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Bloggers at Home: Julia Konya

 
Hi I’m Julia from the blog Cuckoo 4 Design.  I’m a German expat who loves design and raising my family here Stateside.  I enjoy decorating my home with an eclectic mix of different styles, especially including pieces from different eras.  I also love midcentury modern, Hollywood Regency, really old antiques, boho, and in-style modern pieces all mixed together.  I’ve designed my home utilizing all of these eclectic, yet stylish elements!
 
Julia’s creative foundation…
 
I attended art school in Germany as my foundation and I was able to learn different approaches to design and creating artwork.  I find that sometimes I need to refocus on my creative foundation amidst the everyday struggle of keeping my blog afloat.  I miss the carefree days of just creating and not having to put it on paper/web for the purpose of presenting it to people.  But that carefree spirit is the best for creating beautiful things, so I try to keep a healthy balance.

From Germany to the American Dream…

The thing I miss most about Germany is the beautiful old setting with rich history, street cafes and being able to visit different countries on a whim.  But I do have to say that I just adore Americans which is one of the main reason I love it here.  Americans are so friendly, open and welcoming which is so different to the general German way of life.  This is one of the reasons I adore Jonathan Adler so much.  He has that perfect fun, open and colorful style I so adore.  Happy Chic is what speaks to me.  But Emily Henderson definitely reflects this as well with her eclectic and fun style.
 

I have to admit that German  interior design does not inspire me much.  I can’t exactly put my finger on what it is or put it in words for you but it just doesn’t provoke much creativity from me. Here’s a little story for you… 

When I moved to the U.S. my parents gifted me a cuckoo clock because they knew how much I disliked them growing up.  They represent old stern German’s with dark interior to me.  My parents thought they were being very funny. That’s when I thought about painting them to lighten them up a bit.  It’s been done so many times now by other people but I swear I was one of the first ones to do it years and years ago!  I still have several in my house and they really grew on me and add that fun quirky element that I adore to lighten up my mood.  And of course they are the reason for my blog name and logo.

 

Julia’s favorites…

 
I love adding DIY elements to my home!  My favorite DIY project to date is still my black and white “cross” hallway, where I created my own black vinyl crosses on a crisp white wall.  My DIY cross wall is next to a black accent wall, which really allows my cross hallway design to pop. Check it out below! 

One of my favorite vignettes in my home is this nook in my living room (below) where I enjoy playing the constant “pillow shuffle”.  You can totally change the look of your sofa by refreshing your throw pillows! 

Thanks so much for having me Jacquin.  I really enjoyed talking a bit about my past. Next week I will finally combine my past and present when I will become a US citizen!  It took me so long to finally accomplish this because I didn’t want to give up my German citizenship and I am able to keep it after all.  Follow Julia’s latest design creations via her blog, twitter, or instagram.

Author: InteriorsbyJacquin