Natural Beauty for the Home

5 Ways to Add Natural Elements to Your Home for the Summer


What better place than your own home to start enjoying the beautiful neutral colors and textures of summer.  This is the best time to begin adding simple elements to your indoor or outdoor rooms. Here are 5 ways to add natural beauty to your home:

1. Furniture:
Furniture made of natural materials adds a dynamic focal point in a room.

(Peyton Ottoman, Ralph Lauren, House Beautiful Magazine)

2.  Rugs:  
Adding a natural rug to your room is a quick way to freshen up your space.

(Serena & Lily Catalog)

(West Elm Catalog)

(Panama Jute Braided Rug, West Elm)

3. Storage:
Woven baskets and wooden units can add lots texture and function to any room.

(Woven Drink Bucket, West Elm)

(Senegalese Storage Collection, Serena & Lily)

(Bamboo Sideboard, Mike Charlton, Elle Decoration Magazine)

(Elle Decoration Magazine)

4. Accessories: 
Touches here and there of everyday items like straw hats, cotton or linen scarves, woven purses, etc, are a fun way to add character to your home.

(Elle Decoration Magazine)

5. Whimsical Outdoor Furniture:  

We all have a bit of kid left in us right?  Kicking back in a fun and comfy furniture piece is an excellent way to escape  during a sunny afternoon.

(LifeShop Collection)

(Anthropologie Catalog)

                                

Hip Hip Hooray for Holiday!

Is it just us or does it feel like the holidays have become a little out of fashion these days? Magazines seem hesitant to show their holiday spirit, and the ones we've found feature ideas for modern holiday homes "with not a garland in sight", and declare "Happy Holidays (hold the tinsel)". Well here at Visual Jill, we love the holidays, and we say bring on the tinsel, garland your little heart out, sprinkle some sparkle, and spread some holiday cheer! Ok, maybe not the tinsel, but you get the point...

We had a blast shopping our favorite local sources for this holiday shoot. Don't let the printed publications lead you astray: there is lots of fabulous holiday decorating to be had out there, like this adorable little tree and ornaments from the nursery we love to love, Flowerland in Albany.

We were inspired by a jewel-toned color palette grounded with light neutrals and accented with a dash of sparkle. Burlap added homey texture everywhere from the ribbon on the door wreath to the skirt around the base of the tree.

As an added twist, we did up the table two ways: first, in a more traditional style for Christmas dinner, with these beautiful feather trees from Summer House, and wooden ornaments from Flowerland.

The second time around, we brought in these funky yet festive plants (anyone know what they're called...?) and kept the same wooden ornaments to showcase a non-denominational alternative for those of you who prefer to simply celebrate the season of winter:

Now how much do you love these plates? We were beside ourselves with delight upon discovering them at Jeremy's for an obnoxiously low price: $24 for 7? what?! They went perfectly with the modern, round, felted place-mats we got at Lola. The beautiful ornament napkin rings/favors, also from Lola, added the perfect personal touch.

For those of you who decorate a tree, we found lovely garlands at West Elm that brought a simple, tasteful, homemade accent to all those wonderful, heritage ornaments and decorations we've been collecting over the years.

So there you have it: holiday style from Visual Jill. As with all our decorating and styling, we love to mix it up--old and new, modern and vintage, and of course color, color, color. The holidays are such a great excuse to glam things up a bit, revel in tradition a bit, and have some fun!

Happy Holidays to all of you! May your days be merry and bright, and may the warmth and spirit of the season bring you peace and joy...

~Jill and Kyoko
*Credits: Robin Hirsh - Photography; Deborah Carlin - Trusted Editor; and Marco Marchesini.