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Design

The Results From The Reader Survey (And What They Mean For The Blog’s Future)

Y’all. Thank you SO MUCH to all of you who gave feedback on our latest reader survey. While we get a lot of Google hit traffic or people who just come for the reveals (or the hot personal goss) knowing more about you (and your needs, wants, and constraints) is incredibly valuable and really does change the business for the better. Some things didn’t surprise us (we all love a MOTO over here) but so many of the answers we were like, “REALLY?” or “OK, wow”. Like all digital businesses, we are at an inflection point and personally, as a business owner and mom (who still loves being a design blogger), I’m always juggling how to grow and progress the business while maintaining solid connections with my husband, kids, and team. It’s not always easy (and nearly impossible without a good team) and I’m so excited to figure it out. This year we are going to rebrand and rebuild the site – not a cheap, easy, or fast feat. It’s time for a fresh look, sure, but what about the site do we want to lean into, not to mention what type of homes, stories, and styles do we want to tell and explore? What is the real purpose and the big old question of “WHY?” And so many of the answers really rely on you, our daily readers. Those of you who check the blog like the news – I truly can’t thank you enough for being here. While we want new people to drop in and stay, of course, just programming the blog for clickbait has never been our MO and this survey was once again so enlightening.

The last site rebuild was big and cumbersome as I wanted the blog to be more of a design resource – a go-to place for all things design, decor, shopping, tips, community, etc. I’m sure many people found it helpful at times (including myself) but ultimately a lot of those pages went less clicked and then as things shifted with my team we stopped updating them. So as I was being asked all these questions about what I wanted the new site to be like, and what changes do I really want to make, I felt lost and confused. Your survey shed so much light and more importantly, gave us more confidence and clarity. THANK YOU. Ok, onto the survey – here are some of the highlights that I thought would be fun to chat about:

