to hire professional help, and I believe SO strongly in the power of good design to change lives for the better. I blog to educate, to inspire, and hopefully to entertain while doing it!

Bloggers learn from research, experience, and from the advice of others farther along the way. I’ve been fortunate to learn much from my friend, Leslie Carothers, who runs a facebook group dedicated to helping bloggers and designers maximize their impact. I’ve made so many new friends in that group that I’ve yet to meet IRL…someday soon, hopefully!

Which brings me to the other thing that both designers and design bloggers do: attend conferences and markets around the country (and world) to learn about products and to develop relationships with vendors and with each other. I’ve never had an opportunity to attend one of these conferences in-person. Enter a pandemic and the world turned upside down, and now they have started to become available virtually. We are nothing if not creative problem solvers!

So for the first time, just this week, I was able to attend the fabulous Design Influencers Conference, formerly the Design Bloggers Conference, and this year called Design Influencers CONNECT. Pioneered and run by Adam Japko of Esteem Media, it is an opportunity to learn more about consumer trends and partnering with brands, and to network with peers. For the first time in 10 years, this conference was available to me right on my laptop, to attend wearing my fuzzy slipper socks! So I joined over 900 others in the pants-optional virtual venue and started my adventure.

I might stop here to mention here that I am SO bad at the networking piece of this…I’m an introvert and the thought of breaking in and striking up a conversation with a total stranger is something I have to work up to. It takes a lot of energy to overcome my inertia (wine might help too, but I have yet to try that). The conference had a “speed networking” feature which is exactly what it sounds like - a 5 minute blind “speed dating” type exchange with a randomly selected person from the conference who also entered the networking area.

This is a great idea in theory and apparently worked really well - many people reported it was FUN. Fun? I’m trying to shift my thinking to include fun as an adjective for this torture and I’m almost there, but faced with this screen, I have yet to make myself hit the the big red button. It REALLY needed a different word because “ready” for this is something I will never be.

In spite of my epic fail at networking, I learned SO MUCH at this conference. Four brands presented today in the Expo area.

The first was Monogram, GE’s luxury series. And now I have serious appliance envy. The features of their line are ah-MAY-zing; convertible flexible component drawer in their new glass door fridge, 5 in one ovens that offer modes from microwave to precision cooking, smart dual fuel ranges where even the smooth gliding racks are self cleaning. And the finish is just stunning - The elegant brass details on the statement line are calling my name…

Monogram is a great customer oriented company with a beautifully built product. They are currently offering both virtual product consultations and virtual cooking demonstrations.

The second presentation was done jointly by Crypton and Universal Furniture. Crypton is a line of performance fabrics for real life without the worry. These stain and spill resistant fabrics are beautiful and come in all sorts of textures and patterns from velvet and boucle to linen weave meaning you don’t have to sacrifice beauty and comfort for practicality, AND you can have you white sofa and red wine too!

Universal Furniture is offering Crypton fabrics on their very versatile and well-priced upholstery line. The Universal brand has something for everyone, from modern, to coastal, to classic styles, in furnishings for every room in the house. AND they have just added some beautiful outdoor furniture to their line!

The final presentation of the day was by Jaipur Living. They said it best

“Jaipur Living is a luxury, global lifestyle brand that produces the most beautiful rugs, pillows, poufs, and throws in the most ethical of ways. The company’s mission is to create beautiful lives for its employees, customers, and artisans—all while preserving the age-old craftsmanship of handmade rugs. Through social initiatives and the Jaipur Rugs Foundation, Jaipur Living supports more than 40,000 artisans in 600 Indian villages by providing them with a livable wage, access to health care, leadership education, and opportunities for personal growth and development.”

The incredible social initiatives they continue to champion have impacted the lives of so many people. Not only are their products beautiful, but the story behind them is beautiful as well.

For the first virtual Design Influencers Conference, it went incredibly well. The Hopin platform worked beautifully to allow interaction and connection amongst attendees and with presenters.

I learned so much in such a short time this week. And I look forward to the next two segments of this bite size version of the conference coming in April and May!