Twelve Questions For a Magazine Story Producer

Today I am thrilled to present an interview with Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications. Donna is one of the top design professionals in the industry and her work has been featured in and on the cover of many of the nation’s leading shelter magazines as well as in numerous Meredith books.

Photo by John Bessler

I have had the great fortune to observe Donna at work as she has been the creative force behind most of the photo shoots that have taken place in my own home. Since so many of you are curious about magazine photo shoots, I thought it would be informative and fun to talk to Donna. She graciously agreed and was willing to share her experience and expertise.

Donna Talley / Photo by Andreas Trauttmansdorff

1. How did you begin your career?

I’ve always been interested in interior design and gardening, but started my career as a music publicist in New York City after studying composition at Juilliard. After 10 years of living in the city, I moved to Saratoga Springs, NY and turned my passion for gardening into a topiary & garden shop, which was featured in Country Home magazine (one of Meredith’s main magazines at the time). A Meredith book editor saw the story and contacted me about producing stories for her “Garden Style Projects” book. My shop lease had expired, and I realized I didn’t want to continue in the retail arena. After that first photo shoot, I knew I had found my true calling – creating beautiful images for print media. When the Executive Editor of Meredith’s Special Interest Publications subsequently contacted me about scouting locations for their design and gardening magazines, of course I jumped at the chance! You know that saying “Find what you love to do, and you’ll never work a day in your life”? That’s me. Fourteen years and almost 300 stories later, I still can’t wait to go to work every day and make pretty pictures!

Donna Talley / Photo by Dana Gallagher

2. Most people only see the end result of a photo shoot –a beautiful room, filled with beautiful things. I am sure there is a lot of behind the scenes hard work that goes into making these spaces look so pretty. Could you share a few of the steps you typically follow to prepare for a photo shoot?

The focus of the magazine is my starting point. For example, if I’m producing a shoot for one of our budget kitchen magazines, I won’t be bringing in expensive copper pots to style the space. The props and accessories are carefully chosen to further the story (and, of course, make a beautiful photo!) I start with a styling plan, and then head to the stores. I’m basically getting paid to shop – which sounds like fun – but time is money, so I’m very calculated and decisive about what I’m looking for. On a typical shoot I go to 3 or 4 (sometimes 5 or 6!) stores, depending on the number of rooms we are photographing. I also have wonderful interns who help me keep track of all the shoot props.

Donna Talley / Photo by John Gruen

3. What characteristics do you look for in a house when scouting for a magazine?

I scout for many magazines, all with a different point of view – some are budget-oriented, others feature very high-end projects. So at any given time, I might be looking for pretty cottages, rooms with a strong storage angle, creative before-and-after renovations, beautifully-designed kitchens and baths, fabulous gardens… the list goes on. Truly, no two days are alike. I find a lot of potential stories through my network of interior designers, architects and renovation experts – and even homeowners who have already had their homes published refer me to projects they think might make a good story. I think the biggest characteristic I look for is a story that readers can relate to, and find inspirational. Also, very nice and accommodating homeowners are a big plus!

Donna Talley / Photo by Andre Baranowski

4. What are some of your favorite styling tools/ideas which readers can easily incorporate into their own décor?

My go-to styling tool is always incorporating some element of the outdoors and nature, no matter the season. This goes beyond flowers and plants – I recently discovered these natural moss spheres in a great chartreuse-green that live forever! I also like branches and items you can find in your own back yard. But even a $10 bunch of beautiful tea roses from the supermarket can bring life to a room.

Donna Talley / Photo by Michael Partenio

5. Can you share some of your best simple and inexpensive ways to keep a house looking fresh and up-to date?

Sometimes just changing out pillows can really make a big difference! Keeping big pieces (sofas, chairs) neutral ensures a room won’t look dated in a few years. I’ve seen many trends in fabrics over the years, so you could change the pillows every year or two to freshen up a room without breaking the bank. I recently traveled to France and found 1-1/2 yards of gorgeous fabric in a scrap bin that I had made into pillows for my living room sofa, using fringe found on fabric.com. The cost of the $175 pillows amortized over the course of a year is a little over $14 a month!

Donna Talley / Photo by Michael Partenio

6. What are your go-to sources for finding great accessories, furniture and other home décor products?

I’ve been doing a lot of online shopping for shoots in the past few years, if I’m looking for something specific, such as bar stools. Amazon.com, etsy and ebay are favorites. I’m also lucky to have retailers provide products for my shoots in exchange for credit – The Container Store, Country Curtains, Wisteria Catalog, and Smith + Noble are all great. I also shop a lot at Pottery Barn, HomeGoods, TJ Maxx and Target. The key to styling is to mix things up so a room looks “real life” and not like a catalog or store display.

