If your home is already furnished, but you still aren’t achieving that luxury look you’re going for, it could be because you need to revamp your home decor accessories. You’d truly be surprised by how far a change of accessories will go with your present furnishings. The secret to achieving a luxury look is to select high quality decorative items, that will add visual impact to your space. 

With the help of Overstock.com you don’t have to sacrifice great design over price to create a well-designed, luxury space. Overstock.com has an incredible assortment of home products at every price-point so that everyone can create their dream home. However, sometimes it’s easier to have a professional point you in the direction of pre-approved decor to achieve your dream space. In this blog post I’ve linked to beautiful home decor additions from Overstock.com that will have luxury impact at an affordable price. Let’s get started!

4 EASY SHORTCUTS TO A LUXURY LOOK AT HOME – Sponsored by Overstock.com!

THE RECAP – FEATURING WHAT TO SHOP FOR INSTANT LUXURY:

(1) Introduce nature inspired elements to your home like marble, wood, and leather. Consider these beautiful home decor items:

• Tammy Marble Table 
• Spikes Cow Hide Leather Gray Rug
• Ren Wil Walnut Round Mirror
• Mina Victory Natural Leather Deer Print Pillows

(2) Add a touch of gold at home with these great accessories: 

• Urban Designs Soho Ceramic Table Lamp with Gold Accents
• Danya B. Gold Geometric Picture Frame

(3) Buy a range of colorful glass vases to add a pop of color at home. They are even gorgeous when flowers aren’t in them! Try these: 

• Lenox Hive Purple Crystal Vase
• Handcrafted Blow Glass “Saints Day” Vase from Guatemala

(4) Decorate with rich fabrics. And once you’ve found the perfect, high-quality curtains to accent your home, make sure to complete the look with equally luxe curtain rods. I suggest these curtain rods in antique gold, which I use at home right now. Afterall, rich fabrics + gold accents are always a hit! Here are my recommendations for top notch upholstery to beautify your home: 

• Magnolia Sea Blue Velvet Chair
• Fiji Yarn Dyed Faux Dupioni Silk Curtain Panels
• Safavieh En Vogue Velvet Graphite Oak Bench

Overstock.com is your one-stop-shop for luxury home decor selections at an affordable price. Adding these pieces to your home will absolutely give your home a luxury boost! Which of these luxe home accessories featured is your favorite? Happy shopping!

Ponyo Porco, based in Taiwan, is a print & textile design company focusing on fine art, fashion, and graphic design with the intention of their painterly prints being used across the spectrum. Ponyo Porco’s hand-painted print designs lend themselves to uses from home decor to fashion and more and has landed the brand a coveted spot in New York Fashion Week this year. Take a look at our recent interview with Crystal Lupa and Larry Chen, the creative design duo behind Ponyo Porco.

I saw your runway show at NYFW this past fall, is this the beginning of Ponyo Porco being a part of the international fashion industry?

Lupa: It was really a good start for us to share our concept and creations around the world as we are a very new team. It’s not easy but we are working hard on developing our brand to be more connected with the international creative industry.

How did you become interested in working for the fashion industry?

Larry: Ironically, we started our careers not that interested in the fashion industry but we both liked to create and design with prints. And since Lupa graduated with a focus on fashion design women’s wear, we combined our specialties to create a brand that is not just about fashion, but more so a print lifestyle brand.

I noticed that each collection has an excerpt or poem that goes with it, what came first as inspiration – the writing or the collection?

Lupa: You’re right. Each print has it’s own poem and original artwork. The poems are always written once the artwork is complete and serves as a description. 

Since your designs have a fairytale aspect (especially with the use of writing) are their any childhood stories, folktales, and stories etc. that inspire the design process?

Lupa: My painting style is definitely inspired from childhood stories and folk art. I often create characters with self-invented logics about the world, and love to express a glimpse of cold, dark charm in the style of naïve amusement. I’m especially attracted to seemingly inanimate organic forms. While trying to endow them with personified characteristics, I also like to demonstrate an event or scene narratively.

