You’ve created spaces worthy of Architectural Digest. Your portfolio showcases $400K+ projects with impeccable design, thoughtful details, and flawless execution. So why haven’t editors reached out?
Here’s what most interior designers don’t realize: getting featured in publications like Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, or House Beautiful isn’t just about having stunning work. It’s about being discoverable, positioned, and presented in a way that makes editors’ jobs easier.
Let me break down what design editors actually look for and how to position yourself to get on their radar.
High-Quality, Editorial-Worthy Photography
What editors look for:
Publications need images that tell a complete story not just pretty rooms. Editors are looking for professional photography with proper lighting, natural styling (not overly staged), and thoughtful composition that shows both the big picture and intimate details. They need multiple angles of each space: wide room shots that establish context, mid-range views that show how the space functions, and close-ups of architectural details and design elements that demonstrate your attention to craft.
Every image must meet strict technical standards. High-resolution files (minimum 300 DPI for print) are non-negotiable, and the quality needs to hold up whether the image runs full-bleed across two pages or as a detail shot in a layout. The photography should capture the space as it’s actually used, with natural light balanced properly and styling that feels authentic rather than contrived.
Why it matters:
Publications build entire spreads around your images. If your photography doesn’t meet editorial standards, if it’s too dark, poorly composed, or shows a space that looks staged rather than lived-in and editors will move on to the next designer, regardless of how beautiful your actual work is. Your photography is the first filter in the editorial selection process.
What you should do:
Invest in professional interior photography for every significant project, this isn’t the place to cut corners. Build relationships with photographers who understand editorial standards and have experience shooting for publications. Look at their portfolio; have they shot work that’s been published? Do they understand how to capture a space that tells a story?
Ensure your photographer contracts include publication usage rights. Many designers have lost publication opportunities because they didn’t secure the proper rights to share images. Keep a well-organized digital archive of high-resolution images, properly labeled and ready to submit on short notice when an editor requests materials.
Compelling Project Stories (Not Just Pretty Rooms)
What editors look for:
Editors aren’t just filling pages with beautiful images, they’re telling stories their readers will connect with. They want to understand the narrative arc of each project: What was the challenge? What transformation took place? What makes this project editorially interesting rather than simply attractive?
The most compelling project stories have unique angles that give editors something to write about. This might be a historic renovation that required balancing preservation with modern living, an innovative use of sustainable materials, unexpected material combinations that solved specific challenges, or cultural influences that shaped design decisions. Editors also want context about why this project mattered, not just to you as the designer, but to the clients and the space itself.
Why it matters:
A “pretty living room” isn’t a story. A “1920s craftsman transformed for a growing family while preserving original architectural character” is a story. Publications need hooks that will engage readers, give writers something substantial to cover, and provide a narrative thread that connects multiple images into a cohesive feature.
When you can articulate why you made specific design decisions, not just what you chose, but the reasoning behind those choices, you give editors the material they need to craft compelling editorial content. Newness matters here too. Publications want fresh angles, not another iteration of what they’ve already covered.
What you should do:
Document the before state of every significant project. Take photographs, notes, and measurements. This “before” context makes the transformation more compelling and gives editors contrast to work with. During the project, keep detailed notes on unique challenges you encountered and the solutions you developed. What obstacles did you navigate? What creative problem-solving did the project require?
Practice articulating your design decisions in narrative form. Instead of saying “we chose walnut for the kitchen,” explain that “we selected quarter-sawn walnut to complement the home’s original 1920s millwork while providing the durability needed for a family with young children.” Think about what makes each project editorially interesting before you even pitch it.
A Strong, Clear Point of View
What editors look for:
Editors want to feature designers who stand for something specific. They’re looking for a recognizable aesthetic or approach: designers who have a signature style or methodology that makes their work immediately identifiable. This doesn’t mean every project looks identical, but there should be consistency in your approach, your values, and the problems you solve.