photo by kaitlin green | from: farmhouse family room reveal
  • We received thousands of responses – 4x more than our last reader survey. WOW. THANK YOU. As a perpetual “suggestion box” person, I thank you 🙂
  • 88% of those surveyed are homeowners. This surprised us, too – I guess we thought that since our audience is so big in NYC and LA there were more renters (and maybe there are) but at least those who filled out the survey own homes (which also makes sense since you tend to really care about remodels and decorating if you feel ownership over it).
  • 55.5% of readers visit daily; 4.1% of those surveyed only follow via social. WOW. It’s SO hard to keep up with content on all platforms so we often have to prioritize (and de-prioritize) our time. Now, of course, this was a survey on the blog so naturally, it’s going to be blog-heavy, but y’all this pleased me GREATLY. I’m a blog reader with so few daily reads left out there. While I know that my IG has 1 million followers, we honestly value and will continue to value the daily blog readers here so much more, just as you’ve prioritized us.
  • Our top 5 most-beloved post types are: before-and-after transformations (loved by 86% of the audience); renovation tips, shopping guides, and easy updates (72%); farmhouse updates (70%); DIY projects or tutorials (60%); roundups (60%). On the other hand, seasonal trends/holiday decorating ideas are the least popular type of content (favored by 10%). This is funny since I spend so much time and money decorating for holidays and they never truly “hit” which is fine, I enjoy the heck out of doing it. But the survey confirmed that.
  • Series-wise, MakeOver TakeOver (MOTO) is your favorite with 56% of the vote. SAME. 🙂 Close runner-ups are Design Agony (34%), Fix it Fridays (32%), and Flea Market Finds (30%). I mean, you don’t have to ask me twice to do more flea market finds posts:)
  • On a scale of 1-10, the overwhelming majority of you rated your design enthusiasm/knowledge between a 5-8 (72% total). The most popular rating? A 7, selected by 25% of you. AMAZING. You know, you care, you love design, and want to learn more (SAME).
  • You are overwhelmingly interested in living and family rooms (88%), with kitchens taking second place (63%) and bedrooms in a close third (62%). NOTED. I would have definitely thought kitchens would be #1.
  • 70% of you cited “budget constraints” as your biggest challenges when it comes to designing their spaces (understood). 40% cited choosing the right products as a challenge (we can help!); 36% cited lack of time (we can’t help with adding more time – but maybe we can highlight more quick transformations? On it).
  • 89% of you prefer consuming interior design content in blog format (hooray!). 51% enjoy static photographs on Instagram (compared to only 30% who enjoy reels, and only 4% who like TikTok!); 35% enjoy scouring Pinterest. 19% prefer to watch long-form video content. There’s lots of room to grow here – YAY.
  • The style preferences were surprising! Our audience prefers Scandi (47%), Mid-Century (44%), and Traditional (38%) design styles. The least favorites? Maximalism (.3%), Transitional (.4%), and Eclectic (.5%). Crazy, right?
  • Color-wise, we saw a few patterns: 36% of the audience decorates with earthy tones; 22% with bold/vibrant colors; and 22% with neutrals. We’ll keep a variety of color palettes coming – I love them all in different ways.
  • Moving forward, you would like to see more vintage and antique furniture (65%), budget-friendly pieces (64%) and eco-friendly/sustainable pieces (45.3%). Only 10% of you want to see high-end pieces, but 28% are interested in custom/hand-made design. This is very exciting to me personally and this feedback is absolutely going to shape a future project that I’m dripping with excitement to start.
  • When selecting furniture or decor, 80% of those surveyed prioritize functionality and comfort; 77% prioritize aesthetics or visual appeal; and 59% prioritize price/value for money. (Only 5% prioritize brand and only 17% prioritize sustainability, which is surprising). In response, we’re focusing more on in-person reviews, testing products, testimonials, and really trying to illustrate when and why a product is really, really good.
  • When it comes to DIY, 71% of readers want to see small-scale renovation projects. 70% want to see how we solve tricky home organization problems, and 55% want to see more DIY outdoor or landscaping projects. While we aren’t a huge DIY blog (god bless those people, so much work), I always want to do more so this is helpful to know where we should focus when we dabble.
  • Only 13% of those surveyed spend over $4,000 on sofas and or sectionals, while 70% spend between $1,500 and $4,000. That is a big margin, but y’all there are so many good sofas for under $2500 (but very few under $1k) so this is good to know that we are aligned.
  • More than 50% of readers said their typical budget for a dining chair is under $200 per chair. 29% said they’d pay up to $300. 1.8% of readers said they’d spend $600 or more per chair. AGREED. Dining chairs (because you need so many of them) add up too fast.
  • Coffee tables had the widest budget distribution, which we expected. 24% of the audience would prefer to spend under $250; 31% name their budget between $250-400; 18% say they’d pay between $400-$550; 12% suggest they spend between $550-$700; 7% look for tables between $700-850; and, surprisingly, 8.2% are willing to pay over $850 per table. SO INTERESTING.
  • How Often Do You Change Your Home? 10% of readers update their homes monthly; 27% update quarterly or seasonally. 22% invest in new products only when necessary, 18% swap annually, and 20% update their home every few years.
  • We were genuinely a little surprised by your top furniture and decor retailers! In the last year, 67% of our audience has purchased home goods from Target (as expected), but 51% purchased from Amazon! This is interesting because the feedback we get in the comments does not match reality here. Shows that convenience is winning in a lot of ways. Rounding out the top 10 retailers: Wayfair Brands, Crate & Barrel, West Elm, Etsy, Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, World Market, and CB2. This tracks with the budget info provided above and we’ll be sure to highlight more of these affordable brands moving forward (they are our favorite as well).
  • For those who enjoy our lifestyle/fashion content – 56% say that product reviews or recommendations are most helpful for them, followed by quick and easy mirror selfies from me (40%), and outfit ideas from the EHD team (36%).

