livin g by Anastasia Car ter Photos courtesy of Amy Loochtan
Poppy Play Time Dublin family builds upscale playhouse from the ground up When Amy and Aaron Loochtan moved from Worthington to Dublin, they were saddest to leave behind their former home and a playhouse they’d renovated for their daughter Penelope, who goes by Poppy. But Poppy wasn’t without a playhouse for long, as Amy and Aaron set to work building one that invoked the comfort of their new home. The playhouse has a brick façade painted white to mirror the design of the home, along with a welcoming porch. Amy and Aaron have plenty of DIY experience from numerous projects done for
The Dublin Influence
Loochtan transitions from fashion to lifestyle Amy Loochtan began blogging in 2012, sharing fashion tips, tricks and expertise with her followers. In the decade since, she’s refocused on home décor, interior design and overall lifestyle blogging, and it’s paid off – literally. More than 70,000 people follow Loochtan on Instagram at @amy_cbandbp and her blog, Coffee Beans and Bobby Pins, tuning in for regular family updates, design inspiration and life lessons. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Dublin Life: When did you begin working on home projects/remodeling? Amy Loochtan: When I was in grad school in 2010, I rented the junkiest little 38 • August/September 2022
by Anastasia Carter
apartment that was literally dilapidated. I started perusing the internet and finding ways that I could enhance this apartment to make it not so depressing. I refinished the fireplace and painted all those ceilings and the walls and painted the kitchen cabinets. That was the start of DIY for me. DL: When did you decide that it was something you wanted to share online through your blog and content creation? AL: At first, I was just doing fashion influencing. As much as I love buying clothes and stuff, it really just isn’t a passion of mine. I mean, everybody has to get dressed. Really, I just have this incredible passion for home decor and interior design
and styling and DIY. As I was writing for my blog, it really just morphed into more of like a lifestyle website where I was sharing motherhood items and decor tips and DIY tips and paint colors and things like that. I rarely ever share fashion anymore. DL: Do you ever have the opportunity to interact with your audience or other influencers? AL: I’ve met up with multiple other influencers throughout my time doing this. I always think it’s kind of fun to meet up with other influencers just because nobody is exactly the same (as) you are. For me to continued on page 40 www.dublinlifemagazine.com