Clear positioning matters enormously. Editors need to understand what you’re known for and who you serve. Are you the expert in historic renovations in Charleston? The designer bringing California modernism to traditional East Coast homes? The specialist in sustainable luxury for high-net-worth clients? If your portfolio shows farmhouse style one project, ultra-modern the next, and traditional English country the third, editors can’t position you in their coverage.
Why it matters:
Publications build their editorial calendars around themes, trends, and expertise areas. When they’re planning a story about coastal modern design, they need designers who are clearly established in that space. When they’re covering sustainable luxury, they need experts with a documented point of view on environmental design. A scattered portfolio makes it impossible for editors to categorize you or remember you when relevant opportunities arise.
What you should do:
Identify your signature style or approach. What do people come to you for specifically? What problems do you solve better than other designers? What aesthetic or methodology defines your work? Be ruthlessly honest about what you’re actually known for versus what you wish you were known for.
Curate your portfolio to showcase your strongest point of view. This might mean excluding perfectly good projects that don’t align with how you want to be positioned. Be able to articulate your design philosophy in 2-3 sentences. Practice this. It should be specific, authentic, and immediately clear to someone who’s never seen your work.
Professional Online Presence
What editors look for:
Before an editor reaches out, they research you online. They need to quickly understand who you are, what you do, and whether your work aligns with their editorial needs. They’re looking at your website to see a well-organized portfolio with high-quality images, clear navigation, and professional presentation. They’re checking your Instagram to see recent work, your design process, and how you engage with your audience.
Editors also look for evidence of your positioning and credibility: a press page showing prior features (even if they’re smaller publications), a bio that clearly states your location and specialization, and contact information that’s easy to find. Your online presence should communicate that you’re established, professional, and worth their time to feature.
Why it matters:
Editors research dozens of potential designers for every story they publish. If your website is outdated, your Instagram hasn’t been updated in months, or they can’t easily see your best work, they’ll simply move on to the next designer. Your online presence needs to make their job easier, not harder. Editors are looking for reasons to feature you, don’t give them reasons to pass.
What you should do:
Ensure your website showcases your best 8-12 projects with professional photography. Quality over quantity. Each project should have multiple high-resolution images and enough context for editors to understand the scope and story. Your site navigation should be intuitive editors are busy and won’t hunt for your portfolio.
Maintain a consistent Instagram presence. This doesn’t mean posting daily, but your account should feel current and active. Share recent projects, design process insights, and content that reflects your point of view. Include a “Press” or “As Seen In” page on your website, even if it starts with smaller publications. Each feature builds credibility for the next. Make your contact information prominent and easy to find.
Geographic Location and Project Scope
What editors look for:
Publications plan their editorial calendars around geographic markets and project types that interest their readers. Editors are looking for designers working on substantial projects: full-service residential design with meaningful scope, not small decorating jobs or e-design consultations. They want projects in markets their readers care about: major metropolitan areas, unique locations with cultural significance, or aspirational destinations.
The project scope matters significantly. A complete home renovation or new construction project with a substantial budget offers more editorial content than a single-room refresh. Projects that demonstrate full-service design, from architecture through furnishings and styling, show the depth of capability that editors want to feature.
Why it matters:
A small apartment refresh in an unknown town has less editorial appeal than a full-home renovation in an aspirational location. This doesn’t mean you can’t get featured if you’re in a smaller market—it means you need to identify what makes your location or project unique enough to interest a national publication’s readership.
What you should do:
Focus your portfolio on your most substantial projects. Lead with complete homes, significant renovations, and projects that demonstrate full-service design capability. If you’re in a smaller market, highlight what makes your location unique—historic properties, regional architectural styles, cultural influences, or the way you’re bringing fresh design perspectives to your area.
Be transparent about your service model. Publications are primarily interested in full-service design work where they can show comprehensive transformation. If you offer multiple service tiers, make sure your portfolio and pitch focus on the publication-worthy projects. Pursue projects with the scope and budgets that make editorial sense this might mean being more selective about which projects you take on or photograph professionally.