There was a lot of nuance in the responses that we were able to distill into actionable, bigger-picture stuff (spoiler: more relatable projects). January marks 15 years of being on the internet, (which is about 60 in blog years) and I’m always so grateful to be here, that my team is here, and that you are here. THANK YOU and exciting things to come I promise. xx

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: A Quick Trip To Target: The Little Things That Make Me Feel Good And Pulled Together

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Sally
3 months ago

Interesting!! Hopefully lots of other readers agreed with me that content about the teams’ homes is a winner. I read the pages from Velinda, Jess, Arlyn, Emily B, Sara, Caitlin, Orlando, Julie, Lea and co over and over and over and over and over!!!!! And over! For those of us who are space constrained, their homes and projects are super inspiring and I love each of their personalities!!! (And yours of course Emily but that hopefully goes without saying).

Colin
3 months ago
Reply to  Sally

Completely agree that getting to know members of the team and seeing their own spaces come together is a highlight! Those posts bring in different styles and types of living spaces into the blog which opens up more opportunities for me to learn about design.

Kim
3 months ago

So glad you are sticking around 😊 This is one of only two blogs I still read every day and it’s something I look forward to!

Margaret
3 months ago
Reply to  Kim

Curious what other blog you read?

Michelle
3 months ago
Reply to  Margaret

My two are this one and Cup of Jo – I bet I’m not the only one!
(Grit and Polish, Swiss Miss, Messy Nessy Chic are the three others I check with less frequency – Can we do an old-school blog-share, please!?)

PAppe;
3 months ago
Reply to  Michelle

Like you, my daily blog sites have markedly decreased . . . mostly because most of them have gone away or are only on Instagram (and that’s just not the same). I have been an EH fan since she won the design show (name escapes me at the moment) on HGTV.

Stacia
3 months ago
Reply to  PAppe;

Me too! I was as interested in her awesome fashion as I was her design style!

SARAH
3 months ago
Reply to  PAppe;

Secrets of a stylist! Do I win a prize 😁

Amber
3 months ago
Reply to  PAppe;

She won Design Star. I was a fan back then too :).

Sari
3 months ago
Reply to  Michelle

HA mine are also EHD and Cup of Jo. Would love to hear what other readers recommend, I miss blogs!

Sarah
3 months ago
Reply to  Sari

Mine, too! Cup of Jo and EH. I was so devoted to Young House Love and was very sad when they changed their posting frequency (but understood). I will say that I’m so, so tired of white rooms with neutrals and wish I could find a blog as well-written and detailed as these two, but with far more color and varied interiors. Def love how much Emily and team clearly care, as that shines through and keeps me coming back. That, and the reveals!

Lynn Morejon
3 months ago
Reply to  Sarah

This is how I decorate my home. Look at bloggers/IG accounts from the UK. They still love color there.

Stacia
3 months ago
Reply to  Lynn Morejon

Agree! Some of the Scandinavian and Parisian designers use fun color as well!

kcastle129
3 months ago
Reply to  Sarah

Take a look at Addicted to Decorating for color inspiration!

Damia
3 months ago
Reply to  Michelle

Ditto to EHD & Cup of Jo. I also regularly check in on addicted2decorating (<- she posts nearly every day) and yellow brick house (less frequent than in the past)

priscilla
3 months ago
Reply to  Michelle

I check Emily’s blog daily. And my shameful secret daily check is the blog Celebitchy. I also check Gofugyourself most days. I’m a Duolingo-er and I do this daily (tho, I lost my years-long streak recently when I had covid, which made me mucho estupido). I think sharing fav blogs is a great idea!

Jjpp
3 months ago
Reply to  priscilla

You’re on the same parts of the internet as me, especially Go Fug Yourself. I’ve loved that blog for like 15 years, which makes me feel old. I also love Pajiba – anyone else here a pajiba reader?? Those are the only other 2 of my old faithfuls that I still follow. <3

Laura
3 months ago
Reply to  priscilla

If you like Gofugyourself, Tom and Lorenzo is also great!

Heidi
3 months ago
Reply to  Michelle

Emily and Cup of Jo are the two blogs I visit daily too.

Jeannie
3 months ago
Reply to  Margaret

Cup of Jo and EHD daily! Elements of Style whenever she posts, and recently (maybe because I just moved) I’ve been looking at ApartmentTherapy again.

