Decorating with Books

Despite all the cool e-readers and tablets that have popped up in the last few years, nothing can replace a real, paper-and-cardboard book. If you look around our homes and office it's easy to see how much we love books. This can become a decorating problem -- how do you organize and store your books without bringing clutter into your space?

Sometimes the best thing to do is just embrace the different colors and sizes of your books and let them play a part in an eclectic, haphazard and lively decorating scheme, as in this photo from an anthropologie catalog:

                           You can also play around with the colors of your book spines, grouping them together by color or contrasting the brights against the more neutral. In this fun space from HouseBeautiful, a stack of colorful books really pops against this fabulous black-and-white book wallpaper!

And neutral books look great when combined with other white, tan and silver objects inside this white cupboard.

(image via TineK via decor8)

We always incorporate books in Visual Jill decorating projects -- stacked up as a perch for other objects, or placed strategically to bring just the right color to a certain spot.

Don't overlook the decorating power of a book!

Mad about Tangerine Tango

Pantone's 2012 Color of the Year -- Tangerine Tango -- has been making quite a splash in the design world.

Here at Visual Jill, we've always loved this vibrant orange-red -- just look at our logo, above. Last week we were so inspired that we actually painted our dining room wall Benjamin Moore's Orange (2011-10).  It adds such energy to the room!

Of course, our affection for orange doesn't stop there! We restyled our couch with some new pillows too.

(Gold, orange and black/white pillows from CB2, Faces pillow from Erica Tanov, orange side table from CB2)

And elsewhere . . . we've infused some Tango into our entryway via pillows, artwork, a throw and a scarf . . .

(Pillows from CB2 and BoConcept)

. . . and brought the brightness to our kitchen through a new teapot and our favorite barstools!

(Tea kettle from Le Creuset, Jam Lift barstools from KCC Living)

The Tangerine Tango craze is showing up all over the blogosphere and print publications. Last Sunday's San Francisco Chronicle Style section focused on the hue, and the Note to Self blog pulled together a sampling of tangerine goodies too.

We're so glad the world is embracing this sunny, optimistic color. We think it's here to stay!

Diamonds are a decorator's best friend

Bold graphic diamond patterns are hot in the home decorating world right now. The British Ideal Home magazine called out this trend in its November 2011 issue, and we're now seeing diamonds everywhere.

We just purchased the frizzle pillow from CB2 -- and we love how it looks next to our funky retro diamond flea market lamp.

We also love the Chicago building prints from CB2, featuring abstract photographs of famous architecture from the windy city that look like geometric shapes.

Over at West Elm, the Souk Rug and the Embroidered Diamond Links pillow offer other interpretations of the diamond trend.

We say -- invest in diamonds this winter!

Happy Holidays

All of us at Visual Jill wish you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season. This photo from the late 50's shows Jill (left), her older sister Julie, and her lovely mom Brita, who passed away this past May. We'll be thinking of her on Christmas Eve, when her family will open presents and eat lutefisk -- a Norwegian tradition.

May your days be filled with family, friends and peace.

A Festive Holiday Table

Setting the table for guests is perhaps our favorite part of holiday decorating. It's so fun to put all the pieces together -- the place settings, place mats, and of course the centerpiece. For our own holiday table this year we chose to balance bright colors with natural elements, along with a bit of gold (to compliment the rest of the decor in the house).

We found our fabulous succulent centerpiece at Flowerland, and placed it over a runner made from a folded piece of gold fabric. Then we lined up simple colored balls along the base of the wooden box.Our place mats are thick felt circles in the same bright colors, and we used simple white Norwegian plates that Jill inherited from her  mom. The silver is also from Jill's family. It's always special to incorporate some family tradition.

This photo shows the delicate pattern on the plates, and the colorful eclectic ornaments we used as napkin rings.

There are so many other great ideas out there in design blogs and magazines. Here are some of our favorites:

Pinecones become tiny trees when put in silver cups and topped with a star! (via kirtsy, from Good Housekeeping)

White and green are always a powerful combination. (via lolalina, via Fryd + Design)

Old funnels make beautiful candle holders, especially when placed on antique lace. (via Poppytalk, via Sjarmermende Gjenbruk)

And what could be cuter than using alphabet soup letters for your placecards? (from lolalina via Oh Happy Day)

A Little Luxe in our Holiday Decor

Our 2011 Holiday theme is "natural + color" . . . but that doesn't mean there's not room for a little glamour. Inspired by the holiday bling in the fashion world (like this spread from Harper's BAZAAR), this year we decided to mix in just a touch of gold to raise the sparkle quotient.