How to Actually Get on Editors’ Radars
Submit your work proactively
Most publications actively accept submissions and have guidelines posted on their websites. Don’t wait to be discovered, editors are looking for new work to feature, and proactive submissions are how many designers get their first features. The key is following submission requirements exactly. If they ask for 15 high-resolution images, don’t send 30. If they want a specific file format or naming convention, follow it precisely. Every time you deviate from their guidelines, you’re making more work for an already-busy editor.
When submitting, focus on one unique project rather than your entire portfolio. Editors want specificity and newness. Choose your most editorially interesting recent project—the one with the best story, the strongest photography, and the most unique angle. Pitch one publication at a time to maintain exclusivity. Publications want fresh stories, and editors won’t be interested if they know you’re pitching the same project to their competitors simultaneously.
Build relationships with editors
Follow editors on social media and engage thoughtfully with their content. Not every post, that looks opportunistic, but when they share work you genuinely appreciate or perspectives that resonate, engage authentically. Attend industry events where editors speak or appear. These face-to-face interactions, even brief ones, create recognition that helps when you later submit work.
Share the publication’s content when it features work you admire or stories that align with your design philosophy. Editors notice who champions their publication. This isn’t about manipulation, it’s about being part of the design community conversation in a genuine way that keeps you visible to the people who make editorial decisions.
Start with smaller publications
Regional design magazines, respected online platforms, and established design blogs all count as legitimate press. Start building your press page with smaller features, then work your way up to national publications. Each feature makes the next one easier to secure because it demonstrates that other editors have found your work publication-worthy.
Smaller publications are often more accessible and more willing to take a chance on designers without extensive press history. They’re also more likely to give detailed feedback if your submission doesn’t work for them, which helps you improve for future pitches.
Consider PR representation (when ready)
PR professionals have existing editor relationships and understand how to pitch stories effectively. They know which editors cover what, how to time pitches to editorial calendars, and how to frame projects in ways that appeal to specific publications. However, PR is an investment that makes the most sense when you already have publication-ready work: strong photography, compelling projects, and the brand foundation to back it up.
Make it easy for editors
When an editor does contact you, respond quickly. Have high-res images organized and ready to send immediately. Be flexible about timing and requirements. Publications have production schedules and constraints you may not be aware of. Provide all requested information promptly and thoroughly. The easier you make an editor’s job, the more likely they are to feature you and to remember you for future opportunities.
The Brand Foundation That Makes Everything Else Work
The truth most designers miss:
Before you pursue press features, your brand foundation needs to be solid. When editors look at your website, Instagram, and portfolio presentation, everything needs to communicate the same message: you’re an established authority doing work at the level they feature.
This is why strategic brand positioning comes first. Your website needs to showcase your work at editorial standards—not just nice images, but a presentation that signals professional sophistication. Your portfolio needs to tell compelling stories, not simply show pretty rooms in a gallery grid. Your brand presence needs to communicate “established authority,” not “just getting started.” Your online presence needs to be consistent, professional, and current across every touchpoint.
The bottom line:
Getting featured in Architectural Digest isn’t about luck it’s about strategic positioning, professional presentation, and making it easy for editors to say yes. You need the quality of work, certainly, but you also need the brand foundation, the storytelling capability, and the professional presence that makes editors confident in featuring you.
Start by building the brand foundation that makes everything else possible. When your positioning is clear, your portfolio is compelling, and your online presence reflects the caliber of your work, press features become a natural extension of the authority you’ve already established.
Ready to position your interior design business for the recognition it deserves?
The Legacy Brand Intensive gives you the strategic brand positioning, professional website, and polished presence that editors (and high-end clients) are looking for. In just 6 weeks, you’ll have everything you need to be taken seriously by the publications that matter.
