JONATHAN'S SOLANA BEACH PAD
Where do I even start with the super talented
? He's been a huge inspiration for me. Part of the reason why I started blogging was from perusing his wonderful blog,
! There weren't (and still aren't) many male design bloggers out there, so his blog spoke to me. He does many fun DIY projects. He's not afraid of color and loves vintage just as much as I do. And on top of all that awesomeness, he was an editor for Apartment Therapy, and he has a massive following on
. He now runs his multidisciplinary design studio + consultancy called
which they just released their new issue for At Your Leisure. He's a super fun, creative creature that I strive to be when I grow up! (I'm kidding, Jon! We're like the same age, which makes me even more jealous!) Anyway, today, I wanna share with you all his beautiful home in Solana Beach, CA. I got the chance to hang out with Jon and his cutiepooch, Pepe. And yes, I went apeshizzle with my camera. It's such a soothing space to shoot. I also included a couple crazy vibrant photos from the beach. I mean, it wouldn't be a beach pad without beach photos, right?! Anyway, here's a little story from my fellow vintage vulture. Take it away, Jon!
I
've always dreamed of living by the ocean. So when I had the unexpected opportunity to rent a place in Solana Beach. I was thrilled to be able to actually live the fantasy! For those of you unfamiliar, Solana Beach is a quaint coastal town located just a little north of San Diego, nestled in between the cities of Del Mar and Encinitas.
Figuring out where to start when it came to decor actually was a little daunting. There was so many directions I could have gone. At some point I remembered that I had a vintage painting of a blonde girl with a red skirt that I've kept in storage for years. I always wanted to put it somewhere but never had any place appropriate- until now! The skirt in the painting has all these amazing tones to pull from, and with that as a starting point, everything else came together pretty quickly. I had a lot of fun mixing in bits of red, black and gold- which I know are colors not typically associated with a "beach house"- but just felt right for this place.
However, when it came to the master bedroom, I couldn't resist using lots of ocean blues, and I even found an awesome carved whale that watches over everything. For the guest bedroom, I went in the opposite direction and was inspired by warm sunsets, as well as sandy desert tones.
I actually ended up doing quite a few DIY projects, including the headboard, nightstands, and some "contact paper magic" on some shelving and a desk. If you're interested, you can read more about them
. I feel extremely lucky to be able to spend time in this ocean side community. If you ever find yourself going down south to San Diego, make sure you swing through Solana Beach (and don't miss a stroll through the shops on
!
●△△