Grace Bonney

Grace Bonney is an author, blogger and entrepreneur. She is most well known for founding the interior design blog Design*Sponge, which she ran for 15 years. Bonney wrote The New York Times bestseller, In The Company of Women, a book featuring more than 100 stories about women entrepreneurs who overcame adversity.[2][3][4] She also wrote the DIY interior design book Design*Sponge at Home.[5]

Grace Bonney
Born (1981-06-09) June 9, 1981
Alma materCollege of William & Mary[1]
OccupationAuthor, blogger and entrepreneur
Years active2004–present
Known forDesign*Sponge (blog)
Spouse(s)Julia Turshen (m. 2013)


Career

Design*Sponge

In 2004, she founded the interior design blog Design*Sponge, which is dedicated to intersectional and inclusive conversations about design and cultural issues.[2][6] The site posted content daily and was dedicated to fostering a creative community.[7] The popular website reached nearly 2 million readers per day for 15 years and was called "one of the internet's most popular design blogs" by Adobe.[8][9] The last article on Design*Sponge was posted in August 2019 and the entire blog now officially archived in the Library of Congress.[10][8]

The blog started out as a side project which Bonney ran alongside full-time jobs, first at a design PR firm and later as a freelance writer for multiple interior and design-related publications including House and Garden, Domino, and Craft. As Design*Sponge gained large loyal following (and therefore interest from advertisers), it became the type of job that Bonney had hoped to find at a magazine and by 2009 was making enough revenue for her to work on it full-time. Becoming popular during this time period of 2004-2009, Bonney has said that she benefitted from being an "early era blogger" and being one of the first on the scene. She described the situation then, "When you went on the internet and looked for furniture or interior design, there was only going to be a few of us that popped up. We grew in a way that is nearly impossible to do today, organically."[9]

The focus of the blog evolved over time, reflecting Bonney's own personal evolution and new interests. It moved "away from products to center on people"[9] including addressing "topics such as how gender, classism, and racism, social issues, and diversity connect to and influence design."[9]

Bonney's decision to close the blog was based on the shifting advertising industry, the role of social media and the proliferation of design sites. The changes in the design media landscape meant that advertisers were requesting cheaper ads and it was not enough to sustain the website. Instead of trying to shift the content strategy or "chase clicks", Bonney decided to end the blog after its 15th year.[9]

Good Company

In 2018, she began publishing the print magazine Good Company: Where Creativity Meets Business. The magazine was inspired by Bonney's book, In the Company of Women. The magazine was created to provide "motivation, inspiration, practical advice, and a vital sense of connection and community for women and non-binary creatives at every stage of life."[11] Intended to be bi-annual, the magazine ran for three issues.

Personal life

Bonney was raised in Virginia Beach and attended the College of William & Mary, subsequently moving to New York.[12] She was bullied in middle school and high school for her sexuality; because of this, she struggled with accepting her sexuality until age 30.[13] In October 2003, she met Aaron Coles, whom she married in 2009 and divorced in 2011.[14][15] Following her divorce, she publicly came out as lesbian.[16][17][18]

In 2013, Bonney married chef Julia Turshen.[19][20][21][22] On the LGBTQ&A podcast, Bonney said, "I mean, it's a super stereotypical lesbian story of email, date, moved in three days later, married four months later, dog, house, all the cliches."[23] She identifies as queer.[23] She has Type 1 diabetes.[22]

Bonney has spoken out about how women have unrealistic expectations about work and life balance, and believes it is important for women to learn about successful role models.[24][25] She was noted for her entrepreneurial work in the Frederick Douglass 200 project, which honors the impact of 200 living people who embody the spirit and work of Frederick Douglass.[26]

Published work
  • Design*Sponge at Home (2014), Artisan; ISBN 9781579654313[27]
  • In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs (2016), Artisan; ISBN 9781579659813[28]
  • Collective Wisdom: Lessons, Inspiration, and Advice from Women over 50 (2021), Artisan; ISBN 978-1579659431

References
  1. "Grace Bonney, Aaron Coles". The New York Times. 2009-04-25. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  2. Sygiel, Julie. "What The Founder Of Design*Sponge Learned After Interviewing 107 Women In Business". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  3. "These Badass Women Are Totally Inspiring". Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  4. "After interviewing 100 entrepreneurs, a CEO found all of the most successful women had 'given up' on the same idea". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  5. Weinstein, Emily. "'Design Sponge at Home' by Grace Bonney". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  6. "Design*Sponge's Grace Bonney on How Everything You Thought You Knew About Blogging Has Already Changed". Racked. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  7. "Making Older Friends". CALL YOUR GIRLFRIEND. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  8. "Behind Grace Bonney's decision to close Design*Sponge". businessofhome.com. 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  9. Entis, Laura. "Q&A: Design*Sponge Creator Grace Bonney". Adobe Creative Cloud. Retrieved 2021-11-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. "15 Years: Farewell and Thank You – Design*Sponge". www.designsponge.com. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  11. "Good Company Magazine – Design*Sponge". 2020-10-26. Archived from the original on 2020-10-26. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  12. Koncius, Jura. "Design Sponge's Grace Bonney on women's influence on the maker movement". Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  13. Bonney, Grace. "Grace Bonney: Virginia Beach schools erred on gay pride assembly". Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  14. "Grace Bonney, Aaron Coles". The New York Times. 2009-04-25. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  15. "A Whimsical Green Outdoor Destination Wedding in Savannah, Georgia". Martha Stewart. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  16. "Exclusive! DesignSponge Founder Grace Bonney On Coming Out As Gay". YourTango. 2013-06-26. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  17. "In The Company Of Women Book By Grace Bonney". ELLE. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  18. "Design*Sponge Founder Grace Bonney Comes Out, Is My Idol". Autostraddle. 2013-06-10. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  19. "A Conversation with Grace Bonney, Design*Sponge Entrepreneur and Author". Seattle Magazine. 2016-10-25. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  20. ""Good Company" Is the Best Magazine a Queer Aspirant Could Ever Dream Of". Autostraddle. 2018-05-07. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  21. "Julia Turshen wants to 'Feed the Resistance'". Metro US. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  22. Turshen, Julia (2018-10-16). "Our love was a stack of pancakes covered in butter, maple syrup and whipped cream. And then it wasn't". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2021-05-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. "Grace Bonney Asks, What Does Queer Look Like in 2018?". www.advocate.com. 2018-11-02. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  24. How Do Women Entrepreneurs Balance Work and Family?, Washington Street Journal, retrieved 2018-07-19
  25. "Advice to live your life by from successful and creative women". The Independent. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  26. Adolphe, Juweek; Morris, Sam. "The Frederick Douglass 200: the people who embody the abolitionist's spirit and work". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  27. Noble, Barnes &. "Design*Sponge at Home|Hardcover". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  28. Noble, Barnes &. "In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs|Paperback". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
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