We’ll celebrate the 15-year blog-aversary in January, which I’m pretty sure is 60 in “blog years”. My goodness how it’s changed and I’m seriously so grateful to still be here, with my team, doing this job in this wild digital world. It’s been four years since we did our last reader survey (December 2020) and the world has changed a lot. I’ve changed a lot. You’ve probably changed a lot. The internet and social media have SURE CHANGED A LOT. Instagram disrupted blogs, and now TikTok has disrupted both (becoming the de facto search engine for so many). Don’t get me started on AI, lol. It’s WILD. That’s all to say that people are reading/consuming in a different way than in 2020. Some of us – ME! – still enjoy longer-form articles with beautiful “photographs” on a laptop with our coffee. I scroll on my phone, but not much. I’m not on TikTok. But I’m a different generation of content consumer and that’s ok! But it makes it hard to make decisions. We have ideas – SO MANY IDEAS – but my time is finite and design content creation is labor intensive and requires so many resources. So guidance from the people who we want to serve is INVALUABLE to us. We aren’t a retailer who can easily see that everyone is buying this one style of shoe and then simply make more of those in different colors (Stanley, much?). What “goes viral” isn’t necessarily what we want to chase.
So I need a favor. A survey sounds SO BORING, but it’s not, y’all, I promise. The questions are fast and fun – geared more towards gathering data (not long-form questions) – you can do it easily on your phone by clicking a bunch of boxes. If you aren’t a commenter but want to give some input in a casual and fast way – today is your day. IT’S SO EASY. In fact, skip the rest of my personal thoughts below and just do it HERE if you are in a hurry.
In short, we are gathering data to help us figure out what we can do to make the blog better for you. I get really nervous about this question because I fear that the answer lies in me – that it requires more of me, my time, and my personal life on display. It often feels impossible to do right by all (readers, partnerships, team, family), and when I mess up (often) – it’s public and painful. But this is part of having a career on the internet and I chose and continue to choose this job because I love it more than I think I could love any other job. No job is perfect. All jobs are full of challenges and require sacrifices. Doing it clear-headed, with the most information is our best shot 🙂 It’s absolutely worth it.
Please, please please, if you are a first-timer or a long-timer take 2 minutes to click some boxes and fill out the survey. HERE. I can speak on behalf of the team when I say we are so grateful. xx
Opening Image Credit: Photo by Kaitlin Green
Love an EHD Survey! I was surprised I had to write in Article as a furniture company I purchased from in the last year. EHD uses Article so much. Did I miss it?
You all do such an amazing job providing some of the best design content out there. It didn’t seem like a place for it in the survey, so I wanted to shout out your holiday content- Halloween and Christmas decorating is something I always look forward to.
Thank you EHD!
DUH!!!! oh my gosh. my oversight – even crazier as we have some very exciting projects in the works with article (including one coming this week!). thanks for flagging!
just tweaked the seasonal trends verbiage to include holiday terms, too – great catch. xx
I’m a long time reader (12 years?) and I’ve been along for many changes. I do not have social media but I recognize that a lot of the daily work would be attached to that. I think there’s a formality in the content creation that has reduced the connection, perhaps? Posts that are regularly engaged within the comment section by the author do entice me to return to the conversation.
The survey question about palletes uses the plural but then only let’s you choose one.
You have lots of great thoughtful writers on the team and I don’t think improvement has to mean more of YOU. Daily reader and so appreciative that anyone still blogs any more. I hate snippet content and really enjoy the slower pace of long form writing. Please keep doing what you all are doing. Each of your writers has a distinct voice and that’s what makes it so great. Powerhouse team at EHD
Well said! Agree!
