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Where Our Images Come From (And What to Do If One Is Yours)

Using images on the internet is more complicated than most people realize, especially for a site like Cozy Dwelling Hub that publishes new room photos, styling shots, and inspiration images every week. This page is our honest answer to a question we get sometimes: where do these images actually come from, and what happens if one of them belongs to you?

We believe every image published on Cozy Dwelling Hub is used either with permission, under a valid license, or under the fair use doctrine. We have no intention of infringing on anyone’s copyright or intellectual property, and if we’ve made a mistake somewhere across thousands of posts and pins, we want to know so we can fix it. That’s what the rest of this page is for.

We Respect the People Behind the Images

Cozy Dwelling Hub exists because we love home decor, and decor is a visual subject through and through. That means we rely heavily on photographers, illustrators, and designers whose work helps tell the story of a room. We don’t take that lightly. Every photo used on this site represents someone’s time, skill, and eye for detail, and we try to treat it that way.

How We Source the Images You See Here

Cozy Dwelling Hub pulls from a mix of sources, and we want to be upfront about all of them.

Original Photography
A good portion of the images on Cozy Dwelling Hub, including room styling shots and behind-the-scenes photos, are taken by Dennis Mack or contributors working directly for the site. These are owned outright by Cozy Dwelling Hub.

Public Domain Images
Some images come from institutional archives where the work is no longer under copyright or was released into the public domain by its creator. This includes sources like Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress, and Smithsonian Open Access.

Creative Commons Images
Cozy Dwelling Hub also uses images licensed under Creative Commons, sourced from platforms like Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay, and Flickr Commons. Where a license requires attribution (such as CC BY), we credit the original creator and link back to their work.

Paid Stock Photography
For certain posts, we license images from commercial stock libraries including Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, and Canva Pro, used according to the terms of each platform’s license agreement.

Brand and Editorial Images
When we cover a specific product, retailer, or design trend, we sometimes include brand or product images in an editorial context, such as commentary or review. This use is intended to fall under fair use, and where appropriate, we credit the original brand or photographer.

Reader and Collaborator Submissions
Occasionally, readers or collaborators send in images of their own spaces with permission to feature them on Cozy Dwelling Hub. These are used only with that person’s consent.

How We Handle Credit

When an image requires attribution, whether from a Creative Commons license, an editorial use case, or a reader submission, Cozy Dwelling Hub credits the original creator and links back to the source whenever possible. If we’ve gotten an attribution wrong or left one off by mistake, we’ll correct it as soon as we’re made aware.

When Something Slips Through

Cozy Dwelling Hub has published a large number of posts and pins over time, and across that volume, it’s possible an image occasionally appears without complete or correct credit. Sometimes this happens because a source link breaks, or because an image had already circulated widely before it reached us. This is never intentional, and we take it seriously whenever it’s brought to our attention.

If You’re the Rights Holder

If you find an image on Cozy Dwelling Hub that belongs to you, you have three straightforward options:

1. Request credit or attribution if it’s missing or incorrect
2. Request a change to how the image appears, such as cropping, resizing, adding a watermark, or updating a link
3. Request full removal of the image from the site

We’re happy to work with whichever option fits you best.

To reach us about any of the above, email cozydwellinghub@gmail.com.

How Fast We Respond

Cozy Dwelling Hub is committed to responding to any rights holder request within 48 hours. Simple removal requests are often handled the same business day once we’ve confirmed the details.

What Helps Us Move Quickly

To help us process your request as fast as possible, please include:

• A link to the page on Cozy Dwelling Hub where the image appears
• A link to the original source, or proof of ownership such as a portfolio or website
• Your name and a preferred way to reach you
• Which of the three options above you’d like: credit, modification, or removal

What Happens Next

Once we receive your request, we’ll confirm we’ve got it and take a reasonable look at the details you’ve provided. From there, we’ll make the change you asked for, whether that’s adding credit, adjusting the image, or removing it entirely, and follow up to let you know it’s done.

You Don’t Need a Lawyer to Talk to Us

If you’re a photographer, illustrator, or brand and you spot your work here, you don’t need to send a formal legal notice or involve an attorney before reaching out. A short, direct email is all it takes. We would much rather resolve this with a quick conversation than a legal process, and we mean that.

Get in Touch

If you have any concern about an image on Cozy Dwelling Hub, or just a question about where something came from, email us at cozydwellinghub@gmail.com. We’ll get back to you.