Emily Peck, Editor of the ACHICA Living blog, meets Natasha Higgins and talks about how the idea for a blog came about and how it has grown to become the seventh largest interior design blog in the UK.
When Quentin Griffiths and Will Cooper set out to launch the UK’s first members-only luxury lifestyle online store, ACHICA, in 2010, they knew people would enjoy luxury brands at excellent value. What they didn’t know is that over two years later their business would exceed all expectations. Today, membership to the site has risen to over 800,000 and is continuing to grow rapidly across Europe.
“I started writing the ACHICA Living blog in 2010. Quentin Griffiths and Will Cooper approached me looking for a homes and lifestyle writer to provide content for ACHICA.com, their online store, and that’s when I suggested creating a blog as it’s a great way to share ideas instantly and interact with online readers.
ACHICA Living strives to be a fun and informative blog for readers looking for inspiration and ideas for their home and garden. We go behind the scenes to highlight the hottest trends and share essential expert advice with the movers and shakers of the design industry, so members of ACHICA, and everyone else who reads the blog, can shop for the best products and enjoy themselves while doing it.
Emily-PeckThe great thing about a blog is that there is a fast turn-over of stories: the content is uploaded and pushed out instantly. This keeps people interested.
The contents of the site is written by a team of magazine and newspaper journalists. Guest Editors include Pip McCormac who is Commissioning Lifestyle Editor for the Sunday Times Style magazine and interiors stylist Emma Morton Turner. We also have guest designs bloggers – we recently had James Davidson, editor from We Heart magazine, and design blogger Stacey Sheppard writing about chic shopping.
Today the ACHICA Living blog has grown to become the seventh biggest interior design blog in the UK. It’s been so popular that we now have a magazine, with the first issue launched in Spring 2012 and sent to a selection of ACHICA members.
I’ve worked as an interiors and lifestyle journalist for 14 years. My first job as a journalist was as features writer for 25 Beautiful Homes. I then held staff positions as a writer at BBC Good Homes magazine and features editor at Ideal Home. Since then, I’ve worked for a host of interiors and lifestyle magazines including Grand Designs, Real Homes, Livingetc, Homes&Gardens and EKBB to name a few. I live and breathe interior design so I’d say I have a rough idea of how things should look!
Top interior design tips from Emily
On kitchens: I’d say play it safe and keep it practical. Go with furnishings that aren’t going to date quickly. I recently moved into a new house and a new kitchen had already been installed – it has a wooden worktop and although it looks great, it’s something I wouldn’t have originally chosen myself as its hard to maintain.
On interior design: If it’s proving difficult trying to figure out where to start designing your room, choose one piece of furniture or an accessory you love and makes you smile and build your look around it. For example, I inherited a beautiful walnut 1950s radiogram/sideboard from my father. He bought it in the 50s when he was 10 years old as a present for his mum. It’s in beautiful condition and the record player inside still works. It has made perfect sense to make it the ‘star’ of my living room and choose similar mid-century style furniture and accessories to style the room and create a welcoming but equally stylish room.
To see what all the hype is about and enjoy luxury interiors brands across homewares, garden, art, childrenswear and fashion accessories, at up to 70% off become a member at: www.ACHICA.com or visit Emily’s blog at: www.ACHICALiving.com