I completely agree, especially with the idea that Emily need not feel obligated to be front and center in every post. I think that the more posts by the team actually helps build this connection because we become familiar with the design style and authorial voices of individual team members
Completely agree! While I love Emily’s content, I also love hearing from everyone at EHD and it brings diversity style-wise 🙂
This is so true. It feels like when Emily posts a room reveal, what used to be one long excellent blog post is now being split into short multiple posts, none of which are actually long enough to justify one post. In contrast, when Orlando recently posted his kitchen reveal, it was such a long, interesting, and excellent post, with lots of people commenting. I’m guessing Emily has to spend so much time on Instagram stories, she just can’t write or design as much as she used, so her posts are shorter, to maintain the frequency, and more lifestyle focused because she’s not designing. That’s totally understandable but since this is a design blog, can’t we just rely on the other EHD team members and contributors who are designing and who have such excellent voices, so we can swing back towards design and away from lifestyle? More Velinda, Orlando, Caitlin, Jess, etc.! And I second the commentator who requested calls for Fix It Friday to be on the blog…. It feels like you miss out on stuff by not following on Instagram, which sadly gets rid of the community aspect of reading a blog almost daily.
Good luck!
Emily, I’m just about your age and I’m in the same boat. I don’t want to get on Tik Tok- I don’t even want to get on Instagram. I’m just grateful you’re still here allowing readers who want to consume longer form articles to read what your awesome team creates. I’ve read this site since you bought your Glendale house and have loved every year with your moves and updates. I have clicked and purchased many items and ended up loving them all. I love the design updates, the life updates, the linkups, the fashion, all of it. You’re my fun daily read and you guys do a fantastic job. Thank you!
SAME! Although I am and do love Instagram too! But I agree with all of the rest of what you said! I have been reading since I think the Mount Washington house and it is a regular part of my day that I look forward to! 🙂
Curious, which house was that? A rental? I thought the first house they bought was in Glendale.
https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/introducing-our-first-home
Yes, Glendale was the first house they owned. Their previous house is in the archives, but the other rentals before that are hard to find.
https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/projects-individual-new-home
This post provides a bit of a summary.
https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/style-evolution-going-big-return-og-ehd
As you analyze the data later you might appreciate knowing what age range survey participants fall into… That’s the only additional question I’d recommend to help you understand the interests and desires of sub-demographics!
nice point! we chatted about including, but luckily our google analytics gives us a great idea of demographics (and we didn’t wanna get too greedy with your time, either ;)). thanks for checking it out!!! xx
Creepy AF 😂!
This is a great way to hear what we value most! As a long time EHD fan that extends back to Design Star, I have seen a lot of evolution on this blog. I would like to see more of the past series return. The deep dives into design styles, get the look, high/low, etc would be welcomed. The blog has become very lifestyle driven recently and it is not resonating as much for me. I still check it daily or almost daily to see what was posted. When it’s around design, I always read, but when it’s lifestyle or a simple DIY, I skip.
Ditto to this. I’m a long-time reader, but came for the home design and decorating, not fashion and lifestyle. I think you could veer a bit towards entertaining–how to decorate/create an interesting table. But beyond that, I skip the posts on fashion trends.
Ditto 100%
Long time reader here- I found you when design star first aired!- and I still read the blog every day. My personal view is that I come here for design content and think it’s most exciting when there are room renovations- and I don’t necessary mean construction, but it could be just furnishing and designing a room. (As an aside, I think that’s where HGTV has failed in that it’s all flips with no heart in the room, and where Magnolia has succeeded bc it more often shows real home owners who do it themselves, but alas). For example, having readers show off their rooms and WHY they chose that tile, or that sofa- that could offer real inspiration and ideas that fit in a variety of budgets and lifestyles (eg renter v homeowner).
That’s a great idea. Design Sponge (RIP) had great home tours that reflected the personalities of the owners, and that’s a hole in the market right now imho.
Design Sponge! I miss it so. I think EHD could take some inspiration from DS* – EHD puts out an IMMENSE amount of work and product, but sometimes I just want a happy little craft or pick-me-up (e.g. a DS*-inspired tea towel cafe curtain project) that would take some of the pressure off of EHD. <3
Reader room submissions is a great idea, as I’d love to see the spaces of fellow readers! I think that getting quality photographs may be an obstacle, since professional photographs is a hallmark of this blog, but it’s worth looking into.
DIY Playbook does a great job of highlighting reader spaces and I believe she finds and hires a local photographer to shoot them.