What is each of your favorite pieces, or favorite collections you have worked on?

Lupa: My favorite pieces are the prints of WITCH&CROWS coat and the POOL pleated dress.

Larry: I like the printed coats in all prints!

Do either of you have a fashion icon that you find inspirational?

Lupa: Frida Kahlo

Larry: Yves Saint Laurent

Since, Ponyo Porco is based in Taiwan, how does that influence your work?

Lupa: Although we founded the brand in Taipei, most of the education in art and working experience is in London. So I can say that there is a mixture of cultures in the creation. Taiwan is a beautiful island filled with oriental visual inspiration as well as various foreign influences, both of which greatly impact our work.

How does Ponyo Porco want their buyers to feel when they wear your collection?

Larry & Lupa: Unique, bold, delicate, and playful!

How much does the type of material and fabric influence each piece? Is there a specific way in which you select them?

Lupa: For Ponyo Porco the textures and characteristics are very important. Before we confirm the fabric for each piece, we digitally print on more than 15 kinds of materials for samples. We use 100% polyester fabric for pieces that need to be pleated, because the cotton won’t stay in pleats after a few washes. And for the coats and bomber jackets, we use 100% cotton with a satin finish to bring a subtle glow for more formal occasions.

What do you hope to see Ponyo Porco to become in the future?

Larry: So far we have developed our print ideas into a diversity of products such as clothing, accessories, paper products, and packaging. As we move forward we look to cooperate with brands, manufacturers, and studios from various fields to develop creative products in even more forms. There will also be a great 2017 calendar and a menswear capsule collection. Overall, we hope to become a strong design team and feast for the eyes of the print lovers around the world.

When it comes to art, Adore Your Walls art consultant (and art lover) Liz Lidgett has a lot to offer in terms of great tips and guidance for building your own collection of original art. Today Liz welcomes us into her cheerful home and allows us a look at her own collection of artwork, not to mention she shares some of her expert art advisory tips with us!

Jacquin: What are some of the more unique art requests that you’ve seen in your career? Are buyers wanting to feature sculptures in their homes? This is one of my favorite artistic elements in residential designs, sculptural artwork in the home!

Liz: I’ve seen a lot of blank walls in my career and the request I hear time and time again is how to fill an extra-large wall. I work with my clients through Adore Your Walls to decide on the perfect piece of art for their style, space and budget. Sometimes this means a gallery wall—sometimes it means one large piece— sometimes it means a mural. I do also love finding sculpture for homes, especially sculpture that can hang on a wall. It’s such an unexpected twist to design.

Jacquin: What do you tell people about art as an investment?

Liz: My number one tip to my clients is buy art that you love. Art can become an investment but, in my opinion, you should buy art because you connect with it and want it in your home. The investment piece is not something I encourage my clients to focus on.

Jacquin: How has your experience been launching your art advisory business?

Liz: This week marks four years since I launched my business. I started the company because I felt there was a real need in the Midwest and in Iowa, specifically, for art advisory that can help with a variety of budgets and styles, plus one that is transparent about the art buying process. Starting a company was one of the greatest things I’ve ever done and I haven’t looked back. I’ve been able to expand the business to an online art advisory site, AdoreYourWalls.com, where I work with clients around the country. I also have worked with major brands like Better Homes and Gardens and Apartment Therapy for content creation and video hosting that focuses on affordable art.

Jacquin: How much money should someone put aside to begin a proper art collection? Do you have any tips or suggestions for newer collectors?

Liz: You don’t have to be a millionaire to start an art collection. I have many clients that have started their collections with limited edition prints, and then worked up to original, one-of-a-kind works of art. I’ve helped clients purchase artwork starting at $100 all the way up to 5 or 6 figures. My point being, you can start an art collection by putting away just a small percentage of your budget each month. There are so many talented artists working at a variety of price points. 

