Over the years, endemicworld has enjoyed loads of coverage and support from Studio Home – a blog that focuses exclusively on creative talent from NZ and Australia. So we were stoked to be able to ‘give back’ a little recently, when we helped Julia Atkinson – the brains behind Studio Home – head to New York for an inspiring blogger’s course. Now she’s back on home turf, we asked her to answer a few questions for us…
A daily dose of design and creativity from Studio Home
Tell us about yourself first – what do you do for work and for fun?
Hi! Aside from many things like skiing, water skiing, watching movies, wines with friends and adventuring I really really like to blog about clever creative kiwis and aussies on my site, Studio Home.
How did you come to start Studio Home and how has it changed since then?
Studio Home was originally the name of my interior design “business” (use that term loosely as businesses are meant to earn money!) that I set up in 2007. I discovered the world of design blogs very early in 2008 and immediately felt that I had something to contribute with a desktop overflowing with bookmarks of cool NZ and Australian products I hoped to use. It also felt like a great way to channel traffic and potential work back to my biz….which happened only a little…but I became completely addicted and dedicated to the damn thing!
The content hasn’t changed at all as I started with a very narrow focus which I surprisingly stick too ( I am not good at sticking to other things…like mountain biking, Zumba etc) In 2010 I was almost about to chuck the whole thing in as I had picked up a full time job in marketing at a ski area and was hopeless with my time management. But for some reason I couldn’t quit the addiction so I got my friend Mickey to redesign the site on a wordpress platform and I got tough with myself to write and schedule 2-3 posts daily (Mon-Fri). That wavers sometimes when real life gets in the way, but my personal favourite blogs post regularly and I LOVE that – so feel very motivated to match the expectations of my readers.
Julia Atkinson, alongside a vignette from her home.
Who or what inspires you?
Every single creative person, business and endeavour I post about! I only ever post what I truly personally love and get a kick out of!
The bloggers that I follow and religiously read every morning and the three smart and savvy headmistresses of The Blogcademy I recently attended in New York.
What’s been the biggest highlight of the Studio Home journey so far?
My recent trip to New York. Thanks to my very clever friend John Jo Ritson I won the scholarship spot to attend a two day course in NYC called The Blogcademy headed up by mega online babes; Gala Darling, Kat Williams and Shauna Haiger. The trip suddenly kicked me into gear and I arranged a series of interviews with creative kiwis and aussies doing their thing and called itFly the Coop: NYC. I was then super privileged to have three NZ brands; Citta Design, endemicworld and Triumph & Disaster partner with me to help this happen. So between the course and the week spent exploring the guts and ambition of others, I arrived back home with some kind of blog ADD. My laptop is smoking!!
Snaps from Julia’s recent trip to New York
What’s your dream for Studio Home?
My absolute dream is for Studio Home to become a household name in relation to Down Under daily inspiration for readers and a place that creatives strive to be part of. I also have plans in motion for it to leap out of the interweb and start being more than just a blog. So many plans, so many!
Tell us something we wouldn’t guess about you…
I am uncontrollably messy. Keeping a tidy bedroom or desk is like asking me to swim Cook Strait. Seemingly impossible.
What are some of your favourite design and style blogs that we should go and visit?
Design Love Fest
Cup of Jo
A Merry Mishap
Miss Moss
Gala Darling
Nubby Twiglet
Love and Ginger
Head on over to Studio Home for some ‘down under’ creative talent…
