get to know emily henderson

Headshot of Emily Henderson, photography by lk griffin
 
Get to Know Emily Henderson
OCCUPATION: Target’s new Home Style Expert
CURRENT LOCATION: Los Angeles, California
 
Since winning HGTV’s Design Star in 2010, stylist—and new mom!— EMILY HENDERSON has earned major marks for her spirited and eclectic approach to interiors.  When she’s not busy on set styling for photo shoots or being Target’s newly appointed Home Style Expert, Henderson finds the time to contribute to the likes of BuzzFeed, The Huffington Post, and her own wildly popular blog. This week, she talks flea markets and Beyoncé with domino.

Headshot of Emily Henderson, photography by Laure Joliet
 
 
1.  HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE?
Happy, eclectic, colorful, with a little bit of weird.
 
2.  WHAT’S YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION?
I have a few pieces of art that I would rescue in a fire. There is one painting that I bought when I was 24 when I had no money in New York, but I loved it so much, so I scrounged together $200 and schlepped it home on the subway. The piece is beautiful, but it is more that it’s just really sentimental and will always remind me of my 20s.

Photo of Emily Henderson
 
3.  WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION?
Vietnam. That country is just so interesting and, well, foreign that I feel like I could live there my entire life and still not really get it. So the fascination with it is pretty much endless. The food is amazing, it is wildly colorful, and it has such an interesting recent past, so it’s changing constantly. Plus you can live there on $20 a day, so it makes traveling so much less stressful.
 
4.  WHERE DO YOU FEEL MOST INSPIRED?
I think my favorite place in the world, where I’m the happiest, is at the flea market. I get there at 6 a.m. (sometimes earlier) with a cup of coffee, the sun rising, and the world just feels so unpredictable and exciting. Words of a true addict, I know. I also troll for inspiration all over the Internet obviously, with a pretty severe addiction to Pinterest.

Designer: Emily Henderson, oh joys studio  Photography: Zeus Ruelas

Designer: Emily Henderson, oh joys studio  Photography: Zeus Ruelas
 
5.  IF YOU HAD TO WEAR ONE OUTFIT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
There is a bright-blue dress with little white dots that I’ve been wearing for 12 years. It’s vintage, it’s always flattering (I can wear it on skinny days or not-so-skinny days), and I always feel cute. It might be hideous and totally dated now, but I still love it. It just feels like me.

Photography by Bethany Nauert
 
7.  WHAT MAKES A HOME BEAUTIFUL?
Good light, a lot of personality, and a sense of humor go a long way. I love homes that are approachable, happy, and fun.
 
8.  WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
I assisted an amazing stylist named Cindy DiPrima for five years, and she was such a wonderful friend and mentor who taught me everything. I think one of the greatest pieces of advice she gave me was that pretty always goes with pretty. As long as you have a consistent color palette, all the things you love can live together if they are pretty.

Photography by Bethany Nauert
 
9.  WHAT ARTISTS, PAST OR PRESENT, DO YOU MOST ADMIRE?
That is such a hard question.  Women like Beyoncé kill it.  She, for instance, just obviously works so hard to be that successful.  I feel like she also lives by my motto, which is “Work hard, be yourself, and be nice to people.”
 
10.  WHAT ITEMS DO YOU NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT?
My computer—I’m a total addict and, being a blogger (who never has time to blog), I need to be able to write a quick post when I’m waiting for a meeting. My phone (one must Instagram constantly and stare at pictures of baby). And extra shoes.  I leave the house wearing cute heels or boots, and by the end of the day I’m in my oxfords. But at least the first half of the day I can feel like I gave it a good effort.