[6][7] Carlson's stepfather, Edward Digby Baltzell, was an eminent professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and was credited with popularizing the acronym WASP in his book The Protestant Establishment: Aristocracy and Caste in America.
[13] In 2007, Carlson co-founded Remodelista with Francesca Connolly, Janet Hall, and Sarah Lonsdale to provide an online sourcebook for users planning a home renovation or remodel with the goal of furnishing rooms with a mix of classics, vintage finds and modernist pieces.
[15] In 2012, Carlson co-founded Gardenista, an outdoor spaces and garden design website with former New York Times columnist Michelle Slatalla under SAY Media's ownership.
[17] In 2016, Remodelista and Gardenista were acquired by Realtor.com, operated by the News Corporation subsidiary Move, Inc. At the time of sale, the two sites reportedly received 1.5 million readers per month.
[21] In November 2017, Artisan published Remodelista: The Organized Home (ISBN 978-1579656935), written by Julie Carlson and Margot Guralnick with photography by Matthew Williams.