Mother and son designing duo Anthony and Stephanie Pappas have always been thick as thieves. Like many young gay boys who don’t adhere to the rigid rules of hetero-normative masculinity, Anthony found joy in arts and music early on.
His mother took notice and fully embraced Anthony for the fun-loving kid he was. Fast-forward to today, and his untraditional passions are still an experience the two bond over. The duo recently appeared on Good Morning America for a room makeover competition, where they won first prize for their rustic Victorian build. Their extreme knowledge of thrifting is only matched by their appreciation for one another, showcasing a special parent-kiddo relationship that we all can aspire to.
We chatted about the best thrift spots across New Jersey, their unwavering support for each other, and why these two are a perfect pairing for a future HGTV show.
Folks may recognize you from your recent stint on Good Morning America, where you thrifted to compete for a prize. How was that experience?
Stephanie Papas: It was a blast! The experience and win were authentic. We really had no clue.
Anthony Bruno: We didn’t even know we were competing for a prize. We just thought we were competing for the fun of it.
It must have been nice to win that $5,000 check!
AB: Yeah, not bad.
How did you two grow into such close friends, and how did the coming out experience unfold?
AB: Well, we’ve always said we’re very much cut from the same cloth. We are so similar: our interests, our passions, our hobbies, all of those things. I feel like I inherited so much from my mom, not only my personality, but my loves and my passions. So that part was easy. It’s not like I was a high school athlete where she’d have to wonder, “What’s that about?”
There was a lot of common ground there, but I mean, my mom created an environment where my brother, sister, and I were able to show up authentically as ourselves, in our household, with one another, and with her. She gave us that space to find ourselves and empowered us to chase our own joy.
How did you create that accepting space for your children?
SP: You know what, I did not know how to do that, because I was not brought up that way. I’m the youngest of four children, born in ’61. I definitely did not have that kind of environment where I felt I could express myself and feel safe. It was very regimented and authoritarian.
So as a mother, I just don’t remember making a plan to do things differently. I just did. Anthony is my oldest, and then he has a brother who is 18 months younger. I’ll mention that his brother is physically disabled; he was born with spina bifida. Then I had my daughter several years later.
I did become a single parent by choice, and I knew I needed to create a safe and loving environment for my children; that was my goal. Whatever brought them joy, I encouraged. And they were all totally different. The things Joseph likes are nowhere near what Anthony likes. Joseph is into hockey, baseball, basketball, wrestling, you know, all of that. So I just let my children do and enjoy whatever they loved and encouraged that direction. It just happened that the things Anthony enjoyed were also things I enjoyed. I did theater in high school, though not quite to the extent he did. And so the things I was doing when he was little, he was picking up on, like helping me decorate the Christmas tree instead of just watching football on TV. He wanted to decorate the tree with me. So it kind of went from there.
It’s great you had such an open heart to whoever your children turned out to be.
SP: Exactly. I just followed whoever they were. Now we’re on Good Morning America, it’s been a crazy experience.
AB: Oh my gosh. It was truly the most insane thing I’ve ever done. But I think what was so special about it, and what I’ve been reflecting on, is that I’m hardly the first gay designer to be on a television show. That’s not groundbreaking. But I do think we are so oversaturated with examples of traumatic relationships and stories. That’s what you hear about, gay trauma, difficult family relationships. What I’ve been really reflecting on is how fortunate I am. I feel that I am an example of a nurturing, positive, and healthy gay parent-child relationship, and to have that kind of representation, especially under this current administration.
SP: These stories are so important to get out there, as you know, Jonny.
You also shared your story on That Thrifting Show, right?
AB: Yeah. Whether it’s Good Morning America or That Thrifting Show, which we filmed for Hulu. We filmed that back in September, two weeks before my wedding.
They said, “Okay, you need to pick a partner.” And I was like, “Well, obviously it has to be my mother.”
SP: Yeah, it was crazy. So they aired it on Labor Day. Yes. And about two weeks before that was when I got the call with the film dates. I had known we were cast since around March or April, but you didn’t tell me until August, just a few weeks before.
AB: They said, “Okay, you need to pick a partner.” And I was like, “Well, obviously it has to be my mother.” So yeah, we didn’t have the film dates until maybe four weeks before my wedding.
