Some of the apartments you see in shelter magazines are not fabulous at all; in fact, they're probably a lot less comfortable than the home you grew up in. But because their owners are usually rich friends of the editor (who needs to fill space in the magazine and probably owes them a favor), you'll see their homes photographed using a bit of sleight of hand.

For example, I did a story on one place that was bafflingly ordinary, only to see it splashed out with a photograph of the resident laughing open-mouthed on a chair, an in-your-face display of exuberance that dared you to doubt the brilliance of her less-than-spectacular home.