Download - Everyday Exotic, Cottages & Bungalows
Everyday
42 cottages & bungalows
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BOLD COLORS,globalaccessories andburgeoningplant life makethis L.A.bungalow feellike a Bohemianescape.
BY MARGIE MONINDOMBROWSKIPHOTOGRAPHY BYBRET GUMSTYLED BYJICKIE TORRES
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J USTINA BLAKENEY AND HERhusband, Jason Rosencrantz, didn't
intend for their 1940s bungalow to
have a tropical theme. The Los Angeles,
California, design consultant simply began
filling the Echo Park home with items she
loved or picked up on her travels. But in
time, certain elements started popping up
that provided a lush and exotic backdrop:
kelly-green paint, multi-ethnic decor, animal
statues and masks, and plants winding
their way through the two-and-a-half-
bedroom home (the half bedroom and
in-progress nursery for baby on the way is
only 9 x 12 feet).
"It's wild," Justina says."When people come
over, they say it's like a jungle." Eventually,
houseguests, trying to coin a catchy term for
the unique home, fused the words "jungle"
and "bungalow" together. "You automatically
get a sense of what a space called 'jungalow'
could be like," she says, and "jungalow" stuck.
Justina's aesthetic is Bohemian and
international, with plenty of pattern and color.
She collects and curates various vintage,
handmade, recycled,repurposed, upcycled and
thrifted home furnishings-with the
exception of an occasional new piece-from
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many different origins and influences to
create an equally vibrant and welcoming
environment.
A SMAll SPACE, 'MAXIMAUZED'In such a tight space, Justina takes
advantage of her wall-space. She decorates
upward and everywhere, and the focus is on
the unique decor. The front entryway greets
guests with a white cubby bookshelf for
storing shoes, which, although utilitarian, is a
thoughtful touch. In the living room, a tall
.wood card-catalog style cabinet bought at a
thrift shop is repurposed as a vertical cubby
garden with succulent plants peeking out
from some of its drawers.
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The kitchen has a sunny greenhouse feel thanks to amplewindows and equally prolific plants. Also occupying the
window shelves are flea-market trinkets and local art.
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"I play with contrast, color and patternto set the eye at ease even though
there's a lot going on."One living room wall is covered with a
custom mid-century wall unit displaying
books, art and records-a work of art unto
itself-while another wall is decorated with
crosses en masse. "I'm definitely a rnaxlrnalist,"
Justina says.
BRING NATURE INPlants enliven each room in the jungalow. In
Los Angeles, indoor air quality is important,
so the greenery throughout the house is just as
functional as it is aesthetic. With numerous
windows to let the California sunshine in, it
was important for Justina and Jason to give the
kitchen a greenhouse feel, so they strung
hanging houseplants. "It's fun and bright. We.
cook a lot, so it's nice to have a kitchen with
that feel," Justina says.
AN ALL-COLOR SCHEMEThis jungalow has no set color scheme, but
there's a sense of rhythm among the colors
and patterns. "You will see every color-I think
you would be hard-pressed to find a color I
don't have," Justina says.
Justina keeps the walls neutral so the mix of
accessories doesn't overwhelm. The kitchen,
for insta~ce, has a bright green trim and an
accent wall that plays off the houseplants
scattered about, and the plants are part of the
color scheme too. Her master bedroom is
soothing with beige walls and wood-beam
ceilings, but an antique vanity recently given
two fresh coats of turquoise paint now catches
the eye, especially with a matching stripe
painted down the wall behind it to "anchor"
the piece in the space. "I have a thing for tone
on tone;' she says.
The living room jumps with a musical energy
of pattern and color. From the area rug and
sofa accent pillows to the framed artwork,
everything has contrasting colors and
geometric patterns. "I play with contrast, color
and pattern to set the eye at ease even though
there's a lot going on," Justina says.
Opposite: Justina painted an old, ornate vanity chest amatte turquoise for a modern update. A matching
stripe behind it anchors it to the space.
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The decor reflects many of the countries where
Justina has lived or visited. When she returns, she
always brings back new finds and inspiration from
the costumes, religious iconography, patterns, colors
and folk art of these cultures. You'll find items like
Turkish rugs and lanterns, African masks, paper
mache taxidermy from Haiti, and monkey dolls from
Mexico peppered throughout her home,
Although there's plenty for the eye to take in,
Justina arranges them in artful vignettes, "I do like
things to look curated and collected;' she says. Most
pieces have sentimental value, "I don't bring
anything into my house that I don't love. That way I
surround myself with things I think are beautiful
and inspiring," she says. I
Global art such as a suzani blanket give theroom a vibrant femenine feel. Justina repurposeda few vintage windows as ecclectic frames for agallery wall.
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COLLECTand CURATE
Ready to get a little artistic withyour decor? From bold colors toturning your style-literally-
upside down, try these tipsfrom Justina.
Don't worry about what otherswill think. Focus on the feelingyou're trying to create. If you feelgood in your space, others will too.
Get experimental with your finds.Turn it upside down, hold it up todifferent spots on the wall anddifferent rooms, and take pictures.Play around until you find what youlike best.
Always rearrange and work onimproving your space. Tryoutdifferent vignettes or,move pieces toanother room if you have to. Yourhome shouldn't be static.
Paint something in a bold color.Highly saturated tone on tones lookfresh and modern.
Justina custom designed this pieceto look like a mid-century-modernwall unit.
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