I wish they all could be California Girls
Call it a case of the grass is always greener, but this east coast girl has always wanted to live on the west coast.
Perhaps it was way to many episodes of 90210 (the Brenda & Brandon days), but my heart was always set on a West Coast Casa. As I’ve grown up my dream location in Cali has changed from Beverly Hills, to LA, to San Diego, to Venice Beach and most recently I’m day dreaming of packing up and residing in Manhattan Beach.
This month’s issue of Coastal Living (thanks for the subscription Aunt Maureen!) made my desire to move to Manhattan Beach even stronger.
Under Coastal Living’s Haven section we are met with the home of designer Jill Johnson. She took what was originally a house that they were simply going to paint white and rent to her labor of love that she now resides in.
In love with her front stoop. Those shingles make me instantly think of summer and the beach and with the addition of the surfboard I’m already thinking of what beach reads I’m bringing me with me to come visit.
Upon entering Jill’s home I already feel like I could call this place my own. With Jill’s background in fashion textiles she has a great eye for mixing patterns. Notice how she uses stripes on the flooring, lattice print on pillows, more stripes on pillows and a busy pattern on the chairs. By varying the scales of your patterns your able to have all of them reside in the same room without looking too busy.
Love the causal vibe in the kitchen. The coat of white on everything just brightens up the space and the pops of blue and green just make me happy.
Love her use of vintage bamboo lighting fixtures. The small mirrors above the banquette remind me of portholes on a boat. The stripes also help to remind me of coastal living without being cheesy with an all out nautical theme.
Jill continues the same color combo of grey/blues, greens and yellows in her master bedroom. Love the bamboo lighting fixture here as well!
One of my favorite parts of her home is her kid’s room. Love the neutral stone colored grasscloth walls, the pop of aqua in the amoire and of course my favorite a little animal print!
You can find more picture’s of Jill’s home here, but if I were you I would go pick up a paper copy. It is so worth it. One of my favorite spaces in quite some time.
Jill’s design business is actually not a solo act. She partnered up with friend Suzanne Ascher and they started Waterleaf Interiorsin 2006.
Make sure you check out their portfolio it is jaw-dropping!
Plus if you are in their neighborhood you must check it out their studio/shop and take some pictures for me!
Images 1-6 via Coastal Living, 7 via Waterleaf Interiors, 8 via SFGIRLBYBAY by BeachBungalow8
Leave a Reply
get inspired with our own home tour
ON THE BLOG
My living room is one of the rooms that evolved drastically from when we first moved one. Originally I painted the walls chocolate brown and did accents of white, blue and orange. That lasted maybe 2 years.
Our dining room sat empty for months. Okay maybe it was empty for just a handful of weeks and then we couldn’t take it anymore and put in a folding table and plastic outdoor chairs, but in my mind that was still empty.
On the main floor of our house we have a Florida room. Being that it’s a Florida room it is a considered a 3 season room, because there is no heat in the room. The previous owners used it as an indoor patio with outdoor furniture and it looked like this when we moved in.
Oh I could tell you a million things you wouldn't love about California! I was there for four years, and couldn't leave soon enough. I love being on the East!
I'd move in a heartbeat, if I knew I could find a job. Especially with the pouring rain in Seattle today. So depressing.
Her house is so peaceful.
Just so you know, that "little beach cottage" in Manhattan Beach will set you back about $2.5 million.
Trust me, you don't want to live in California.
Ooh, I drooled over their home too when I got my Coastal Living. That issue was fabulous.
Beautiful home. I just recently came across this duo myself, and I love their work. How fun it would be to work with my mom!
CA is great 🙂 You should move here someday!
I LOVE living in San Diego!! The weather is amazing, but the problem is its expensive to live here. Give and take ya know!
If you ever get the urge to visit! let me know 🙂
http://www.bazaarofserendipity.blogspot.com
Isn't Jill's place amazing!!! She has such a great sense of chic beachy style. Parts of SoCal are lovely, but NoCal beats it by a country mile. If you move out here… SF might be the place for you.
And Barbara, is right the housing prices are insane, not to mention the taxes. I call it the sunshine tax. 🙂
xo,
cristin
Her home is stunning! I have a friend who lives in Manhattan Beach and I think it would be so much fun to live out there! I am however, on my way back North to NYC after I graduate.
Loved this spread in the mag, and love it here! Thanks.
This is beach-style at its best. I particularly love the breakfast area. Have a great weekend!
I love this house! It's so comfortable and cheerful.
After I saw this in Coastal Living, I looked through their portfolio and loved practically every image. Now I just have to figure out how to get a beach house!
that design is perfection. love it!
I'm with you–always thought it would be nice to live on the West Coast! Alas, it's too far away from family and friends.
I flipped over this house when I saw it in Coastal Living, too. I kept flipping back to those pages to stare at it some more. Lovely!
I absolutely love how she added yellow to her room. The lamps int here are fabulous too. Right down to the trim on the shades. And you're right, her home has that coastal feel w/o being all cha-deezy!
Oh, thanks for sharing. Love this house….the kitchen and the kids rooms…love them!
I loved reading all about this home, such a transformation.
Amazing! I love the slightly retro feel to her rooms.
What a great house!
This is really beautiful. She definitely has a style all her own. Thanks for sharing!
thanks – am off to look at the portfolio. gorgeous pics! KG
ooh i've been to their shop in Manhattan Beach – it's goooooorgeous! love the style.
Gorgeous shots…I love the animal print chaise and the armoire…beautiful. Have a great weekend.
so so pretty! just like your blog! i love the breeziness of every room!
xoxo,
andyquirks.blogspot.com
so pretty. love the baby's room. I want to do a bench type thing on my dining table. do you think it would be hard for two people to get in and out? I was thinking it would be?
lovely bedroom!
http://anmarkdesign.blogspot.com/
I felt the same way about that house when I got this month's issue in the mail.
Just beautiful. Thank you for sharing. Hope you are having a great weekend and I, too, would love to live in Cali some day.
Happy Weekend.
Gwen
This is so so pretty, props to Aunt Maureen for the subscription!! Hope you had a great weekend!
I used to drean of living on the east coast…now, actually, i want to live in California! Guess I'm getting tired of all the cold winters here in the Midwest!
Love love love dining table benches!!!!!!!!!
I was obsessed when I read this issue…and especially over this article. Makes me miss home so much. She has such a gorgeous home.
Their portfolio is so Santa Monica/Manhattan Beach. I of course, living here, love it. I've never heard of their store or firm. (I'm north of the city, they're south). I need to get to Manhattan Beach more. I can't wait to visit the shop. But Yes, even in this awful market a (tiny) beach house like that in Manhattan Beach is a couple million, with no yard! You would love California. If you ever visit, let me know!