Beyond the Pretty Pictures: Michelle Mastro on the Stories Behind Homes, Design and How We Live

A gorgeous home can still be a bad story, and a “normal” house can be unforgettable if you know what to look for. We sit down with freelance home, culture, travel and lifestyle writer Michelle Mastro, whose bylines span Architectural Digest, Dwell, Bloomberg, Smithsonian and National Geographic, to talk about what actually gets a home tour or design feature over the finish line with editors and readers. 

We get practical fast: what catches her eye in a pitch, why photos are non-negotiable, how “sterile” images can kill interest and what “lived-in” really means in editorial terms. Michelle explains how she hunts for the hook behind the visuals, from the way a family gathers in a space to the unusual choices that make a home distinct. We also unpack the realities of budgets and image rights, plus how PR professionals, designers, architects and builders can make pitching feel less like shouting into a black hole. 

Then we zoom out into the bigger ideas that make lifestyle journalism matter. Michelle shares which design trends she’s loving, why she’s over generational labels like “Millennial Gray” and what Victorian homes still teach us about comfort, identity and the concept of home itself. We connect design to travel and culture, including why the Midwest deserves more attention as an architecture destination. The conversation turns personal as Michelle reflects on loss, motherhood, and the questions that keep pulling her back to domestic spaces. 

If you work in PR, design or media, you’ll leave with clearer pitching instincts and a sharper sense of what editors want right now. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves homes and storytelling and please leave a rating and review so more listeners can find us.

Connect with Michelle:

• Instagram: @homes_writer
• LinkedIn: Michelle Mastro
• Portfolio/Website: Michelle's website
• Muck Rack: Michelle Mastro

Transcript

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Welcome, Michelle Mastro, And Her Beat

Angela 0:05

Welcome to Media in Minutes. This is your host, Angela Tuell. This podcast features in-depth interviews with those who report on the world around us. They share everything from their favorite stories to what happened behind the lens and give us a glimpse into their world. From our studio here at Communications Redefined, this is Media in Minutes. Today we're talking with Michelle Mastro, a freelance home, culture, travel, and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared in publications including Architectural Digest, Dwell, Bloomberg, Smithsonian, National Geographic, Better Homes and Gardens, Midwest Living, Martha Stewart, and many more. Based in central Indiana, Michelle has spent more than a decade covering everything from remarkable homes and design trends to small-town travel, history, food, and culture. She previously served as managing editor of Victorian Homes magazine and has an academic background that's just as fascinating as her writing career, completing graduate studies in English literature at Columbia University and doctoral coursework at Indiana University focused on Victorian domestic spaces. Whether she's touring historic homes, exploring overlooked Midwest destinations, or uncovering the stories behind how people live, Michelle brings a thoughtful and deeply human approach to lifestyle journalism. Hi, Michelle. Welcome to Median Minutes. Hi, how are you doing? Great. How are you doing? Oh, surviving. Yeah, I don't know if uh if I can mention that. You just had a baby. Yes.

Michelle 1:45

Yeah, it's a lot. Um, I don't know. I feel like every stage is a new boss. You know, it's like a it's like a video game, and every level there's like a new boss to like deal with. And yeah. So like right now it's like teething and it's a whole thing.

Angela 2:00

So especially when they're little, it's like every month and there's no manual to tell you what to do, right?

Michelle 2:11

You know, not quite working.

Angela 2:13

But we'll be thinking about you for sure with that. Um, such a blessing, though. I

COVID Pivot Into Freelance Writing

Angela 2:18

do have to ask, you know, you have such an interesting path through your career from studying Victorian literature to writing about homes, travel, food, and culture. How did all of those pieces come together? Oh man.

Michelle 2:32

Um, so in a word, I guess COVID.

Angela 2:36

Oh, okay. So it's a good thing.

Michelle 2:39

Yes. Uh so in 2020, I was still working for an academic publisher. Um, but then COVID hits and they started experiencing a hiring freeze. So um my contract position wasn't renewed, and I took a leap into freelance writing/slash journalism. Um, and prior to this, um, I had also been in graduate school studying Victorian literature. Um, so I guess that's kind of how everything fell together. Um, yeah, it was just kind of happenstance.

