Something special happened this week — the Spring issue of Cottages and Bungalows Magazine came out with a 16 page spread of our home! It’s because of your support that I am able to accomplish my goals & I am truly thankful for you being here! Being in print is one of my bigger blogging goals, and I am walking on air over here.
Cottages and Bungalows Magazine Feature
I received the Cottages and Bungalows magazine in the mail on a particularly hard week. We had a lot going on here personally, and sick children on top of that.
Seeing all this reminded me that I am on the right track, moving the needle forward as best I can in this season of life.
It feels validating to see your own work paid off in print. I don’t have coworkers to encourage me – it’s just me, winging it as I go! Probably on things I have no business winging. All I can hope is that I am connecting with my audience – actually offering up helpful inspiration – and this was a good sign.
This Cottages and Bungalows Magazine feature walks the reader through our home from the exterior, up to our playroom on our third floor. That playroom was also featured in our local Durham Magazine last October, so that room is getting a lot of love right now and I am not mad about it!
(You can read about our experience building our home here.)
So what is it like when a magazine comes to shoot your house? Thankfully I grabbed a few blurry phone photos that day, despite being totally consumed.
Behind The Scenes With Cottages And Bungalows Magazine
The night before we managed to get the house clean without completely panicking (JK, I panicked, just ask anyone who saw me that week!). I had my hair done early the morning of at my house, and finished up just as the team from Cottages and Bungalows Magazine arrived. They had flown in the night before and were warm, complimentary, and overall just seemed to work really well together.
They have a few photographers they like to use when shooting content, depending on where in the United States they are working. The photographers they use in my area were an incredible husband and wife team! They got right to work – shooting the outside of the home before I even remembered to check for remaining toys left out in the driveway. Obviously, I should have known they are pros and were not hesitant to shuffle things around when needed.
The director of content for Cottages and Bungalows and the brand leader of American Farmhouse Style came along with a few interns as well. They came in with arms full of greenery! Styling photos for a magazine is different than styling for how you live in a home. It’s all about creating a space seen from one angle with the biggest impact. Like the saying goes – it really is all in the details, with a lot of talk on balancing the photos. With something tall and heavy on the left, the frame will need to be balanced out on the right- etc.!
The steps on how these magazine pages come together is fascinating. The process goes like this: the team styles a space, stands back, discusses, rearranges a few things, stands back for more discussion, then finally giving the word that it’s ready for photos. The photographer snaps a photo with his massive camera by remote, which shows up on a computer screen.
Next, the team gathers around the screen to discuss what is working and what they dislike. I would say “ohhh, it’s PERFECT!” and they would nod and smile and discuss something that was “out of balance”. So they go back to the space, rearrange and start again.
It’s an incredible amount of work, and by the end of the day we were all exhausted! Except I am not really sure what I was exhausted from… I was just following the team around all day. Maybe because it’s exhausting low key freaking out for 12 hours straight.
Zion was fresh from the groomer because the editor mentioned in advance they might want him in a shot. I knew they didn’t know what they were in for with him- he is the biggest camera hog. This guy is always ready to hold a pose – he thinks he is in Hollywood at all times. It did not surprise me to see him in print!
Again, thank you thank you for reading my blog & supporting these dreams of mine. You are the reason I love doing this. I hope you always find something inspirational or helpful when you pop over here! Tag me on Instagram or Facebook if you scoop up the magazine and see the feature! xx
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