Donna Talley / Photo by Michael Partenio

7. Do you have an all-time favorite story you have produced?

That one is easy! I produced a story about my mom’s pizza recipe that we shot in my kitchen with my sisters in 2005 for BH&G Simply Perfect Italian magazine. We were up at 4:30 AM making 8 batches of dough for all the shot sequences. She got a kick out of being in the same magazine as a couple of Food Network stars

Donna Talley / Photo by John Bessler

8. Where do you find inspiration to consistently come up with new and exciting ideas?

Inspiration, for me, comes from everywhere. And travel definitely helps open my mind and see how people live in the world.

Donna Talley / Photo by John Bessler

9. Have you seen a change - from your point of view as a producer/editor – in magazines due to the ever increasing number of design blogs and sites like Pinterest?

In my opinion, I think design blogs enhance design magazines, as they are another source of inspiration for consumers. I’ve also found that bloggers are very open to having their own homes featured in magazines, so they are a great scouting tool for me.

Donna Talley / Photo by Michael Partenio

10. What design trends do you see developing over the next several years?

I think the biggest design trend is that homeowners are living smaller, with little luxuries and modern conveniences being the focal point. Ten years ago, I regularly scouted kitchens that you could park a couple of cars in! Now, spaces are more intimate, designed with a more realistic lifestyle in mind.

Donna Talley / Photo by Dana Gallagher

11. What is the best part of your job?

The best part of my job is being able to help talented design professionals get their work published. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t easy to get your projects in front of the right people at the magazines, so us Regional Editors are the connector to help get a project green-lighted for a story. That is very satisfying to me.

Donna Talley / Photo by John Bessler

12. Is it possible there is a worst part of your job?

The worst isn’t so bad… I’d have to say, when it’s pouring buckets on a shoot day, I wish I could turn those into home office days and re-schedule the shoot for a bright, sunny day! But in this job, you need to have a “go with the flow” attitude.

Donna Talley / Photo by Michael Partenio

Thank you Donna for sharing your expertise! You have shared some great information.

Donna Talley / Photo by John Bessler

If you would like to see more of Donna’s work please visit her website DonnaTalley.com. She also has a Pinterest account which can be found HERE.

Anniversary and Follower Feature

     
Next week will mark the two year anniversary of Red Door Home!

I wanted to thank each and every one of you for joining me on this incredible journey. Your kind words of encouragement and thoughtful comments mean so much. From the very first day, I have been amazed at the generous spirit of the blogging community. I have learned so much but more importantly have made so many wonderful and supportive friends along the way. Thank you all!

via Martha Stewart

In addition to the friendships I have made, another rewarding part of blogging for me has been the emails I have received. You have sent me decorating questions, letters of encouragement, and pictures of projects completed based on RDH tutorials. I have to admit, it is thrilling to know you are actually inspired by the projects I have completed as well as the tutorials I have written.

Here is a recent email from a follower I wanted to share. Paula from Sweet Pea used my Spring Basket Tutorial to make a center piece for her mom’s birthday dinner. From the pictures below you can see Paula’s finished basket turned out a bit different than mine. To me this is what crafting is all about – seeing something which someone else made and then using your imagination to make it your own.

So again – thank you from the bottom of my heart for the past two years! Please keep those emails, comments and suggestions coming. I hope to continue to create, design and inspire for many years to come.

February Blog of the Month - Fieldstone Hill

I am so pleased to announce and share the very first Red Door Home “Blog of the Month.”

I discovered Darlene’s blog from a holiday linky party at The Nester and it was love at first site. Darlene lives in a 180 year old stone farmhouse (my favorite!) and is lovingly restoring each room. Although Fieldstone Hill was just started in October 2010, Darlene’s blog is already filled with great ideas, beautiful photos and terrific inspiration.

One of her most recent projects is her boys’ room. Below is the space today (love the angled ceilings) and yes, she painted the gorgeous checkerboard floors herself!

I love the design vision board she created for this room and look forward to seeing the finished space.

Besides renovation projects, Darlene also shares some great design advice including a special feature she calls “Ditto – What I would steal from this space.” These posts highlight a beautiful picture complete with a breakdown of the details which make the room so inspiring.

I hope you will stop by Fieldstone Hill for more incredible ideas. Thanks Darlene!

