styled living simply achieved by Jacqueline deMontravel
Zebras and leopards may get all the fashion ink but the Dalmatian will always have our attention. Arguably the most stylish canine, the black and white spotted print is both chic and whimsical—it’s no wonder Disney banked on 101 of them. As a simple accessory that elevates an all-black ensemble to adding a personalized note to the decor, you can’t go wrong with a Dalmatian print.
Dalmatian spots removable wallpaper, available on Etsy.
If I were to ask for a show of hands on who is ready for some warm weather during winter’s longest month, I’m pretty confident that my vision would be blotted with palms. The rigmarole of added time needed to dress in layers, being slapped in the face from a cold front or sitting in a car that can’t seem to warm up challenges. The tropics have their funny palms, beach finds and foam capped waves that play into our simple approach to living, being sated with nature’s gifts. Island design adapts to an accommodating climate with a look we can support, which is more than rattan cocktail shakers and ceiling fans (though those work too). It came about from colonialists relinquishing their home country’s formality, along with their corsets, brocades and mounds of hair styled into something that appears to have taken hours to master. They came to the islands with their manor house belongings and adapted to a tropical climate, pairing down their beautiful pieces because bright skies and endless coast influence more than parlor room twee.
A pairing of quality pieces, light fabrics and tropical details evoke British Colonial style for modern living.
In this Laguna Beach living space elements from Colonial Style are used yet updated. Note the rattan ottoman, illustrated pillows and trellis design of the customized cushions, there’s few elements but all were deliberately chosen. That rattan piece was bought from Bali and took over six months to deliver due to reasons of cargo space and import documentation that was as detailed as acquiring livestock. In those six months we lived on throw pillows, which were inexpensively sourced from Ikea. We made it work because the choice to have a unique piece that endures make flopping around on oversized cushions exciting and worthwhile. It’s simple to do, just get your paper umbrella spiked drink and start researching the process, launching with these 4 easy steps.
Cushion fabric: Robert Allen Design
Throw pillows: Ikea
I came across a picture of our kitchen from its final stages of a redesign. It’s changed since then, and not in a good way. The crisp sparkle has become tarnished with cleaning products, potted plants, a neglected tray of vitamins and bowls of snacks. While this may not be as devastating as botched cosmetic surgery, it does share the same premise. When we stay close to the most natural, like foods, materials, healthy goals–anything really–they are at their most genuine. Once you begin tinkering with an original aesthetic a fervor takes over. Suddenly you need more–space, things, color. This is a symptom of our constant desire to improve. It’s also counter-productive. Just look at any celebrity with a Beverly Hills’ surgeon on speed dial, to the point where their face is so stretched back they need a translator when speaking. In order to minimize the incessant tweaking, take inventory of what is really needed in your kitchen to keep it from looking too chaotic.
Kitchen during a redesign that’s both simple and updated, the trick is how to maintain the look.
