Emily Ray

• Whether she's experimenting with a new aromatherapy blend for her handmade wool dryer balls, testing low-waste hacks to limit household trash, or supporting her local farmer's market vendors, Emily thrives on sustainable living.
• Based in a community impacted by data center development, she brings firsthand perspective to stories exploring how big tech infrastructure shapes neighborhood dynamics and property values.
• After completing the famous IKEA built-in bookshelf hack to create a giant library wall, Emily started her latest home improvement project: laying a winding flagstone path from her sunroom to a kitchen garden that could probably use some weeding.

Experience

Emily Ray's career weaves together editorial storytelling, design, and the built environment. She began writing in the early 2000s, covering health and consumer topics. Along with a stretch in UX and brand work for companies including Amazon, Nintendo, and Serta, she served as visual arts and design editor at Paste Magazine. Seeing an opportunity to promote smart growth in her own backyard, Emily then worked with government contractors and their partners, translating construction plans and proposals into public works projects. She also contributed to stories highlighting how these developments shaped communities. Today, her work explores home improvement how-to's, real estate trends, and budget-friendly design, helping readers make practical decisions, understand tradeoffs, and turn their everyday houses into forever homes.

Education

Emily holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design from the Savannah College of Art and Design.