Emily’s Top 10 Instagram Accounts

Instagram for many of us can be a love hate thing - we love it because it can inspire and excite, but hate it because it can take you down a rabbit hole and in no time at all you’ve lost an hour or more of your day. For me it’s a bit of both but part of my every day routine. In fact, I bookmark my day with Instagram. When I wake up, I pour myself a cup of coffee, sit in my front room and start scrolling. In the evenings I get back on but this time with a glass of wine! Below are my top 10 Instagram accounts that continuously seem to inspire me, make me laugh, stop me in my tracks and everything in between. Hopefully there are a few you haven’t seen before or want to check out more closely - Enjoy!

NUMBER ONE - Country Living Magazine

I’m a sucker for beautiful country homes but I follow this account more for the photography than anything else - stunning rural landscapes, luscious gardens overflowing with full bodied hydrangeas at every turn, delicious platters of food and the gosh darn cutest shots of animals you’ve ever seen!

@countrylivingmag

NUMBER TWO - Mark Sikes

Mark Sikes is an well known and esteemed American Designer but his personal account features very little of his design work, and instead, his deep love for ‘Old Hollywood’ and great American idols past and present. His images look as though they come straight from a personal photo album, as the quality is grainy and the photos always feel intimate. But the real reason I love his account is that he’s obsessed with John Jr ((as in John Kennedy) and, well, who doesn’t want to look at images of John John shirtless on a beach? I do!

@markdsikes

NUMBER THREE - Cheap Old Houses

I actually spend hours pouring over the images of the grand old homes that are featured on this account. Most are in odd locations or have basically been abandoned, so they’re selling for ridiculously low amounts of money. I drool over the old mouldings and windows, original fireplaces and the big old rooms in these homes and imagine what I would do if I could get my hands on one of them!

@cheapoldhouses

NUMBER FOUR - Kit Kemp

I’ve been a huge fan and follower of Kit Kemp for many years now. I love her fearless approach to decorating, how she mixes patterns and colours together in the most unexpected ways, and how art plays such an important role in each of her spaces. Following her actually inspired my husband Norm and my trip to The Crosby Street Hotel in NYC for our 20th wedding anniversary, and let me tell you, staying there did not disappoint!!!

@kitkempdesignthread

NUMBER FIVE - Mask Therapy

I stumbled across this feed when the lock-down started back in March and I had more time than usual to scroll through Instagram. This woman (I actually don’t know her name as she doesn’t post it!) is so friggin’ creative it’s mind blowing. She has taken mask wearing to another level - her home-made ensembles are totally outrageous and strikingly beautiful. You have to check it out. You will be amazed!!!!

@brainsinking

NUMBER SIX - deVOL Kitchens

The image shown here was the first kitchen I ever saw by DeVol on Instagram and I have been obsessed with them ever since. It’s still, hands down, my favourite kitchen. The rich green of the cabinetry (duplicated on the wall), the brass rail on the shelf, the paintings (not dishes) above the counter and that marble!!! DeVol takes classic kitchen design to another level and I will forever be a devoted follower!

@devolkitchens

NUMBER SEVEN - Whitney Robinson

Whitney Robinson, editor-in-chief of Elle Decor, is a larger than life character. His account is absolutely hilarious - he’s constantly travelling the world staying in gorgeous hotels (he will often post a shot of him and his significant other lying in bed drinking coffee), stopping in on the rich and famous, attending lavish parties (often in costume) and there is always a deliberately posed shot of him in profile ((usually in front of something over the top - case in point - see image to the left). I love the magazine but follow him because he is just so fabulous!

@whowhatwhit

NUMBER EIGHT - Eyeswoon

Athena Calderone is one cool cat and has been dubed a ‘modern girls’ Martha Stewart by the New York Times. She is a creative force - writer, designer, cook and all around style maven. I’m not that interested in her food posts but love the parties she throws in her uber cool Brooklyn apartment, the vignettes she designs and her all around vibe. I seriously can’t stop drooling over this window nook in her apartment that went viral a few years ago. Swoon!

@eyeswoon

NUMBER NINE - Filipa de Abreu

I have an unadulterated girl crush on Filipa. I first saw her when this issue of Elle Decor landed on my doorstep. I just loved everything about the cover - the wall mural, the rug, the chairs, the fabric combos and her relaxed and drop dead gorgeous outfit! When I dug a little deeper, it turns out she is a design consultant for Tory Burch (natch), she is mother of three young kids and has impeccable taste in design - both in her interiors and her fashion. And, did I mention she rocks a full piece bathing suit like nobody’s business??? - especially the gold one she posted a few weeks ago. Want it!

@filipa_de_abreu

NUMBER 10 - Kai McCall

I’m a little biased here because Kai is my first cousin, but even if he wasn’t, I’m sure I would have found his account on Instagram eventually. He’s an extremely talented artist whose work reminds you of a 17th century Dutch painting re-interpreted in a very modern and almost surreal way. Kai’s account follows him working in his studio and his posts are never passive - he is always either seen painting (he has great hands by the way), dangling from a ladder or, as show here, in motion. Check out his work - it’s really quite stunning.

@kai_mccall