• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Interiors Addict

Heart Your Home

@interiorsaddict on Instagram   @interiorsaddict on Facebook   @interiorsaddict on Pinterest  
Subscribe
  • Job Board
  • About
  • Before & Afters
  • RENO ADDICT
  • Kitchens
  • Bathrooms
  • Kids Rooms
  • Bedrooms
  • Living Room
  • Shopping
  • Expert Tips
  • Recipes
  • Parenting
  • Travel
Interiors Addict
  • Job Board
  • About
    • Our Story

      Australiaโ€™s largest interior design, styling and renovation blog for the everyday Aussie. By former journalist and magazine editor Jen Bishop, the original interiors addict!
      READ MORE

      Weโ€™re big on Instagram!
      @interiorsaddict

      • About
      • Contact Interiors Addict
      • Work with Interiors Addict
      • Advertise / Find a job in Interiors
      • Press
      • Get Your Free Ebook

        This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
    • bookcover-jens-reno
  • By Room
    • Browse by Room

      Where you can search for all our posts about a specific room. Only interested in kitchens and bathrooms? We got you!

      • Kitchens
      • Bathrooms
      • Kids Rooms
      • Bedrooms
      • Living Room
      • Home Office
      • Dining
      • Laundry
      • Outdoor & Exteriors
      • Renting
    • bookcover-jens-reno
  • Before & Afters
    • Before & Afters

      Who doesnโ€™t LOVE a good before & after? If you want to be inspired by the whole reno process, and not just the shiny photos at the end, this is the place for you!

      View Articles

      • Before & Afters
      • Jen’s reno
      • Real Renos
      • RENO ADDICT
    • AFTER bedroomBefore & after: Luxury Sydney apartments go from drab to fab
    • 5.2-Upcycle-afterWhen cost of living increases put your reno in jeopardy, be smart
  • Reno Addict
    • RENO ADDICT

      Looking for reno inspo? Find it all here, from other peopleโ€™s projects to the latest trends, tools and products, whether youโ€™re DIY-ing or employing trades.

      View articles

      • Reno Products
      • The Block
      • DIY
      • Reno Trends
      • Before & Afters
      • Real Renos
    • Caroline-Sharpnack-ยฉ-HouzzHome reno spending and activity at highest levels since 2019
    • Sahara_36_MA_kitchen_2500pxHow to give any home a sophisticated industrial vibe
  • Shopping
    • Shopping

      Want to know where to buy the latest furniture, homewares, rugs, art and more? Weโ€™re always sharing our latest finds and telling you where you can buy them.

      View Articles

      • Furniture
      • Homewares
      • Art
      • Smart Home
      • Appliances
      • Reno Products
    • MHP_290817-9What you should snap up in Contents ID’s bi-annual sale! + win!
    • BASOTHO_HERITAGE_BLANKET_KHARETSA_ALOE_12_9065-2The Baobab Collective: authentic and soulful African textiles
  • Inspiration
    • Inspiration

      While Jenโ€™s a legitimate interiors addict, sheโ€™s no design professional, so she calls on an army of the countryโ€™s best to share their expertise with you. Be inspired by their stories too!

      View Articles

      • Decorating 101
      • Interviews
      • Expert Tips
      • Before & Afters
      • House Tours
      • Designers
      • Styling
      • Renovating
      • Real Renos
      • Covet my coffee table
    • Lounge roomBeautiful St Kilda home renovation references Paris decor
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle

      Weโ€™re mostly about the home but Jen also likes to share other things she thinks youโ€™ll love, like food and travel.

      • Recipes
      • Travel
      • Parenting
    • DSC_8605Foodie Friday: Family-friendly French onion soup
    • Isla-MotelHip new motel renovation on NSW South Coast
  • Jobs
    • Advertise on our job board
    • Job Board FAQs for advertisers

In defence of bloggers making money

July 19, 2014

FacebookPinEmailTweet

Another week, another person taking issue with bloggers making a business out of doing what they love. This time, the offensive comment was directed at Holly Becker of Decor8, someoneย whose blog, and business sense, I admire. Reading Holly’s post really got my back up and made me feel for her. I would encourage you to read it. I say that because sadly, this attitude is one bloggers come across a lot and this gives a very good insight into how it can make them feel. I’m fortunate not to get this directed at me often but sometimes I get hints of it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if people are thinking or saying it behind my back. But I live in hope that they’re not! I digress…

Here is the comment Holly received on her blog:

(Excuse me while I bite my tongue!)