SP: And meanwhile, he was designing his own wedding for 150 people. It was stuff everywhere.
AB: Yeah. So it was a call to my now-husband, like, “Hey, babe, I’m going to disappear for a week while I go do this in Connecticut. Can you handle the caterer? Figure out all of that?” And he was like, “Yeah, obviously you have to go.” But it was wild. A wild, wild experience.
SP: It was fun. It was definitely a whole different kind of challenge. It’s part design, but it’s also live event coordination. It’s a lot, but still fun.
It sounds like both the show and your wedding went off without a hitch, pun intended.
SP: Oh yeah. I’ve had the time of my life. My heart is just so full because I have been having so much fun. In my 60s! I’ll actually be 65 right around Mother’s Day. My birthday is May 12th. So that’s why I said this is such a happy occasion. I’m just having so much fun. If you had asked me if I’d be doing this kind of stuff when he was little, or during the tough times, during the separation, in my marriage, I just couldn’t have imagined it. But I’m having a blast.
I hope it leads to so many more things. After GMA, what’s next?
AB: Yeah. It has been such an incredible honor to meet the whole GMA team and everyone associated with the show, and it’s been fun to continue cultivating those relationships. I’m doing some legwork, reaching out to other production companies and hopefully getting things rolling. I’d love to, and going back to what we were saying about representation, there are so many HGTV shows about couples. You’ve also got Property Brothers, right?
But there is no mother-son duo on HGTV. That’s what I want next. We are going to rep Jersey hard. We need a mother-son design show, that’s what we’re manifesting.
You can do a shore house one week and then something out in the Pine Barrens the next!
SP: Yes! I’m getting ideas. My brain is firing up. I love it. Something like for the disabled community.
AB: Oh, yes! You could do design for people with disabilities. Or for the visually impaired. Oh my God.
That’d be incredible. What are some of the hidden gem thrift shops in New Jersey that you guys get up?
AB: I really love the Then and Now consignment shop. They’re in Hawthorne. They are just packed full of stuff. Secondhand Treasures in Midland Park is really great. We love them as well. I think there are so many. What I really love doing in Jersey is visiting estate sales. I think that’s where I’ve found some of the more special pieces. Things at an estate sale tend to be a little more curated and cared for.ferently and made better. Secondhand Treasures is really great, too. But honestly, what I really love doing in Jersey is visiting estate sales because there are so many of them.
So estate sales are really where it’s at in Jersey. And oh, there’s really great thrifting down in the Asbury Park area. It’s an appealing town down the shore, and it’s a very gay friendly community. There are a lot of Victorian older homes. And that vase on GMA came out of a Victorian home. We got that from Don at Realtime. We’ll also shop on Facebook Marketplace, too!
Any advice for people wanting to get the most out of thrifting?
AB: Try to be patient. Just get your hands in many pots and stay on the scene.
SP: Yes. Be willing to shop everywhere — the curb, a flea market, a church thrift shop, a consignment store, and Facebook Marketplace. You’ve got to shop all the places if you want something that doesn’t feel like it came out of a box store.
When you spot the thing you’re going to buy, does it speak to you? Do you just know it?
AB: Yes, absolutely. And actually, I know one of the questions you sent over was about design tips. The number one thing I could say is: make one single bold statement in a room and design everything around that. What I mean is, when you see a piece that makes your heart sing. Like when you look at it and think, “Oh my God, I have to have that, I can’t live without it,” that is how you find a style that is uniquely yours, one you will always love and never grow tired of. Then just build the room, build the space, around that piece. When I find those pieces, it feels like falling in love. It sounds a little cheesy, but I mean it. It just pulls at your heartstrings, and you think, “I must have that.” Just go for it and don’t be afraid. Make it the centerpiece. Love it.
With mom’s birthday right around the corner, and Mother’s Day, I have to ask: is any of that $5,000 going toward a nice gift?
AB: A nice thrift. A nice trip to the thrift store.
SP: A thrifting trip! He did say he owes me a trip to Palm Springs. That’s right. Because we won the thrifting show and our room style was Palm Springs.
AB: So I owe her a trip to Palm Springs. Yeah. Maybe we’ll go for your birthday. We’ll see.
