“My office is meant to be where I’m the most engaged,” Lockhart explains. “It’s where I draw my inspiration, and it’s also where I spend 90 percent of my time. When I made the move from New York to Nashville, I told myself I’m no longer going to work from my bedroom.”
Naturally, there were some practical considerations: a stylish Zoom background for in-house work meetings, a place to capture her colorful OOTDs for her sizable following (57K and counting on Instagram), and natural light for filming. But the real driving force behind Lockhart’s vision was needing somewhere she could stay creatively stimulated; her previous space lacked the square footage to optimize much of anything.
Lockhart turned to Walmart’s new curation of retro-inspired furniture and decor, which fit perfectly with her affinity for whimsical-but-subtle pieces. “[The mid-century and ‘70s] time periods are so warm and nostalgic to me,” she says. “Maybe it’s because my grandparents had furniture from those eras, but I have a really positive association with it now.” She credits them for her lifelong love of Mad Men and chrome accents; she hopes these groovy finds will have the same effect.
As an influencer and partnerships director at ILIA Beauty, fashion content creator, and disability rights advocate, April Lockhart is hard-pressed to find a time when work isn’t a high priority. So following a recent move to Nashville, she filled us in on how she’s setting up her new(ish) space for coming up with the best new collaborations in beauty, and continuing to create
more visibility for people with disabilities who love all things style.
In Partnership with
How Disability Advocate
April Lockhart Uses Smart Styling
to Keep Focused When WFH
Photography by Leslee Mitchell
Words by Jamie Lenore McKillop
Styling by Elizabeth Ulrich
“It can be sunlight or bulbs,” Lockhart says, “but I work a lot better with light shining on me.” During Nashville’s long summer days, Lockhart prefers to keep her shades wide open to flood the room with every last ray of sunshine. “Otherwise, on a rainy day, I have all of the lamps in the room on, which is a lot,” she admits—there are three so far, and she’s already eyeing Walmart’s arched floor lamp and terrazzo table lamp. “I’m somewhat of a lamp collector.”
Her reasoning? Lockhart is firmly convinced a bright atmosphere improves productivity. “But we never, ever, ever, ever use the big light,”
she jokes, referring to a TikTok
trending audio that snubs harsh overhead fixtures.
Guiding
Lights
Green
Day
“Plants instantly add a feeling of life and growth,” Lockhart explains. “And they help keep you grounded, in a way.” When her to-do list is growing, she looks to them as a reminder of a world far greater than what’s on her computer screen. For Lockhart, both Walmart’s potted faux plants and living flora—she’s a fan of both—have that same effect. For the most real-looking greenery, she says, always, always display your purchase in a ceramic or terracotta planter, not the plastic one it came in.
Clear Space, Clear Mind
À la Marie Kondo, Lockhart believes that “a clean space is inspiring. If the room is too full, I can’t concentrate.” So while she might be drawn to color, she creates visual order by routinely decluttering, and keeping only the pieces that offer positive energy. Lockhart’s non-negotiables: textural accent pillows for a touch of coziness and plush seating to settle into. Now, focus time.
Flow
State
Mainstays
Terrazzo Table
Lamp with White
Drum Shade
Better Homes
& Gardens Modern Metal Arc Floor Lamp
Better Homes &
Gardens Decorative
Throw Pillow
Queer Eye Liam
Futon with
Storage,
Blue Linen
Queer Eye Liam
Round End
Tables
Better Homes
& Gardens Nola
Coffee Table
Better Homes &
Gardens 8-Cube
Organizer
Noble House
Bancker Fabric
Cube Pouf
Gap Home
Lounge Chair