Jacquin: At what point, or in what circumstance, do you think it’s important to have your artwork appraised?

Liz: Great question. First, work with your insurance to see how much it is to put an additional rider on your policy for the artwork, the availability and cost varies by company. I have several clients that like to have anything over $1,000 appraised. For some, they want it to be at a much higher figure to have its own specific rider. Then have an appraiser update your information at least every 5 years. For many companies, within a certain time period the receipt of the purchase of the artwork may be enough to work with initially. Again, it’s important to find out what’s needed from your insurance and to also work with a qualified appraiser on a plan for what is specifically needed.

Jacquin: How was your experience decorating your home and selecting artwork for your space?

Liz: It’s a never-ending process. I use my home like a lab and experiment on projects before I recommend it to a client. This varies from installation tips, to framing, to color stories. Our home has become this wonderful playground. I am so passionate about what I do and my brain never seems to turn off from thinking about design, so it’s fun to spend some time working on my own space for a change.

Jacquin: What is your favorite work of art in your home right now?

Liz: I have loved the pink sculpture above our fireplace by Michael Peter Cain since the first time I laid eyes on it. It just seems to always glow and I love finding new and unexpected places for it.

Jacquin: Tell us about your dream client! What does your business have in store for the new year?

Jacquin: I have been truly blessed with wonderful clients. I love working with clients where they are willing to do something fun and different. I love making a statement with my work and I think that’s when it is most successful. I don’t want to play it safe. Because I have a passion for helping people start their collections with affordable works, I’d love to work with larger retailers to help curate a line of affordable, stylish artwork. In the new year, watch my Instagram @LizLidgett to see some of our new and fun projects we’ll be working on! It’s fun to take people behind the scenes of our work and introduce them to new artists.

 

Things have been incredibly busy with an exciting redecorating project at home (more on that later!), but I’m glad to be back with a new post for you. Today we head to Toronto, Canada where artist Ojo Agi creates gorgeous portrait artwork. I hope you enjoy her artwork as much as I do!

Art by Ojo

Art by Ojo

Art by Ojo

 Artist Ojo Agi in front of a wall of her artwork.

Stay abreast on the contemporary works of Ojo Agi by following along on Instagram or visiting her website Art by Ojo. You can also explore more artists from my Artist Spotlight serieshere. Until next time…Ciao!

P.S. I’m planning new blog content for Interiors by Jacquin! What is your favorite blog series or topic to read about here on the blog? I would love your feedback as I plan for 2017. Comment below and let me know what your favorite blog topics are. Thanks!

Now back to what I’ve been working on lately…

First up is a client located in the Dallas, TX region who wanted their entire home decorated by Interiors by Jacquin. I convinced them to included this saturated, rich blue in their living room design which has turned this family into certified color-lovers! I matched this deep blue with an accent wall in their dining room, as well without going over board since they were new to decorating with color. This is just a sampling of my recent work but some great examples of what I can do to transform a client’s home.  

Living room design by Interiors by Jacquin.

Next up is a client out of Washington, DC who wanted a space that expressed her creativity yet had a sophisticated feel. I’ll be sharing her living room design with you later this winter, but I thought you’d love to see her colorful bathroom design in the meantime.

Bathroom design by Interiors by Jacquin.

If your home could use a decorating re-fresh consider hiring Interiors by Jacquin for interior design services. I make it easy to create a luxurious environment for your home without any stress on your part! My services include space planning, furniture & decor selection, lighting & paint selection, fine art guidance, window treatment selection and more. Allow me to transform you home!

Want to know an easy secret for adding contemporary style to your home? It’s decorating with the color black. Adding a touch of black to your space can be as easy as buying a can of paint or buying a few carefully selected decorative items, depending on the look you’re going for. Here are four tried-and-true ideas for decorating with black that will absolutely transform your space to an amazing contemporary design. Everything you need to go from drab to contemporary & fab…. starring the color black!

