Happy Wednesday Interior geeks. This week I’m sharing some exciting news … I’ve been nominated for an Amara Interior Blog Award as “best newcomer”. Well, I should say, 39 other interior bloggers and me. Yikes 40 of us competing for the grand title of “best newcomer”. Vote Here. Eeek, I feel like an awkward teenager again running for student council and praying that someone, anyone votes for me. I’m one part thrilled that someone thinks what I’m doing is worthy of a shout out + one part embarrassed to talk about it. Ahhh, to feel like a teenager again, NOT.
So eight months in, I thought I’d talk about how I got here – in case – you too are thinking about blogging (read: I actually typed blabbering, hmmm). I’m quite proud to say that I’ve written 24 blog posts – twenty bloomin’ four!
What did I know about blogging a year ago?! Nada. Nothing. Zilch. Taking that first step was the most difficult. I’m one of those types who thinks and chats about things long before I actually set out and do it. I guess you could call it a healthy dose of procrastination, maybe. Here’s what I did:
Step 1: Content. This was the one thing I was clear about. There are loads of interior blogs but not that many about what it’s like to going to interior design school – so I felt this could be an interesting topic plus a bit of chat about my adventures in renovating, and all those things I lust after (aka Interior crushes).
Step 2: The name. oh the million dollar question – what to call the blog – was a marathon (no, an ironman) in itself. Do I use my name? Do I create a name that reflects what I’m going to write about? Do I use something + interiors, home, styling, decor, design? I wanted something that would be easy to remember yet a touch of creativity. Oh and with a URL that was available.
Step 3: Platforms. It took me ages to research the different platforms I could use (aka WordPress, Squarespace, etc) and which best suited my style of writing, visual and copy. Plus, since I’m new to blogging, I desperately need something that was simple & easy to use with good support.
Step 4: Templates. It took me equally as long examining what seemed like thousands of style templates (more visual, heavy copy, minimalist, maximalist, whimsical, product led, experience led, etc). I actually started on one template but quickly learned I couldn’t customise it, so ended up switching to a different template.
I blabbed on & on & on to my friends about starting a blog, so in January, when I announced that the basic bits of the website were designed and I was ready to hit publish on my first blog piece, I think they all secretly screamed “finally” (awkward gasp & laugh). Looking back, I now think “What took me so bloomin’ long?!” It is the perfect answer to my somewhat (read: massively) radical decision to give up my day job, go freelance, and start Interior Design School.
Blogging gave me some structure. What exactly do I mean? Well. It focused me and forced me to pull together “a plan” (I say this in the loosest meaning). This “plan” is the starting point of my portfolio as an Interior Designer. If I was being technical, I’d say my “content calendar”, it’s just the things I chat about —
1 Interior Design School & what it is like being a student again. Talking about the antics I get up to — my fun creative assignments — how I’m thinking about the stuff I’m learning — and sharing it all with you.
2 Inside The Renovation and adventures in DIY projects. Let’s just say DIY doesn’t come naturally for me but I have loads of ideas of what can be done to a space. So, here is where I’m trying things for the first time (like hanging wallpaper) and sharing my experience from my past 4 renovations.
3 Interior Crushes is where I share all the things I’m lusting after. However, I thought it would be fun to hear about what others are lusting after too. So I came up with a fun feature called Interior Idol – Crush Lust Stalk, where I’m asking others to reveal all.
If it doesn’t fall into one of those 3 areas, then I really (note to self) shouldn’t chat about it. Focus liz, focus. So my advice to you if you are thinking about blogging – Just Do It. Take the Plunge. Before you jump – Think about how/where you will be different from other blogs. Think about who will read your blog & what they are interested in. Think about the ideal layout of your site, making it easy & fun to use. Think about your initial content and long term plan. And, above all ENJOY it.
VOTE. A BIG thank you for reading & if you have enjoyed my rantings & ramblings — please vote. It’s simple and thankfully they’ve set it up so no spam afterwards (unless of course you want the spam).
Plus, Amara Interior Blog Awards are giving away a Leica camera to one lucky voter. Vote here for Liznylon Designs to be entered into the giveaway. Terms & Conditions apply. @amaraibas
That’s a wrap for today. Short & sweet. If you have any questions about getting started, then fire away – I’m more than happy to share more detail about how I got my blog up & running.
Cheers,
Liz xx
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