Kimmie
3 months ago
Reply to  Kim

My daily visits are Cup of Jo and Kottke.
A few times a week is this one and Swissmiss.
I try to find time every month or two to thoughtfully spend time on The Marginalian.
I would love to see what others are reading! I’d love to find more high quality blogs to add to my list.

Erin
3 months ago
Reply to  Kimmie

+1 to daily visits to CoJ and Kottke!

My blog reader also had YHL, Apartment Therapy, Ikea Hackers, The Mom Edit (aka Ain’t No Mama Jeans), You Look Fab, Putting Me Together, a few sewing-related blogs (like Made by Rae and Noodlehead), Merriam Webster, and Serious Eats. I miss the golden days of blogs and tumblers.

Kat
3 months ago
Reply to  Kim

Yes, my dailies are also CoJ and EHD, and Kottke as someone else mentioned 🙂 I also check in on Messy Nessy Chic every so often. I really, really miss the old days of blogging (and I agree that the best parts of EHD, in my opinion, are the team’s homes)!

Sarah
3 months ago
Reply to  Kim

Yup, my only two remaining blogs are EHD and Cup of Jo (which I believe I learned about from EHD!) Way to go, Emily and team! I would love to know what other blogs are worth checking out!

Nell
3 months ago

Hi,
I wonder if older aged readers (such as I, over 60) are more likely to complete the survey. That might skew things toward blog reading as opposed to TikTok.

Nancy
3 months ago
Reply to  Nell

Great question! 56 here and wondering the same. I confess I still don’t TikTok.

Tiffanie
3 months ago
Reply to  Nell

Early 40s, been around for at least 12-13 years. No TikTok for me. I stick to IG for my social media.

Jeannie
3 months ago
Reply to  Nell

I think most people over 35-40 are “old” for a lot of social media, and I imagine people over 35 are the bulk of the blog readers.

Nancy Nimmo
3 months ago
Reply to  Nell

76 year old and I devour this content …and I replied to the survey.

ps pleased to be asked

Sona
3 months ago
Reply to  Nell

67 and don’t do TikTok

Stacia
3 months ago
Reply to  Nell

Good point! I am 54 and haven’t been on any socials since 2016 👀. Watching reels and even most videos are not something I am interested in. Perhaps an occasional home tour (like Jennifer Garner’s recent AD video tour 😍). Her tv room looks SO similar to Emily’s!

The Kitten Abides
3 months ago
Reply to  Nell

Yep. About to turn 60 this year and I was more than pleased to respond to the survey . . . and no Reels or TikTok for me. I prefer plain ol’ Facebook, IG and blogs.

Erin
3 months ago
Reply to  Nell

I do this sort of thing for a living and had the same thought that responders could be biased towards older and more established readers. When blogs I watch (aka, Cup of Jo) posts things to social media, I completely miss it.

Early 40’s. Homeowner. Been reading the blog since it was nascent. My FB feed is pretty much just my local agencies (library, city, police, etc), the national parks service, and my kids’ schools. I don’t have any other social media accounts.

Holly
3 months ago

Thanks for sharing as it was really interesting. It has been a while since completing the survey so I can’t remember if you asked for many demographics… I am a 70+ (why I can’t remember probably), retired, widowed and feel like I don’t fit your typical reader? Regardless this is the one blog I bring up daily and refer to it frequently. Hoping the revamp will resolve some of the search function glitches which I imagine are expected with 15 years of daily content!!! Well done team!

Colin
3 months ago
Reply to  Holly

I can’t remember if demographic questions were asked either and I’m 39! So we’ll all be in the forgetfulness boat together

Amber
3 months ago
Reply to  Holly

I think they left it off because they get website analytics that include age data from Google. If I were conducting a survey, I’d still think it’s helpful to put together your full profile though, and also it’s useful to conduct cross tabs by age (do opinions and preferences vary by age).

Susan
3 months ago

Id be interested to know what surprised you guys the most. Or what you were expecting vs what you actually found out.

