There’s a little website that we love around here called Design*Sponge. Design*Sponge is like Martha Stewart but accessible to people who don’t wear sweaters tied around their necks. It’s beautiful, thoughtful and full of craft and design inspiration. Did I mention there’s a weekly segment on how to match your dog to the current design trends? It’s wonderful. I started reading D*S seven years ago and it’s been a pleasure to watch the site grow and continually inspire creativity. Oh, and it’s founder, Grace Bonney, came out today.
via {Apartment Therapy}
Grace Bonney founded Design*Sponge nine years ago and has since grown the site into the cornerstone of the design and craft community and published a kickass book, Design*Sponge At Home. Grace is a force to be reckoned with in the design world, having previously worked for publications Domino and House & Gardens as well as being a featured guest on Good Morning America and The Martha Stewart Show. She’s also been a friend of ours since presenting at BlogHer 2010 with our Design Director, Alex Vega (who was super-starstruck, for the record).
Today, in honor of her 32nd birthday, Grace wrote a really sweet and heartfelt post, coming out to her readers:
Two years ago I went through the process of coming out to my friends and family. It was, at times, painful and scary. Coming out is different for every person, but for me, it was very much about learning to slowly accept and then love myself just the way I am. Despite my worst fears of losing the people I loved most, I have been incredibly fortunate to find the support of not just my friends and family, but members of the design community as well. In my heart of hearts, I never expected to hear from people I’d never met, offering words of support, guidance and love. But it was those words and that support that got me to where I am today.
Since the first day I started this site, I’ve done my best to be as open and honest myself as I can. … So today I wanted to take a moment to proudly share with you the full story of who I am. I’m the daughter of loving parents, Chris and Elaine, I’m a blogger, a Southerner, a hopeless lover of animals, patterns and anything shiny- and I’m also gay. That fact may make no difference to some of you reading, but being able to be 100% myself here means the world to me. This website is my home. And the people who write and read here are my family. And I want to be as close and connected to my family as I can. Thank you for being an incredible community of people who make me feel safe and supported enough to be myself. Love, Grace
The post was so endearing and honest that I couldn’t resist linking it on Twitter (and maybe I called her my idol?) to which she replied that Autostraddle is her favorite site. I feel like we won a thing! Oh right, and this might be a good time to tell you that we are so so excited to be almost entirely positive that Grace Bonney‘s gonna be a special guest at our A-Camp event this October (registration will open next weekish) at which point she’ll bless ALLLLL of you with her design-spongey brilliance.
The D*S reader’s response to her post has been overwhelming, including comments like, “Thank you! As always, I am amazed by you, and so happy to see you surrounded by love from friends and family” and “Good for you, good for many. The world is changing.”
via {Design*Sponge}
The world is changing and for the better. Happy birthday, Grace, and welcome to the club! We look forward to a complete interior design overhaul of the clubhouse.