• Blazer – Zara (similar here) 
• Black top – Zara (similar here) 
• Velvet culottes – Zara (similar here) 
• Clutch with stone accents – Tory Burch (similar here) 
• Shoes: Gucci (sold out) 
• Sunglasses: Ray Ban 
• Belt: Gucci

In a world of beautiful textiles and patterns I find myself wondering about how these fabrics and unique designs are manufactured. Today our designer spotlight lands on Caroline Cecil of Caroline Cecil Textiles. Caroline shares her creative motivation with us and an inside perspective on more traditional textile production methods. She has also been involved in some exciting community initiatives, which we chat about below. Follow along as Caroline’s gives Interiors by Jacquin readers a peek at her newest collection called ‘Balinesia’.

Jacquin: How has working in textile design pushed you creatively?

Caroline: I’ve spent the past 11 years of my career learning about all of the different ways you can put patterns onto things–from fabric to towels to rugs to shower curtains to wrapping paper and everything else in between. Throughout the process I’ve learned many different techniques and applications which have pushed me to evolve creatively. The limitations that arrive based on the selected printing method have really pushed me to be more creative in my approach. For example, with screen printing the more color we print, the more expensive it becomes. So within these confines we find ways to create gorgeous single color prints that still provide depth, texture, and narrative.

Jacquin: Tell us about your journey launching your brand, Caroline Cecil Textiles. What has been the hardest part?

Caroline: I wanted to have my own company ever since I was a little girl. My grandmother was a watercolor artist and made a living selling her paintings at a time when it was very unusual for women to be independent and have their own business. My father was also an entrepreneur who started many businesses throughout his life, those experiences are at the foundation of why I always wanted to launch a brand.

I’d say the hardest part of launching Caroline Cecil Textiles was the process of building something from scratch. The journey of bringing something to life that starts in your head and turn it into a full fledged business that includes a sales team, products, sampling, an online presence and operations has been overwhelming at times. The hardest part is the balancing act that’s required once the company starts coming to life. Managing competing priorities like product development and branding while always keeping long-term goals that support growth in mind requires constant learning and strategizing.

Caroline: In the morning I always try to take time to make breakfast for my husband as well as play with our little Pomeranian and Chihuahua. After that it’s off to the races – answering emails, reading industry news and outlining the focus for the day ahead. Lately the team and I have been expanding our showroom presence, so a lot of my days have been spent outlining which designs are going into what showrooms, overseeing production, coordinating shipping with our Operations Lead, and talking with our PR team at REVELE. I also spend a great deal of time looking at the travel calendar and supporting brand growth through online marketing. My days are predominantly left brained, so I always carve out time to paint or cook or do something creative to balance things out. I find that time to be SO important.

Caroline’s fluffy dog in front of her vibrant textile design.

Jacquin: I love that you worked helping budding young creatives through Designer Camp. It really sounds like a fantastic program for the youth. How was your experience? What do you think the kids who participated got out of it?

Caroline: I absolutely loved collaborating with Designer Camp and look forward to doing it again next year! The founders of Designer Camp are very hands-on and they were so supportive of my ideas for the textile workshop. It was the first time they ever had a textile designer participate in the program and it was exciting to see how interested students were in the new category. Textile design is something most people don’t think of when you’re asked what you want to be when you grow-up. Considering how did that pattern get on that shirt is not something young artists usually think about. This is one of the reasons I love mentoring young people who are discovering it for the first time. I am so happy to have the chance to give back to the creative community as I remember how important it was for me when I was growing up. I still remember the influential people and artists who really inspired me to explore my creative voice. It’s great tohave a chance to do that for today’s youth.

Jacquin: How have you utilized your local creative community as you’ve grown your business?

Caroline: Los Angeles is an incredible place to own a company and design a product because it offers many different kinds of resources. Being around so many creative people every day has offered a lot of inspiration. Los Angeles has a very expressive and visual community. People put a great deal of thought into how they present themselves and I find that to be very inspiring. In addition, I have the pleasuring of knowing a vast network of manufacturers who constantly inspire me. Being in Los Angeles has given me the opportunity to see the manufacturing process across many different industries which i find completely fascinating. My line of fabrics simply wouldn’t exist without the people who print our fabrics and sew our samples and I truly value those partnerships.

