Let's Meet Sarah Lyon

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Sarah Lyon

Friends I’m thrilled to share my recent interview with freelance writer and stylist Sarah Lyon.

Sarah welcome to the Chalet. Please tell the readers how long you’ve lived in NYC and what drew you to the Upper East Side? Thank you for having me. I’ve sort of had two different lives in NYC! I moved to the city right after I graduated from college—seriously, two weeks after I received my diploma, I was here—and worked in magazines, starting out as an editorial assistant at the now-defunct Meredith publication American Baby. I lived in the city for two years and then left and went to grad school at the University of Pennsylvania, where I received my master’s in higher education. After living in Philly, I moved back to the DC area (where I’m originally from) for six years. I lived in various apartments in Washington, D.C., while working in communications at a K-12 school in Virginia and then in alumni relations at George Washington University. It was during this time that I began freelance writing (more on that in a bit), and during the pandemic, I decided that I wanted to move back to New York City. I moved back to Manhattan during the summer of 2021, and I landed on the Upper East Side because of how much I’d enjoyed living here before; it feels very neighborhood-like and is a great place to live as a 30-something.

Sarah’s stylish livingroom

You mentioned you’re originally from the Washington DC area - please tell us a bit about growing up. I grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, which is about 10 minutes outside of Washington, D.C. I always loved to rearrange my room as a child and would spend Friday afternoons moving furniture around after school. No one in my immediate family enjoys design as much as I do, but both my grandmothers liked to decorate their homes. My paternal grandmother, Rhee (who is 91!), has always been a kindred spirit here; even to this day, we love to go thrift and vintage shopping together when I visit her in Florida. She was always frequenting garage sales when my sister and I were kids and would find dolls and dollhouse accessories for us, which she would then repurpose if needed (she is an amazing artist who paints, draws, and sculpts, and has always been full of creativity). It’s been fun having her witness my career as an interior design writer. She will read my work online—she loves the Apartment Therapy website in particular—which I love!

Any memories of all that room rearranging? I remember shopping for furniture with my parents at IKEA and picking out pieces that I loved; there was a vertical organizer I had that was designed to be used as a CD holder (hello, 1990s!) but I would instead use the small compartments mostly to display various trinkets. I always loved switching up which pieces I placed inside each area. My church had an annual rummage sale that I always looked forward to (and still like to attend when I’m able!) and I would find lots of great items there. The American Girl books for tween girls were always fun to read as a kid and had lots of decorating ideas that inspired me, too. Like most of my friends, I had an over-the-door shoe holder filled with Beanie Babies, for example! I also loved doing crafts and would decorate picture frames and other small pieces for my bedroom. I was obsessed with keeping my bedroom nice and neat; even friends’ parents would comment on how good it looked.

Oh my Sarah that wonderful!

Sarah’s Desk

What was the genus of your writing career - I understand for a period of time you worked in Higher Education. I went to a small liberal arts college where we didn’t have pre-professional majors like journalism or communications, so I chose sociology because it interested me and then decided to focus on being a part of the student-run newspaper as my main extracurricular. I was extremely passionate about the school newspaper in high school and had taken a journalism class my sophomore year—which I’ll still find myself referencing today—but that’s really my only formal training; everything else I learned firsthand! As a freshman in college, I started out as a news writer for our weekly paper and then worked my way up: I became an assistant editor my second semester, served as the editor of the news section my sophomore and junior years, and then became the editor-in-chief as a senior. This was an extremely rewarding experience and was something that I had been working toward since I was 18! I was fortunate to have had the chance to intern at Bethesda Magazine, a regional lifestyle publication, a couple of times when I was home throughout college, and then the summer between my junior and senior year,I lived in New York City and interned at Parade Magazine.

When I graduated from college, I worked at American Baby but didn’t feel super optimistic about the state of the print magazine world. I reflected back on my interests from college and realized how much I had enjoyed covering and studying campus issues during my time both on the newspaper and as a sociology major. I decided to apply to graduate school for my master’s in higher education and greatly enjoyed learning more about issues including college access, diversity in higher education, and more. I then worked in communications at a K-12 school for about a year before deciding that I really wanted to be in higher ed, as I had intended when I received my degree, and moved over to George Washington University. I first worked in the development and alumni relations department at the business school before moving over to the engineering school. For most of the three and a half years I worked at GW, I was also freelancing on the side to earn extra money and to enjoy a creative pursuit outside of my day job, which was fairly corporate in nature.

