Interview with Michelle Adams, founder of Rubie Green and editor-in-chief of Lonny Magazine

Michelle Adams, founder of Rubie Green, a line of organic cotton textiles, discussed How To Make A Home Green in a recent Williams-Sonoma Home Designer Series interview.  Michelle is also the editor-in-chief of Lonny Magazine and shared with Designer Marketplace some of her thoughts on featuring designers in our magazine and how technology has changed the design industry.

Designer Marketplace (DM): How do you pick designers to feature in your magazine?

Michelle Adams (MA): I look for people who are truly passionate and excited about design. Brad Ford, whose work is featured on the cover of the Winter 2009 issue of Lonny, uses a really natural style with big wooden tables and plants everywhere, which remind him of growing up in Arkansasas a kid, and his passion really shows in his work. I avoid featuring designers who merely follow trends, and instead look for people that are truly passionate about transforming a space and happen to be really good at it. And I look for kind and humble people—I don’t like supporting brats!

DM: What advice can you give to a designer who wants to get noticed/published?

MA: Never design a room with the intention of it going in a specific magazine, because then you aren’t really designing. Make a space your client would really want to live in. Pay attention to the kinds of details you would want in your own home. If you put your heart and soul in it, it will show. It’s good to comment on blogs and become friends with bloggers, and don’t be afraid to send them pictures of your work. Just be sure you’re not sending them everything, since no magazine will want to feature a space that’s already been all over the internet. Editoratlarge.com is a very cool resource for any designer who doesn’t already have a bunch of publishing contacts. You submit photos of your work to the site, and a panel of editors, including some former Domino staffers, will evaluate and approve the images. Magazines can then mine their database for stuff they like, and contact the designer directly.

DM: How has technology and the web changed the interior design industry?

MA: Technology has totally revolutionized design. Now we have an online global community for design lovers, and anyone has the resources to become an expert. Before you’d have to buy expensive decorating books or subscribe to all the magazines. Now you can type “Hollywood Regency” into Google and learn everything there is to know about it. Trends now travel through their cycles much more quickly because of the internet. When you see antlers everyday on blogs, you get over them very quickly. Technology also gives a voice to up-and-coming designers to showcase their talents and be discovered. Having an online presence has become very crucial, and it’s good to take advantage of platforms like Twitter and Facebook to share your work.

For more on Rubie Green, visit their website. Click here to Read the latest issue of Lonny Magazine.