One of the strangest things we’ve encountered since starting this blog nearly three years ago was when a reader (thanks, Sara!) alerted us that photos of our living room and guest bedroom were being used on a vacation rental site. The listing claimed the images were of a property in Pasadena and listed a nightly rate of $48, with priority given to guests who booked for one or two weeks straight — essentially encouraging bookings of $336 to $672. It was unsettling for a few reasons: what would happen when guests arrived and the place didn’t match the photos, or worse, if the listing was a scam and the person collected money without ever providing an address?
We were immediately creeped out and took action. We contacted the site’s webmaster and reached out to the person presenting themselves as the landlord, explaining that the images were our photographs, taken in Richmond, and that the property was not available for rent. Thankfully, the images were removed soon after. The whole episode felt surreal — someone had taken private photos of our home and used them to advertise a rental, potentially misleading travelers and profiting from images that weren’t theirs.
That incident brought back memories of another odd case a reader (thanks, Michael!) reported not long after our big bathroom reveal. Someone named Amber posted on a design feedback site, claiming the “after” photos of our bathroom were her own. The post started getting positive comments and lots of questions about paint colors and fixtures — but Amber’s answers were incorrect. She said the sink was an expensive brand when it was actually an inexpensive find, and she listed a paint name that didn’t match the hue we used. The mismatch was glaring.
We left a comment on that post, politely pointing out the mistake and linking back to our original reveal so readers could see the true sources and details. Within minutes the impostor’s post was taken down. That moment was oddly satisfying, but also perplexing: what motivates someone to claim another person’s renovation photos as their own, especially on a community site where credibility and feedback matter? There was no financial incentive like with the rental listing, just a strange urge to appropriate credit for work we did.
These aren’t isolated incidents. Over the years we’ve had readers tell us they’ve seen our photos repurposed on resale platforms when people tried to sell identical rugs or bedding. We even discovered before-and-after shots of our front yard used on a landscaping professional’s portfolio site in another state. Each time it’s a jarring reminder that once images are posted publicly, they can be copied, repurposed, and sometimes exploited without our permission.
So what’s behind this behavior? There are a few possibilities. Some people seem driven by profit, using attractive photos to scam Airbnb-style guests or to make a listing more appealing than the actual property. Others may be seeking validation or social proof, pretending to have completed a successful renovation in order to garner praise or higher rankings on a design forum. And in some cases it may be pure laziness — reposting appealing images instead of documenting real work — or even a misguided attempt at humor that doesn’t land.
For content creators and homeowners who share photos online, these episodes highlight the importance of vigilance. Keep an eye out for misuse of your visual content, and encourage readers who spot issues to let you know. Quick, polite contact with the site hosting the material and the person sharing it can often lead to rapid removal, as it did for us. Documenting the infringement with screenshots and timestamps can also be helpful if you need to escalate the situation to site moderators or, in some cases, take formal action.
We’re grateful to our readers who act like neighborhood watch with camera-ready eyes, flagging instances where our photos appear in places they shouldn’t. Those alerts have saved us endless hassle and helped protect the integrity of our content. Have you ever found your photos used somewhere without permission? Or seen an odd appropriation of someone else’s work? We’d love to hear your stories and any tips you’ve picked up for preventing or responding to image misuse online.