Dresden Davis & The Curlie Cook’s Humble Abode
Her: Dresden Davis, The Curlie Cook
Hometown: North Carolina | Alma Mater: Hampton University
A southerner at heart, Dresden Davis has created a new home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The North Carolina native has turned her new apartment into a space that prioritizes comfort and relaxation. “I want anyone who visits me to be as comfy as I am here,” she expressed during our conversation. As a self-proclaimed homebody, Dresden shared that she wanted her space to be intimate, comfy, and cozy yet modern and clean. From first hand experience, I can definitely say she hit the nail on the head.
While Dresden’s full-time role is a Senior Associate in the Corporate and Institutional Group at PNC Bank, she spends the majority of her free time growing The Curlie Cook, her unique space to help the rest of us create meals that are simple, easy and comforting.
A few weeks ago, I visited Dresden to learn a little more about her new apartment, her passions, The Curlie Cook and how she’s creating a space of her own both in her apartment and on the web!
Her Humble Abode
Did you have a theme/look/feel in mind when you were decorating your space? Yes! I'm a homebody, so I wanted my space to be intimate, comfy and cozy, yet modern and clean. I love candles, low lighting, pillows and blankets. I wanted to create a space that would allow anyone who visits to be as comfy as I am here.
Do you have any decorating rules or words of advice for decorating and shopping for décor? I would encourage everyone to use Pinterest; it really helps to plan for purchase and organize the items that you like. I’m a visual person, so Pinterest helps me visualize how certain things would look in my space. Also, I’ve learned that you can’t buy everything at once - you'll go broke! I did that when I moved to Pittsburgh. With my move to Philly, I've been taking my time to really find pieces I love.
What was the biggest challenge you faced when decorating your space? I was previously living in Pittsburgh and when I move to Philly, I basically started over because my new apartment is a little smaller. So not only did I have to purchase new furniture items (that were cute of course), I had to make sure the pieces could also double as storage. For example, I was lucky to find this couch and ottoman duo that open up for added storage!
If you could change one thing about your apartment, what would it be and why? I wish I had a balcony! I love sitting outside and leaving my windows/doors open and I don’t have the opportunity to do that in this apartment.
What’s your favorite thing about your apartment and why? I love that I have candles everywhere. I love candles. They're super relaxing and make my space intimate, which I love. The first thing I do when I come home is light my candles.
What stores do you frequent when purchasing items for your apartment? Target and IKEA are tied for first place. Target always has a home sale! And IKEA is like Disney World to me. I also love Home Goods, Walmart and Amazon.
The Curlie Cook
Tell me a little bit about The Curlie Cook. How did you come up with the idea? It started with me sharing a lot of the meals that I would cook on social media via Snapchat and Instagram Stories. After a while people would always DM me with food related questions and encouraging me to start a blog. After months of thinking about it, I decided to launch The Curlie Cook in January 2018!
Now I use The Curlie Cook and my Instagram to document my weekly meals, share kitchen tips, recipes and all things related to food. I also use The Curlie Cook to sell my signature blackening seasoning.
How long have you been cooking? I would say probably since my teenage years, at least! I’ve always enjoyed cooking. I would often help my mom with dinner and my dad with breakfast on the weekends when I was younger.When I got to college and moved into my own apartment, my cooking increased. I remember I would always cook for friends and my roommates.
Who taught you how to cook? Did you teach yourself? I would say my family definitely taught me the basics. Growing up I would always watched my mom, dad and maternal grandmother prepare meals. Especially my grandmother - almost everything she made was homemade. As time went on, I began to learn a lot from the Food Network and just trying things out. Now, I read a lot of recipes and watch a lot of videos but I always find ways to make things my own by simplifying the processes or changing the flavor profile.
What do you see next for The Curlie Cook? About two weeks ago I started selling my blackening seasoning so a lot of my focus has been on processing and shipping orders. I remember sharing my Blackend Chicken recipe that uses my blackening seasoning and people loved it! Looking ahead, I eventually, want to write a cookbook.
What’s your favorite dish to cook? I'm a southern girl at heart, so I love blackened or fried catfish and grits. Like, love!!