Angela 3:09

Wow, yeah. And you know, you studied at UCLA, Columbia, and Indiana University. How has your so you have a lot of education? How has your academic background influenced the way you approach storytelling and journalism?

Michelle 3:24

Yeah, that's a good question. Um, I don't know. I guess, I mean, I I guess I probably bring a critical lens to lifestyle writing. Um, I'm really interested in why people do the things they do. And I'm probably more willing to look at like the history behind the idea of home and how people live now. So sometimes my pieces can be found in like Smithsonian Magazine or National Geographic or J Store Daily, because I'm kind of interested in that, like um, that aspect of home as a concept.

Angela 3:58

Yeah. What drew you into writing about homes and design in the first place?

Michelle 4:03

Oh gosh. Um, well, I mean, I guess I did a little bit of that in academic like work, but um like the first year of graduate school, I was kind of already a bit disenchanted with it. So I started looking around and found an internship working at a magazine. Um, funny enough, it was a magazine that like I read a lot at my local library back in California. Um so it was kind of like a full circle moment. Umantic homes. Um, and so I thought, well, maybe I could, you know, I really like reading about houses, so maybe I can write about them too.

Angela 4:41

Do you remember one of your first stories? Or maybe not, right? You just had a baby, right?

Michelle 4:50

A little bit. I I remember, um, I don't remember what it was called. It was I think something like charming was in the title. Okay. One of those like uh hackneyed terms that we use a lot in like uh home tours, like charming and it was it was like something like that. But um, I remember the person that I wrote about really liked the story, and then like she shared it all like over her socials, and I was like, oh my gosh, like here, I'm actually writing about something that people care about, which is like kind of the opposite of what you get in academia, where like no one really reads what you write about, and right you feel like you're kind of working in a vacuum almost. Um yeah, it was a really great introduction to writing for broader, more general audiences.

Angela 5:38

Yes, and you're like, what I'm doing, people care about, yeah, making a difference, educating and awareness, that sort of thing. Yeah, definitely. What

What Makes A Home Pitch Work

Angela 5:48

immediately catches your attention when someone pitches you a home or design story?

Michelle 5:53

Um that's a good question. I guess I mean I'm looking at the pictures, um, and like they say uh a picture is worth what, like a thousand words or something, but um I don't want images that are just like you know, pretty spaces. Um I want to kind of get a sense of like what the story behind the home would be. Um so like the people who live there, um, does this home like have anything unique or different about it than other homes? Because um, you know, all every house that I see is beautiful, but right unfortunately, like a lot of the magazines are looking for something unique and special because there's a lot of noise, right? Like in home tours and like getting stories um into publication and um so kind of breaking through to like editors. I'm kind of looking for that like hook, you know, something that could really spark an interest in the editor and readers too. Right. Can you give us a good example of when you've done? Well, I guess recently, like I wrote a story for Dwell, I think it came out this year or maybe last year, and it was about these homesteaders who decided to put a greenhouse on one of their one of their um auxiliary structures. And okay. And I know that sounds so kooky and stuff, but it was really interesting because they're using that space to grow plants and food for the garden. And um, so the story was like, you know, how they pulled it off and how all the pieces came together.

Angela 7:32

Oh, cool. You know, much of our audience are PR professionals. So I'd love to know what we often misunderstand about pitching architecture and design stories.

Michelle 7:44

So I think the houses should feel lived in, you know, and that doesn't mean necessarily like messy or cluttered. Um, but it should mean like that readers could get a sense of like how these homes and spaces are used, how the people who live in the home like use the house. Um and it's supposed to give like a pick like um a fly on the wall kind of perspective of like what what it's like living in the home. So um sometimes the images I receive from PR professionals, like the the spaces feel really sterile, not lived in, very clean and pristine and beautiful, but like there's no sense of like the people who live there, you know. Yeah. Um I really like seeing homes where like you could see I don't know, something interesting. Like maybe the islands are super big and it's because the family likes to gather in that space and then they don't have like a formal dining room, instead they sit around the kitchen island, and that's why it's really big. Um, or I don't know, maybe um the uh basement is like a kind of a quasi-professional bar, you know, and that's where they gather and hang out as well. So yeah, I'm looking for homes um that tell kind of a story that feel lived in. They have some kind of history to them.