On our tree, we purchased some gold chain at the hardware store (thanks for the tip, Emily Henderson and HGTV) and turned it into a festive garland, hanging it right next to the color pop garland purchased at Anthropologie. Then we bought some shiny gold fabric and bunched it artfully into our tree skirt. It's all topped off by our golden moon (a nice alternative to the traditional star).

We wove a similar gold chain into the garland that decks our stairwell.

We love the juxtaposition of the shiny gold with the natural greenery.

Top: you can see how simple twinkle lights enhance a rustic straw wreath. Bottom: The gold chain appears once again above our bench . . . leopard + gold + green = subtle holiday glamour!

We added mini-trees made of different materials all around the space. Left, feather trees offset a vase of glowing branches. At right, a rosemary tree sits next to a tiny pine cone tree. The bright turquoise wall, fuchsia ornaments, and red table bring merry shots of color to the scene.

When you're decorating this week, don't be afraid to combine materials and colors. We created a mix of color, rustic textures and a touch of gold . . . what can you create? Let us know in the comments below!

Outdoor holiday decorating -- Berkeley style

There are so many ways to decorate the exterior of your home for the holidays. Some people are fond of inflatable Santas, others favor lots of sparkle and shine, and still others hang hundreds of lights. At VisualJill, we're taking a more natural, low-key approach.

The front of the house greets guests with a simple evergreen wreath, large green ceramic pots, and our favorite stock tank, filled with cyclamen, cabbage plants and a tiny pine tree right in the center.

Small pots of pansies and succulents adorn the steps, which lead to our front door. We hung the succulent wreath from burlap to add a rustic appeal, which goes nicely with the simple juniper garland.

On the porch, we featured a humble little cypress tree on one side of the bench and a blooming aloe vera plant in a cool bow bin on the other. The fountain is from Flora Grubb.

To make the tree feel a little less "Charlie Brown-ish", we put it in a galvanized pot and tied a wooden star on the front.

Finally, a simple straw wreath hangs on the inside of the porch window -- bought at Flowerland.

We kept it simple and natural, yet festive -- in true Berkeley style.

Warm and Wonderful Winter Fantasy at Anthropologie

Leave it to Anthropologie to come up with a fresh take on Holiday decorating! We walked into our local Berkeley store yesterday and were awestruck by the clever merchandising and styling throughout.

The ceiling is covered with curly strips of white, silver and bronze paper that hang down to give a snowfall effect, and complementary ivory items are showcased on beautiful tables. There is a touch of sparkle everywhere.

We loved this juxtaposition of the blue chipped painted wheelbarrow with the ethnic-inspired frock. Brilliant!

And check out this original display -- glass globes are suspended on long metal spikes to suggest snowballs.

Of course, since it's Anthropologie, there has to be a few pops of color . . . like the orange wall showcasing these modern-yet-folksy Christmas trees:

We are so inspired by what we saw. Congratulations to the Berkeley Anthro team for creating yet another incredible store environment. Now, time to get out our own Holiday boxes . . .

Discovering Maui's coolest little town

There's nothing like Hawaii to calm your senses and relax your soul. Last week Jill took a vacation to Maui, enjoying the sun, surf and tropical lushness that the island is famous for. She fell in love with a cool little beach town called Paia, on Maui's north shore.

Paia is full of great restaurants, bars, and boutiques -- you can find everything from hip beachwear to handmade jewelry here. One of her favorite shops is called Indigo, which features "some of the most beautiful tribal arts, antiques and rugs from Central and Southeast Asia." The selection is fabulous . . . here's just a taste of what they offer . . .

Luckily for those of us who can't hop a plane across the ocean, Indigo has a website and online store too!

New Colors from Benjamin Moore!

Last night we attended an event at the SF Design Center premiering Benjamin Moore's newest colors -- Color Stories. According to Benjamin Moore, "Color Stories' 240 full-spectrum colors are clearer, richer and more vibrant than conventional colors."

These color formulas are created using between 5 and 7 pigments (traditional methods use just 3 pigments). The result? More depth, overtones, nuance and luminosity, which means the shades actually change according to different light. They are gorgeous.