Sarah’s stunning wingback chair

When did you decide to fully commit to being full-time freelance writer? What was the a-ha moment. I’m definitely not always the most rational person in my day to day life, but I was extremely practical when it came to making this decision about my career. When it came to going full-time freelance, I didn’t take my decision lightly: after all, I had a job that I liked, and we were still in the middle of the pandemic.

As background, I had started freelancing part time in 2018 and my work really began to build in 2019. During the summer of 2019, I had really hit my stride with a bunch of regular assignments, and I also applied for and received a big promotion at GW. I was very happy with how my life was looking personally, professionally, and financially—I felt very balanced and proud of what I had accomplished as a 27 year old. However, I knew that the position I was in wasn’t very sustainable: I was working portions of every weekend to keep up with freelance work, and I didn’t want to take on too much more and risk letting my day job suffer. At the same time, I felt that if I wanted to move up in my career again in another year or so, I would have to think about cutting back on my outside writing. I was pondering all of this, and then the pandemic happened. At first, I was a bit worried about the state of both industries: journalism and higher education aren’t known for being super stable! Luckily, my day job remained intact, and meanwhile, the home industry began to boom.

During the pandemic, all of my work travel and event planning of course came to a halt, freeing up more time in my schedule to take on additional freelance assignments. I began to really consider the possibility of moving into a full-time role; all I did during fall 2020 and spring 2021 was work at both of my jobs, which was extremely overwhelming. It got to the point where I knew something had to give—if I couldn’t maintain a semi-balanced life in the absence of social plans, travel, and the like, I knew I wouldn’t be able to do so once the world opened back up. I had been tracking my freelance income for about six months and it was consistently exceeding my income from my day job significantly. Once I felt confident that this would continue to be the case, I put in my one-month notice at work, and my full-time freelance career began!

I definitely took a more conservative approach than most here: I probably *could have* gone freelance two years prior but didn’t want to compromise my day-to-day standard of living or take any major risks; and as a single, childless woman in my 20s, I pushed myself to juggle both of my careers for as long as I feasibly could. I did finally feel that this was the time in my life to make a change.

What do people think you do as a Freelance Writer. I’ll get inquiries from people offering to pay me $$$ to place them or their client in an article - that is not how journalism works, even if you’re covering a fun subject matter like I am.

The fireplace in Sarah’s bedroom

Switching gears let’s touch on your interior design style. You’ve spoken about adding Parisian Charm to your UES apartment - How did you find your style? I feel as though my design style is always changing and evolving a bit, but I’ve been drawn to the Parisian look for quite some time. When I lived in Washington, D.C., one of my apartments featured beautiful fireplaces (not the marble Parisian style ones, but they inspired me nonetheless). I then got into the concept of adding faux mantels to a space; I did so in my D.C. apartment after that and then again here in New York. I am constantly inspired by what I see on Pinterest, I probably use the app at least once a day! I am always saving images that speak to me and using them to inspire my next apartment upgrade.

Would you agree your favorite design element is a fireplace. Yes! I love the faux mantels that I added to my space; my current apartment is pretty cookie cutter and doesn’t have much architectural character (minus the built-ins in my living room, which I love). I am all about creatively adding charm and personality to rental spaces; knowing I can do some of this myself takes some of the pressure off when it comes to finding the “perfect” place.

What is your design philosophy? I always say that a room is never finished! I am always tweaking my space and adding in new fun finds and shifting around furniture. It keeps things interesting!

You find a lot of home décor through Facebook Marketplace – as well as flea markets - What is the best thing you’ve ever thrifted. Oh gosh, that’s hard for me to say—I am at a flea market almost every weekend and check Facebook Marketplace several times a day, so I’ve accumulated some incredible items over the years! One of my all-time favorite secondhand finds is a vintage Dior logo suitcase that I found at the Chelsea Flea; I use it as decor (and storage!) in my bedroom.

a Dior suitcase Sarah thrifted from the Chelsea Flea Market

You were featured on an episode of Homewothy. How did that happen? I actually reached out to Alison and pitched myself; we had a great time filming and it’s been nice to share a glimpse of my space with the world—many people have come to my Instagram account from that video!

