The Sight Unseen co-founder and design expert shares her corner of the globe.

Monica Khemsurov co-founded the online magazine Sight Unseen with the intention of offering unparalleled access to the lives of creatives in art, design, fashion, and photography. Along the way, Sight Unseen has since developed into something more expansive, with Khemsurov’s team uncovering and illuminating emerging design talent from around the world. “We started as a website that offered behind-the-scenes views of creative life, such as studio visits—and we’re still very much about that—but we’ve evolved into a place where people to look to us to discover new things, ideas, and talents,” she says. For evidence, look to the launch of Sight Unseen OFFSITE, a roaming design fair.

“We started as a website that
offered behind-the-scenes views of creative life,
such as studio visits—and we’re still
very much about that—but we’ve evolved into
a place where people to look to us
to discover new things, ideas, and talents”

________

Khemsurov’s writing has appeared in the New York Times T Magazine, Surface, and Architectural Digest, to name a few; she’s also the contributing design editor for Details magazine. It’s a bit of a role reversal, then, to turn our attention to the unseen details of Khemsurov’s world. Below, she describes her dream travel destination, must-have road trip soundtrack, and the photograph that always makes her smile.

My motto is: “All you need is love.”

The piece of advice I give most frequently is: I’m constantly giving designers the same advice: take great photographs of their work and always document it. This will help them further their career, get press, and grow their business.

A free evening is best spent: Having an adventure.

Artisans I admire include: Kristen Victoria Barron makes everything from lamps to puppets. She can’t stop making beautiful things. Lindsay Adelman, a lighting designer who has taken her amazing creativity and channeled it into a business, which is really rare. Lastly, Max Lamb: His work is really smart and really pure.

I would like to collaborate with: There’s not one single person I want to collaborate with, actually. I feel like we’re constantly collaborating with young makers in the role of curators, which is very fulfilling.

The best thing I can make, or have made, is: Instagram is something I’ve really gotten into, because I think photography is a great equalizer. It’s allowed me to express myself creatively in a way that I maybe hadn’t prioritized or been able to do before. I was also once a talented drawer, although I’m a bit out of practice—I seem to lose it outside of a class.

My favorite photograph depicts: I have this picture from my childhood of my brother dressed as Superman—he must have been four or five years old—and my mother lying on the couch with her sunglasses on. He’s jumping toward her, and she’s got her hand up, almost waving him off. I think it is just hilarious: Why was my mom wearing sunglasses in the house, for one? It’s my favorite photo ever.

The last great book I read was: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I was also a huge fan of her first book, The Secret History.

The one album I’d bring on a road trip is: Right now, it would be Haim. They’re singing about a lot of things that are universal, like breakups, but doing so in a way that’s very energetic and upbeat, so their music has this road trip vibe for me. All time, it would be a Fleetwood Mac “best of” album—which is funny, given Haim is constantly compared to them.

I’d describe my home as: First of all, not big enough! Second of all, it’s filled with a lot of objects I love, but perhaps in need of a designer. I’ve never been a big decorator, so it’s not necessarily “designed.”

If I could teleport anywhere on Earth, immediately, I’d go to: Tokyo. I’ve never been, and it’s at the top of my list. The design and food cultures there are so inspiring, plus I really enjoy going to places that feel very different from New York. It’s also quite expensive to get there, so teleporting would help me with that.

My favorite hotel is: Juvet Landscape Hotel in Valldal, Norway. I just went there this summer and only spent one night, but it was one of the most amazing experiences. It’s in this valley, surrounded by farmland, and each room is a little cabin with floor-to-ceiling windows, so you feel like you’re in the middle of nature.

My favorite city is: New York City. There’s constant stimulation, endless cultural things to do, and so many creative people here who want to collaborate. I love that you can continually slip into new scenes and worlds.

I never travel without: Two things. Unfortunately, my laptop is one. Sight Unseen never goes away; it’s always humming in the background. The second is my jewelry. I went away this summer and forgot my jewelry, and it was a disaster! I dress around my jewelry, and felt almost like part of my identity wasn’t there. I felt naked and not myself.