PM
3 months ago

Please don’t take away the holiday content! I LOVE the holiday decorating content!!

Francesca
3 months ago
Reply to  PM

I do too! Guess I’m in that 10% 🙂

Sarah
3 months ago
Reply to  PM

Me too

Tiffanie
3 months ago
Reply to  PM

Me too. Love the holiday content. It’s more so I love to admire it, but not acquire all the stuff.

Eden
3 months ago
Reply to  Tiffanie

Same! I love the holiday content!

Nancy
3 months ago
Reply to  Eden

Ditto…love love holiday /season content

Elizabeth
3 months ago
Reply to  PM

me tooo!!! That’s actually my FAV! Over it all! Don’t take that away Emily!! lol

Kay
3 months ago
Reply to  PM

Adding my voice too – love the holiday content! It’s fun to get in the spirit vicariously and pick up a few smaller ideas here and there.

Josh Rich
3 months ago

Great post Emily! Thanks for sharing! As someone who works in consumer research and data for a major beverage company, I love that you shared these numbers. It’s so interesting! I wonder if you might run a follow-up to this to see where the white spaces in design blogs are, aka. What is not currently being covered that you can tap onto and add? I’m excited to see the new blog design. I’ve loved seeing the blog’s evolution over the years. 🙂

Cali
3 months ago

Daily visitor (and digital nomad), and now regretting I didn’t bother to do the survey. I feel terrible about that as I didn’t realize huge changes were afoot.

Suzanne
3 months ago
Reply to  Cali

I’m also a daily visitor and didn’t do the survey, but I did have it open on my laptop for a couple weeks! 🙂

Lia
3 months ago

When it comes to your comments about stores to feature because people purchase from them – please continue to offer options beyond Crate and Barrel and Target, etc.! I learn about new stores from blogs and I don’t want to get stuck in an echo chamber seeing only items from Target! I might shop at these stores because they are what is mass market and accessible but I will definitely try new places and sprinkle in items from other retailers. I have appreciated learning about different furniture makers from your blog.

Margaret
3 months ago
Reply to  Lia

Came here to say this!! I was probably among the people saying they usually shop at Target, Wayfair, Ikea for furniture, because I do… but not because I think they’re necessarily the best haha. Sometimes I spend months researching, say, a couch, and then just default to IKEA because it feels like I’m stuck between a rock (cheap furniture) and a hard place (cheap furniture sold expensively (this is a West Elm callout)) where the only way out is to completely blow my budget. Learning about options at all different price points, including used/vintage options, helps escape that trap!

Stephanie
3 months ago
Reply to  Lia

Me too, Lia! I love learning about new places. This blog is where I was introduced to Clad Home, which is where I purchased my most recent sofa. Additionally, I’ve found the quality of Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel to be a bit lacking lately (especially for the prices they charge), so I’d be really interested to learn about some alternatives.

Lia
3 months ago
Reply to  Stephanie

Agree. We have to buy some new furniture after a remodel and I was disappointed in the quality of mall store furniture. Most of our old furniture is Crate and Barrel and are well-made pieces even if they aren’t particularly special. But our most recent trips to look at furniture were disappointing – finishes and furniture felt very trendy and cheaply made.

Suzanne
3 months ago
Reply to  Stephanie

I, too, learned about Clad Home here, and I’m super excited about some custom chairs I ordered from them. I also visited their showroom when I was in Southern California, and their furniture and customer service is top notch.

Lynsy
3 months ago
Reply to  Lia

Same. Or feature more custom-designed furniture. Many times, a room can be much more successfully designed with custom pieces rather than with what’s available from Article or wherever. And since it’s a design site, design!

Emily
3 months ago
Reply to  Lynsy

Yes! I love our couch from
interior define – but they were bought and I have no idea if they’re good anymore.

Jeffrey C
3 months ago
Reply to  Lynsy

One may already have been published, but a good post on the ins and outs of custom-designed furniture would appeal to me. The first time I did it both the cost and the number of variables involved overwhelmed me a bit. OK, the cost overwhelmed me a lot. But 15 years later, I still love my custom chair. It looks—and better yet, sits—like it is brand new. Investing in higher quality materials and padding really paid off.

