Critics blast NYC influencer for having her bare-looking home profiled by a glossy magazine

Call this a design flaw. 

When Architectural Digest profiled Brooklyn influencer Molly Blutstein and her self-decorated Cobble Hill apartment this month, the feature seemed poised to celebrate the DIY charm and aesthetic experimentation of a social-media tastemaker.

Instead, it ignited an online firestorm questioning both the magazine’s editorial standards and the influencer’s design credentials.

Blutstein, an Atlanta native who runs a Substack called In The Details and has more than 200,000 Instagram followers, had moved to New York City in July and styled her railroad apartment herself. 

In the AD piece, she described her aesthetic as “Southern Gothic details, and sort of Shaker, but a bit English-style too,” adding that “it’s basically just Nickey Kehoe.”

The article showcased her creative process — painting kitchen cabinets a soft yellow, sourcing second-hand furniture and applying faux butcher-block counters with the help of a TaskRabbit. 

“I’m really influenced by Southern design to some extent, or more traditional design. And I was raised on Pinterest.” 

She also made clear her aversion to one particular trend. “Midcentury. Don’t show me a tapered leg,” Blutstein told the magazine. 

But the Internet pounced — first on that statement, and then on the magazine itself. Commenters were quick to note that many of Blutstein’s featured furnishings were, in fact, midcentury in style. 

“Honest question; is this satire?? That’s like all mid-century stuff…” one Instagram user wrote. 

Another asked, “No shade but… does she understand what ‘mid-century’ means?”

On Reddit, the criticism grew sharper. 

“There is so much real artistic talent out there that is ignored to uplift the absolute most mediocre bulls—t ‘design’ from influencers who think being good at social media and buying clothes translates to other aspects of design,” one user wrote, adding, “The apartment isn’t even finished!! It’s basically empty!!!!” 

Others questioned why the feature appeared in Architectural Digest at all. 

“Why is this unfinished Pinterest board copy-paste apartment being featured in arch digest…” one commenter asked. 

Another said, “It’s her taste — and that’s perfectly fine — but let’s not pretend it’s something revolutionary.”

Some defended Blutstein, arguing the real issue lay with AD’s editorial direction. 

“I guess fashion is more her thing … seems like something the editors should have caught,” one person wrote, while another observed, “I like that she’s exploring design on her terms, and I also recognize that AD and similar mags are going through a significant shift in readership — but I would really like it if AD could return to fostering thoughtful and educational discourse on design.”

Blutstein, for her part, has cited a long list of influences — “Beata Heuman, Heidi Caillier, Jessica Helgerson, Billy Cotton, Hageman Homes & Interiors, Giancarlo Valle … Nickey Kehoe is also a big one,” she said. 

The AD feature described her taste as deeply personal, rooted in her upbringing.

“My parents created a space where you could do and be whatever the hell you want,” she said. “If my mom felt like the kitchen needed to be yellow, she was going to paint it. I was going to come home and the kitchen was going to be yellow or green, or something. I reacted to that by honing in on how to make it feel less chaotic.”

Yet online, that individuality became a lightning rod for broader frustration over how influencer culture is shaping the design world. 

“Imagine all the real design talent that goes unseen and then there’s this,” one user lamented. 

Others turned their ire toward AD itself. “Whether we’re billionaires, or blue collar, isn’t that what this mag is supposed to offer? So why show us ‘influencers’ and celebrities rather than, you know, experts?”

Neither Architectural Digest nor Blutstein has publicly addressed the backlash.