{meet} chelsea michelson of simply chels

Hello and happy Thursday! Today I have the honor to feature a very talented blogger/photographer/designer and super sweet lady, Chelsea Michelson. 

photography by Mike Trobiano

I first met Chelsea through Instagram and soon enough it became hard not to follow and love her beautiful pictures, interesting travel adventures and her sweet personality. After almost a year of online chatting I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with her at Eastern Market, in Washington D.C. Even though we had never met face-to-face we soon became besties!  

  

For those who are not familiar with your blog, tell us a little bit about it. My blog, Simply Chels is a glimpse on my life as a designer. It’s influenced by the idea that good design makes our lives simpler. You can find my current project process and inspiration as well as simple ways to make your life sweeter with easy recipes, travel recommendations and advice.

What inspired you to start Simply Chels and how did you pick the name? I was inspired by design. It is amazingly powerful, a mutual love affair between creators and users. I wanted to share this because we are impacted by design everyday;  we’re all in this together.  I think it is important for users to understand designers and vice versa. I also wanted my simple approach to life and design to be an inspiration for others. The name Simply Chels came as an extension to my brand Chels Design but also a transparent look into my life and my ideas.

How did your personal journey bring you to this moment right now? I’m currently living in Washington D.C. because I took a huge leap of faith to start graduate school in a new career field, Interior Architecture. I graduated having built a portfolio of graphic design and a successful photography business but what I really wanted was to design for people rather than brands. My blog is a record of this journey. It blends everything I’ve done and have been influenced by. It seems now that the journey is just beginning!

Being a blogger myself, I know that ideas and inspiration come in the most odd moments. Do you carry your camera and notepad around with you in case this happens? How do you keep track of what you are going to blog about? Ideas always come as they please. I always carry a sketchbook because I’m always sketching and planning projects. Since my blog is inspired by my life, a lot of my ideas are experiences. My Iphone photo album is probably where most of all my ideas live. I’m a visual note taker. The best camera is the one that is with you. I use my DSLR mostly when I’ve already planned out a blog idea or when I’m doing something I know I want to blog about

Is there anything that you most certainly cannot live without? I would probably say my camera but my uniball pen is a close second! In retrospect though, I don’t believe there anything you can’t live without.

How would you describe your design aesthetic? My design aesthetic is a blend of minimal and natural. I am influenced by sustainability and culture. I like strong geometry and clean lines but also organic textures and colors.

Being a full-time graduate student, I am sure you are always working on a project. Do you integrate your school work with Simply Chels? Has Architecture changed your design view in anyway? I do share some projects on Simply Chels but I’m not fully over the fear of showing my personal work online. With design you always feel like it’s just not quite finished because it can always be better. Studying architecture has completely changed the way I feel about design’s impact. Moving from two-dimensional design to three-dimensional design has made me see the relationship with people more clearly. Architecture is a collision between aesthetics and function. It’s tangible and that is why it affects who we are, what we do and how we feel.

Don't forget to check out Chelsea's blog, website and instagram account. I am sure that you too will fall in love with her. 

xoxo,

m

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