At Home with Alison Kenworthy of “Homeworthy” Fame
When it comes to showcasing homes, Alison Kenworthy, a three-time Emmy award- winning television producer, knows how to tell a story that goes far beyond square footage and fine furniture. Her media brand “Homeworthy” has built a worldwide audience for its weekly video series by opening up the front doors of haute and humble homes and introducing the fascinating people who live inside.
By merging her passion for both storytelling and interior design – she used to be on the red carpet of events like The Met Gala and traveling to chic destinations to conduct celebrity interviews as a producer for ABC’s Good Morning America – Alison is now able to celebrate the places where people live, her way. In 2018, she left network news to launch Homeworthy. Within just a few years, the brand has experienced tremendous growth, with 35 million views across its digital platforms and more than 200,000 subscribers. Her channel has already surpassed ELLE Decor, Veranda, and Town & Country on YouTube. In July alone, the Homeworthy YouTube channel had over one million minutes watched.
With people spending more time at home due to the pandemic, interest in how other people live has made her content even more popular. “Now more than ever, there is a real curiosity of wanting to get a sneak peek into homes and private spaces,” explains Alison. “People also want to see how to change their own spaces with easy renovations. Before and after transformations are always incredibly popular, especially if there is a DIY element. Another reason why these videos are resonating? “People want to know who the person behind the home is and also get a sense of the stories within the home. It doesn’t matter if it’s a 200-square-foot studio or a sprawling apartment – I don’t discriminate when it comes to the size of a home.”
From CEOs to lifestyle influencers, as well as politicians, musicians, editors and even governors, Alison is always on the lookout for luxe, as well as well-lived properties of both famous and everyday people. One of her most unusual upcoming episodes involves a vintage beach bungalow modeled like the inside of a ship, which she happened to come upon during an evening walk. By pulling back the curtain, in more ways than one, Alison is able to get a sense of both home and human. Take for instance the Executive Vice President of the Aspen Institute who has a living room full of wonderful art and rare books, or a former Vogue editor, now the founder of SCOUT bags, who lives colorfully – literally – with bright green and yellow walls in her home, reflecting her own eclectic personality. She even showed off a funky gallery wall featuring childhood artwork done by her now-grown kids in gilded frames. Just another Homeworthy hack!
Growing up in a 200-year-old townhouse in Georgetown, a historic neighborhood in Washington, D.C., this stylish storyteller has always had an appreciation for architecture and design. She believes her upbringing of being surrounded by old homes subliminally influenced her love of interior design. Now, she has her own perfect paradise on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
“My husband Michael and I now have a two-month-old son, so we recently moved into a new apartment. He is from Colorado and loves the outdoors, so I found a great apartment with a terrace and he decides to buy an outdoor shower. I took my camera and did a 30-second tour of our apartment and then ended with a shot of him taking a bathing suit shower with the New York City skyline behind him. That video has 5.2 million views on social media and it’s all because there’s a surprise element at the end.”
Another thing you might find in her home? Let’s just say that Alison is a lover of layers. She finds inspiration in designers like Mario Buatta and Sister Parish, or anyone who embraces the concept of maximalism. “I like layers and layers of things, whether it’s textiles or patterns or unique art from travels – I love walking into a room and wondering what the walls would say if they could talk.” Whether it’s zipping through the streets of Vietnam on the back of a scooter or staying in an incredible hotel in India, Alison finds endless inspiration from traveling. I’ll never forget being in Udaipur, a small city in India, and staying in a palace in the middle of a lake.”
This love of travel also explains why she has expanded Homeworthy into the hotel space, with many more features and profiles to come. Whether it’s in the Hamptons or the Hudson Valley, Alison prefers when a property is not only posh but more importantly, feels homey rather than like a hotel. Most recently she traveled to Palm Beach to film with a woman who lives in the Presidential Suite at the iconic Colony Hotel for a few months of the year, describing herself as a more grown-up version of Eloise at the Plaza.
“Video is a powerful medium. I’m constantly looking for a personality that pops on camera and someone who can talk about their space in a way that is compelling. I did a fascinating piece on a gentleman who has lived in a rent-controlled, one-bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side (around the corner from Gracie Mansion) for more than 40 years. He is a musician and had incredible stories of New York from yesteryear—-people just fell in love with him and his piano playing and felt his warmth.”
Some other worthy Homeworthy video subjects include a Jonathan Adler executive proudly showing off a framed article of a satirical feature from The New Yorker about him and his Hermes Birkin bag. Another feature was a fashion editor-turned-Pinterest executive who displays a massive American flag in her living room that she once used as a backdrop for a Rihanna photo shoot. The before and after photos of a lifestyle influencer’s pre-war Park Avenue apartment is a truly mind-blowing renovation – you won’t want to miss this episode. And the founder of Pepper, a home decor brand, lives in an 1800s Brooklyn Heights townhouse with high ceilings covered in beautiful original frescos featuring cherubs – she designed around it, so the decor is quite modern – creating an amazing juxtaposition of old and new.
From eccentric to elegant, Alison and her Homeworthy brand continue to grow to higher and more unique home heights.