Sarah’s bedroom perfectly reflects a balance of Parisian glam and contemporary elements

How has Social Media and especially Instagram impacted you and your career? I have mixed thoughts here! I began my Instagram page in 2016, back when I had a small lifestyle and design blog called DC to a T (I believe all of my posts have disappeared, sadly!). My page has grown so slowly in comparison to other creators. I don’t think it will ever really be anything big and I now sort of just use it as a portfolio to showcase some of my home projects and articles and as a means to connect with new sources to interview and follow. I will say that I truly believe I have the most supportive Instagram community ever! My followers are the kindest, most supportive people—they always have my back and lift me up. Many of them have been following along since the DC to a T days, but I’ve also met so many new, wonderful people since moving to New York. Many of my good friends in the city these days are other people with public accounts who I’ve gotten to know through Instagram.

Anything upcoming for the rest of 2023 you wish to share with the readers? I’ve had a busy travel year thus far and am not sure what the rest of 2023 will hold—I’m sure I’ll continue to take on more fun home projects and write a ton, of course!

Sarah I looked you up on Apartment Therapy it shows you’ve been published 819 times on the platform. That’s quite an accomplishment.

click the image to be linked to this page on Sarah’s website

Below is a sampling of a few of the many articles you’ve written; including two published this week.

Sarah thank you so much for taking the time to chat I really appreciate it!

Friends you can follow Sarah on Instagram and check out her Website to read her latest articles. Til next time be well!

The Majesty of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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I love The Metropolitan Museum of Art it’s my second favorite place on earth behind the Chalet. Since I just finished the book All the Beauty in the World I thought I’d share a bit of the history of the institution and a few top reads I feel do a wonderful job offering insight or are just entertaining.

History of the Museum

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's earliest roots date back to 1866 in Paris. Several high-profile Americans residing in Paris put on a Fourth of July festival in celebration of the United States’ ninetieth birthday, with exhibits, performances, and speeches.

The well-known civil rights attorney John Jay II, was the key speaker at the event and his speech noted that New York had become one of the world’s great cities, but it lacked one thing that the great cities of Europe all had - a national institution of art that would represent the essence of American culture; “and thus are the European masterpieces of the olden and present time being rapidly gathered for our country from the Atlantic to the Pacific; and this thought suggests another, that now is the time for the American people to lay the foundation of a National Institute and Gallery of Art, and that the American gentlemen now in Europe are the men to inaugurate that plan” Under Jay's presidency, the Union League Club in New York rallied civic leaders, businessmen, artists, art collectors, and philanthropists to the cause.

On April 13, 1870, The Metropolitan Museum of Art was incorporated, opening to the public in the Dodworth Building at 681 Fifth Avenue. On November 20, 1870 the Museum acquired its first object, a Roman sarcophagus. On March 30, 1880, after a brief move to the Douglas Mansion at 128 West 14th Street, the Museum opened to the public at its current site on Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street. The architects Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould designed the initial Ruskinian Gothic structure, the west facade is still visible in the Robert Lehman Wing. The building has since expanded greatly, and the various additions now completely surround the original structure. The Museum's Beaux-Arts Fifth Avenue facade and Great Hall, designed by the architect and founding Museum Trustee Richard Morris Hunt, opened to the public in December 1902.

A comprehensive plan for the Museum by architects Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates was approved in 1971 and completed in 1991. Among the additions to the Museum as part of the master plan are the Robert Lehman Wing (1975), which houses an extraordinary collection of Old Masters, as well as Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art; The Sackler Wing (1978), which houses the Temple of Dendur; The American Wing (1980), whose diverse collection includes 25 period rooms; The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing (1982) displaying the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas; the Lila Acheson Wallace Wing (1987) of modern and contemporary art; and the Henry R. Kravis Wing (1991) devoted to European sculpture and decorative arts from the Renaissance to the beginning of the 20th century. To view the evolution of the structure click here.

The Museum’s collection has grown from it’s earliest days - the purchase of the Cesnola Collection of Cypriot art works dating from the Bronze Age to the end of the Roman period helped establish The Met's reputation as a major repository of classical antiquities. When the American painter John Kensett died in 1872, 38 of his canvases came to the Museum and in 1889 the Museum acquired two works by Édouard Manet. In 1907, the Museum acquired a work by Auguste Renoir, and in 1910, The Met was the first public institution in the world to acquire a work of art by Henri Matisse. The ancient Egyptian hippopotamus statuette that is now the Museum's unofficial mascot, "William," entered the collection in 1917. Today, virtually all of the Museum's 26,000 ancient Egyptian objects, the largest collection of Egyptian art outside of Cairo, are on display. By 1979, the Museum owned five of the fewer than 35 known paintings by Johannes Vermeer, and now The Met's 2,500 European paintings comprise one of the greatest such collections in the world. The American Wing now houses the world's most comprehensive collection of American paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts.

