Oh, how I love California. Although I grew up on the east coast, I have spent much of my adult life on the west coast. One of my favorite regions is Santa Barbara. This area is simply gorgeous - quintessential southern Cal. What I love most, though, are the very close neighboring towns, like Ojai. Ojai is a little bigger than Manhattan (10 x 3 miles) with expansive rolling hills, spiritual retreats, great dining and boutique style. Along one of the cutest Main Street USAs out there, you can find an elegant and pretty design experience called
deKor & Co.
The shop is set up as more of a lifestyle experiences - rooms have been created to showcase the vintage and unique pieces. Run by 2 women - interior designer and a writer - the quality products and style found weaved throughout the store is spot-on. As a visitor, you feel more like a welcomed guest in a home. As a designer and writer myself, I absolutely love this feeling. We all want to create a home in our house and there are easy ways to do just this.
- LAYER - When adding rugs, collections, mirrors, artwork to your home, layer them. A corner here, on top of that there. Depending on your room's layout, you can feel the balance of these pieces and how they complement each other. Have fun with it - it will add a comforting vibe.
- LIGHTING - Consider the wattage of your lightbulbs. Think about using lower lighting to evoke a feeling of calm and relaxation.
- CONVERSATION ZONES - Place your furniture facing each other. The idea - to create a visual space for conversations between people. It's simple but often overlooked. Turn that chair a bit, you'll see.
- A SWING IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR HOUSE - Ok, so maybe this isn't something everyone wants to do :) I just wanted to point out how fun, whimsical and lovely the swing in their Ojai shop is. It definitely brought out a joyful experience - one that we all want to have in our homes. Instead of a swing, add personal photos, artwork and collectibles to your walls.
dekor and co. ojai
