Neutrals + Bright Color = A Fresh Look for an Older Home

Last week we staged a home for sale in Oakland's hot NOBE (North Oakland Berkeley Emeryville) neighborhood. It's a big old house that's been skillfully renovated, leaving many of the original details in tact. When choosing the color palette for this house, we focused on soothing neutrals -- especially grays -- complemented with pops of bold, cool colors.

The entrance hallway is painted an inviting blue.

All the trim in the living room and dining room are a medium-gray semi-gloss. We carefully chose the right accessories -- a teal tray, citron pillows, a fuchsia orchid -- to provide bright spots throughout.

The office nook features a dark gray chalkboard wall -- a great backdrop for the bold accessories.

In the master bedroom, paler gray walls are an unexpected partner to a lavender accent wall and orange rug.

A tranquil blue-green color balances the white trim and dark floors in the guest room.

And finally, in the nursery we chose a (perhaps unlikely) bright green rug and bold blue pouf to contrast the otherwise neutral room.

Happy (Organized) New Year!

Like many people, I set New Year's "intentions" (I prefer this term to "resolutions"). Always at the top of the list is "become more organized in my daily life". If this sounds familiar, this post is for you. Here's a roundup of some cool products and ideas that can help you get better control over your stuff in 2013.

These bright Lacquered Boxes from The Container Store come in three different sizes -- just right for storing your jewelry, holding your recipes, or color-coding your son's Legos!

Nothing's better than cozying up on the sofa with a new magazine and a cuddly throw . . . but where to keep those mags and blankets when not in use? Try these Felt Baskets from West Elm.

This red cart from Target was designed for a kid's room . . . but I could see it holding pantry goods in your kitchen or paper in your home office . . . wherever you could use a shot of color.

(via Pinterest, via Molly Hayes, originally from quickandsimple.com)

This idea is so simple yet so brilliant. Use an old file holder to organize and store your cutting boards!

I just love this Sticks Multi-Hook Rack from Umbra. A cool modern answer to the ongoing question: "Where do we put all these jackets?"

This photo is from Jill's own closet . . . no need to buy expensive jewelry holders when a simple hook rack will do the trick! Try a similar one from Ikea and corral your bracelets and necklaces all in one place.

For those of us who prefer to have our storage labeled, these cute-yet-modern containers from West Elm are the perfect addition to the kitchen.

(via Pinterest, originally from decor8)

Organize your household projects, blog ideas or client notes with dedicated clipboards!

 Find these colorful ones at a Target store near you.

(via babble)

Those of us with kids are always on the lookout for organized ways to display their prolific artwork. I love this idea of using the Dignitet curtain wire system from Ikea to create a wall gallery.

(via Kirtsy)

And who says a shower caddy has to stay in the shower? It also happens to make a great mini-giftwrap station -- keep your cards, tape, scissors, and gift wrap all in one place.

What are your favorite organizing items and ideas? Please -- share them with us in the comments below!

Holiday Decorating, Part 2: Bright Colors and DIYs

Some of the most refreshing holiday decor we've seen falls outside of the traditional red, white and green color palette. It's fun to incorporate brights and neons for a change.

For example, in Jill's living room, we went with a "black, white and color" theme:

We also love this happy garland from Midget Gems featured on Apartment Therapy:

(via Apartment Therapy)

Your table settings and centerpieces are an easy opportunity to add color. For Jill's holiday place settings, we set out a bowl of bright Christmas balls and then carried the color through the ribbons tied around the napkins:

We tucked an air plant under the ribbon as a modern alternative to the traditional fir tree clipping.

Two DIY projects add some extra fun to our decorations. On the kitchen wall, we hung an original art piece created by Lauren Hosmer from our team.

Lauren glued mini-cookie cutters together (get out your glue gun!) and then painted some of the interiors with red acrylic paint. After hanging the piece with clear fishing line, she inserted a few air plants for a funky touch.

Lauren also created the dramatic vases on the living room table:

Lauren transformed simple wine, Perrier and sake bottles using acrylic paint and painter's tape. (Hint: remove the labels from the bottles and paint the white layer before adding the colorful stripe!) 

What's your current holiday color scheme? Do you have a favorite Holiday DIY? Share them with us in the comments below!

Holiday Decorating, Part 1: Stockings

Nothing says Christmas like stockings bulging with goodies, hung over a roaring fire. But if you don't have a fireplace (or even a mantel), stockings can still be part of your holiday decorating scheme. They bring the holiday spirit whether hung from doorknobs, on wall hooks, or even on an empty coat rack!

At Jill's own house, she hangs her stockings on her stair bannisters, and varies the style of the stockings from year to year. This holiday she found these charming, colorful and unique stockings at the Alameda Flea Market.

