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The Glamourphotography of Sean Gin

Dear World, This is Sean Gin. I found him when I put out a call for an intern. Much to my surprise, he turned out not to be a crazy psychopath like everyone else on the internet. The only thing crazy about him is his talent. Like me, he studied art at a fancy, pushy, competitive university and, like me, he has perfect taste in everything all the time. He is a very talented photographer I fell in love with his series of square format photographs of California. They take a strangely removed, alienated view of California that is still…

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Hello Mr Magazine

Photographs by Sean Gin Dear Hello Mr Magazine, I am glad you finally exist. I was introduced to  your founder, Ryan Fitzgibbons, by Richard Haines, my friend the fashion illustrator. I was then introduced to the magazine itself, which is really a breath of fresh air. It describes itself as a magazine for men who date men, but I feel like it’s filled with such great stories and such beautiful images that it will appeal to everyone. These promo graphics express the magazine’s sensibility: For years, Gay magazines have been cheesy and gross and filled with fake tan waxy steroid…

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Take me to Haverland: Part 5

Photographs by Evan Joseph, Eliot Kauffman, Carl Wooley [Courtesy Michael Haverland] Dear Michael Haverland, As one of my favorite residential architects, you’ve done a ton of projects I love. But this particular New York loft captivates me because I am currently working on a modern minimalist beach house that is making me love minimalism more than ever before. This space is crazy, apparently the oldest concrete structure in New York and built in a space converted from a parking garage. I love this hallway with all the built-ins. And that terrifying staircase with no railing. The shot on the left…

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My Week in Instagramz

Dear Diary, It’s been a crazy few weeks. Well it’s basically been nuts since I joined Homepolish in December. Like good crazy. Working seven days a week loving what I’m doing crazy. I hired an intern to help me do blog stuff, which is exciting. He’s a totally awesome, insanely talented photographer named Sean who I’m really happy to have found (I’ll be featuring his work next week, excited to share it with you). Everything in my life has been art and design lately, and that’s really exciting. I finished a giant painting based on a paint-by-numbers seascape and hung…

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Have Hookup Apps Ruined Gay Romance?

Dear Gays, I’ve noticed a trend amongst my friends. Not necessarily a new trend, but one that is growing nonetheless. A lot of people are meeting new guys, new love interests, new hookups on hookup apps. It’s not like the old days when you had to put on a decent outfit, go to a bar, and use your in-person social skills to make a connection. Now you can just go on Grindr, shop for a guy, and hookup with the best one you can get. It’s a confusing world, because the more available everything becomes, the less satisfying every interaction…

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Whut Glamour: Printed Matter’s LA Art Book Fair

Dear Printed Matter, I first fell in love with you when Buzz Spector, my book-art-obsessed college professor, introduced me to you sophomore year. Now no trip to New York is complete without a visit to your Chelsea store (which, uncoincidentally, is around the corner from my old apartment on 21st street). Thus, I was delighted to hear about the LA Art Book Fair you hosted over the weekend at the Geffen Contemporary. The fair itself was exhausting, a giant space filled with tiny, fascinating objects from limited edition books to handmade zines and weird art t-shirts. But still totally worth…

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Designing an Office for the Funniest Lady On Earth

PHOTO CREDITS: DOMAINE HOME (PORTRAIT), BETHANY NUART (ALL OTHERS) Dear Diary, You know, we’re a few weeks into 2014 and I must say it’s just awesome. You know how sometimes your life just sucks? Like you get dumped and your job situation is lame and you’re like freaked out about money and everything is just totally gross and annoying and stupid? Well that’s pretty much how 2013 was, until about November, when I met Kelly Oxford and started working on her office. Coincidence? I think not. Working with Kelly made life way more fun. That and my new kick ass…

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What Are People Thinking About You?

Photo via Filth & Wisdom Dear Reader, A friend of mine shared this story with me recently that I like too much to keep to myself. It begins now. I was dating this guy, this handsome, confident, outgoing guy who lives in Miami. He totally wined and dined me and flew me out to go to a wedding with him in Florida. He introduced me to his friends, doted on me, and made me feel really attractive.  [Sidenote: Like me, the friend relaying this story has a warped self-image, is totally self-conscious, and has questionable self-esteem]. While I was in…

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My New Gig at Homepolish!

Dear Santa, Christmas came a little early for me this year. In the form of aTOTALLY exciting new job! Don’t worry, I’m still an interior designer. But now I’m also so much more! About a month ago, I accepted a job as the Creative Director for Homepolish LA. Okay, okay. I know you have a ton of questions. “You have a job?” “What’s a Homepolish?” “You’re a human man?” “Colorado legalized pot before California?” “Christina and Gaga performed together?” I know. It’s so confusing. Yes, I have a job. I’ve been working with residential clients for years, but now I’ll…

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Extreme Makeover: Pinecone Lamp

Dear Smokey The Bear, Do you own any lamps? I bet you don’t. You don’t even have a shirt. But if you did own a lamp I bet you’d want to own a lamp like this awesome pinecone lamp I found recently at American Way Thrift in Burbank: That’s right. I snagged this piece of garbage for $12.99! At first I thought it was the worst thing I’d ever seen. But just like Freddie Prinze Jr in She’s All That, I knew a makeover was possible. I started fantasizing about spraying it matte black and putting a simple drum lampshade…

