Julia Rabinowitsch

Founder of The Millennial Decorator

LA, California

I met Julia months ago, when she first created her interior moodboard The Millennial Decorator. Our accounts were both smaller, they were just getting recognition. Over time, I figured out she had a big vision for TMD as she started creating shopping guides from small, sustainable businesses to help others shop within budget. She puts in a lot of research into her guides, carefully select the businesses she wants to highlight. After growing her community for a while, she now turned TMD into a sustainable and vintage home decor curation business. She releases drop collections of very carefully selected pieces each within budget that would really be a valuable piece for your home. From her branding to recyclable packaging, she pays attention to every detail with intention. This interview is special for me because she became my friend, we are a big supporter for each other and I cannot wait to watch her grow TMD more. Enjoy :)

You can find her @themillennialdecorator :)

Where did your interest come from for interior curation ?

It’s always been in me! I grew up imagining spaces, how I would change them, decorate them, and make them different and unique. When it came to curation, once I moved out of the house and post university, I felt that I finally had the freedom to decorate my space how I wanted it to be decorated and just went for it! I started investing in home items that I knew I would want to keep in my home forever. I love buying so TMD is sort of my outlet to share the finds I see and shop for with a community of others that are looking for affordable recs!

On TMD, you share glimpses and details of your own home, but I am really curious to learn more. What made you decide on your current home? How did you start decorating the place, like what was the first piece, did it happen organically, or did you have a moodboard on mind?

I was really inspired by the actual space which is my home. It’s a 1920’s unit in a quadplex that has maintained a lot of its original charm. When I viewed it, I knew I needed to live here immediately and submitted the application right away, made my cover letter unique, and thankfully beat out the many other competitors. What can I say, the LA housing market is competitive!!  With the dark wood floors and white walls, I found that I was going to let the home guide the decor. I did not have a mood board in mind - I more so had color pallets in mind (whites, woods, neutrals, and travertine) and went with that. The first item I bought, which is the centerpiece of my bedroom, is my pink (very unlike me) patterned headboard from Urban Outfitters Home. I thought it was such a unique piece- I bought it before I knew I was even moving and kept it in a box until I moved into the new space. I’m still in the process of finalizing decor (I’ve had about 4 coffee tables), so it’s been an interesting process seeing how my home decor has evolved in the almost three years I’ve lived here. 

Can you give some information on both of your backgrounds for those who are getting to know you?

My name is Julia, I’m a 25 year old LA native who’s obsessed with design, interiors, and decorating on a budget! When I was little, I would take empty tissue boxes and literally decorate them into little rooms- design and decoration has always been in me! Today, I own and operate the account, The Millennial Decorator, and share my love for affordable design with the wonderful community of followers I have, while also working as a freelance designer.

Who are your biggest inspirations for your home, interior and decorating?

My muses - Athena Calderone, Emily Oberg, Pablo Picasso, Kelly Wearstler, and so many more…Most of my decor comes from my own personal style - lots of whites, woods, books, and neutrals with pops of color, pattern, and design. I love making spaces unique through one-of-a-kind vintage finds, I think they tend to spruce up a space and make people wonder...

I've met you through your amazing platform on IG, The Millennial Decorator. Where did the idea of The Millennial Decorator came? On TMD's bio, you say "decor on a millennial's budget". Can you tell us a bit about your mission with this account, the process of creating your guides ?

Yes! I feel truly so lucky to have garnered and reached an incredible community of individuals like yourself and so many more. The idea for TMD came from me decorating my home on a budget - I figured if I could do it on a budget and with all my insistent searching, there were others out there who had the same need as I did and could benefit from recommendations. Everything I feature, whether its in a guide or in a post, I try to make affordable. My guides came from my desire to keep my account more than just about design - today I think my account maintains a position of equality, care for the environment, and social human rights within the space of design.

