YouTube Star Desi Perkins's House
This YouTube Star Did Something Radical With Her Dining Room — and Small-Space Dwellers Everywhere Can Learn From It
When your beauty vlog reaches 1.7 million subscribers on YouTube, it's time to improve your business headquarters — or so was the case for work-from-home makeup guru Desi Perkins. She decided to convert her open-floor-plan-dining-room-slash-formal-living-room into a chic home office that flows into a lounge-like sitting room. While getting rid of the dining room is a radical decision, it was the best use of space for Desi and her husband. "I don't eat at a dining room table — I like to eat at the coffee table or we have a breakfast table so I just felt that the space wasn't being used," she explains. Keeping this space primarily just for doing business and work, she says, "allows me to have my [informal] living room be a work-free zone and helps me compartmentalize everything."
While Desi is a pro at makeup transformations, she needed a little help when it came to this home transformation – so she called on the pros at Laurel & Wolf, an online interior design company. "I'm terrible at putting anything together, which is how I imagine some people might feel watching my makeup tutorials, and that's really how I felt with interior design," Desi explains. Laurel & Wolf designer Deanna MacKensen collaborated with Desi to create a contemporary-glam yet functional space. She even sourced some of the furniture and decor from affordable retailers, like West Elm and Z Gallerie. "Having somebody who had all of these ideas was really exciting!"
The final product is perfection, from the striking black accent wall to the glossy gold finishes. Keep reading to hear Desi's thoughts on the makeover and get inspired by all the stunning details.