New - Blog of the Month Feature

One of the things I like best about blogging is discovering new sites. (Hopefully you do too!) It seems almost every week I find a new and incredible blog. To help spread the word about new blogs and recognize some long time favorites, I am excited to announce a new “Blog of the Month” feature on Red Door Home.

Calendars by Jessica Swift

My plan is to spotlight one favorite blog during the first week of each month. (This will be hard decision as there are so many wonderful sites and only twelve months in the year!)

As a bonus and thank you, the featured blog will also receive a button link to their blog on the side bar of Red Door Home until the next blog of the month is announced – a free month of advertising!

So, if you have a blog and would like to be featured or have a favorite blog you think everyone should know about please leave a comment below or email me. I can’t wait to see your suggestions!

Thank You Dovecote Décor!

The week after the New Year I received some exciting news. I was the winner of a fabulous giveaway sponsored by Liz, Benji and Viive at Dovecote Décor in conjunction with Wind Rose Antiques.  

What did I win?

 

This fantastic English rosewood stationary box with inlay valued at $350. Needless to say I was thrilled!

 

The box arrived a few days ago and is even prettier in person than it was in the picture. According to the enclosed tag, the box is from Staffordshire, England and dates to the 1830’s - a true antique and treasure.

Although I have not settled on a permanent home, it is currently residing happily in my dining room.

Besides writing a wonderful blog called Dovecote Décor, this talented trio also has a shop by the same name.

I was delighted at the selection of antiques, lighting, accessories, and more that I found while visiting their online shop. Here is just a sample of some of my favorites.

Thanks again to Dovecote Décor for this incredible giveaway. To see more great pieces, click HERE.

Tickled Pink and a Color Connection

I have been blessed to meet so many extremely talented and generous people over the short time I have spent blogging. I am constantly amazed by the creativity and the willingness of others to share their ideas, time and gifts. Today I wanted to spotlight two special bloggers and new friends - Holly from 504 Main and Marian from Mustard Seed Creations.

Tickled Pink at 504 Main

Today I was honored to be included in Holly’s Tickled Pink Friday feature – a day to share what you love about your own blog or from other people’s blogs. Every Friday, Holly spotlights her favorite things from the past week and offers a great giveaway. Her topics include entertaining, cooking, creating, kicking up your heels, and more. Lots of fun and creativity all in one place!

As a bonus, a few weeks ago I was the winner of this fabulous journal set from Liberty of London. Thanks Holly!

It has already found a new home on my desk. I now have a stylish place to record all my ideas. The trick will be keeping my daughter from claiming them as her own!


Miss Mustard Seed and a Color Connection

I was very excited the day I discovered Mustard Seed Creations. Marian’s blog is so inspiring and is a tremendous creative resource - wonderful before and after photos, decorative painting, favorite vintage finds, small business tips, furniture feature Friday linky party and so much more. Needless to say, I have been a happy follower ever since.

In a recent post, Marian talked about, and showed pictures of, her newly repainted living room and dining room. Her color of choice was SW Aria Ivory. As most of my house is painted with this same color, I left her a comment telling her how much I too loved the way it made the white woodwork stand out – “a color without being a color” if that makes any sense. Below is Marian’s beautiful dining room.

Miss Mustard Seed

The irony of this story is that unbeknownst to either of us, Marian had used my living room which had been featured in Women’s Day Budget Decorating, as her inspiration for her color choice. She had received a copy of the magazine from her mother-in-law and saved the article.

Photographer – Michael Partenio

Stylist – Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer, Meredith Publications

Photographer – Michael Partenio

Stylist – Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer, Meredith Publications

Marian quickly figured out the connection after visiting my blog and seeing this post. She was kind enough to email me and to write about our color connection HERE.

I hope you will take the time to visit these two wonderful ladies. Their blogs are delightful!

Follower Feature

One of my favorite aspects of writing this blog is hearing from all the wonderful people who read and follow Red Door Home. It always makes me happy when someone shows an interest in an idea or tutorial by leaving an encouraging comment and/or asking additional questions. I get especially excited when I receive pictures of a completed project. Here is one such example.

You may remember the ceiling tutorial I created a while back. This easy ceiling treatment was part of my daughter’s bedroom makeover.

A few weeks ago I received a lovely email and pictures from a long time follower (who requested to remain anonymous) who used this project as inspiration for her dining room.

I think she did a wonderful job and am so glad she took the time to share her project. Thank you!

If you have been inspired by a project you have seen on Red Door Home, I would love to feature you! Send me an email and pictures of your completed project and you could be my next featured follower.