As Holly rightly questions in her post today, is it really so bad for someone to make a commercial success of what they do? For them to do what they love? Are they expected to do so for free because the job is enjoyable and they get to be their own boss? Or to work another job and spend all their free time blogging as a public service? Creating a blog that makes enough money for it to be your job is hard work. It is great and so rewarding but it is hard. Even if it wasn’t hard, so what?! I actually hate that every time someone slags off bloggers we feel we have to justify how hard are jobs are. That may well be the case, but we shouldn’t have to justify ourselves to anyone. Other professions don’t.

Sadly, I read people on blogging forums all the time suggesting that accepting advertising is selling out and that it is a given that content will become all salesy and treat readers as if they are idiots. It simply isn’t true. Not all bloggers get it right. I hate it as much as the next person when bloggers write about things they’re paid to and they hide the fact a post is sponsored (maybe putting it at the end, after you’ve read a post and not had the opportunity to choose not to read what is effectively advertorial), but bloggers like Holly and I are transparent. You can’t tar everyone with the same brush. Other bloggers don’t make any money and their content is rubbish. So what? Don’t read it and leave them to it!

The best part of Holly’s post is the eloquent reply her husband wrote to this comment. Thorsten is a journalist, as I have always been, and rightly points out that if journalists were asked to work for free (sadly, they often are!) there would be (is) outrage. So, what’s the difference? He also makes a good point, which I hadn’t really considered, that male full-time bloggers don’t seem to get the same amount of stick.

I know for sure that my blog has only got better since I’ve concentrated on it full-time. It gets more of my time and energy, I treat it as a business with high standards, my readers get more and better content. I don’t ask them to pay to read it. The same can be said for many other blogs. I just wish people would stop being so damn bitter about bloggers making money. I feel a lot of it stems from envy and that makes me sad. What happened to women supporting women?

I know all too well how much an anonymous online comment can hurt your feelings, even though you know it shouldn’t, so I wanted to have my say and add my support to Holly.

FacebookPinEmailTweet

Primary Sidebar

Popular This Week

  • Australian kitchen dimensions: standard sizes for every last detail
  • How to elevate your living room by stylist Natalie Walton
  • Palette Cam 15 apps to help you build your dream home
  • Dining room Canadian home reno is a riot of colour and fun and we love it!
  • Old Newtown bakery sustainably reimagined as unique family home

Follow us on Instagram

Australian made bathroomware is seriously impressi Australian made bathroomware is seriously impressive!

The new @studio.xox ONLY sells Australian brands. Like @nood_co coloured basins, lead-free eco brass from @faucetstrommen and @lindseywherrett's  ceramic basins made by hand in Tassie.

And as for their Sydney showroom (they also sell online): WOW.

See and read more on the blog now via link in bio.

#interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop
#creatingbeautifulspaces #homestylingdesign
#designbywomen #homestylingtips #sydneycreatives
#homestylingsydney #interiorstyling #interiordesignsydney
#everydaydesign #interiortrends #renovationinspiration
#homedesigninspo #lovemyhome #stylingdetails
#loveinteriors #homeimprovements #interiordesignaustralia
#dreamhomeinspiration #homemakeover #personaldesign
#interiordesignaus #creatingbeautifulspaces
#creativehomes #housestyling #sydneyhomes
#interiorinspiration #myhomedesign
I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new @madeinaustshow in Sydney this August.

๐Ÿฆ˜๐ŸจForget every tacky association you ever had about touristy Australian made and prepare to see a showcase of the best of home, lifestyle, fashion and beauty made right here. If the pandemic has made you appreciate buying local even more, this is for you.

It's the first business to business trade event connecting retailers with Australian made products to champion our local makers๐Ÿ™

Apply to exhibit or find out more at their website, via their bio, now!

Are YOU buying more Australian made post covid?

#madeinaustralia #australianmade #aussiemade #aussiedesign
Do I recommend a timber vanity top? A big fat NOP Do I recommend a timber vanity top?

A big fat NOPE! ๐Ÿ’ง 

Which is why we have recently covered ours with a Caesarstone top (thanks to @justinplace_sydney for the advice and supply) and the sweet RELIEF of not having to worry about this high traffic area anymore, I'm telling you!๐Ÿค—

Doesn't matter what they tell you or how many times it's sealed, I'm not sure it's a great idea in a room which is so, well, wet!