Let's talk about how you turned TMD into a curation business. You recently started, already done couple drops of very carefully selected pieces. I am sure that you put a lot of work and time into bringing together them & you showed us all your well thought sustainable packaging, branding…

Ahh this question seriously makes me so excited! I decided to launch the drops because I was pretty much done curating my home, but I saw that there was still such a need from my followers that wanted unique vintage home finds - so I decided to launch TMD the drops! Right now, each drop maintains a different theme around the home (The Coffee Table Drop, The TMD Living Essentials Drop, and more). We’re gearing up for our third drop currently and the first two have had such a positive and incredible response- it’s been amazing seeing my followers get so excited about the vintage finds I’ve curated and seeing the products so loved in different homes around the US, Canada, and Europe! I wanted each drop to be as sustainable as possible, so I spent months collecting every box that was shipped to me and use reused shipping materials in each package. I’m a designer at heart so the non-reused items I created such as wrapping paper, stickers, and my thank you notes we’re so fun to create and it seems like people really love them as well. I can’t wait to see where these drops go!! 

You're now releasing drops for the decor pieces you have curated. There are now so many options for decor that being minimalistic is even harder. Can you give some decor recommendations, like how do you stage your coffee table / desk / side tables etc. Do you have certain rules..?

The only rule I maintain is to keep things extremely minimalist. I’m a minimalist at heart- any clutter makes me feel anxious- but aside from that I just go with it! The curation of my products are finds I truly love, whether they are books, ashtrays, the essentials, and people have loved it because the products are different, yet fits in with so many different types of decor styles, houses, apartments, and more. For a desk, keep it as minimal as possible. I don’t believe in a cluttered workspace being successful unless you’re an artist- clear palette, clear mind. For coffee tables I always love having a centerpiece such as a candle or tray in the middle and books surrounding. Always have a book or two on the coffee or side tables. For side tables in a bedroom, I like keeping them mirrored for the big items like lamps and candles and then adding in different small decor pieces to each side. In a living room for the side tables, I love getting funky and having two separately styles side tables and different products on each - keeps a room interesting. 

How do you define your interior style? Also, do you have a dream piece or furniture you have on mind?

My decor style is minimal, neutral, and classic. Lots of whites, beiges, and browns - these colors last forever and never go out of style. Dream piece - as of now no, I like to live in abundance and appreciate the things I have instead of want and constantly strive for something new (I’m still working on this :))

How has sharing your interior & living space changed the way you approach your home and purchases?

For me, it actually inspired me to think outside of the box and decorate my home with more vintage and sustainable pieces! For my bedroom for example, I originally bought everything new because I didn’t know better, but eventually seeing everything that was out there in terms of home decor, I definitely would have taken a different approach. I love sharing what I buy or thrift for my home and genuinely get so excited finding thrifted finds these days versus new products on the market.

And the information we all wonder…

In true Millennial fashion, my couch I actually brought in from the street after my neighbor left it - one day it’ll be updated..

My favorite items today are a mix of thrifted and vintage - most of which have come from the app, OfferUp! My travertine and glass coffee table, my woven leather accent chair, my custom made wavy travertine table- all my favorite home items came from OfferUp through diligent searching and post notifications.

The art in my home also maintains the same scrappiness, although most of it was bought directly from a seller. My small gallery wall in my room features a portrait from Josh Young, one of my favorite artists, a Fornasetti - esq art piece, and a line art painting that was inspired by my body and drawn for me by request by the cutest elderly Armen man at the Melrose Flea Market.

I recently brought back from Paris original lithographs from the Babar franchise, the French national treasure - I can’t wait to frame them.

My favorite decor pieces have also come from digilent searching on Facebook Marketplace, thrift stores, or in person. I recently found a brass horsebit and brown leather frame on Facebook marketplace I know I’ll have forever. 

Go to places to thrift: TMD (obviously haha), any flea market that takes place in LA (Rose Bowl, Melrose Flea Market, Santa Monica Airport). And of course, the apps - OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace!