The Influencer | At Home in Connecticut with Sandra Morgan Downie
In creating a home “you don’t want to leave,” Sandra Morgan Downie has drawn thousands of followers to her online doorstep.
By Mel Allen|Aug 29 2022|
Downie and her daughter, Gabrielle, in the kitchen. The exposed beams throughout the house were originally dark brown; Downie loved the beams but the color had to go, so she spent three days sanding them all to get the perfect hue.
Credit: Joyelle WestCredit: Joyelle West
One day in early summer 2020, Sandra Morgan Downie found the house of her dreams. One she could reimagine from the ground up, to make into “the space you want to come home to, a place you don’t want to leave.” The house—a 1967 reproduction saltbox in a leafy neighborhood in Broad Brook, Connecticut—combined Colonial-period style with the modern touches that previous owners had added. “I like the feel of the old and new,” she says. “When I walked in, I saw the old wallpaper, the dark cherry wood. It was a very New England home that had not been updated. But I knew it had good bones, and I knew we would grow into it.”
In other words, it was exactly the kind of project she could share with people she might never meet but who regard her as a friend: her social media followers. For the past eight years, and through two previous home makeovers with her husband, Scott, she has gained an audience of more than 150,000, who come to her blogs and Instagram posts to learn what they could use not only in their own houses but also in their lives. “They come along for the journey,” she says.
Sandra Morgan Downie’s goal to create an earthy vibe of wood and white can be seen in the living room, whose brick hearth is softened with Romabio Classico limewash paint and topped with a custom mantel—“an important detail for creating art and display spaces,” Downie says.
Credit: Joyelle Westearthy vibe of wood and white can be seen in the living room, whose brick hearth is softened with Romabio Classico limewash paint and topped with a custom mantel—“an important detail for creating art and display spaces,” Downie says.
Credit: Joyelle West
She has no formal training in art or interior design. But from her early years, “I always enjoyed interior design. When I started posting just for fun, I noticed when I showed my design aesthetic, it resonated with people. So I said to myself, You know what? I’m just going to share what I love. People feel like I’m someone they can relate to. And there’s not a lot of African-American women who do this.”
Downie effortlessly blends affordable and upscale, new and old, in her interiors. The striking mural in her office is by Anthropologie.
Credit: Joyelle WestCredit: Joyelle West
To Downie, “this” is showing how to create a home and life with style and decor that brings a sense of calm and serenity. She has redone a house inside and out, sanded beams and doors, all while maintaining her own balance and humor. She describes her aesthetic with phrases like “refined casual style” and “where modern meets vintage.” She believes that simplicity leads to beauty. That less is more. “I go into a space and clear it up,” she says succinctly. “Clutter affects your spirit.”
A vintage print completes a timeless tableau with a Target cabinet and a candelabra from Amazon.
Credit: Joyelle West
