Grace Bonney
Who really lives in those impeccably-designed homes that you see in top shelter magazines? For Grace Bonney, founder of the daily website Design*Sponge, the creators and artists behind the most stylish homes on the internet are just as interesting as the pillows or hand-printed wallpaper. “I’ve always been drawn to creative people, and being able to build a career dedicated to supporting them is a dream come true,” says Bonney, who founded the blog in 2004. She later served as an editor at House & Garden, Domino, Craft and HGTV’s Ideas magazine. Today Design*Sponge reaches more than two million readers a day, and Bonney’s latest book, the New York Times bestseller “In the Company of Women,” combines the site’s beautiful aesthetic with empowering insight from female entrepreneurs and makers. After 12 years in America’s DIY capital (Brooklyn, that is), Bonney now lives in New York’s Hudson Valley with her wife and three pets. “Coming out changed everything for me,” Bonney says. “It taught me to be open, honest and to ask for what I really want and need. My work life has never been the same since—and I’m so grateful for that.” —KL
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