Fifteen years ago (when I was 30) this whole thing-Zowel DesignStar started as the blog that was launched at the beginning of 2010. You hardly had any smartphones, the OG Facebook had just reached the non-college population, and Pinterest was just an idea without an office (so I had boxes with magazines and a real pin-board). It was before blogs destroyed magazines, Pinterest destroyed blogs, Instagram took over almost all blogs/Pinterest/Twitter/FB, and now Tiktok and YouTube are literally threatening all media. I find it all endlessly fascinating and really grateful to still be here (and with enough different sources of income to hopefully continue to do this until I am 80). I like to write about digital media and culture of content creation, because the evolution of all this is just so wild to not only witness, but is being hit so deeply. single. day. (… and will write more soon, stay informed). Being on the inside makes my specific scoop pretty deep and nuanced – talks about seeing each side. For example, I have just finished the first episode of the Meghan Markle show and I have so many contradictory thoughts and feelings !! More come. Anyway, we recently found these photos of my apartment tour from that first year, 2010, via apartment therapy, shot by Teri Lyn Fisher and enjoyed posting (and responding) again. Some of me want to “shrink”, but that would only try to convince myself and you to convince myself that I somehow earn to be here, nowAlthough this was the apartment of a literal design star. But the more generous part of me knows that this girl had zero money or training and a lot of vintage things and did -the -the -together to create an apartment that had some appearance of unique style. I am actually very proud of this girl because I posted this there Despite It’s not great, not just because of it. I suppose that is where the fan base started – many vintage things with a budget with more confidence and courage than expected. My budget has changed, but she is still there 🙂
We start with the most promising image, where I am still of everything (“love” is perhaps strong?). That bank was my first big vintage purchase ($ 800 shouting at the good mod) and something that I would now pay $ 3K to come back for sentimental reasons (I sold a reader years ago, to my future regret – if you are there, let me know!). I sewn both pillows with blue patterns and I wish I had kept that coffee table (drop sheet and so simple/beautiful). I framed that flag with cheap furring strips, brackets and black nailheads and it is such a great hack for enormous unique art with an extreme budget (I have often done that). All in all I am not ashamed of this – it is also just full of so much nostalgia that it makes me happy.
This is what I wrote about it then (via the article):
Indulge: I am economical by nature, but my biggest purchase ever was my navy blue bale from the 60s, and it was $ 800 (pretty sure that I had told Brian, my husband, it was $ 600 at the time because it was and is so much money for us), but I can’t get enough weird artwork. I know that I have too much and I borders to hoard, but it makes me so happy and the house still doesn’t feel messy because it is on the walls. At least that is what I tell myself. In general, my problem loses the judgment on flea markets or thrift stores you know that ‘if-i-no-buy-it-i-i-Wil-Neger-for-the-residual-of-my-life’ syndrome? Yes, I have it. Bad. Terminal.
Now there is nothing wrong here, but I just don’t make it completely – it feels a bit empty and cold. What I remember is that I found that table on Craigslist – a really dark shiny wood and myself stripped of our Los Feliz apartment in the parking lot. Everything else was kept, including the Bright Blue floor of $ 50 in Persian style with 3 huge holes in it that my DP had Secrets To ask me – “Are you poor?” What I will never forget (he was not in the extreme “patina” of the carpet). I wish I still had to become an Ottoman or cover a bank – as much nostalgia in that rug as I had it for years.
This is where I am as a “huh”, not because there is something “wrong” in itself, but because that vignette is just rather boring. The blue wire chairs are small outdoor chairs that the Ikea lamp feels strange modern and oversized, and suddenly I drank various bourbons and scotch? Of course I still have that blue dog painting and will always be forever (it is now in the bathroom of our children). I love the rug, the planter on the chair, the fold -woven chair and that painting on the floor (??) – but together it is just a bit boring and out (what is ok!).
This really breaks me – again not against everything in this shot, just collective it feels a bit hard, but I think I literally wax try so hard… I remember that I thought: “How did I win this show? !! How can I prove the world that I am unique?” This was the sideboard in my bedroom and I think this was my collection on top? I would really love to draw on the left (it is very Hugo Guiness-Y) and I love that Scandinavian black owl. I still have that Indigo runner (which I bought in Vietnam when Brian and I backpacks just before Designstar) and the glass vases were from my wedding (where all vases were vintage bricklayer or faceted pots). The silhouettes are random and that Swag cord was a movement that I enjoyed doing (which I still love a bit – I did it in the room of Elliot). I am not sure what is going on with the portrait of the spooky boy (?? !!) and would probably not buy that anymore, but certainly not from the brand, because I certainly like a strange portrait.
You, that was the blimp before it glows up (framing). Gah, who sees it with a fig tree with a wooden table here, looks like it in the conservatory with another fig tree and wooden table. To see?
This is what I said at the time:
2010 Emily: What is my style: Weird, eclectic and modern, but loose and casual. All vintage always. And with regard to the color, I mix a lot of blues, shades of gray and whites with natural materials such as wood and leather. The blues keep it modern and masculine, while the leather and wood bring in warmth. My furniture is usually straight and masculine, while my accessories are round and feminine. I’m not planning it, it’s just my instinct
You – this is me still !! I combine more new ones and give it to have more contemporary artists and to hire local makers (because I can afford it now), but the general spirit is similar.
Ok, now that it is plank, I am still completely up and is full of so many nostalgic things. I know where I have almost everything there (and now I am sad that the blue sign broke after 10 years of loving it – bought in Italy). I am now on an airplane, but I want to race to my plug space and see if I still have some of these things (such as the simple white bowl). The gold and white vessel broke, but I repaired it and if you look closely at it, you see my framed collection of dollhouse fly watters and mousetraps – yes, you read that correctly.
That white vessel is solid and I love that small table (note the drawer detail). Now that the creepy boys’ painting (WTF, I had two ???) and I am not sure why I had a rock collection, but I also think it is beautiful rocks (notice that I am now learning or with rope collecting rocks to put books on top, so I suppose I am still using rocks like styling -elements).
I think this was an attempt to make a sweet vintage vignette – all the things that I still am, but maybe not super strong? I glued that wine holder together so often before I called him. I still have that wooden bowl and I have potted that brass and glass mugs for years. I don’t think I have that exact round breadboard, but I have a very similar that Suz lives on our island. As you can see, my love for forest books (or a landscape or seascape) was even then something. Quite certain that there is about two buck -chuck in that wine holder – or not perhaps I spoke to Propwijn not to look so brutal.
I think the only photo in this mix that actually takes me in is this – especially because I am ashamed of how I wanted to be observed then. You see, this was my attempt to do something, that did not look like the Thrift Store – girl – because I felt super unconscious because I was no longer “legitimate”. So I bought this “refined” fabric and with nailheads made this headboard. I finished the campaign -night box (was yellow) and bought a crystal lamp! I didn’t like that pintuck bedding at all (still not, I hate structured bedding). But I also really like a quiet and serene bedroom (think of the bedroom of the Berghuis!) So maybe this is a version of me, just a more budget/ boring version. I think I am still proud of myself because I have done the -it -and those garden roses are so sweet.
*Unless otherwise stated, photos of Teri Lyn Fisher via apartment therapy