House Beautiful Creator Class 2023
What if inviting people into your home meant “everyone on the entire Internet, every single day”? For a growing set of lifestyle content creators—that is, social media–savvy talents who showcase their style tips, design tricks, and DIYs online—platforms like Instagram and TikTok have launched careers to new heights. Now they’re taking the design world with them, inspiring everyone from classically trained interior designers to curious homebodies.
Meet the inaugural House Beautiful Creator Class, and watch them pop up in your feed throughout the year.
Skyrocketing to TikTok fame in 2020 after convincing her parents to let her renovate their home (without spending a cent!), Emily Shaw found a new career. “I never viewed being a content creator as a possibility for myself as a low-income person living in New Hampshire,” she tells HB. Through her work, and with a refreshingly approachable attitude, the 24-year-old aims to inspire: “Even if it’s just one small DIY project, I hope it makes someone excited and confident about their surroundings.”
A leading voice in the fragrance industry, 35-year old Kudzi Chikumbu, known as Sir Candle Man on Instagram and TikTok, educates his audience about the power of scent—and more specifically, candles—with hilariously direct videos. “My most authentic and simplest videos have resonated the most and helped me build a community,” Chikumbu says. It all started when he wandered into a luxury fragrance department during a trip to Paris: “My love for the creativity of fragrance was ignited right there…. I made it a mission to smell more great scents.”
At age eight, Kaelyn Guerin decorated her first room using “a bed-in-a-bag from JCPenney,” the now 37-year-old recalls. “I’ve been putting my mark on spaces ever since.” Her grown-up style is welcoming and elegant, showcased from the Mississippi home where she broadcasts styling, shopping, and design tips through Haus Guerin. Guerin says, “Social media allows me to show how a well-designed space can work for a person and their family.”
“Be yourself and do you,” Megan Zietz says. “Don’t get caught up in the comparison game.” Her blog, TfDiaries, originally covered fashion but evolved into home design (heavy on the retro wallpaper). “I started dressing my home like I would dress myself: lots of color, prints, and maximalism,” says the 36-year-old, whose effervescent Instagram and TikTok content stands out amid a sea of beige. Followers flock to her for unique DIYs and renter-friendly hacks.
After starting a menswear channel on YouTube, Drew Michael Scott pivoted to DIY and interior design. “Everyone told me not to,” the 27-year-old says, “but I realized this is where I want to focus my time and energy.” Viewership boomed, and Scott opened an online shop too. These days, followers tune in to his vlog-style videos to see how he’s renovating his 1920s Spanish Revival home in Los Angeles.
“Business is boomin’—or should I say ‘bloomin’’?” says Hilton Carter, 43, the plant expert known for his infectious joy and charm. From his Baltimore home, decorated with lush and sculptural greenery, Carter shares inspiration and advice on how to maintain thriving plants. Rather than more ficus mania, he insists that “variegated and rare plants” are on the rise. “You won’t see as much of the ‘bring it all in’ sort of plant styling, but more purposeful planting.”
“Seeing others thrive online sharing their homes made me want to be a part of that community,” says Erin Conway, age 38. She began her account, affectionately named @kismet_house, by posting the renovation of her and her husband’s 100-year old house in California. Viewers fell in love with her slow, intentional approach: “Homes are more soulful when you take time to curate, collect, and save.”