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D.I.WHY? Mobilando

Dear People Seeking Balance in Your Lives, Does your life feel crazy, imbalanced, and out of control? Do you ponder why work either feels like a pitching machine throwing raw eggs at your face OR a lonely horse standing in a field wondering if anyone is ever going to come and pet him? Like you’re either way too busy or way bored because there’s nothing to do? Well if you’re feeling this way it’s probably because you don’t have a driftwood mobile to stare at. If you did you’d realize that all is right in the world. That there are…

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The Best Music Videos Ever Made

YOANN LEMOINE Dear Music Video Director/Photographer Yoann Lemoine, You know that point in the evening, when you’ve been hanging out with your friends all night, when everyone switches from wanting to catch up and find out about each other’s weeks to wanting to show each other Youtube videos? Well that happened the other night and we started by watching the video you directed for Woodkid’s “Iron.” Woodkid is your band. Which might explain why the videos for Woodkid’s songs are the most incredible videos I’ve ever seen. Just breathtakingly beautiful, so emotionally rich, the perfect combination of darkness and light…

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My Favorite Store in Brooklyn: Fresh Kills

Dear Brooklyn, I have often quipped that if I ever move back to New York I’d move to Brooklyn. Mostly because it seems a lot calmer and less yappy than Manhattan. And then I found out that my favorite store in the world is in Williamsburg, so now I pretty much have to move there. Fresh Kills has a lot of really beautiful regency and mid-century furniture. It’s kind of like a museum filled with rare, gorgeous pieces. Below are my ten favorite finds from Fresh Kills: Brass Fireplace Tools, $750 I don’t have a fireplace but I want these….

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My Week in Instagramz

Dear Diary, The last few weeks of my life have been filled with all sorts of glamour and excitement. Mainly because they took place in my two favorite places, California and New York. The day after my brush with death at LAX, I found myself luxuriating at the home of a famous architect in Malibu (I wasn’t allowed to take pictures because it’s going to end up in Architectural Digest or something). After being stuck in LAX for 11 hours the day previous, a day at the beach was much appreciated. I love the large-scale rope in this little fence,…

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Meeting Glamourdesigner Robert Stilin

Photographs by Joshua McHugh, Portrait by Richard Phibbs ROBERT STILIN Dear My Friend Faris That I Met In Grad School and Am Still BFFs With, I had a crazy day on Sunday, running all over New York, from Williamsburg to SoHo to Chelsea to the Upper West side. So by the end of the day when I was trying to meet up with you back in SoHo, I was a mess. I was just getting over the stomach virus I got (from nuzzling a baby), my phone was dead, I was sweating, and I had no idea where I was going….

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New York Pop-Up Fashion Installation by Boffo + Michael Bastian + Bittertang

Photographs by Evan Joseph Dear Boffo, I enjoyed stopping by your installation at the Superpier (15th at the Hudson River) while I was in New York. This was part of the Building Fashion series, a series of collaborations between architects and fashion designers. Each year, thousands of architects and designers compete for the chance to work with Boffo to create an innovative, groundbreaking space. For the fashion designer, it’s an opportunity to showcase their work in a space customized to the concept/aesthetic of their line. For the architect, it’s a chance to design an outlandish, exciting space. The first in…

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Homme/Maker: Richard Haines

Photography by Jill Ulicney Dear Travel Diary, I came to New York with one goal in mind. To meet people I find inspiring. And I really lucked out. One of my favorite artists is an illustrator named Richard Haines and he agreed to meet with me. I discovered his work a few years ago in the New York Times  style section. I quickly became obsessed with his fashion illustrations. The beauty of his work comes in its gesture, how a few simple lines create movement, weight. He’s collaborated with all the biggest names in fashion from Prada to J.Crew and…

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My Week in Instagramz

Dear Moving Boxes, The above photograph, my childhood home in boxes, sort of encapsulates the feeling of this week. Remember that girl with too many emotions from Mean Girls? The one who made Damien yell “She doesn’t even go here!” And then she’s like “I just have a lot of feelings.” Sometimes I feel like I’m turing into that girl. What is the matter with me? Like my parents moved and I acted like it was the most devastating thing that ever happened to anyone ever. When really it’s a totally normal part of life. And part of being a…

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You Better Work, Dish!

Dear Self, I opened up the cupboard yesterday and noticed something. All my dishes are white. Or clear. Which surprised me. I love color. And I’ve never been one of those people who runs around yelling about how all dishes should be white. Until now. Looking at my collection made me realize having all white dishes is a really easy way for everything to always look good together. So that when you wake up in the morning you can gaze upon your beloved dishes and admire how well they all play together. In other news, I don’t know when this…

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Take Me to Haverland: Part 4

Photographs by Stephen Smith and Kristi Stiff Dear Michael Haverland, I’ve been jealous of you for a while now. I love all the delightful architectural projects in your portfolio. I love the way you combine mid-century with contemporary in a non-gross way. I love the way your hair whips about in the wind, tossing back and forth when you laugh in that warm, hearty way only you can laugh. Just kidding I have no idea what you look or sound like. I have never wanted to be an architect. Mainly because I know too many of them and it involves wearing…

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Homme/Maker: Ben Medansky

Dear Los Angeles, One of my favorite things about you is that whenever I get sick of living here, I can always venture out and discover something new that makes me like you again. This summer, I realized West Hollywood was starting to make my skin crawl. I mean, believe me, I love me some waxed gays in bright tank tops, with perfect Ken Doll hair, flapping in the wind while they ride in their BMW 3 Series convertible, laughing whilst drinking lattes, talking about boys. In fact, I am often one of those gays. But sometimes I need a…

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