Angela 9:09

That's great. That's some really good advice too. And aside from photos, what so so first I'm also wondering, do you not even look at a pitch if it doesn't have photos and it's about a home?

Michelle 9:21

Oh yeah, yeah. Home home tours, yeah. I mean, I I create the the the story that goes with home tours, but if there's no images, there's no story, you know. I yeah, that's exactly um some of the home tours that I write like will be 12 pages, and the majority of that content, you know, is images. So yeah, like yeah, we definitely need images. And so sometimes when PR professionals sh share, like, oh, I have this designer that I'm you know representing, or um, they cover this type of style, it's like, okay, well, you kind of need to see images.

Angela 9:58

Yes, yeah, definitely. Do all of the Ality write for take images you're given, or do any of them do you need to get to get them yourself for any of them?

Michelle 10:08

Um, it depends. Um, like I've written a few stories for Better Homes and Gardens, and if it's in the budget, they'll send a photographer, but that's very rare these days. Okay. The majority of outlets um just don't have the budget, and so they're hoping that the designer already has photographers like on staff, or like, you know, has hired someone and that they that the designer has the rights to the to the images and um they can be shared in the story. Yeah, definitely.

Trends, Victorian Homes, And Design Meaning

Angela 10:42

You've covered everything from historic homes to modern design trends. Are there any trends you're loving right now, or any that you're ready to see go away?

Michelle 10:52

Ah, good question. Um, I really love cottages and quirky modern homes um in like like that you see in places like Dwell magazine. Um those are still very much in. Um, I love all the trends associated with them. Um right now, I guess I'm ready to see so-called millennial and Gen Z like trends disappear. Um so think so think like things like Millennial Gray or like super white kitchens. Okay. And and they're nice spaces. I I have some of them in my home too, but it's like I'm I'm kind of sick of attaching like certain generations with particular trends. Um, and I think readers are ready to like let that go too.

Angela 11:39

Yeah, I like that definitely. You were also managing editor of Victorian homes, and you know what is it about Victorian architecture and design that captivated you? And does it still? Or did it ever?

Michelle 11:53

Maybe. No, I I still love Victorian homes. Um, I live out in the Midwest, and um there are a lot of smaller cities that have a lot of like older homes, and I love it out here for that reason. But um yeah, I guess what drew me to Victorian homes and architecture, um, to be honest, was probably like all the clutter. Um like say what you want about Victorians and their house style, you know. For example, like um, you know, later late generations that followed the Victorian era thought of Victorian homes as like ugly or excessively ornate. Yeah. And that's fair, maybe they were. But um I like that the Victorians, I mean, arguably, in my opinion, really invented the idea of home as a concept. Um, so there was a desire at that time to like think about houses as being comfortable and livable. Um, and that translated, I think, into like, you know, a lot of things that we appreciate today, like indoor plumbing and sanitation. Right. On the one hand, but like also at the same time, displays in the house of things that like represented the homeowner in some way. Um, and this is kind of like novel at the time. So yeah, I'm that's why I'm drawn to Victorian homes. Um, but yeah, they're criticized for being, you know, gaudy and right over the top.

Angela 13:21

And yeah, but I think they're cool. Yeah. What about what's the most unusual home feature or design that you've encountered while reporting? That might be a hard one.

Michelle 13:32

Well, maybe not. Well, that um that that house for dwell that I wrote about with the greenhouse on the second floor. Um, that was kind of unusual. But I guess in a way, every house that I write about has some interesting thing because that's what guarantees them a spot in a magazine, is that there's like something right unusual about them. Um, yeah, so that's kind of hard to say. There's there's a lot of houses that probably fit that description.

How Travel And Architecture Tell Culture

Angela 14:03

Yeah. You've also written extensively about food, travel, culture. How do those topics connect with your home and design work, or do they?

