Ever schemed much how you could hide out among the display draperies or hanging rugs, all stealth and undetected at closing time, so you could stay the night and truly experience all that Pottery Barn style your favorite home store has to offer? Be honest. Yes? Same. And by “experience”, I mean cozy up on your favorite sectional under the softest faux fur blanket, prop your feet up on the well appointed coffee table, and squish all the squishy ikat throw pillows. Then later, drift away in the softest, fluffiest, most beautiful canopy bed made up with seven different quilts and duvets.
Well, today’s your lucky day. I’ve got a few tips that will help you infuse that Pottery Barn aesthetic of casual luxury into your home without getting accosted by mall security and banned forever from your favorite hang-out spot.
Waaaay back when…when I was 20-something and setting up our first home…I spent a few years moonlighting at my local Pottery Barn store. Motivated by a pretty great employee discount, I would go straight to the mall a few nights a week after my day job, folding towels just so and restocking drink ware, short on the left to tall on the right. Every paycheck and then some was spent on all the pretty stuff I “needed”. And I learned a few great signature Pottery Barn style tricks along the way that always win the design-and-decor day.
1. Candlelight
Candlelight is a must, no matter the season. Ivory or white candles are best. Tall, small, tapers, pillars – whatever you like best will be perfect. Better yet, mix and match them in a grouping. But always, lots of candles.
2. Vignettes
Little moments of pretty mixed with practical throughout your home give the eye pause and tell people a bit about who you are. These are the little displays in the store that make you want to run home and replicate them. The key here is to add your own touch to make the vignette personal. Accessorize with your favorite objects that serve no purpose other than making you happy.
3. Bring Nature In
Fresh flowers, like candlelight, are a necessity in my book. You don’t have to spend a lot of money – just grab what looks best at your local grocery store. Faux botanicals are next best. Pottery Barn (and lots of other great retailers) sells a ton of them every season. At the store, we would arrange them in the vignettes with actual water in the vases to make them appear real. Works like a charm! And the bigger, the better. Branches and greenery (blooms not needed) offer a gorgeous and dramatic statement. Flip through a Pottery Barn catalog – you will see flowers or plants or branches of some kind on literally every page.
4. White Sheets
Every bed in any Pottery Barn store is styled in white sheets. White sheets make the rest of your bedding and everything else around them pop. They always appear bright and clean (assuming you wash them regularly – use bleach!). And somehow they feel crisp and fresh and lovelier to slip into at night than patterned sheets do. Is that just me?
5. Neutral Furniture with Patterned Textiles
Neutral furniture is the way to go to get the greatest longevity out of your investment pieces. A clean and simple backdrop to your favorite colorful throws and pillows lets you change your mind (read: decor) any time you want, especially as the seasons change and at holiday time, without breaking the bank.
6. Use Your Collections as Art
Groupings of objects you love and have curated over the years tell a story and deserve a proper place to be highlighted in your home. My next door neighbor has a parliament of fun and quirky owls atop her bookcase that keep watch over her living room. Sun hats might frame your door if you live in warmer climates. Crayons and pencils can even become decorative when kept in a handful of similar repurposed containers.
7. Corral Objects in Trays and Baskets
A few items you need at the ready may look messy sitting individually on the countertop, but put them together in a cute tray and they look artistic and thoughtful. Beautiful trays also create a perfect foundation for decorative objects on a kitchen island or coffee table. Baskets not only add a textural element, but control shoes, blankets, and baby or puppy toys strewn about in an instant.
8. Natural Fiber Woven Rugs
Natural rugs provide a more casual, airy look and lay a nice anchor for the rest of the room to rise from. Don’t be afraid to layer them over other rugs. On the first floor of our home, I have 5 different rugs. Three of them are natural fiber woven rugs and two of them are wool, but all coordinate and offer a variety of texture and definition to each space. Bonus: Natural fiber woven rugs are generally a lot more affordable than their wool or silk counterparts. If you’re working on a budget, they’re a great option.
9. Gallery Framed Prints
Wood Gallery Frames have long been a Pottery Barn style staple, and twice a year the entire selection goes on sale for 20% off. That said, you can find similar frames at a much lower price point at many stores. Scatter them here and there in different shapes and sizes, or for the biggest impact, display a collection of your favorites in same-size frames and dedicate an entire wall to hang them symmetrically. Mix and match with alternating mediums of art and a variety of frame colors and materials. Use shelves and overlap frames a bit to add dimension to your gallery wall. Family photos are an easy and obvious choice to use and truly personalize your space.
10. Window Treatments
No longer considered an accessory, window treatments are an essential piece to designing a space well. They’re as central to the composition and feel of a room as is the furniture and the rug. Options here are endless, providing both style and function. Fabric, texture, color, hang technique (pole pocket, rings and clips, etc.), and height all play into how your room will feel in the end. Window hardware can give you one more point of personal style, too, if you choose to highlight it.
See? It’s really pretty easy to bring some of that Pottery Barn feeling home with any combination of these tips. They are simply great style and design basics, and the Pottery Barn merchandising team does a ridiculously great job of showcasing them, with a perfectly elevated casual vibe. They are yours to be had and adapted and lived in and loved! Earmark your favorite catalog pages or stop into your local store for inspiration, and then spin it at home the way only you can. Because in the end, home shouldn’t feel like Pottery Barn. Home should feel like you.
This post was not not sponsored in any way by Pottery Barn. All thoughts, opinions, and design tips are my own.
