The cost of expression.
Home, Emma Chamberlain and the idea of a "deeply personal" home.
Good Morning!
Fall is here. The colors are beautiful, pumpkin is running through my veins, the chai is hot and the seasonal decorations are coming tf out. I’ve never decorated for the change of seasons but this year might be my year. Do you decorate for the fall time?
HOME
Did y'all watch Emma Chamberlain's home tour? You can watch it here. And read about it here. After watching I thought, what is the cost of true expression in relation to home? As someone who watches and somewhat keeps up with Emma I was brought back to this reality and the cost of an untouched home. Sometimes when watching her videos things can become blurry in regards to status, things like running errands, going grocery shopping, we all do it! Can I afford a million dollar home and to shop at Erewhon and Trader joes consistently, not one bit. But I’ll watch someone else do it. You remember the “celebs they are just like us” column that used to be in US Weekly. Really just consisting of celebrities doing very mundane tasks.
Since its announcement it has struck a lot of conversation on the internet, amidst my friends that are interior designers, and fans of Emma. She is one of the youngest to be featured, the home is very beautiful in my opinion, suits her and is featured in one of the most well known home magazines. While looking through it and watching I can't help but think about the energy and work that has gone into creating a space that could come off as “deeply personal” for someone in their early 20’s as a client but overall, the money it took! Haley Nahman touched on a similar idea in her piece about Emma’s house. “All of it to reflect her tastes from a one-year period, ages 20 to 21. I like the end result, full disclosure.” Despite this house being very much my cup of tea, to the inspiration pulled from sailboats, to the cork ceiling, finishes, and unique pieces, I would love to visit, Emma hit me up honestly.
Although I am a fan of Emma’s I know the hard work the design team had to do to pull this off. With its beautifully staged, eclectic pieces and thoughtful layout. There is something that still feels a little trendy, young and clashing which I think can fit Emma’s style and audience(me) very well. But I can't help but think about how people with enough wealth to buy a million dollar home AND renovate it are probably not in it that much. Whether it's from traveling, vacationing, having multiple homes, it is not being lived in.
People that might keep up with Emma might know that she has been living out of a suitcase for the past few months traveling Europe which plays a questionable role in how this home might be a “deeply personal” home. But outside of that, I struggle to understand the appeal of such a home at this age and one that looks untouched.
In Emma’s piece all of the expenses, outside of the home itself are listed. From a $32,000 chandelier to a $12,000 mirror, the reality of cost takes over. I do like that they included it and didn’t shy away from acknowledging the money spent. Architectural Digests demographic probably isn’t phased by the numbers but at the same time are they even looking at cost? How much does it cost really be for you to express your personality? Is there a price? Again, what is the cost of true expression in relation to home?
Now, obviously the girl has money, her tax bracket is not like most people her age, so she’s not gonna move like most people her age. I don't know what I would do with all this money at 25(buying a 4 mil dollar house is probably not one), let alone how I would want my house designed, despite knowing how to build a house by hand if I wanted to. This is where I or another Interior designer comes in to tell you, the when, where, how to bring those ideas to life. But to know that your project is going to be publicized to the masses, IN THIS ECONOMY?! adds a weight I am not familiar with.
One of my first projects I worked on at my old job was for a public university, a big client, lots of money, lots of expectations and a good amount of entitlement. I remember I was so intimidated whenever I was in meetings, not only being the youngest, but by the money being discussed. I had to make sure I wasn’t making an crazy facial expressions or gestures, or do to much to un willingly share too much of myself. Hell, it wasn’t my money. From the $200,000 for furniture to the $50,000 flooring, a multi million dollar project. Money had never seemed so impactful yet futile.
I recently took a work trip to Chicago where the company's Executive Assistant signed a third party authorization form for my hotel. She informed me that if asked by the hotel I would need to verbalize that MY executive assistant had booked the trip. Now, I didn't think anything of this. No big deal, easily done, if anything I felt kind of honored and a little cocky. When I got to the hotel, I randomly ended up getting a last minute car upgrade and got a convertible for the same price as the car I had reserved. So already, I pulled up to the front desk feeling a little out of place. I am greeted very politely but am still at an age where people can't tell where I fall in the bracket. Which I don’t often remember until traveling alone, or interacting with strangers.
After saying the words Executive Assistant to the woman at the front desk, her whole demeanor took a switch. She wasn't being previously impolite before but she started calling me ma'am and stood up straighter for some reason. Like she suddenly noticed her posture. Although it was an experience to be noticeably treated differently, I also was like wow, is money yucky?
Maybe this was the most I can and will ever relate to an idea of status and for me it was honestly enough. It’s different to have money and not need to vocalize it but to have to express it, that is a sticky feeling. Architectural Digest should be called “Luxury Homes of Famous People '', which I am not deeming as a bad thing. But a more accurate title to reflect what the magazine is about. The current framework instills an ideology of residential design and housing. And I think it is important to acknowledge the difference of housing and the reality between a house and a home. Home being defined as a place lived in, experienced, functional for life and loved. Luxury is a very large part of the design industry. Selling the dream, whether it’s through fashion or home. You can see this streaming on multiple platforms.
Shows like Selling Sunset, Extraordinary Homes, Even creeping into HGTV. While HGTV paints a more realistic side but still has some existing ideas related to the upper middle class. To some extent it is all the same goal, comfort, residence, independence. When it comes to luxury it is about putting on a show, the statement, the response which can be disconnected from a major aspect of home as seen for the middle class. The user is forgotten in the uproar and seen as a small part of the production. Emma’s home is an example of this. It feels very disconnected from a certain idea of living. Even as she explains what she does in the space or going underneath her entryway table, it feels like a playground of sorts. A place you visit or stay for a little while and then you later on return to your home.
I read and watch a lot about the idea of home. Sometimes it intentionally and sometimes because the idea seems to follows me around. It is still such a fascinating topic to me and plays a major role in why I chose to be an interior designer. Home is so much more than a place, it’s the history, the objects, the stories and the people that make it. An ongoing and continuous lens.
So I want to share some of my favorite apartment tours from all around the Internet. I hope they give you something to think about as we endure an idea of home.
Christine’s YouTube: Home Tours Some of the best YouTube personalities.
Manrepellers Old Archives IDK exactly why I still read these, maybe some sort of comfort?
Sweet Digs by Refinery29 I like the price in comparison to SQ ftage breakdown and that the spaces feel lived in and realistic.
Talk Soon,
Your Little Mama
xoxoxo