How Soda Fountain Came to Be

Soda Fountain started as a manifestation during 2020 when the idea of securing a place that would allow me the authority to decorate and call mine in Manhattan - a pipe dream at the time - was added to my vision board. Cue in the countless hours that followed of sifting through suburban thrift stores, online auctions, and acquiring pieces that both spoke to me and felt like an extension of my personality. Day by day, taking it one step at a time, the commitment of preparing for a dream that I had no idea how I was going to accomplish became my outlet during the pandemic. I ended up acquiring so many objects with no place to live in NYC yet that I comically stored fifty percent of my belongings in a relative’s basement and the other half in a Brooklyn storage unit for two years. Despite the process taking longer than I anticipated (such is life, right!?), I eventually found myself being the keyholder to a space that absolutely exceeded anything I could have possibly imagined. Sending a forever thank you to the previous tenant who selected me to take over a space with so much character. My first three years spent in NYC (pre-Soda Fountain) were rather arduous, but I’m happy to report that tenacity can pay off sometimes! Coming home to a space that represents who I am makes me feel like the recipient of the world’s biggest hug on the daily!

This is why I feel so passionate about sharing my story with others. I want to help this community debunk the myth that sharp, well-curated interior decor is reserved for the upper echelon or that transforming a rental into a sanctuary is a drain of time and effort - or unattainable without prior toolbox knowledge. Before 2022, I had never held a professional paint brush, drill, and I certainly didn’t believe that Home Depot was meant for people like me! Yet, after giving this apartment the facelift it deserved all on my own, I realized this journey and the lessons learned along the way is a part of myself that is meant to be shared.

Meet the Founder

Hello there, I’m Amanda! I grew up listening to showtunes (big old-and-washed-up theatre kid energy here) while cutting up AD and Anthropologie Home catalogs - thoughtfully tacking each item onto my physical wishlist with a layer of Elmer’s glue.

Sidenote: Do you ever imagine how your younger self would react if you told her/him/them how far we’ve come?!

After I graduated from the cut-and-paste collaging days, I obtained a background in the corporate fashion industry, working with over 100 of some of the most recognizable apparel brands globally. The early days of my ladder climbing career is forever woven into the fabric of my story, yet some of my strongest moments of fulfillment come from the creative passions I’ve been pursing since childhood. Soda Fountain was born as a platform for me to storytell, create fun content with flair, and editorialize products for brands that promotes celebrating everyday beauty in a deliciously colorful space! As a former fashion buying/trend forecasting girlie, I also continue to ride the daily high of scouting out and sharing up-and-coming curated assortments of home products that are unlike anything else you’ve seen before!

Thank you so much for visiting this page. I am so happy you’re here.

Cheers,

Amanda Data