Time Inc.’s Coastal Living and Southern Living magazines have teamed up to curate and launch the brands’ first-ever Designer Network, an index of interior designers in key markets across the country that will be available to readers early next year. The announcement was made last week at the Fall High Point Market.

“Together Coastal Living and Southern Living inspire more than 20 million consumers each month with great interior design,” said Sid Evans, Editor in Chief of Southern Living. “This collaboration will allow designers the opportunity to connect with our consumers and bring the look of the magazines to life. Our consumers want to be able to replicate the Southern Living and Coastal Living looks at home—and this network will connect them to talented local designers who can help them do just that. We also have a similar program called the Southern Living Custom Builder Program that helps connect consumers to builders in their area. Now, those consumers have a way to build and decorate their home with Southern style.”

Tobi Fairley

The announcement officially kicked off the recruitment and evaluation period for the charter members of the network, which will officially launch to the public in January 2015.

“We’re proud to announce that Little Rock, Arkansas-based designer Tobi Fairley is our first member,” Evans said. “We are taking submissions and applications for other members now…consumers will be able to sort our list of members by location/zip code or design style to find the right fit for them.”

Designers will receive exposure through the magazines, as well as marketing and business resources designed to help build their portfolios and prominence in the industry. Editorial representatives from each magazine will vet all designers in the network.

“Our editorial teams at Southern Living and Coastal Living will be very involved in selecting members for the program,” Evans said. “It’s important to us that we find fresh and inspiring designers whose work resembles the looks we show in our pages.”

“Our new Designer Network further strengthens our ties with the design community and showcases our unique roles as authorities on design to both the trade and consumers,” added Antonia van der Meer, Editor in Chief of Coastal Living.

Designers interested in participating should visit the website to sign up and submit an application for review.