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Original poster

Has anyone ever had their house featured in a magazine or site like Houzz?

20 replies

CeeCee123 · 08/10/2015 21:01

Just sheer curiosity really. Was having a discussion with a friend who reckoned most "real" home features were paid placements by architects/designers. I find that a bit hard to believe, but was curious how people's homes do end up being featured.

OP posts:

Devora · 08/10/2015 21:32

I knew someone who's flat appeared in one of the magazines - she said she herself didn't recognise her home once the stylists had been in and moved most of her furniture out! And another acquaintance had her bathroom featured this year.

So, both 'real' people. But I think the magazine's stylists often move things round, move things out (I often catch myself wondering, "But where do they put their shit?" and then remember that their real storage is probably parked on the lawn), a good clean, and introduce new items too - I can't believe that EVERYBODY has the bunting and hearts that are almost ubiquitous in downmarket interiors magazines.

But I reckon your friend is right in that professional architects/designers probably offer their own homes, or their recent jobs, to the magazines.

TalkinPeece · 08/10/2015 21:43

My childhood home was in lots of magazines.
YY to them turning up with their own furniture and lights and accessories
YY to them turning up without warning - in one case while we were eating lunch, and expecting us to move so they could meet a deadline
YY to them using huge lights and reflectors to change the shape of rooms
YY to the architect encouraging it to build up their business

pinechesterdrawers · 08/10/2015 21:46

i think a mnetter has had her house featured in a magazine when she had a kitchen extension. maybe she'll come back and tell us or maybe she did say how it ended up in a magazine but i cant remember. it might have been her architect who submitted it actually.

i love 25 beautiful homes, the £1.99 homes magazines are just too matchy and cliched. actually thats not fair, they are all nice just not all my style.

Marmitelover55 · 08/10/2015 21:58

Our extension was featured in a magazine last spring. It is also on Houzz on the architects page . Our architect knew a journalist etc etc... When the photographer came I just tidied up a bit moved all our shit into a different room and got some fresh flowers. The photographer put out a few props that were our own eg salad, wine glasses, coffee etc. It was quite fun.

The photographer did ask about photographing the rest of the house, but there was no way I was going to let him see it in its true messy/undecorated state.

MaggieHouseMag · 08/10/2015 23:56

My house has been in 25 Beautiful Homes (shorter article near the back - not a 10 page spread ) The contact was through an interior designer but no payment either way. They bunged two cushions in and brought some flowers but otherwise it was mine "primped".

Original poster

CeeCee123 · 09/10/2015 07:18

Thanks, interesting stuff! I'd never thought about what happened to the owners things during the shoot :)

OP posts:

Salene · 09/10/2015 07:27

My parents in law house was recently on this website and it's appearing in some magazine which I'm not sure the name of

Here is the article

www.urbanrealm.com/buildings/1070/Rathen_View.html

fruitlovingmonkey · 09/10/2015 07:38

My friends had an interior designer redo their house including remodelling the living space. It was then featured in a magazine, minus most of their belongings and with a lot of stylist's props added. My favourite was the giant vases on the floor of the playroom.

lalalonglegs · 09/10/2015 07:46

Magazines don't pay but they are reliant ona architects/designers who want publicity to persuade their clients to be featured.

SheGotAllDaMoves · 09/10/2015 12:56

Our flat has been used as a set.
Well, sitting room windows/balcony/view have.

It's quite interesting how they use these shots and splice them to studio shots of the actors doing stuff supposedly in the flat IYSWIM.

My DH's office at work is regularly used too (fabulous views) and we've been asked if the kitchen/patio/garden of our new house can be used.

I think these companies keep banks of real life sets IYSWIM. Where only used briefly it must be easier/cheaper than building them?

SheGotAllDaMoves · 09/10/2015 12:57

We do get paid though that's not why we do it. That's just for fun really.

TalkinPeece · 09/10/2015 18:08

Film locations are a whole different ball game.

I knew the people who owned the house that features in the modern day start of the French Lieutenant's woman : the redecorated with the money they got paid.

my grandmother's house was used as a TV set : it paid for her new roof.

SheGotAllDaMoves · 09/10/2015 19:02

Lord we haven't been paid that sort of cash.

But then the budget of ITV crime dramas are probably not that big!

TalkinPeece · 09/10/2015 19:08

They took over the whole of her downstairs for two weeks : hugely disruptive - but actually she loved every minute

ChipsandGuac · 09/10/2015 20:59

My sister's house has been in Living Etc and my friend's house is prominently on Houzz. My friend's kitchen/family room/library is jaw droppingly gorgeous though and cost them half a mill

OnePlanOnHouzz · 11/10/2015 07:37

If anyone wants theirs on Houzz let me know and I'll see if I can help !!!
(I've got lots of drawings on Houzz ! )

BuckBuckBuckBuckBuck · 11/10/2015 17:19

Our unfinished house was in a Mercedes advert, and they paid us £250 and left behind a sheet of smoked glass. We didn't even have to turn up, and they just adjusted stuff digitally if it didn't suit (like some bits were painted, some weren't, so they matched it up). Not quite the same thing as a magazine, but was fun anyway.

putcustardonit · 11/10/2015 17:36

I know someone who was in a fancy house magazine. 'Where did you live before?' 'we moved from a small workman's cottage nearby when our family got too big'.
She didn't mention the enormous Notting Hill pad that they live in Monday-Friday.

It is a gorgeous house though, I don't think much extra styling was needed.

CPtart · 11/10/2015 17:38

A friend of a friend's house was the set for the DFS advert. Think various sofa arrangements in front of massive windows overlooking gardens. I don't know what they were paid. They own a private nursery and are minted anyway.

FourFlapjacksPlease · 12/10/2015 00:17

Mine has been in a couple of magazines. I have lots of interiors journo friends through my job so have been asked by them.

Some freelance interior stylists source the houses then approach different magazines with pics to get a commission. Most interiors people I know have done up their own homes as 'makeovers'. They photograph grotty looking rooms themselves as the before shot, and then approach pr's for kitchen/bathroom brands to provide the stuff for free, in exchange for coverage in a mag when they have finished the job.

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