Fifteen interior design and life-style writers (11 from the US, three from the UK, and one from Dubai) will be descending upon Cologne in January for imm (international furniture fair) and Living Kitchen, before heading to Amsterdam for a guided tour of the City's design hotspots with home design magazines Eigen Huis and Interieur.
BlogTour Cologne runs from January 13 through January 18, 2013, and is part of the latest leg of the program, which is organized by online design resource Modenus. It's the first time a single Modenus BlogTour has included more than one country. Previous tours have been held in New Orleans, New York and London.
Here's a look at the blogger attendees:
Michele, Lisa and Brandon
Mod Design Guru – Michele Alfano is a NYC designer and architect who believes in always doing more than expected. She has an 18+ year background in architecture and interior design. During her time at the Walker Group/CNI, she designed an innovative tunnel interior in Fukuoka Japan named “Iwataya Passage” that was recognized as “Best Public Space” by Interior Magazine and received an International Store Design award and AIA 2000 Honors Award. The work was also cited as one of the year’s top projects by Business Week and Architectural Record. Her comprehensive blog, Mod Design Guru, is a celebration of thinking-outside-the-box design. Follow Michelle on Twitter at @ModDesignGuru.
Decor Girl – Lisa Smith is an interior designer, go-to color maven, and artist. Her blog, Decor Girl, covers all sorts of topics including architecture, DIY, trends, interiors, color, and travel. Lisa also owns the boutique interior design firm Interior Design Factory, Ltd. Some of her design values include: “Good design is for everyone,” and “do it once and do it right.” Follow Lisa on Twitter at @TheDecorGirl.
D. Coop – Brandon Smith is the founder of d.coop, a boutique spatial design and development firm in San Diego, California. He’s self-described as a cross between The Devil Wears Prada’s Miranda Priestly and reality TV star Jeff Lewis. Brandon’s relaxed, witty style of writing and direct approach to design make his blog, D. Coop, both highly informative and highly entertaining. Follow Brandon on Twitter at @dcoopsd.
Cortney, Alexandra and Darren
CourtneyPrice.com – Courtney Price’s primary style is eclectic. A New Orleans native, Courtney mixes current and traditional ideas to make any room stand out, conveying her client’s values, from concept to completion. Courtney’s mantra is “fine living expresses itself with subtlety and intuition.” Her blog, CourtneyPrice.com, is an homage to all the best of lifestyle and design. Follow Courtney on Twitter at @courtneymprice..
Fun and Fit – Alexandra Williams is the go-to gal for anything related to fitness and overall well being. She is co-author of the Fun and Fit blog (the other author is her identical twin sister, Kymberly). Alexandra has been teaching, mentoring, presenting, emceeing, editing, and writing about health for over 25 years, and she thinks it’s safe to say she’s a jack of all trades. Her witty and personable writing style will keep you coming back to her blog week after week. Follow Alexandra on Twitter @AlexandraFunFit.
Designer Kitchen – Working in rural Ireland, Darren Morgan is a designer and writer who is beginning to make an impression far beyond his native shores. Darren has won some of the most prestigious design awards in the industry and writes for numerous online and print publications including Modenus. He is also the regional director of the Society of British Interior Design. Follow Darren on Twitter at @dmkitchen.
Todd, Paul and Kathy
Building Blox – Todd Vendituoli is a former builder who is presently working within the field of social media and using his years of construction and design knowledge to help others understand and use social media to enhance their businesses in a multitude of different ways. His blog, Building Blox, was the recipient of the “Best Blogger – Construction Business” award from the JDR Industry Blogger Awards. Follow Todd on Twitter at @TALV58.
Kitchen and Residential Design – Paul Anater is a former designer and currently a free-lance writer and social media guy based in St. Petersburg, Florida. His working life is dedicated to the kitchen and bath industry. In addition to that, Paul is also the Social Media Manager for Coverings the Ultimate Tile and Stone Expo and an Account Manager for the Whitegood agency. Paul is a veteran member of the BlogTour group – having accompanied Modenus on their inaugural BlogTour to London in 2011. Find his musings on design at his blog, Kitchen and Residential Design. Follow Paul on Twitter at @Paul_Anater.
Live The Fine Life – Kathy Sandler is the creative guru behind the blog, Live The Fine Life, and her Nashville based company Sandler Design Group. About her blog she says: “When I was young, I had two things I wanted to do: I either wanted to be a journalist or an architect. I was editor of my school paper, and I took as many drafting classes as I could,” she says. “The blog came about as a way to combine my love of the two art forms.” Kathy believes that all areas of design, art, architecture, fashion, food, wine, travel, books and music what make a fine life even sweeter. Follow Kathy on Twitter at @livethefinelife.
Live The Life You Dream About - Sarah Sarna is the Manhattan-based designer behind the design blog, Live The Life You Dream About. For over a decade, Sarah has been designing residential interiors in Manhattan, summer homes in Palm Beach and the Hamptons, and vacation residences in the French Antilles and Midwest. In these years she has developed her design expertise with long-established New York firms Sara Bengur, Shawn Henderson, and Pembrooke & Ives. Follow Sarah on Twitter at @SarahSarna.
Life in Sketch – Tina Ramchandani is a full-time interior designer based in NYC who has experience in both residential and commercial design. She started her beautiful and acclaimed blog, Life in Sketch, as a way to curate ideas and products, sharing her favorite tips, spaces, and trends with her online following. Follow Tina on Twitter at @LifeinSketch.
Time 2 Design – Carmen Christensen has worked in the Design industry for over 20 years and has earned the respect and recognition of her clients in addition to many builders and interior designers. Carmen’s work has been showcased in numerous show houses and published in multiple magazines. Being a member of NKBA, Carmen keeps up to date on current trends and events in the Kitchen and Bath Industry. Her blog, Time 2 Design, is a clear testament to her love of all elements of design. Follow Carmen on Twitter at @time2design.
Confessions of a Design Geek/Design Milk – Katie Treggiden is obsessed with design and loves nothing more than writing about her favorite subject. Her blog, Confessions Of A Design Geek, won mydeco’s Best Interior Design Blog in Great Britain 2010 and 2011. She is also a contributor on the massively popular blog, Design Milk. She published her first book, Interviews, a collection of eighteen conversations with designers. Katie is following her lifelong dream of being a full-time design writer for a variety of online and offline design titles. You may recognize her as a member of the blogger squad from BlogTour NYC 2012. Follow Katie on Twitter at @coadg.
Stacey Sheppard’s Blog – Stacey Sheppard is a freelance writer, journalist and blogger currently living and working in Dartmouth, UK. Stacey set up her blog, Stacey Sheppard’s Blog, primarily to keep track of all the inspirational and innovative projects, products, concepts and design events that she come across whilst conducting research for the articles that she writes. She has written for a number of design and interiors publications and websites including Designer Kitchen & Bathroom Magazine, World Interiors News, Heart Home Magazine and Freshome.com. Follow Stacey on Twitter at @StaceyJSheppard.
The program is said to have resulted in over 40 million social media impressions and hundreds of blog posts.