Caroline Cecil painting an original textile design.

Jacquin: What is one thing about about the textile design process from production to marketing that many people may not know about, or may be surprised by?

Caroline: I think people would be surprised by the amount of labor involved in producing a line of textiles. Fabric doesn’t weave or knit itself! While machines have industrialized the process, it’s still a very tactile manufacturing process. At Caroline Cecil Textiles, we work with artisans to produce our line. Most of our ground cloths are imported from Belgium and come from a mill that has been weaving linen for centuries. Our designs are then hand printed onto the linen at our printing facility in San Francisco. The process takes a very long time and it’s a very old fashioned way to print fabric, but I believe it yields the most beautiful quality, one that mass manufacturing simply cannot match. In general, most people probably don’t think about fiber content or weave structure or whether or not something was yarn-dyed. I think most of the world of textiles would be surprising to people!

Caroline Cecil textile swatches from her ‘Balinesia’ collection.

Jacquin: What’s on your life bucket list?

Caroline: I’ve always dreamt of traveling the world and documenting the different textile process from different cultures. For a few years now I’ve wanted to tour different mills across the world– lace making and the Chanel textile factory in France, linen production in Belgium, block printing in India, indigo dyeing in Japan, back-strap weaving in Guatemala. I’d love to document the process and make it into a video series and coffee table book!

I have a great post in store for you today, but before I get into these amazing hand-painted wallpapers I want to share two exciting announcements. I’ve been interviewed by Reader’s Digest as their interior decor expert for their recent feature 18 Holiday Decorating Mistakes You Didn’t Know You Were Making. Check out this article for pitfalls to avoid and off-the-beaten path holiday decorating ideas inspired by me. Also, HouseSeek Australia has honored me with their Top Interior Design Blog Award! Thank you to HouseSeek for this great news and great honor. 

If you’ve been searching for something more original for your wall coverings, it doesn’t get more original than hand-painted wallpaper. The customizations are endless and you can really hone in on a design that truly matches your style, interior, and preference. Here are 5 great resources for hand-painted wallpaper to suit every style. 

1. For the metallic lover – Calico 

What I like about Calico… Calico’s gold and silver hand-painted wallpapers all of a luxe feel helping to create that resort vibe at home. I also love their ombre linen wallpapers, also hand-painted and shown below.

2.  Going for avant-garde? – Voutsa

What I like about Voutsa… Voutsa’s wall coverings are seriously bold and they will paint anything you want on there.. really, anything so this is the perfect brand for the more adventurous style maven and creative types. 

4. Looking for bold patterns in soothing shades? – Sarkos

What I like about Sarkos… Sarkos offers a dreamy selection of hand-painted wall coverings in a wide range of intricate patterns, while still executing designs that are serene and soothing. These bold patterns are expertly crafted in neutral shades to add something special to your space without competing with your current decor. 

5.  Chinoiserie dreams? – Griffin & Wong

What I like about Griffin & Wong… Griffin & Wong’s gorgeous hand-painted wallpapers have a light and whimsical feel that may just bring an extra dose of sunshine to your day. If you’re new to Chinoiserie as a design style or you’re looking for more Chinoiserie inspiration, check out my recent post on Chinoiserie for more. 

Hand-painted wallpapers are certainly the epitome of home decor luxury, but that should go as no surprise with the custom nature of hand-painted wall coverings. However, if you’re feeling motivated to give hand-painted wallpapers a try but want to do it on a budget, try this tutorial for DIY hand-painted wallpaper at home. The result looks extremely professional and it just may quell your desire for this luxury look until you’re ready to try one of these amazing wallpaper designers. For those of you ready to take the leap, luxe hand painted wallpaper from one of these 5 designers will not disappoint.