In this week’s Adweek–the Design Issue–Good Morning America co-host Lara Spencer talks about how she became a flea market maven, combining her weekend passion with her career as a TV personality.
Spencer credits her mother with influencing her penchant for unearthing decorating treasures. “I have been yard sale-ing and hunting for treasures since I was a very little girl,” says the Garden City, N.Y., native. “My mom and I would go every weekend. She is my design mentor.”
When she’s in New York, Spencer calls a 490-square-foot pied-à-terre on Manhattan’s Upper East Side home. “The L-shaped layout and natural light make it feel much bigger,” she says. “I have coffee at my kitchen counter which doubles as a bar at night.” The cozy studio is filled with objects from around the world—like an antique letter “L” she bought at the famous Paris flea market.
The 1940 book I Married Adventure by Osa Johnson—-of which Spencer owns a copy with a zebra-print cover—-has been a particular inspiration. “Every time I see a copy of it for sale, I buy it and give it to a friend as a housewarming gift,” she says.
The apartment has large closets, and since there are several of them-—a rarity in New York-—she converted the smallest into a workspace. “I wrote a good portion of my second book [Flea Market Fabulous: Designing Gorgeous Rooms With Vintage Treasures] at that tiny desk!” she said. She added wallpaper, a lamp and shelving to complete a stylish yet utilitarian office.
Aside from her books on decorating, Spencer further established her “revamped and restored” cred with the HGTV programs I Brake for Yard Sales and Flea Market Flip.
The TV personality also has a 4,200-square-foot 1920s Connecticut farmhouse decked out with her collection of flea market finds, but her Manhattan home is her “oasis,” she says. “After a long day, it is so lovely to come to a space that is light, bright and uncluttered. I tried to create an environment that matches my positive, energetic outlook on life and work,” she says.
