Talking With Justina Blakeney

Any home is a reflection of its owner, so maybe the best way to introduce designer Justina Blakeney is with a description of her Los Angeles bungalow. The place is overgrown with lush plants, oversaturated with color, overflowing with incredible vintage pieces, and yet somehow never completely over-the-top. We’ll also go ahead and tell you that Justina is an author, new mom, and Pinterest Queen. She spoke with us about what makes her style so unique, and gave us a virtual tour of her home’s vibrant interior.

How would you describe your personal style?

I have two crazy words to describe my style: Jungalow (bungalow + jungle) and Globoh (global + bohemian). Basically, I love bold colors and patterns, natural and recycled materials, mixing new and old, east and west. I like it wild and jungalicious.

Where do like to turn these days for your interior design inspiration?

Vintage books — I’m obsessed with one right now that’s called A House and Garden Book: Decorating with Plants from 1978.

Nature and travel inspire immensely, but when I’m stuck at home and need a little inspiration, I turn to some of my favorite blogs — including Old Brand New, Moon to Moon, and Happy Mundane. Lately, Instagram has been a good source of inspiration too — a few favorites are Bonnie Tsang, Jessie Webster and Jennifer Young. And of course there’s Pinterest — some of my favorite pinners for decor are Nicole Valentine Don and Victoria Vu.

Also, the Rose Bowl Flea Market is a spot that really exercises my imagination.

Speaking of which, you seem like a master thrifter! What are your secrets?

Thanks! I love thrifting — which is the first step. The second is recognizing the potential in things, and then imagining them in different contexts, with different colors or flipped upside down — and know it will look great.

Looking back, what post or project from your blog are you particularly proud of?

The more personal posts always resonate most with my readers, and this post was a game changer for my blog and my most read post of last year. Being open, honest and brave goes a long way in this community. As far as design projects go, I’m really proud of my window seat as it was my first attempt at designing a piece of furniture and I’m thrilled with the result.

You admit to being “obsessed with color.” What’s your current color crush these days?

So hard, because I love them all so much — but turquoise always does it for me.

What’s your formula for turning a house into a home?

1. Add rugs: rugs set the mood and make a room cozy, warm, and comfy.
2. Add art: Paintings, photos, tchotchkes– these are the things that tell stories and personalize a home.
3. Add life: People, plants, and pets are the soul of the home. Besides my wonderful man and sweet baby girl, my Jungalow is also home to a ton of plants and our cat–and it wouldn’t be a home without ‘em!

You can follow Justina on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and Luvocracy.

Images: Justina Blakeney, and profile photo by Jennifer Young.