Eddie Ross

What stands out in Eddie Ross’s self titled blog is his style of writing. Post after post, his voice remains consistent and distinctive. He undoubtedly has his own point of view, which he has earned through the years of experience in the interior design industry. Eddie Ross has served as Associate Decorating Editor at House Beautiful, Senior Style Editor of Martha Stewart Living, appeared on Bravo’s reality show “Top Design” and is currently the owner of Eddie Ross, LLC, a company which offers interior design, event production and styling services. After browsing through his posts, it is undeniable that Eddie Ross has learned a lot about the interior design industry and he is willing to share his insightful opinions and ideas with his blog’s readers.

When analyzing Eddie Ross’s voice, what initially stands out is his sentence style. The post titled “Goodbye City, Hello Country” from January 28th, provides examples of Eddie Ross’s use of sentence structure.

Well, everyone—after six years of living in our small but beloved sliver of Manhattan, the time has come for a newer, better and far more beautiful chapter in our lives, and if you'll join us, in yours as well! If ten years in the magazine business and a short six months of blogging have taught me anything about what it takes to create pretty things, day in and day out, that (I hope!) inspire and delight you—furniture and table settings, flowers and food, glittered webs and ornament wreaths—it's space. And I mean S-P-A-C-E. For us New Yorkers, it's everywhere and nowhere.

Eddie Ross constantly uses dashes to connect his ideas. These dashes are significant to mention when examining his voice because it gives his posts a rhythm when they are read. The dashes serve as a casual break between thoughts and make his posts conversational. The conversational nature of his writing is useful because it draws the readers in. In order to establish a following, it is important for the readers to feel a connection to the blog writer.

Eddie Ross’s use of questions is another factor that makes his of voice, or style of writing, conversational. By asking his readers questions, he lures them in, enticing them to respond and interact. Throughout the blog, he has asked the readers to share their flea market finds, their favorite Christmas decorations, and what silver they need to polish.

The use of fragment sentences is also a characteristic of Eddie Ross’s distinct voice. His January 28th post continues with:

Now I just want to be able to cook, craft, garden, decorate, and entertain in a way that's my own version of Fabulous. With silverware, china and linens. Hydrangeas, lilacs, and clematis. I want to have garden parties and dinners by the fire. A butler's pantry and a linen closet. A room for guests (frequent) and a room for Jaithan when we're at odds (infrequent). I want a washer. I want a dryer. I want a letter box on the street. I want a dog. I want five dogs! But most of all, I want to be able to share it all with you! So guess what? In a modest, 1760s farmhouse in Millerton, New York, nestled on a 70-acre working farm with horses and sheep, cows and ponies, we found it all. Here's a picture of our new home shortly after it was built.

He writes fragment after fragment as he expresses his desire to move from the city, to the country. Although fragments are not necessarily proper writing technique, when used creatively, they are extremely beneficial to establishing a writer’s voice. These fragments also add to the conversational quality of Eddie Ross’s posts. When I read this post, I feel as if he is causally talking to me on the phone.

Another post, titled, "More to Come: Art That Fits," reveals Eddie Ross’s voice is from January 22nd:

When it comes to our homes, I bet we all have something in common we'd rather not admit—walls, somewhere or another, left woefully bare. If you just haven't gotten around to hanging what you already own, what are you waiting for? It's the New Year, so get to it! On the other hand, if you're anything like me, still searching for that perfect piece—traditional but with a fresh, new look that's sophisticated and modern—check out the new Biltmore Collection from my friends over at Artaissance, my favorite online source for beautiful, affordable art.

It this post, Eddie Ross’s use of dashes, exclamation points, questions and italics all are examples of his writing style. The exclamation point, in particular, is a positive contributor to his voice. Explanation points allow the posts to convey an emotion. Each post has an upbeat, positive, feeling that radiates through Eddie Ross’s voice. This emotional excitement is made possible by exclamation points.

It is important to mention that Eddie Ross does not just use dashes, fragments, exclamation points, questions and italics in these particular posts, but throughout the entire blog. His voice is consistent. As I browse through previous posts, I feel like I am listening to story moving backwards. Since the posts are filled with personal accounts of events, people and objects Eddie Ross encounters day to day, the entire blog feels connected and cohesive. There is not a major disconnect from post to post but a seamless connection that has a story-like quality to it.

The combination of the conversational quality of his posts, his opinionated point of view on interior design, and his personal account of events (including pictures) make this blog unique.