Yes to reader submissions! Fix it Friday is fun. Before and afters are fun. Like, nice rooms but not too super nice that they feel unattainable – how and why the homeowners got there – id love that
I agree. The DIY I want to see is how to design a room and bring it to life
I’m a public opinion researcher, so I don’t think surveys are boring :). And tbh, people often like to express an opinion, especially if it seems like someone is reading it/will do something with it.
I did the survey, but I wanted to comment to show support for the long form blog format! So many blogs that I used to read have moved to an influencer heavy format plugging products. I appreciate that while EHD does plug products (I get it, this is a business and I don’t begrudge that!), the narratives that come along with those posts are delightful to read! This is a daily stop for me on the internet. Thanks for all the hard work the EHD team puts forth!
As a professional communicator, I genuinely cannot comprehend how people don’t want to spend five minutes on a survey to improve their lives! Please everyone, take the survey! It only benefits you.
Hi! …long time lover of EH …paint color on that photo please !!!
Unless she repainted her primary bedroom, the blue is SW Debonair.
Just wanted to say that I am loving all the different voices on here! I can no longer relate as much to Emily (we are long term rentals without a lot of say in the hard finishes) but the rental dilemmas or rental go around and the design lessons are all so good!
I am Canadian so the politics are posts I’ll skip. Also often 50% of the links don’t ship to Canada so I don’t always go through those. But I love the inspiration and often use what I am seeing to determine what I am looking for at garage sales and thrift stores! Thank you for the long form blogging – it’s been 8 years since I have started reading and I rarely miss a day!
I forgot one thing! I wish it was possible to send in fix it Friday’s through the blog. I am not on instagram or Facebook but would love the option to chime in!
Ooh I agree with this! I deleted my instagram and would love a way to make a submission.
I also wanted to add my voice to fan of long form articles and content. I love reading about the psychology of design, why certain things are chosen and what impact that has on how the room feels. That can’t be shared in short form. Thanks for all the amazing content!
I just submitted, but forgot to add that I LOVE some of the older posts of spaces you designed for charitable organizations. The cat shelter is still one of my favorites that you’ve ever done!
Even though I almost never comment I am a daily follower and appreciate so much that y’all are still here. I hate that so many blogs have fallen by the wayside or evolved into something unrecognizable. Thanks to all of you who keep it up, I know it takes a ton of hustle and heart. Love the mix of voices here and miss a bunch of the ones who have moved on. Love how you know how to inspire while also keeping it real – such a great combo. Please keep going!!xoxo
I did the survey but just thought of another fun thing the team could maybe do sporadically, like make playlists of music they are currently into or love?! 🙂
While I was about to chime in that I’m all about the design posts and not as into the lifestyle posts, can someone please tell me what jeans Em is wearing in this photo 😂?
Also, and please know that I have zero idea how to quantify this, but I think my fave era of the blog was the Glendale house. I think maybe it was because almost all of the advice was decorating vs. renovating? I feel like all of the home design blogs have gotten too aspirational for me – now it’s all custom millwork, additions, a whole new bathroom, etc. I miss the era where all of the blogs seemed more attainable, it was more, “let’s paint! Here is a weird bookshelf!”, which is more of my pricepoint. Like, I do a major interior project once every five years, but i read the blog every day, so I yearn for something that matches that cadence? No idea if thats doable from a content creation perspective…
Yes! Decorating vs renovation is where it’s at!
Same the Glendale periode
thrifting
styling
The jeans look like the Emerson Jean from Nili Lotan possibly the Classic Wash.
This was so fun to fill out! Thank you for all you do, Emily and Team. I’m a long-time, daily reader of the blog, and I’m not on social media. Everyone else I read is on Substack, always in medium-to-long form.
In full disclosure I may have done twice. I did first time in bed and fell asleep but wasn’t sure if I had submitted before dozing off so did again to be sure.
Where is Emily’s pretty pink sweater from? (I also took the survey!)
It’s the Mentone Half-Zip Knit Pullover by Varley in Pale Mauve.