When does a house become a “homey home”? Alexandra Gater, editor turned decor expert and author, has been attempting to help millions answer that question for the last decade. As home editor at Canada’s Chatelaine magazine, Gater created the YouTube series The Home Primp after noticing the dearth of on-a-budget makeover options for renters.
@AlexandraGaterIn a round of layoffs for the magazine, though, Gater lost what she thought was her dream career. So she turned to what she knew from the magazine: posting rental and home makeover videos on her own YouTube channel that eventually garnered the attention of HGTV and Shopify.
From how to use peel-and-stick molding to elevate apartment doors and walls to the right hue of pink for kitchen cabinets, Gater is on a mission to bring accessible design and DIY tips to her nearly 700K subscribers, no matter the budget. With a team of seven, she now posts makeover videos, offers digital design consultations and released her debut book, Own Your Space: Attainable Room-by-Room Decorating Tips for Renters and Homeowners, last spring. But it’s her two ongoing video series, “Why Does This Look So Good?” and “Small Space Dilemmas,” that we’re hooked on. BRB, off to limewash an accent wall in the guest bedroom…
Renting instead of owning? Gater says renter-friendly changes, “like covering up that old, outdated kitchen backsplash,” will make your apartment feel like home. One of her favorite tips? Use brick clips to hang art above a fireplace, on an outdoor patio or on a brick wall. They’re available from most hardware stores and require zero drilling, hammering or nailing.