I love having the warmth of timber in the bathroom and it's a beautiful piece, but timber on the top? Never again.

Ours probably lasted a year (if that) before it started to go downhill (and we want a good decade out of a bathroom, right?!). 2.5 years on, everything else in this bathroom looks virtually brand new and the water marked vanity top was really letting the side down and making me sad!

But I'm so pleased with this solution, I have to say! Took the plumber less than an hour to remove the sink, install the top and connect the sink back up. We didn't need to move the tap and it isn't too close to the basin.

The kids are allowed to brush their teeth and wash their hands (liquid soap ๐Ÿฅด) in here again and I can leave my hair straightener on there with gay abandon ๐Ÿ˜†

The reflective surface (which I can clean with whatever I like!๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป) brightens the room up too!

Next week I'll tell you what I really think of my brass tile trim too ๐Ÿ˜‰

#interiorsaddictbathroomreno2 #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno #timbervanity
Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than F Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than French onion?

I think not!

Grab the recipe on the blog this morning via link in bio.
Get to know me! I haven't done one of these in YE Get to know me!

I haven't done one of these in YEARS so there's possibly thousands of you who don't know my back story. Here's a few things you may not know about me!

โœ”๏ธ I'm English ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ and I moved here (just for one year) back in 2008๐Ÿ˜† 

โœ”๏ธ I can't end the day without a bath, even if I get home really late or on a really hot day. It's a mental health thing and my happy place. ๐Ÿ› 

โœ”๏ธ Before becoming a blogger and running my own small business, I was a journalist from the age of 18. My favourite news gathering times were as a newspaper crime reporter (bit different to interiors!) ๐Ÿ““ 

โœ”๏ธ I once worked at New Scotland Yard in London ๐Ÿš” 

โœ”๏ธI had an interview at Oxford (didn't get in!) but chose not to go to uni at all after being offered a job on the local paper #universityoflife ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My mum died when I was 3, I have an excellent dad and one sister (younger) in the UK โค๏ธ ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 

โœ”๏ธ At school, my favourite subject was French ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท and I was head girl ๐Ÿค“๐Ÿค“

โœ”๏ธ I'm addicted to โ˜•๏ธ , long hot baths and๐Ÿ’„ (been wearing it since I was about 14!)

โœ”๏ธ I'm not a phonecall person and will never ever pick up an unknown number. Ever. They can leave a message ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My favourite cuisine is Japanese ๐Ÿฃ ๐Ÿœ and Damian and I honeymooned in Tokyo and Venice 

โœ”๏ธ I have zero design qualifications. I just started blogging about my passion, which is trying to persuade everyone to #heartyourhome That was 11 years ago...

โœ”๏ธ My favourite tipple is a good GnT or๐Ÿท 

โœ”๏ธ Cheesy as it sounds, ๐Ÿ’โ€โ™€๏ธbeing a mum is my absolute biggest joy in life ๐Ÿง’๐Ÿ‘ฆ

โœ”๏ธ I will never give up my old school paper diary! Has to be A5 and week to view ๐Ÿ“– 

โœ”๏ธ My official surname isn't Bishop. I kept my maiden name for work after I got married but changed it for everything else. Often confuse myself!

โœ”๏ธ I didn't get my Ps until I was 37 and I'm still a terrible parker ๐Ÿ˜ฏ ๐Ÿ…ฟ๏ธ

Hope you feel like you know me a bit better ๐Ÿ˜˜

๐Ÿ“ธ @vanlowvanlow
Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ @nood_co coloured con Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ 

@nood_co coloured concrete basins is a great Aussie business success story. Although co founder Matt Di Costa first found fame as one half of Matt and Kim on The Block, he hasn't relied on this to build his brand.

โ€œWe are very honoured to have been a part ofย The Block, and all they have done for us. I am, however, a believer in letting the product take centre stage,โ€ he says.

Read our interview with Matt via link in bio now.

๐Ÿ™Share your favourite colour basin in the comments!

#colouredconcrete #noodco #colouredbasin #blockheads #the block #bathroomtrends2022

Pic 1 by @naibudesign_ and 2 by @twostyleinteriors
I'd love to see more colour in Aussie interiors! I'd love to see more colour in Aussie  interiors! ๐ŸŽจ 

At the end of the day though, it's a matter of personal taste. I love pops of colour but it's not for everyone. 

We couldn't resist featuring this Canadian house tour today. The amazing Kelly Green  hutch (swipe) was an upcycled $200 find ๐Ÿค—

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see the rest including one of the best playrooms we've seen in ages!

Project by @in.house.design
๐Ÿ“ธ @philcrozier
Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis o Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis on light and nature.

That was the brief for the conversion of a corner shop and a warehouse bakery into a luxury family home in Sydney's Newtown. And how about the library?!

Take the tour of this very special @annacarindesign project on the blog now, via link in bio.

Pic: @justinalexanderphoto
The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ N The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ

None of us enjoy laundry (OK, there are a few of you out there who do. Weird!) but we have to do it. And often. So if your laundry bin can be as good looking, functional and space saving as this, then why wouldn't you?!

I've lost track of how many baskets I've thrown out because they've gone soggy or mouldy. They look pretty, sure, but they're not fit for purpose and they're often messy and overflowing.

Here's what I love about his @brabantia_australia one:

โœ”๏ธ ventilation holes
โœ”๏ธ no need to remove the lid for small items plus it hides your dirty laundry from view
โœ”๏ธ easily removable and washable inner laundry bag that velcros back on 
โœ”๏ธ corrosion resistant so fine in bathroom or laundry 
โœ”๏ธ Brabantia make things as sustainably as possible
โœ”๏ธ compact, sleek, European design
โœ”๏ธ 10 year warranty
โœ”๏ธ tall and skinny so takes up less floor in my tiny laundry

The Rolls Royce of laundry bins? I think so ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป

TOLD you this was going to be exciting!

Now I need to know, do you have your laundry basket in the bathroom, the laundry, every bedroom? We used to have one in each bedroom but moved to the laundry-only situation which I much prefer (one for colours and one for whites). My boys know to put their used clothes in the bin in the laundry each night and they're 7 and 3!  #raisingfuturehusbands

#gifted
Follow on Instagram
Visit Jen's profile on Pinterest.

Get Your Free Ebook

Ebook cover

Never miss the latest renovating and interiors products, news and inspo again! Sign up for our newsletter and we'll send you the best bits from the blog, direct to your inbox. Plus you'll get our latest eBook: What Made The Biggest Impact in Jen's Own Reno.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Avatar

About Jen Bishop

Jen Bishop is our owner and publisher and an experienced journalist and editor. Interiors Addict has been her full-time job for more than 8 years. She is married to Damian and mum to Sebastian and Charlie.

More Recent Posts

Home reno spending and activity at highest levels since 2019

studio xox

Bathroom store specialising in Australian made opens in Sydney

We’re loving the 2022 Australian Interior Design Awards winners

What you should snap up in Contents ID’s bi-annual sale! + win!

How to give any home a sophisticated industrial vibe

Foodie Friday: Family-friendly French onion soup

AFTER bedroom

Before & after: Luxury Sydney apartments go from drab to fab

Nood Co basins

The Aussie company taking colourful concrete basins to the world

Lounge room

Beautiful St Kilda home renovation references Paris decor

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarCath says

    July 19, 2014 at 7:03 am

    Good on you Jen. I love Holly. I have no problem with bloggers making $$$ at all. Sometimes sponsored posts make me cringe when they are written like a story and then at the end it says and that’s why I love {insert brand name} for my family. I would just prefer to see ads!

    • AvatarJen Bishop says

      July 19, 2014 at 8:10 am

      Gah, yes, that would annoy me too! I actually enjoy writing sponsored posts when I get to tailor a message to my audience in a non-cringey way, especially when I know it is a product/service my readers will probably love. At the end of the day, you shouldn’t take money to write about something you don’t genuinely like and if you stick with that, can’t go too far wrong.

  2. AvatarJoanna Ford says

    July 19, 2014 at 7:51 am

    Well said Jen… To have a job you love and to make money from it should never be frowned upon or taken for granted … Your Blog, Is such an honest, well written one with amazing content… Good on you for speaking up and supporting a fellow blogger.. Keep doing what you are doing !!!!

  3. AvatarLibby Boyle says

    July 19, 2014 at 8:57 am

    Blogging is hard work and if some bloggers are lucky enough to earn a living doing it we should be happy for them. Surely we all want to make a living doing something we love.
    http://llibbyslifestyle.blogspot.com.au

  4. AvatarEmma - My Bespoke Chair says

    July 19, 2014 at 10:01 am

    The times they are a-changing…..people should really understand that bloggers are the natural progression of journalism in the digital age. And journalism is a ‘proper, paid job’ so why not blogging.