Sarah
3 months ago

Im shocked: outfit ideas, alll day! Please.

thanks to your work and this blog, I feel my house is “styled”…. Now I want to style my body, daily.

so, please add one more vote for outfit ideas.

Lia
3 months ago
Reply to  Sarah

Stinks this is getting voted down! I also enjoy seeing outfit ideas from a Emily and team. And I enjoy all the cold plunge/infrared trends that I haven’t seen detailed outside maybe Goop…so interesting to read about!

Nicolle
3 months ago
Reply to  Sarah

Same! I looooove seeing this. I think design for your body is as fun and defining as design of your home. Plus, I trust the EDH team more because they’re NOT all fashion bloggers! More fashion posts pls!

Stacia
3 months ago
Reply to  Sarah

I LIVE for Emily’s personal style posts! We have extremely similar taste and body types and I have purchased too many (?) pieces that she wears and recommends! I often return to her older fashion posts for outfit inspiration!

Laura
3 months ago
Reply to  Stacia

I like the fashion and outfit ideas in theory, but as a person with a different style and body type than Emily’s (and maybe just not West Coast style in general), sometimes there isn’t as much that would suit me personally. I definitely appreciate the posts where items are compared on different body types!

Erin
3 months ago
Reply to  Laura

I think there’s truth to this, because a lot of fashion posts at east(ern) focused sites (The Mom Edit, Cup of Jo) feel the same way to me as a PNWer. It’s actually one of the things I value most about the fashion posts on this blog, lol.

A funny observation about myself is that I would say that I don’t care about them and don’t understand why they are here – BUT not only I always open them, I very often find something really useful in them. Emily’s large bust recommendations are genuinely useful for me. (Show me all the modest swimsuits with built in support for a 32DDD!) And I *love* the posts where different women all try on the same item! Super helpful.

Kay
3 months ago
Reply to  Sarah

Yes, love the fashion and lifestyle posts!!

Roberta Davis
3 months ago

Thanks for doing the survey and for sharing the results!

AK
3 months ago

Interesting! I had tech issues responding so am glad so many got through. Letting regular readers drive content is good to a point: if you’re not excited about it, it’ll show. Also Y’ALL are the ones who live and breathe this stuff: it’s your curation of what’s interesting and relevant that makes EHD (or whatever the new branding is!!) such a don’t miss. Can’t wait to see how you evolve!

Alexandra
3 months ago

Did you link to the survey on instagram or conduct any polls on stories? Would be curious if the answers varied on social / if that audience data skews differently (and what the biggest differences are!).

Sari
3 months ago

Oh how fascinating!! Thank you for sharing the results, so fun to read. They actually made me feel SEEN! Haha. Nice to see how many of us out there are feeling constrained by budget. In my case, purchasing furniture from Amazon and de-prioritizing sustainable products is purely a function of finances. Curious if other readers are in the same boat?

Excited to learn more about your thoughts, thanks Em & team!

Nicolle
3 months ago
Reply to  Sari

Yes! Same! Budget constraints make sustainable sometimes out of reach—and I’m not replacing my couch once a year or anything. I’m as concerned about the off gassing and personal health hazards of furniture as I am with the enviro impact. Would love to find sustainable options that are more accessible for a middle of the road budget. I realize how tall of an order that is (you get what you pay for) but even Quince is introducing some better furniture options so it’s possible!

Jenn
3 months ago

More Orlando Soria!

Jessica
3 months ago

Curious if there will be more river house reveals and also some of the personal spaces the team teased several months ago if they will be revealed as well. Love the reveal posts as mentioned in the survey, but it’s sometimes hard to know when the follow-throughs will be coming after they’re teased.

Lynsy
3 months ago
Reply to  Jessica

💯. The gaps in updates and reveals seems way too long sometimes. It can be hard to keep track or sustain interest.

