You've Got Christene Barberich

Ten questions with a writer, co-founder, and design expert from New York City.

Welcome to the interview series on YGL that explores connection, creativity, and personal taste. This week we have the accomplished and effortlessly-cool woman who co-founded Refinery29 and writes the much loved newsletter A Tiny Apt. You’ve got Christene Barberich!

today’s guest. Christene has been rethinking women’s storytelling in the digital world for the past two decades. She’s written articles about personal debt, arguing in public, and experiencing multiple miscarriages that are brave, intelligent, and incredibly valuable.

Her wheelhouse is centred around style, design, beauty, and fashion. If I could magically duplicate one person’s closet to have for myself, it would be Christene’s. She’s worked with some of the best in the business and has a wicked eye for curating a vision. If you don’t already know what I’m talking about, you’ll see what I mean below.

This interview is packed full of tips for putting together (even the smallest) personal creative spaces, her best thrifting score yet, what she’ll be wearing on repeat this summer, and an exciting new project. I hope you enjoy Christene’s thoughtful and intentional answers. There’s endless inspiration in here and I’m beyond grateful to share it with you.

All photos © Christene Barberich

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1. What are you most excited about right now?

The book proposal I'm working on. It's making the whole prospect of writing a book feel very real. And I'm as scared as I am excited. The same could be said about the 650-square-foot straw panel house my partner Kevin and I have been building over the past two years. We're finally getting close to finishing, and it's the most beautiful thing we've ever made together (other than our daughter). And one more thing, my best friend Eden is coming to stay with us for a few weeks this summer. I can't wait...we haven't seen each other in a longer-than usual time, so I'm sincerely counting the days till she arrives. 

2. A new book! Looking forward to that. Well, it goes without saying that I’m a fan of your writing but also…your closet! What will you be wearing the most this summer? 

Thank you! I found a pair of really simple white cotton trousers at COS a month or two ago, and I've been wearing them every single day. These have a similar vibe...you can just do anything with them and they are light and COOL and look so chic on the move. 

3. Are you loyal to any brands? Which ones? 

I'm loyal to certain things from certain brands. Like sneakers from Asics, Adidas, and SeaVees. Pants/trousers from COS, Levi's, and Zara. Big-ticket items like statement coats, serious shoes, or clutches from Prada/Miu Miu or Dries van Noten. Everyday cross-bodies and totes from Bags In Progress. Plus lots and lots of vintage, of course. 

4. What’s the best conversation you’ve had recently? Who was it with, what made it good, and what was the topic of discussion?

My friends Liz and Christine came over for a very last-minute wine date at my picnic table recently. It was early evening and there was a storm coming in the distance, so the energy felt kind of cinematic. We sat under a tree and basically just caught up on life while my daughter popped in every few minutes to check in and interject. There is something about toggling between the heavier life stuff like breakups and major career pivots and the lighter everyday things like sleep routines or a good show we've been watching (Dark Matter!) that just feels very fortifying...life and good conversations with girlfriends is really, really important, and I try never to take it for granted. 

I love this answer so much.

5. You’re known for making tiny spaces feel expansive and stylish. What are your tips for putting together a tiny personal creative space?

Oh yes. The first thing I would do is remove everything and clean it well. Starting with a clean, blank slate is so important to figuring out what you really need and want there to make it function the way you want it to. The next thing I would do is to have some wall space or a designated area for pinning things you love—images, quotes, photographs...when we do this, we make a corner or area our own and that connection instantly comes to life...like plugging it into your own life force. Just a few ephemeral things that remind you of YOU. The next thing I would do is to make sure you have some place to store things—a drawer or a box that's lovely to look at and can conceal anything away when you're not using the space. Even if a space is tiny, I want it to look beautiful from a distance, so it has its own "moment" in the scheme of a larger space, and doesn't get lost. Last thing, is making sure you have a chair you love and that's comfortable (and also proportionally fits the space) as well as the right light. A small lamp that emits a warm glow will inspire and awaken you to what you're about to do in that tiny space whenever you turn it on...like a creative switch you flip when you arrive.  

Insert round of applause. Seriously though, these answers are gold!

6. What purchase from the past year has brought you the most joy?

My Bodum electric tea kettle I bought at the Moma store was an absolute game-changer from a stovetop kettle. And I love seeing it on my counter everyday. My friend Noah of Foreign National also designed a new dining table for us because I just couldn't find one in the right dimensions to fit our smaller space. It took a while to fabricate, but as soon as it arrived and we started using it, our everyday life just felt transformed. Every time I sit down to have some coffee, eat with my daughter, or gaze out the window, it makes me feel so happy and why I love our home so much. It's just exquisite. 

7. That is so sweet, items that come with a good story are the best. Let’s be real though, you are the Thrifting Queen! Make us all jealous and tell us your best find ever.

You are too kind! Well, finding a vintage YSL suit recently while visiting my mom in Florida at a nearby thrift shop for $12 was just bananas! The skirt was silly, but the jacket is absolutely spectacular. When I was walking toward it and saw it on the rack...I just KNEW. Attaching a photo below of me in the fitting room and then another back at home wearing the skirt as a top...because why not? 

Speechless! YSL for $12—if that doesn’t make people start thrifting I don’t know what will.

The gorgeous 1930s vintage quilt she scored at Brimfield.

8. What’s something that you struggle with and how do you deal with that challenge?

Being short-tempered, not getting enough sleep, being too hard on myself (and occasionally the people I love the most). And being forgiving/having forgiveness. I'm working on it...forever and ever. 

9. Name three topics you could easily talk about without any prep.

• Trying not to worry so much about getting everything right or being on some kind of rigid timeline in your 20s and 30s (and 40s and onward, too!).

• The path to having a child or deciding not to...experiencing so much pregnancy loss on the journey to becoming a mother taught me a lot about having empathy, grace, and patience as we move along unknown spaces in our lives.

• The movie ‘An Unmarried Woman’ from 1978 starring the late Jill Clayburgh. 

10. You have shared so much insight today—thank you. One last question: Your content is consistent, versatile, and always true to your style. Where do you source inspiration from?

I love to read, so I'm always going back to favorite authors like Joan Didion or Anne Lamott to get out of a rut or open my mind in a new/different way. I read The New Yorker religiously, too, and save a lot of favorite articles in their app...I definitely like to re-read things that move me and make me want to learn more about something I didn't know much about before...and share them with people I think might glean some joy or purpose out of them. Great writing is for sharing...don't you agree? 

Absolutely agree!

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You can follow along with her thrifting adventures, tiny house updates, and so much more on instagram. She also writes a fantastic newsletter—A Tiny Apt.—that I highly recommend. It’s full of personal style recommendations, great design, and short essays on navigating life.

It was such a pleasure to get a glimpse into the beautiful world of Christene Barberich today. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to share the creative work of individuals I admire. As always, thank you for being here.

Leave us a note with your best thrifting finds in the comments!
Ciao for now,