    The landscape of employment and jobs is changing rapidly, with many of our traditional jobs disappearing or declining. Jobs that reflect our society and changing way of life are on the increase. Blogging is one.

    So why can’t you make money from it? As you say Jen, it’s all about the quality of the content, writing and integrity of the blogger. Just like in traditional journalism.

  5. AvatarGreg Natale says

    July 20, 2014 at 8:31 pm

    As I always say, this is not a design moment that we are creating here, these are businesses where many people are making a living from, yes we love what we do but they are businesses where we need to balance the cheque book so we can make a wage. Unfortunately trolls just see the black and white side. I sense a lot of jealousy in that comment BTW

  6. Avatarmitchtheman says

    July 21, 2014 at 12:36 am

    I followed you here from Holly’s blog. Just to add perspective, it’s not only bloggers who’ve had to deal with this. Many musicians have had to deal with the same thing from people in their industry. I remember Neil Young griping about other musicians doing product endorsements or selling the rights to someone to use their music in an ad. He felt music should be pure and be used “properly”. And it was; it made musicians wealthy and comfortable after a lot of hard work so they wouldn’t stress in making more music. Nothing wrong with that.

    I don’t hate anyone for making money. I’ll admit I do have popups because I think they’re intrusive. But making money off a blog… if someone has the chops to do so then good for them.

    • AvatarJen Bishop says

      July 21, 2014 at 12:57 am

      Hi Mitch and thanks for your comment! I hadn’t thought of that but I can imagine there must have been a time when musicians were called sellouts too. It seems to be a curse of the more creative industries! Hopefully people will get used to bloggers making money, as they have musicians! Jen

  7. Avatarchon says

    July 21, 2014 at 10:52 am

    I write an infertility / life blog and it seems that haters are always going to hate. People think that just because the internet is a fairly open forum they have the write to comment and dictate what we should or shouldn’t be doing. As it stands I am an avid reader of interior blogs, I find you are at the forefront of design ideas and a lot of the time are more approachable than aspirational so I can actually use your ideas to design my home. Bloggers making money is just a new industry and if you can why shouldn’t you. It’s not easy – no one just hands you the money you have to be good at what you are doing and sell without being in our face. You always clearly specify when it is a sponsored post and if I don’t want to read that one well I skip it. I love both your blog and decor8 and have read them both for years and at the end of the day don’t listen to readers that are like that. They clearly have no idea the time and effort it takes to build up first a readership but more importantly respect in your field.

    • Avatarchon says

      July 21, 2014 at 10:53 am

      * right not write ๐Ÿ˜‰

  8. AvatarGusface Grillah says

    July 21, 2014 at 3:35 pm

    I don’t think I could take criticism seriously from someone that writes “loosing” instead of losing, but then it is one of my pet hates!

  9. AvatarKeely Malady says

    July 25, 2014 at 12:58 pm

    Hi Jen, I have just discovered your blog this today (how embarrasment!), but just wanted to say I love the way you have incorporated advertising and $$ making in a non invasive way.

    The issue with the attack on Holly lies not with Holly, but with the commentor themselves. It’s another example of a nasty bit of modern human nature that is the anonymous expression of envy with a side serving of ‘why are they successful and I’m not?’.

    Entreprenuers around the world in businesses of all sizes and types make money doing what they love, from unique ideas they made reality. Blogging is just a new example of this.

    Keep up the great work. (Love your architect profiles!)

    • AvatarJen Bishop says

      July 25, 2014 at 8:00 pm

      Thanks so much Keely for taking the time to comment ๐Ÿ™‚ Jen

Footer

Interiors Addict

Interiors Addict

  • About
  • Contact
  • Work with Jen
  • Press
  • Jobs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy

Browse

  • RENO ADDICT
  • Jen’s Reno
  • House Tours
  • Real Renos
  • Interviews
  • Styling
  • Designers
  • Bedrooms
  • Covet My Coffee Table
  • Expert Tips
  • The Block
  • Art
  • Furniture
  • Recipes

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RENO ADDICT

Copyright © 2011–2022 Addicted Media Pty Ltd
Website care by ClickWP ยท Log in

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!