Susan
3 months ago
Reply to  Lynsy

Yes this. Dont bother teasing that something is coming until its locked in. It feels like a regular let down and one of my few criticism of this blog.

Sheila
3 months ago
Reply to  Jessica

I thought Emily was pretty transparent on the process and timeline in this post when she said the spaces would roll out over the next 6 months to a year, maybe longer for any rooms that might be part of a magazine exclusive.
https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/the-river-house-renovation-is-done-four-years-later-questions-from-you-and-how-its-all-going-to-roll-out
She just recently said they were in the shopping for furniture stage for the living room so you know that’s going to be a while!

Damia
3 months ago

Where are my other 0.3% maximalists at?? 😀
While the more popular styles aren’t my go-to style, I love that this blog shows lots of diverse spaces and frankly I find inspiration from so many posts – including the holiday ones!

Lane
3 months ago
Reply to  Damia

Yeah. I like eclectic and aspects of maximalism, but not necessarily over the to. Something that is modern yet working in some antiques and color. I wonder if it has to do more with how people define styles. Aren’t most home eclectic and lived in or do people buy everything all at once and keep true only to one style.

Nicolle
3 months ago
Reply to  Lane

I totally agree. It seems only the upper budgets can buy a whole room at a time, and also, I like mixing styles. That’s a more fun way to express your personality. Show us what we don’t know, or don’t know we want too!

Juanita
3 months ago

This is so interesting, I appreciate the level of detail and the transparency! Please also remember that sometimes survey results can indicate lack of information/ideas, too. For example, the fact that many readers already buy from big box retailers like Target, Amazon, West Elm, Wayfair, CB2 etc. doesn’t necessarily mean we want *more* of that content—instead, it likely indicates that more diverse alternatives are needed! The big box retailers are popular because they’re cheap and easy (and I buy from them too), but more originality is always welcome. (Like all of your wonderful Etsy recs—please keep those coming!)

Julie
3 months ago
Reply to  Juanita

My thoughts exactly!

Erin
3 months ago
Reply to  Juanita

I had the same reaction, too! I already know where they are and what they have! There are brands (Article, to name one) that I literally only know because of this blog. I do a lot of thrifting, so it’s helpful to know reliable and stylish brands. And I can use the information when I am able to replace something. I actually do need custom drapery and checked here first to see if there were any recommendations.

Besides, what keeps me coming back is how well y’all describe your PROCESS. I don’t care if I can afford the same couch, because I’m reading for how you picked the couch. (Some of my favorite posts have been styles wildly differen than my own, anyway.) It’s part tutorial, part diary, and 100% helpful!

Susan
3 months ago

Yes, every day around 11 am I check in and read the blog. It is part of my daily routine.

Thanks for being here.

ELW
3 months ago

So interesting, thanks for sharing! I read this blog for years without buying hardly anything because I had pretty much no budget except thrift store level ha. Now I actually can spend some money on furniture and decor and need to because we got a house (yay!) but I’m sooo careful because I was broke for so long and want to make sure anything I spend money on is worth it. So thank you for helping on that research front and featuring things at different price points. Internet furniture shopping can be totally overwhelming when you’re trying to care about all the things – function, budget, aesthetic, sustainability, longevity. I really appreciate all your work here that makes it fun and a little easier to find good stuff that might be worth it. And I love seeing the wide range of styles even if they all aren’t going in my house at this time.

Kristin Van Lear
3 months ago

So interesting! Thanks for sharing 🙂

sam
3 months ago

Definitely love a ‘MOTO’. While it’s nice to look at beautiful interios, it’s so more interesting to read about the thought processs that get you there!

