A
rchitectural Digest’s recent profile of Brooklyn influencer Molly Blutstein sparked a fierce online backlash. The feature, meant to showcase her DIY flair in a Cobble Hill railroad apartment, instead drew criticism over the magazine’s editorial choices and Blutstein’s design credibility.
Blutstein, an Atlanta native who moved to New York in July, runs a Substack called *In The Details* and boasts over 200,000 Instagram followers. She painted her kitchen cabinets a soft yellow, sourced thrifted furniture, and installed faux butcher‑block counters with a TaskRabbit. In the article she described her aesthetic as “Southern Gothic details, Shaker, and a touch of English style,” citing designers such as Beata Heuman, Heidi Caillier, Jessica Helgerson, and Nickey Kehoe as influences.
The piece highlighted her process, but many readers found the apartment’s white‑washed walls and sparse furnishings to resemble an unfinished Pinterest board. Critics on Reddit and Instagram slammed AD for featuring what they called “mediocre design” and questioned why a prestigious publication would spotlight a space that seemed more a social‑media experiment than a finished project.
One commenter noted, “Is this satire? That’s all mid‑century stuff…” while another asked, “Does she even understand what ‘mid‑century’ means?” Blutstein’s own remark—“Midcentury. Don’t show me a tapered leg”—was ironic, as several of her pieces were clearly mid‑century style. The backlash intensified on Reddit, with users accusing AD of elevating influencers over genuine design talent and lamenting the lack of finished, thoughtfully curated interiors.
Some defended Blutstein, arguing that the real issue lay with AD’s editorial direction. “Fashion is her thing; the editors should have caught this,” one user wrote. Another added, “I appreciate her exploring design on her terms, but AD should return to fostering thoughtful discourse.”
Blutstein explained that her parents encouraged experimentation in their home, which shaped her desire to make spaces feel less chaotic. She cited a long list of inspirations, including Billy Cotton, Hageman Homes & Interiors, and Giancarlo Valle, and emphasized her Southern and traditional design influences.
The controversy has highlighted broader frustrations about influencer culture’s impact on the design world. Users questioned why AD would feature an unfinished apartment over work by established designers, and whether the magazine’s shift toward celebrity content undermines its credibility.
Neither Architectural Digest nor Molly Blutstein has publicly responded to the criticism.
