Introducing Breaking Frame

Following decades in design journalism, we found ourselves returning to the same question: How can we tell these stories differently? Beginning in early 2026, we will be doing just that.

Over editorial careers that began in the early aughts, we encountered thousands of compelling ideas—stories of devotion, uncertainty, struggle and creative risk—that never quite fit the boxes we were given. The printed page demanded compression. Digital platforms favored speed. Stories were shaped to meet issue themes, editorial departments and prescribed word counts. We came to understand that not all meaningful creative work had a natural home. Not because it lacked quality, but because it resisted simplification. The stories that stayed with us were the ones that surfaced after the shoot wrapped or the interview ended: the anecdotal details that gave the finished work its gravity, but rarely made it into print. We wanted to create a place for these stories—the ones that usually get cropped out.

Breaking Frame grew out of that absence.

We’re interested in ideas that get to the heart of human creativity and craftsmanship: the dedication, the false starts, the moments of doubt that accompany real making. The finished object matters, but the process of getting there—however circuitous—is where the real story lives.

Uncovering it often means asking unexpected questions, following a hunch or lingering where the conversation gets interesting rather than tidy. Sometimes it means letting a laugh break the tension, allowing a tangent to take an interview off course or noticing the moment when the work stops being performative and starts feeling authentic.

These are the stories on the periphery: the chaos beyond the viewfinder of a carefully staged photo shoot, the unscheduled meetings that make connection possible, the talented people who almost stopped—and what the world gained because they didn’t.

We’re not interested in gatekeeping or homogenized writing. We believe in distinctive voices and shared discovery. And we’re less concerned with being first than with being honest—about artisanship, the people behind it and the conditions that allow creative practice to exist.

This is slow, intentional storytelling. Not everything here will be longform—you can expect plenty of quick hits of design inspiration—but depth is our touchstone. Covering the U.S. and beyond, these stories will arrive regularly in your inbox, reflecting a mutual way of seeing rather than a single point of view.

Breaking Frame is for designers, makers, writers, readers, editors and anyone who has sensed there was more story than was being told, but nowhere for it to land.

It’s time to tell the stories behind the stories—including your own. So drop us a note at [email protected].

We’re glad you’re here. Let’s see where this takes us.

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The founding editors of Breaking Frame approach design as a human practice—centered on craft, curiosity and lived experience. Their work balances rigorous editorial judgment with openness to discovery, leaving room for travel, spontaneous conversations and the ideas that emerge off-script. They’re serious about design—but they never take themselves too seriously.

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Originally hailing from Upstate New York, and with more than two decades behind her in New York City publishing, Shannon is a Chicago-based lifestyle writer who has devoted her career to covering interiors, art and culture—and the people behind it all. From delving into the inspiration behind homes to conversations with both emerging and established artists to exploring international culture, her work considers the creativity at play. Her bylines include LUXE Interiors + Design, Metropolis, Architectural Digest, Aspire Design and Home, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, Home & Design and American Craft. She holds a B.S. in Marketing from Boston College and an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University.

Kate is a South Carolina native who has spent most of her life and career in the South, with professional chapters in Alabama and Georgia. She has called Atlanta home for the past 18 years. With more than two decades in design and lifestyle media, she has contributed to luxury consumer titles both as a full-time editor and as an independent producer. Her work is driven by a longstanding interest in art, self-expression and the nuances that shape creative lives. She earned a B.A. in Communication (Media Studies) from the College of Charleston, with a minor in English. Her bylines include Lonny, Southern Living, Better Homes & Gardens, LUXE Interiors + Design, Southern Accents, Country Living and HGTV Gardens.

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The stories at Breaking Frame are not what you’re used to—and that’s what makes them exciting. Do you have snapshots of your childhood bedroom? Is there a project that you regret never publishing? What artist do you believe needs to be celebrated? What will always be that one piece that got away?

We’re here for those tales and much more.

✹ Let the conversation run (too) long.

✹ Resist premature conclusions. Stay curious.

✹ Look for honest effort, not perfection.

✹ Honor the unfinished and the in-between.

✹ Trust (and don’t rush) the process.

We believe creative work is authored by many hands—by the craftspeople, artisans and makers who shape our visual world: the masons, plasterers, weavers, woodworkers, finishers. When we look closely at textured walls, hand-mortared brick, carved details, woven textiles, we're seeing a record of care—by experts who brought something into being through skill, judgment and time. In an era of disposable production, we think centering human talent and achievement matters more than ever.