One Love: Inspiration

This is our inspiration board. We love it. It motivates us, excites us, gives us ideas, reminds us of what we love. It tells us stories, keeps memories, and helps us to see the future. It is an ever-changing constant in our office, growing, shrinking, being reinvented, serving as the thread that ties it all together. It's our one love this week, but really, it's our true love all the time.

*Credits: Kyoko Jackson - Photography

Neutral Territory, Part 2: Color Codes

Last week we looked at the current trends in neutrals. When you love color as much as we do, it's even more important to understand how to balance the brights. The goal is to make interiors fun and playful, not to make your eyes bleed. But, now that we've gotten a good look at the rich shades of brown, caramel, and flax that have hit the scene, it's time to turn back to color and see how all these lovely shades play together.

WITH GREEN

? :: Elle Decoration

WITH YELLOW

Anthropologie :: Elle Decoration

WITH PURPLE

Elle Decoration :: House Beautiful

WITH A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING

Elle Decoration :: Elle Decoration :: Vitra

One Love: Vintage Berkeley Wine Shop

Of all the wine shops in all the neighborhoods in all the cities in the East Bay, we love Vintage Berkeley the most. Not only do they have great wines for great prices, the people working there are super nice and unpretentious, which is not something you can say about most wine shops. As much as I like to drink wine, I really know very little about it, so there's nothing I love more than an unpretentious wine store. I can go in, tell them "I know nothing about wine", and they don't bat an eye. Get to know their knowledgeable and friendly sommeliers at free tastings Monday - Saturday, or get an extended tasting of 5 wines for $5 on Thursdays. Be sure to say hi if you see us there!

Happy Birthday Papa Art!!!

Jill's in Chicago this weekend celebrating her dad's 90th birthday! Happy Birthday Papa Art! We hope you're having a wonderful time with your loving family, and may we all look as good as you do when we turn 90!

Support Earthquake Relief in Japan: Buy Art

Shinjuku, 6:43, by Joe Holmes :: Imperial Palace Gardens with Wall, Tokyo, by Emily Shur

There are a lot of ways to donate to earthquake and tsunami relief efforts in Japan. Here's a way to donate and add some new art to your walls: 20x200 is donating all proceeds from the sales of these two photographs to the Japan Society's Earthquake Relief Fund. 20x200 is a great website that features limited editions of original art, including these two photos, starting at $20. Buy original art, help Japan. Sounds like pretty great way make a difference if you ask us.

One Love: NOWNESS

NOWNESS.com

Everyone always wants to know what the leaders of the design, fashion, and art worlds are following. As forward-thinking as they are, they have to draw their inspiration from somewhere...probably a collection of somewheres, actually. Well, our inside connection to the world of the fashion leaders says NOWNESS is part of that collection. We of course signed up for daily emails right away to see for ourselves, and wouldn't you know it? Those fashion-world leaders are on to something. We don't love every post, but just knowing about the sleek, minimal/modern-designed site and having access to the veritable plethora of edgy/artsy/iconic topics makes us feel very hip and "Now"!

Neutral Territory, Part 1: The New Neutrals

There's no denying here at Visual Jill we love color. Still, just like the negative space defines a shape, and the time apart gives meaning to the time together, color is only as fabulous as the neutrals it is contrasted against. So here's a look at the latest trends in neutrals. We're seeing warm, honey-colored tones like camel, saddle, oatmeal, and chocolate in everything from fashion to furniture. Even the new iPad2 covers come in camel and ecru--have you ever seen an Apple product in camel? If they're doing it, it must be hot!
Next week: Neutrals with Color.

Elle Decoration :: Bazaar

Elle Decoration :: Benjamin Moore Color Pulse

Elle Decoration

Elle Decoration ::a view of the new Hermes, La Maison store in Paris

Elle Decoration :: Anthropologie

*Credits: Kyoko Jackson - Photography

One Love: The Bliss Pillow

ABC Home

This pillow was a special New York treat from ABC Home, one of our absolutely favorite home stores anywhere. Ever. We love the balance of bright color on the soft neutral ground, the clean, modern, yet organic and natural shapes, and it plays so nicely with the other pillows on the sofa. It even coordinates with Paul and George! How could we not love it?

*Credits: Kyoko Jackson - Photography

Color Fever: Citrus

World of Interiors :: Elle Decor :: Benjamin Moore

This week we're bringing you an expanded look at one of the trends we saw in New York: bright citrus-inspired shades of green, lime, citron, and yellow are springing up like new growth all over the landscape, from fashion to furniture. As the saying goes, when life gives you limes, paint your walls to match. 

from Think Color by Tricia Guild

from Think Color by Tricia Guild

Design Within Reach

Kvadrat :: artwork by Sharon Horvath from Elle Decor

Harper's Bazaar

from Think Color by Tricia Guild

One Love: Converse Sneakers

 

We saw this window display in New York and it just made us think about the everlasting coolness of these icons of footwear. Funky, sporty, preppy, glam, there's a color and style of Converse for everyone. My first pair were navy low-tops, like the cool skater kids wore in Jr. High School. Now I sport off-white hi-tops like the ones shown here, though I just saw the Marimekko Collection online and might have to make a new addition to my stash. What about you? What's your Converse of choice?

*Credits: Allie McCoy - Photography