A Mobile Turned This Illustrator’s Space Into a Gallery

What makes a purchase “worth it”? The answer is different for everybody, sowe’re askingsome of the coolest, most-shopping-savvy people we know—from small business owners to designers, from artists to actors**—**to tell us the story behind one of their most prized possessions.

Who?

Not only doesJordan Sondlercreate illustrations that are as lovely as they are whimsical, but she also has a sharp eye for interior design. In addition to working as anillustratorand mental health advocate, she teaches drawing at the Pratt Institute, and addedauthorto her CV in 2020. Jordan has been collecting art that she loves for years, fully adorning her Brooklyn apartment with beautiful items from artists (many of whom she counts as friends) that she loves. And although she notes that her apartment isn’t her dream home, it is, as she says, filled to the brim “with so many normal New York things including funny inconveniences like strange room sizes and sporadically placed light fixtures.”

Jordan Sondler at home with her rescue Pomeranian, Ramona. An illustrator and author with a love of color, Jordan has filled her space with art and treasures that delight the eye. Eric Helgas

What?

One of Jordan’s most prized possessions is a stunning white mobile fromModmobilesthat adds movement and dimension to her space. She discovered the piece on Instagram after seeing a former colleague post about it on the app. “They’re powder coated and super beautiful,” Jordan says of her delicately hangingartwork. “Usually, I’m really big on color, and it was a really big departure for me to get something all white, but I kind of love the shadows that it casts. I feel like I’m at a museum, honestly.”

“If I could, I would have 10 of these in my apartment,” Jordan says of her Modmobiles piece. “Just wait until I have a house.” Eric Helgas

When?

Jordan came across the piece in February 2021, and—after having lived in her apartment for three and a half years—had started contemplating getting out of the city. “I honestly thought I would leave [the apartment], and then the pandemic happened,” she says. So, instead of leaving her art-filled apartment, she decided to invest in a piece of art that would add a new sculptural element to the space.

在哪里?

发现mobileson Instagram, Jordan reached out directly to her colleague to find out where she could buy it. As it turns out, this former co-worker happens to make them. From there, she browsed the site and eventually chose the mobile that was right for her.

In a corner of her living room, Jordan displays curiosities and a fraction of her book collection, including a mini version of her own titleFeel It Out,which was published in 2020. Papier-mâché book miniature byKim Baise. Eric Helgas

Why?

Since Jordan is normally a huge fan of color, she explained that she opted for the white due to the smaller size of her space and the wide variety of colorful artwork that she already had. “As much as I am drawn to bright primary colors, I felt like this was an opportunity to be kind of minimal with it so that it didn’t feel destructive,” she says.