Once upon a time is here
Is this a fantasy? No, it’s a whimsical hideout for this YouTube star.
To turn his home office into an enchanted storybook forest, YouTube star Joey Graceffa brought in natural woodsy elements and an assortment of crystals — from small, warmtoned formations scattered on his coffee table to a 3-foot-long, crescent-shaped amethyst, nestled on the floor beside his green couch.
“I draw a lot of inspiration from crystals, so I knew that I wanted them to be the center of this room and all throughout,” said the author and actor, 27. “I feel like a lot of people focus on the energy aspects of crystals — I do a little bit — but for the most part, I feel like they’re so beautiful and I’m so drawn to them that I just have to have them.”
There’s the iridescent angel aura quartz reminiscent of a broken arrowhead, the aquamarine with “calming and cooling energy,” the orange citrine for creativity, and celestite in a rare shade of light blue. But the giant amethyst, its large fissure crowded with deep-purple calcite crystals, is his favorite.
“I really like the big, pretty, colorful ones. The shape of it makes me feel very magical,” said Graceffa, who lives in his 6,373square-foot L.A. home with his partner, Daniel, and their three huskies, Lark, Storm and Wolf.
The crystals play off the room’s deep forest-green walls and leafy wallpaper. Silky drapes and playful tree branches surround his desk.
“This is my childhood dream come true,” Graceffa said, christening the space his “secret hideout, like you’re walking into a fantasy.”
Why is this your favorite room?
In my head I am always living in a fantasy with all the worlds I create. It’s cool to have a place that almost represents how I feel inside, and is a little oasis for me.
Three words that describe your aesthetic style?
Whimsical, cozy and colorful.
You had an interior decorator.
There’s a decorating YouTube channel called Mr. Kate. The designer, Mr. Kate, is incredible at what she does. She has a very similar aesthetic to me — she loves crystals and the whimsical vibe — so she was super excited to collaborate. We met and I told her everything important that I wanted in the room. For things like the wallpaper she had to get my approval, but for the most part, she surprised me with a lot of the little knickknacks and furniture.
What’s the story behind these tree branches in here?
I wanted to incorporate a lot of nature into the room to make it earthy. When Mr. Kate was designing it, she cemented the trees into the bases so if I ever move them out of here it will be a bit of a journey.
I love the Totoro stuffed animals. Are you a fan of the film “My Neighbor Totoro”?
I absolutely am, ever since I was a little kid. It always made me feel so happy. I’m one of those people who can’t watch movies more than once because I don’t like knowing what happens. But “Totoro” is one of the few that I can watch over and over and over again and never get sick of. So definitely having Totoro in my room is very true to me.
Is there a significance behind the little husky statues?
A fan named Marica made them; she is incredible. They look exactly like my dogs. She’s very talented.
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