mydeco profile: STYLEBEAT’s Marisa Marcantonio August 9, 2010

In the vast and competitive interior design blogosphere, Marisa Marcantonio is a much followed (and more importantly, trusted) starlet. After years as the style editor for O at Home and House Beautiful, she took a high profile public relations position with famed designer David Easton, but soon found something amiss– her editorial soapbox was no longer, however she still had the urge to wax and wane poetic about beautiful design. What was a once-editor aesthete to do?

In 2007– still the relative wild west days of mainstream blogging– Marisa started her own blog, STYLEBEAT, now one of the most respected and followed blogs for lovers of interior style. While honing her editorial perspective and showcasing her unique finds, Marisa also uses her blog as a source of industry news. I can attest– my jaw dropped last week when STYLEBEAT reported that Margaret Russell was leaving Elle Decor to fill Paige Rense’s shoes at Architectural Digest.

I caught up with Marisa over lunch at Tocqueville to chat about being her own successful editor in the self-publishing era.

mydeco: What was your mission in starting STYLEBEAT?

MM: I wanted to share my resources and help people surround themselves with things they love. Designing a home should make you happy. I only show things I love; even if I have to search high and low for just the right thing to share, it has to be something I would want to own. As a result, people can trust that I am steering them in the right direction when I show new products.

mydeco: What have been your most popular– and fun to write– blog posts?

MM: Everyone seemed to appreciate my post on dogs on furniture! I love working on color trend pieces and gift guides. My recent story on Mark Hampton alums in honor of Duane Hampton’s book, Mark Hampton, An American Decorator, was very important to me.

mydeco: How did you catch the interior design bug?

MM: My mother, Nancy Marcantonio is a wonderful interior designer. My sister, Amanda Reynal, and I both obviously have it in our blood– she worked for Cullman & Kravis for seven years and recently launched her own firm.

mydeco: How would you best describe your aesthetic?

MM: I am rooted in traditional, but I like comfortable, chic, and colorful rooms with inventive details and a classic feel.

We thought you’d like to see a peek of Marisa’s living room– which visually articulates the above words above perfectly:

Image credit: Marisa Marcantonio

mydeco: Who are the designers you admire?

MM: Oh, there are so many! Miles Redd, Mary McDonald, Tom Scheerer, Steven Gambrell, Katie Ridder, Thom Filicia, Todd Romano, Lucas Studio, just to name a few.

mydeco: Which retailers could you not live without?

MM: Made Goods, Bungalow 5, Raynaud china, Julia B, and Deborah Sharpe Linens.

mydeco: What’s the most important concept behind STYLEBEAT?

MM: It has to be fun. That is why I made this big, daily commitment in the first place: I love to show beautiful interiors, new designers, and products. Be it a meaningful gift you can buy for a friend or an irresistible set of sheets, I wish to share items that add beauty to daily life. When a reader finds and buys something they love because of STYLEBEAT, that is the most rewarding part of the job for me.

Check out Marisa’s mydeco profile to see her wishlist and some stylish moodboards.