In 1998, the Arts of Korea gallery opened to the public, completing a major suite of galleries devoted to the arts of Asia. The Ancient Near Eastern Art galleries reopened to the public in 1999 following a renovation. In 2007, several major projects at the south end of the building were completed, most notably the 15-year renovation and reinstallation of the entire suite of Greek and Roman Art galleries. Galleries for Oceanic and Native North American Art also opened in 2007, as well as the new Galleries for Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Paintings and Sculpture and the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education.

Today, tens of thousands of objects are on view at any given time in the Museum's two-million-square-foot building.

Here are some great titles:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The History and Legacy of America’s Largest Art Museum - Charles River Editors 8/19/2018

I love this book it is a very small volume packed with details. From the beginning, the Met has been unique, because unlike many European museums, the support for the sprawling New York City museum came from modern tycoons and philanthropists. Like the rest of the city, the museum grew quickly, as the millionaires of New York and other cities around the nation vied to see who could donate the most paintings or objects of art.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler 1/1/1967

The Newberry Medal winner tells the tale of Claudia. When she decided to run away from home planned very carefully and wanting to be comfortable deemed the Metropolitan Museum of Art the perfect place to stay. She saved her money and invited her brother Jamie to come along mostly because he was a miser and would have money. But once the fun of settling in was over, Claudia had two unexpected problems: She felt just the same and she wanted to feel different; and she found a statue at the Museum so beautiful she could not go home until she discovered its maker, a question that baffled the experts, too.

Museum: Behind the Scenes of the Metropolitan Museum of Art 6/21/2007

Using more than fifty interviews, award-winning writer Danny Danziger creates a fascinating mosaic of the people behind New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. From the aristocratic, acerbic (now former) director of the museum, Philippe de Montebello, to the curators with deep knowledge and passionate appreciation of the collections, from the security guards to the philanthropists who keep the museums financial life alive and thriving.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Masterpiece Paintings 9/13/2016

As the first large survey published in 30 years of the Met's paintings collection it is the first to celebrate the greatest and most iconic paintings of one of the largest, most important, and most beloved museums in the world. This impressive book’s broad sweep of material, all from a single museum, makes it at once a universal history of painting and the ideal introduction to the iconic masterworks of this world-renowned institution.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide 6/25/2019

More than a simple souvenir book, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide provides a comprehensive view of art history spanning five millennia and the entire globe, beginning with the ancient world and ending in contemporary times.

Metropolitan Stories - Christine Coulson 10/8/2019

Hidden behind the Picassos and Vermeers, the Temple of Dendur and the American Wing, exists another world: the hallways and offices, conservation studios, storerooms, and cafeteria that are home to the museum's devoted and peculiar staff of 2,200 people - along with a few ghosts. A surreal love letter to this private side of the Met, Metropolitan Stories unfolds in a series of amusing and poignant vignettes in which we discover larger-than-life characters, the downside of survival, and the powerful voices of the art itself. The result is a novel bursting with magic, humor, and energetic detail.

Making The Met - 1870 | 2020 The Metropolitan Museum of Art 4/14/2020

Published to celebrate the Museum’s 150th anniversary, Making The Met examines the institution’s evolution from an idea—that art can elevate anyone who has access to it—to one of the most beloved encyclopedic collections in the world. Focusing on key transformational moments, this richly illustrated book provides insight into events that led The Met in new directions, broadened its audience, and expanded its collection. Eleven chapters illuminate topics such as the impact of momentous acquisitions, the global cooperation that resulted from international excavations, the Museum’s association with the “Monuments Men” and its role in preserving cultural heritage during and after the Second World War, and The Met’s interaction with modern and contemporary art and artists. Illustrations include rarely seen archival and behind-the-scenes images, in addition to more than 200 key works that changed the way we look at art.

All the Beauty in the World - Patrick Bringley 2/14/2023

Millions of people climb the grand marble staircase to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art every year. But only a select few have unrestricted access to every nook and cranny. They’re the guards who roam unobtrusively in dark blue suits, keeping a watchful eye on the two million square foot treasure house. Patrick Bringley finds solace in this institution after the death of his brother and what he thinks will be a temporary job becomes his career of a decade. We follow him as he guards delicate treasures from Egypt to Rome, strolls the labyrinths beneath the galleries, wears out nine pairs of company shoes, and marvels at the beautiful works in his care.
“Museum: a building, place, or institution devoted to the acquisition, conservation, study, exhibition, and educational interpretation of objects having scientific, historical, or artistic value.”
— The Free Dictionary