From cover kudos to icon… NEWSLETTER / January 2026 KIND WORDS: “Awesome coverage - you are amazing!" – Liana Moore, Director of Marketing, Antlers at Vail 
RUSTIC REDUX JLF Architects got a chance to revisit what principal John Lauman calls its “old catalogue” of home design when a Wisconsin couple arrived – separately – at the same JLF-designed past project as their dream-home example for the legacy house they wanted to build on a secluded 45-acre Big Sky property. The serendipitous story caught the attention of Mountain Living, as did the house, a from-the-ground-up design-build collaboration among JLF, Dovetail Construction and WRJ Design that took a fresh look at old-school rustic – and ended up on the cover of the magazine’s January/February issue. “Mountain living is casual living,” says WRJ co-founder Rush Jenkins, who used layers of snuggly, textured natural materials – mohair, suede, cashmere, wool and sheepskin – to bring warmth and comfort to the livable luxury interiors. (Photo: Audrey Hall) 
ULTIMATE VAIL Travel properties live and die by in-person visits, so PR peeps have to be cautious in hosting journalists. Luckily for Word PR, our longtime client the Antlers at Vail hotel is a no-brainer sure thing: We dare you to find something not to love at this still-independent Vail condominium hotel with the killer location and guest-first mantra. So it’s not surprising that in writing her “Ultimate Guide” to the “Swanky Ski Town” for Conde Nast Traveler, A-list travel journo Bailey Berg calls her where-to-stay pick of Antlers at Vail “something special.” Additional recent kudos – and fun Insta Reels – came from A Mom Explores, whose “Non-Skiers Guide to Vail with Kids” proves you can have winter fun in Vail with two kids under 10 – especially when an Antlers stay includes simple pleasures ranging from an outdoor heated pool and hot tubs to the lobby’s Italian coffee machine that dispenses hot cocoa at the touch of a screen. 
FIRST THINGS FIRST “Don’t let winter doldrums keep you from embarking on a big renovation project or minor refresh,” writes The Spruce in its new “Designers Reveal the First Big Home Project They Would Tackle in January.” To discuss the topic, the home design mega-site tapped Jacobs + Interiors’ Yvonne Jacobs. “I love the idea of planning in January,” Yvonne tells The Spruce. “I am personally planning a kitchen remodel that I have been wanting to do for a while.” As one of just 12 designers named a LUXE Design Icon for a best-kitchen design, and with years of fabulous kitchens under her belt, including the one in her Refined Mountain Luxury project, pictured, Yvonne is sure to come up with something special. And using snowy January to make a plan has psychological as well as practical benefits. “It can be a gloomy month in that the excitement of the holiday season is over,” Yvonne says, “so it’s a good time to reflect. (Photo: Kimberly Gavin) PR TIP OF THE MONTH 4 Social Media Trends to Implement for 2026 Find Clarity: Are you offering the same brand messaging across all your platforms? With AI providing answers to Google searches, what becomes most important is maintaining a consistent message that AI can quickly and easily understand and repeat, says social media strategist Kim Vander Poel in a YouTube interview with interior design business coach Nancy Quinn on social media trends for designers. Take time to audit your messaging on your website and any social media platforms you’re using, including LinkedIn, and make sure your most important branding comes across all, clearly. Be Yourself: As platforms fragment and feeds become more algorithm-driven, audiences are gravitating towards voices that feel more authentic and more aligned with their values is a key takeaway from The Drum’s new social media rules for marketers in 2026. Social media strategist Vander Poel agrees, suggesting interior designers include themselves in Reels and Stories – or create a voiceover rather than pasting on written titles over photo carousels. Count on Keywords Not Hashtags: Instagram recently announced that hashtags will be limited to just 5 per post, down from a max of 30, so make sure your content includes keywords, “which are more than sufficient for today’s algorithms,” says publishing expert Jane Friedman in her take on 2026 social media trends. “If you’ve been relying on a hashtag strategy to expand your audience, now is the time to learn the value of loading your communications with keywords (spoken on video or in written posts or captions).” Quality Over Quantity: “There’s more content than ever before, but attention spans haven’t grown with it,” writes Packsia in its 19 Social Media Trends that Will Shape 2026. “Most users scroll quickly and only stop when something feels immediately relevant. The takeaway? Fewer, better posts win. Focus on delivering quality storytelling, striking visuals, and concise hooks that earn attention in the first few seconds. Every piece of content should have a clear reason to exist.” Jane Friedman mirrors that advice, writing, “Audiences reward creators who go deeper than surface level. Prioritize depth over frequency. The days of posting just anything 10 times a day to gain traction are in the past. Get with the ‘only speak when you have something to say’ program.” |