Gina
3 months ago

If not for your blog, I would have zero clue how to classify and hone my own style and I’d still be picking out floors that are at war with the counters and paint that looks like pepto (not in a good way). I didn’t see the survey and I don’t check the blog daily like I used to back before I became a foster parent to a preemie. He’s 5 now! What I always do is go to you FIRST when I need literally anything related to design. I trust your suggestions since anything I’ve ever purchased based on your recommendation. The roundups with suggestions in multiple price ranges have saved me. I come back to them time and time again when I’m shopping for something or when my mom is and she wants my opinion.
Looking forward to the next iteration of Style by you!
Gina

SARAH
3 months ago

Aaaah this SUCH a good reminder to vote! I didnt take the time to take the survey (I mean the results show people dont have time and this blog is my nice break) i would have said sustainability and ethical brands are 100000% what I look at. So sad to see so many people flocking to Amazon. Dammit shop in person and stop shipping stuff! (Disclaimer sometimes shipping IS the only way) I really appreciate when you rep shops and quality brands. You really do have influence.

Tiffanie
3 months ago
Reply to  SARAH

The reality is there isn’t enough variety at the big box stores or enough in stock when I need it to make solely shopping local a thing. I recently found a pair of large wall sconces on Lamps Plus, I checked the Sku on Amazon and ordered from there because a)price was similar (I’m pretty sure I qualified for Lamps Plus free shipping) and b) I already have an Amazon Prime account. I didn’t see a need to add my CC info to yet one more online website.

Jess
3 months ago
Reply to  SARAH

I’m an Amazon avoider because of Bezos’ original mission to put independent booksellers out of business. I get that it’s convenient. I don’t NEVER purchase there. I just avoid it whenever I can. I don’t like the way it conditions me to be impatient, greedy, and in a rush. I was also in the minority of people who purchase based on sustainability!

Sydney
3 months ago

This is so great! I happen to be one of those daily readers who (sorry in advance) doesn’t love the holiday content or, if I’m really being honest, the fashion / shopping content either. This is partly personal as I’m a designer and design is my area of interest but mostly it’s because I’m in Australia and the sales content is the wrong season for us, and the product is often not available. We also aren’t as enthusiastic in Australia about holiday decorating in our homes. I’m wondering whether this is contributing to the dip in interest in those areas? On the plus side, that probably means you’ve got a huge overseas following! Can’t wait to see what’s next!

Jen C
3 months ago

Thank you for updating us on the results of the survey. I read your blog everyday and filled out the survey. You, and your staff, do a fantastic job covering all areas of design. I enjoy going through past content when I have a tricky decorating problem and I can always find the solution. I enjoy decorating for the holidays so please continue to include it. Great job and a big thank you!

Kiris
3 months ago

And thanks so much for asking us! I enjoy reading design blogs on a large screen, love both the text and pictures. Instagram doesn’t deliver as much IMO. I’m always looking for ways to improve my home. I like making it more beautiful and useful to myself and family, plus I think it’s so important to keep your home updated in case you decide to sell – decor, paint, layout, furniture all makes such a big difference to get the best price.

Patti
3 months ago

I completed the survey and was fascinated by the responses! I’m very excited to see what comes next! Hopefully more design and less Little House on the Prairie dresses! 🤪

Cutting Edger
3 months ago

Interesting results from the reader survey! It’s exciting to see how the feedback will shape the blog’s future. Thanks for sharing the insights!

Jessie
3 months ago

Thanks for sharing this info and trying so hard to take your audience’s wants into consideration! In the places where you noted the survey responses differ from the comments (i.e. people buying from Amazon) I wonder if the silent majority is being drowned out by a handful of very vocal commenters who have disdain for Amazon and the other big box retailers. I also think that the surge in prices and tighter budgets for most people have driven a lot of us away from the higher end retailers. Things just cost so dang much money these days! And while I’m very happy for Emily and her brother that they can afford to shop at those higher price points, that’s just not where I am personally or where many people are, I think. Even West Elm, Pottery Barn, and Crate and Barrel are “high end” in my books – and compared to many friends and family, I have a higher budget for furniture and decor. In those ways, I much more relate to the other team members’ spaces, but theirs are often apartment or small space focused, or less my style than Emily’s. Looking forward to a blog redesign! Hoping some… Read more »

Erin
3 months ago

As a fellow Washington County resident, I just want to say that it would be totally fine with me if you wanted to cover local vendors 😉 😀