She also bought a set of minis for the pets in the family!

Last year we added gold chain to the greenery with the stockings on the bannister:

If you're still searching for the right stockings, here's a few cool ones we found:

White and fluffy from West Elm.

Colorful stripes from LIVbyLouise on etsy.

Graphic and modern by StudioTree on etsy.

Colorful -- and customized -- from Urban Creative, also from etsy.

Where do you hang your stockings? And what's your favorite thing to find inside your stocking? Let us know in the comments below!

Gift Ideas from Visual Jill

Ready or not, here it comes . . . the "official" Holiday shopping season is upon us. Today's post is all about helping you whittle down your gift list . . .  these recent discoveries and old favorites might be just right for your friends and family.

Pantone Mugs. These bright and cheery mugs give morning coffee a boost —and look great on  kitchen shelves. $90 for set of 6.

Flower vases from Anthropologie. These come in several styles; this Chrysanthemum is our favorite. $28 each.

Premium Down Ultra-light vest from Uniqlo. This great layering piece is both cozy and light. $49.90.

Birch Storage Boxes from CB2. Great for hiding treasures (or just the remote controls). $29.99 for set of 4.

Peet's Coffee. Treat the coffee-lovers in your life to the very best -- a local favorite!

Velvet pillows from World Market. These come in seven colors and are the best deal we've found for sprucing up your living room. $9.99-$29.99 depending on size.

Favorite Throw from West Elm. A great addition to any couch or reading chair! $29.00

And last but not least, why not give the gift of decor? Our very own Visual Jill Gift Certificate is just the right present for anyone who could use decorating help of any kind (finding the right furnishings, color consultations, repurposing current items, etc). Just send us an email at jill@visualjill.com and we'll have it delivered to you!

Book Review: Home by Novogratz

We just picked up the new design book Home by Novogratz, and boy are we glad we did! This book is chock-full of great ideas, tips and photos -- providing a feast for your right brain as well as practical information for your left side.

You gotta love the cover photo -- complete with the dimpled smirks of Cortney and Robert and all seven of their kids! For those of you not familiar with this dynamic design duo, the Novogratzes host their own HGTV show, Home by Novogratz, and also have a line of furniture and accessories right now in CB2. Their signature style is a modern/vintage mix, with bold accents -- most often in lighting and artwork.

I love how this book is organized. Each chapter is dedicated to one design project, and they share the budget, the goal and the client's wish list so you can really understand why they do what they do. They begin with a large photo of "Where we started" (i.e., the "Before") and end with a "Where we ended" ("After") photo. Cortney and Robert take readers through the major steps of each project, complete with photos and snappy little tips.

Each chapter also includes user-friendly info graphics like the one below.

And you even get a line-by-line breakdown of exactly how they spent the client's budget. This is a great added bonus that most designers don't share.

Here are some more treats from the book. Check out this fireplace transformation!

In this photo you see one of the Novogratzes' signature tricks: mismatching the dining room chairs -- choosing highly contrasting armchairs vs. side chairs.

How amazing is this room, created for triplets? Playful wall art (custom wall paper) and colorful lighting are also a sure sign that this room was Novogratzed.

This may be my favorite of all the excellent design books that have rolled out this past year. It has just the right balance of photography and information, and it's organized and easy to follow. If you want to be inspired and informed without being overwhelmed, this book is for you!

Mid-Century Marvelous!

It's no wonder that so many of us love mid-century modern -- the clean lines, bold colors and materials  such as teak, stainless, and molded plastic are just as chic and comfortable as they were 60 years ago. We recently had the chance to help a hip and enthusiastic couple furnish and decorate their mid-century home in Oakland -- a dream job for us!

We had fun with color in the living room. You'll see the awesome orangey-red popping up throughout the home.

Note how iconic pieces such as an Eames Lounge chair and Noguchi table mix with the destined-to-be-classic leather Karlstad sofa. We scored the paintings at Urban Home in Emeryville.

This shot shows the classic beams found in many mid-century homes.

The dining room features a clean-lined wooden table paired with molded plastic chairs (we love the surprise of two random reds among the whites!). And don't overlook the Nelson Saucer pendant and Spindle clock.

Check out the gorgeous entryway/stairway -- the windows are perhaps the best design element of all! (Although the Moooi Random Light -- a new modern classic -- is pretty nice too.)

Here's a view of the outside of the house -- and another look at those impressive windows.

We'd like to thank Bobbi Jo and Martin for allowing us into their home. It was our pleasure to help them bring color, comfort and style to their sleek mid-century jewel.

All photography courtesy of Lauren Hosmer.
Plant design by Marco Marchesini Landscape Design.