My name is Jessica and I still don’t know what last name I will have in the next year. Legally it is McKay, but I got hitched and haven’t decided whether to become Van Buskirk or not. I’m leaning toward yes, as I could fool people into thinking I was a duchess. I love interior design. Not like, “oh, it’s a hobby of mine and I really enjoy it”.  More like, I will spend eight hours on your site and stalk your designs if I like your portfolio. Seriously, it is verging on a sickness so it needed to be channeled in a more productive way. 

Since I studied sociology and art (they go hand-in-hand, right?) in college and then completely remodeled my home as well as started a business in home redesign, I thought it would make sense to start a blog about my passion for interiors and design. Alas, The Homebound was born. 

After working some on design projects and finding wonderful inspiration interiors in magazines that I would put up on my blog, I realized that everything is really expensive. Alright, I realized it before that, but the notion became reinforced with repeated images that were full of items completely out of my reach. After a fit of rage and some ranting and raving on my part, my husband told me to start my own site dedicated to affordable design. Smart man, that one. 

Banking on the creative genius of my partner – hello Jules – a plan for this site was set into motion. 

Now, I split my time between design projects, talking way too much about myself on The Homebound, and pouring my heart and soul into my new baby Noël Marie.

My name is Julie and I am a transplanted midwesterner living in Manhattan who works a day job, loves fashion, and hates pretension. I love the hunt of digging through thrift stores, sales racks, and the reasonably priced clothing stores and boutiques. Don’t get me wrong, I have spent more on a few pairs of boots, jeans, and bags than I ever could have imagined, (and at prices that would make my grandmother pop an entire bottle of “nerve pills” if she were still around) but these are rare occasions, and pieces that I will wear for a long time to come. Or at least that’s how I justify it to myself.

I currently work full-time on a freelance basis as an Assistant Design Director for a TV trade magazine. In New York City, you see all sorts of things you wouldn’t see anywhere else in the world, and the fashion is no different. I plan on sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly.

In addition to sharing my own personal thoughts on fashion, I would like to try to help those of us with a little less fashion sense than the average girl, as well as provide some tips for those of us ladies who can only afford to splurge on the occasional item. And I hope you will do the same.

Excitedly, I have teamed up with my very talented and witty friend, Jess, to start this site so we can give you two points of view on fashion and interior design, and do it so you still have a little cash left over for the ideas in our booze/food sections. I hope you enjoy.