Voting is well under way in the first Little Black Sofa Blog Awards and we thought we’d catch up with a few of the bloggers to find out why they do what they do and what makes them tick. If you haven’t caught up with the Awards yet, click here to find out what it’s all about. Don’t forget you could win £1500 to spend at Juliettes Interiors. All you need to do is vote for your favourites in any or all of the 6 categories – and you will automatically be entered into our prize draw.
Today we catch up with four of our shortlisted bloggers in the categories of Luxury Lifestyle, High End Interiors, Luxurious Travel and Fashion & Beauty.
SilverSpoon
Luxury Lifestyle
We managed to catch up with Angie Silver in between fabulous journeys and glamorous outings. As well as being a full time blogger, Angie is currently re-designing her own home and preparing for a new arrival.
Hi Angie. Tell us why you started blogging
I started five and half years ago and my passion always started with writing but this developed into a love of photography too.
Why did you choose Luxury Lifestyle to write about?
I always think blogs should be authentic and true to life. I just wrote about my personal experiences, restaurants I visited and travels.
What is the one thing you wish you’d known when you started your blog?
That Instagram would take off so hugely. I would have put more of a focus on that.
What is your favourite part of putting together your blog?
Writing about places that I’m passionate about and pairing my writing with innovative photography.
Tell us one thing that our readers may not know about you…
I’m expecting a baby in August!!
Vote for your favourite Luxury Lifestyle Blog
Dear Designer
High End Interiors
Carole King’s inspirational blog shares her passion for creating beautiful spaces. She draws upon her interior design skills to show us all how we can create fantastic, high end looks without slavishly following trends.
Hi Carole. Could you tell us why you started blogging?
I had been reading interiors blogs for a while and I thought it was a lovely way to share a passion with other interior lovers.
Why did you choose Interior Design to write about?
I’m a trained interior designer. They say you should write about what you know
What is the one thing you wish you had known when you started your blog?
I wish I’d known how addictive and all-consuming it would be. Not that I’d change it. I still love it.
What is your favourite part of putting together your blog?
I love creating the posts. Especially the ‘get the look’ posts. I hope they help my readers to achieve a certain look whatever their budgets.
Tell us one thing that our readers may not know about you…
My other passion is travel and I’m quite intrepid. I’ve ticked quite a lot off my personal bucket list including mountain peaks, camping in safar parks, white water rafting, and trekking to name but a few.
Vote for your favourite High End Interiors blog
Luxury Columnist
Luxurious Travel
Husband and wife team Suze and Paul share their amazing experiences and give us all tips on the best places to go, what to see and what to eat while you’re there, and how to experience a little luxury in life. We catch up with Suze before she jets off again…
Hi Suze. Tell us why you started blogging
At the time, I was arranging a lot of events worldwide in my corporate job. Blogging was a way to share the amazing destinations that I experienced with readers and followers. It also encouraged Paul, my husband, and I to hone our skills in photography and videography.
Why did you choose Luxurious Travel to write about?
We are passionate about quality, so luxury travel stood out as something that we both enjoy. We also write about art, food, style and interiors – for example, we recently published an article about incorporating tropical style into your decor. We used photos of stylish places that we had encountered on our travels, so it ties in two of our favourite themes, interiors and travel.
What is the one thing you wish you had known when you started your blog?
To focus on search engine optimization! It might sound rather technical but it is key to getting your articles read by many people. We have a good understanding of it now.
What is your favourite part of putting together your blog?
We love selecting and editing the photos, although it can be a lengthy process to whittle them down!
Tell us one thing that our readers may not know about you…
I lived for over 10 years in France and love speaking and writing French when I can.
Vote for your favourite Luxurious Travel Blog
Raindrops of Sapphire
Fashion & Beauty
Lorna Burford describes this as her personal blog where she shares all the things she loves best – so a strong focus on designer shoes and premium denim. We chatted with her about the blog and why she chose to do this for a living.
Hi Lorna. So, why did you start blogging?
I initially started blogging in 2008 for an online magazine, and I loved it so much that I wanted my own space on the internet, so in 2010, Raindrops of Sapphire was born as a hobby to share and create the things I love with people who were like minded. I never intended for it to become a business as I didn’t really know that was a thing back then, so it was purely from passion.
Why did you choose Fashion & Beauty to write about?
That was because it’s what I love and know most. I’ve always had a huge interest in fashion and putting outfits together etc., so it felt second nature to create an extension of that online with my blog. I think it’s always important to write what you know and have a genuine love for.
What is the one thing you wish you had known when you started your blog?
How many hours and how time consuming it would be. It’s very much 24/7, but then again, if I had known, perhaps I might have been put off and that would have been a bad thing. Learning as I went was a good thing, my blog’s growth was my own growth.
What is your favourite part of putting together your blog?
My all time favourite is the connection I have with my readers. Having that community to chat with and share things, it means a lot to me that people have followed me from the beginning and still enjoy my content today. It wouldn’t be what it is without them, so definitely the interaction.
Tell us one thing that our readers may not know about you…
I was born with Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, but I don’t let that rule my life, I try to stay as positive and focused as possible!
Vote for your favourite Fashion & Beauty Blog
Remember, you can also vote for your favourite Architecture blog and the Instagrammer Award. Check out the shortlists here.
Which are your favourites so far? Let us know. We’d love to hear from you.