Michelle 14:14

I think they do. Um, like I love it when I can write up like at the intersection of design and travel. Um, I think when people travel uh to see buildings and works of architecture, I think what they're really trying to do is like learn about how other people live in these other buildings that they've never seen. So, in a way, when I read about these things, it's still showing readers how others live. Um, it just happens to be how other people live in like another state or country. Yeah. Um, I did a story, for example, for Atomic Ranch magazine about uh Columbus, Indiana. And you know, it was about like the mid-century modern like treasure trove in that city. And people travel all over. I was on a tour uh looking at the architecture with people from Germany that like mechanical came to Columbus, Indiana.

Angela 15:13

Wow. Yeah, he these great works of architecture, so yeah, yeah, it's wild. That is. You also mentioned being drawn to authentic personal stories. What are some you know, qualities that make someone a great interview subject for you?

Michelle 15:32

Um, I think the willingness to be open on and authentic. Um I think you know, readers more and more really crave um that type of authenticity because, like, I mean, we're living in a world that might be overtaken by AI very soon. And um, you know, in recent years, people have been afraid to kind of go against like the grain or popular opinion. Um so yeah, I think people readers, you know, they want to get an insight into people's lives. And so if someone is willing to be open and honest, I mean that makes them a really great source for any article.

Angela 16:17

Those make the best stories and draw you in, like you said. Yeah. I'm sure the editors like them. That's the the best to pitch to them. Um,

Building Freelance Confidence Through Bylines

Angela 16:27

your bylines, we we mentioned in the intro, span everything from architectural digest to popular science to readers digest and a lot more. How do you decide on your next story or topic?

Michelle 16:41

Oh, well, I I guess I just pursue things that interest me at the time. Um, I try to find stories that I want to tell and then I look for an outlet that might support it. I I don't think about like, oh, I really want to break into, you know, such and such publication. What story can I, you know, kind of use to crack the code? You know, instead I'm thinking about what sort of article I want to write, really.

Angela 17:10

Yeah. Yeah, that's definitely good. Because then you're going after what I'm sure your writing is even better when you're going after something you enjoy and you're passionate about, and you can um place that story from there. What is a story that you've written either recently or you know, any time that you that you know was a favorite? Uh um, let's see here.

Michelle 17:32

Well, um I wrote an article for Bloomberg Pursuits um pretty recently, and it was about um millennials and how they've been taking their dogs on these lavish vacations to luxury hotels. Um yeah, and um it it was really interesting. I I knew it was a phenomenon, you know, before uh having, you know, writing about it, but as I was like reporting and doing research and talking to people who take their dogs on these, you know, types of vaces, um I learned more about like the whys behind it, like um why, you know, we as millennials maybe treat, you know, quote unquote treat ourselves um to these like smaller luxuries, but still ironically can't afford houses. So I know it was interesting. Yeah, for sure.

Angela 18:24

Yeah, that's a whole nother thing. What about in your career so far are you the most proud of?

Michelle 18:33

I think my ability, like anytime I can break into a new outlet, um, I'm pretty proud of that. It's really hard to break into a new publication. And so because of that, um I just I don't know, I'm pretty proud of myself when I can convince an editor who doesn't know me at all to trust me to write this story when they have like all these deadlines to worry about and all this pressure. And you know, it just every time I can land an article in a new outlet, I feel like really empowered because I don't know, maybe it's a way to kind of get rid of that imposter uh syndrome that, like, yes, I do know what I'm talking about, and yes, you know, people do trust me to take on this big responsibility.

Angela 19:19

Yes, that's super impressive too, because they get you know hundreds of emails a day. They already have freelancers they work with. They have so it is a big feat to break into a new publication, and that's definitely something to be proud of. I'm curious if someone gave you an unlimited budget to spend a month reporting anywhere, what destination would you choose and why?

Michelle 19:44

Uh it's probably gonna sound boring, but probably the Midwest. Okay. I I feel like it's an underappreciated region and it has so much to offer. Um, there's all these like interesting pockets. Um, for example, I mean, like Cincinnati, for example, like has maybe the like largest amount of like Italian homes and buildings. And so if you're interested in architecture, like yeah, don't don't skip over the Midwest. It's definitely not like flyover country in that regard. It's it's you know, it's a great space.

Angela 20:23

Yeah. And how long have you lived in the Midwest?

Michelle 20:26

Oh man, I've been here since 2016. But yeah, that was on and off for graduate school. So I don't know, um, probably since 2020, where I wasn't like going back and forth between here in California.

Angela 20:41

Okay, okay, that's

Personal Loss And What Home Means

Angela 20:43

great. You spend a lot of time telling other people's stories. And you know, as journalists, and and I'm a former journalist as well, we don't like to talk about ourselves as much or our stories, but what story about your own life has had the biggest impact on the writer you've become?

Michelle 21:00

So, not to bring down the vibe, but um, the fact that my mom died when I was seven years old. Um yeah, I mean, so yeah, I I mean today like we still associate homes with feminine energy and womanhood or motherhood or whatever you want to call it. Um, so I guess I'm not just interested in like viewing domestic spaces like through an academic or critical lens, but but also through like a personal one. Um, you know, I think like a lot of readers, I'm curious about what these spaces are like and I'm curious how I fit into them. And yeah, I don't know. Like I'm I feel like I I'm genuinely curious about what it means to have a home and and to be a woman living living in a house. And like I don't know, like maybe that sets me apart from other lifestyle writers.

Angela 21:59

Yeah. I I I like that thinking behind it, obviously. I'm so sorry that you had to go through that as a young child. But now you get to create a home for your for your baby. Um, and I'm sure that's on your mind a lot too.

Michelle 22:14

Yes. Yeah. It has been, I don't know, interesting um in a lot of ways. I've yeah, I don't know. Um I maybe, you know, exploring these concepts has made this new season in my life feel like less scary, I guess, because I've kind of been like mentally preparing for it. But for a long time. Right.

Where To Follow Michelle And Support Show

Angela 22:37

Yes. So what's next for you? Any projects, stories, topics you're, you know, especially excited about right now?

Michelle 22:45

Well, first off, I'm I'm always looking for like my next big article. So I'm always on the hunt. But yeah, I guess right now um I'm working on a few home tour articles um for American Farmhouse Styles, um, October issue, uh, the the print magazine. And I have so many in in that issue in particular that the editor has kind of like dubbed it like the Michelle issue, which is oh, that's wonderful.

Angela 23:17

And print too, you know, which is even harder today.

Michelle 23:20

Yeah, and and October, like fall is like my favorite season, so I'm just loving like looking at all the pictures of the fall vibes and everything. But um, yeah, like in the media, that's what I've been working on. Um, and uh yeah, still like on the hunt for for big stories, so I'm always open to pitches.

Angela 23:43

We will keep that in mind, and you know, the part of the country that you're in is especially pretty in the fall as well. So I'm looking forward to it. The Midwest is great for that. How can our listeners follow your work, keep up with you online?

Michelle 23:58

Good question. Um, I'm trying to be more active on my Instagram, um, like sharing calls for pitches and things that I'm working on at the at the moment. Okay. Um, I'm also trying to like post now and then kind of you know things like demystifying the whole process. Um, I feel like writing, you know, or like landing home tour stories is like especially hard. Yeah. Like it's I too feel like I have to divine the mind of an editor and like try to get a sense of what they're looking for. So yeah, I'm I'm just trying to make a space where like PR professionals or designers, architects, contractors, builders could like, you know, kind of refer to what I'm posting and putting out there, and maybe that will like inspire them to pursue getting published. Um because like, you know, submitting uh like a home tour tour idea to like a magazine can feel like you're just shooting something into like a black hole. Right. Yes. Yeah, I'm trying to like provide some tips and tricks, and then hopefully hopefully people will want to trust me with their stories and have me like bring these ideas to my editors. So yeah, follow me on Instagram. Um, otherwise, I think Muckrak is always sharing the articles that I'm working on.

Angela 25:25

Great, and we will include those links in our show notes as well. Thank you so much, Michelle. Yeah, thanks so much. That's all for this episode of Media and Minutes, a podcast by Communications Redefined. Please take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe to our show. We'd love to hear what you think. You can find more at Communications Redefined.com slash podcast. I'm your host, Angela Tuell. Talk to you next time.