i love a great, unexpected, very eclectic and funky kinda vibe — that truly effortless european look with pairings you might not think of. but when you bring pieces home that you truly love i think you figure out a way to make them work, and these rooms do that perfectly. fill a room with vintage furnishings, and uniquely weird (in a good way) accessories and lighting, paired with almost gaudy prints and patterns and what you get is a fabulously kitschy, bohemian modern kinda mood. uniquely creative rooms that pair quirky layered looks take quite a bit of bravado to pull off, but we can do it, right? designers like leanne ford (i know, i’m a big fan girl) and kelly wearstler nail this look — each quite differently than each other, but still so good. so go on, grab that tacky gold wall sconce and don’t be ashamed to give it lots of love!

• photography credits in order of appearance: indoek; homes to love; design*sponge; @properhotelsandresidences; homes to love; @berlinstagram; milk decoration ; the socialite family; house of hipsters; Benjamin Ewing’s Rivulet Painting via tappan; @coco.kelley; Gio Ponti chair from Conti Contini Bonaccossi; overstock Hand-tufted Masquerade rug; sabon home; nuevo estilo; mikel irastorza interior design; leanne ford’s home by nicole franzen photography; the apartment dk; colin king interiors; in / out design blog; scroll metal wall art from tjmaxx; @basiukuli; cross wall embellishment from @jaivasicek; mikel irastorza interior design; @_numeroventi_; @sparrowandco; vintage brassy chandelier from super marché; divisare; milk decoration; neu.boheme; @carlaypage; in / out design blog.

when it comes to dining rooms, the more mismatched and eclectic for me all the better. it’s almost as if your dinner party grew organically and guests started arriving unexpectedly so you had to grab more chairs to accommodate the party — the more the merrier! i love a great mix of dining chairs around a beautifully unique table. or, maybe it’s outdoor chairs and folding chairs placed around a traditional farm table, it’s just so much more interesting me than everything matching perfectly and a heck of a lot more fun. these dining rooms give me that whimsical, happy feeling i get from not overthinking your space and instead, collecting and pairing chairs you love with a great dining table that means something special to you for a truly personal, unique look.

• photography credits in order of appearance: nicole franzen photography; freunde von freunden; homes to love; fontanaarte; milk decoration; blueberry home; behomm; @longingforlennon; giaco mototti photography; Vintage Thonet Chair from elsie green; @saarmanche; architectural digest espana; shanna shryne; French School Chair from elsie green; heju; vintage stella chair from super marché; @countyroadliving; freunde von freunden; the maryn; milk magazine; @kawa_heart_studio; @_numeroventi_; the design files; @shadedeggesphotography; domino.

i can’t help myself — i just really love surf culture, i grew up with it and i find after moving to laguna that i’ve embraced it even more and brought lots of these beach vibes into my new home. but i try to think that it’s not the kitschy, colorful surf look you might come to expect from say, a 1950’s Gidget movie, but a more modern, new wave of surf style. there’s a little more sophistication to it, a blend of natural elements like palm fronds, slick black surfboards and bamboo. it still feels retro, but maybe just more grownup. here’s a look at what’s inspiring me right now — clean lines, vintage modern furnishings all pulled together with a fresh, but eclectic beach shack style. if you like this look, i highly suggest Nina Freudenberger’s book Surf Shack to help you get it.

• photography credits in order of appearance: in bed store; @kawa_heart_studio; nicole valentine; melissa kaseman photography; @_numeroventi_; santa monica proper hotel; west out east lounge chairs; i.d.f.c.; kendra alexandra; vestiariusium; the brick house; the design chaser; remodelista; @skyn.therapy; studio cd design; remodelista; the maryn; planete deco; @nataliewalton; home beautiful australia; Surf Shack book by Nina Freudenberger; Rodolphe Parente sculpture via milk decoration; @kawa_heart_studio; scrawny story; uncrate; @kumichan329; sabon home; billabong; remodelista; leanne ford interiors; plante deco; @evokethespirit; surfrider hotel via blissful blog; malibu surfrider hotel via blissful blog; colin king; surfrider hotel via blissful blog; @bestow_co.

should you be looking for some affordable lighting options that make a huge impact you might just consider the paper lantern, and in my opinion the bigger the better! the japanese-inspired paper lantern has been around forever and can really light up a room in more ways than just their lovely, luminous glow. if you take a look at many of these rooms, you’ll see how dramatic their look is, and at a relatively low investment. these origami-inspired lanterns, for instance, are under twenty bucks! add this Gold Electrical Cord Swag Kit (also under $20) and you’ve got a pretty dynamic look for very little money. after all, it’s only a paper moon.

• photography credits in order of appearance: mister design; vartnya hem; light locations; l-e-a-b-o; @kawa_heart_studio; elle decoration ; restored by the fords via alexandra ribar; alt dk; mister design; accordion paper lanterns from the paper mart; light locations; light locations; rum; light locations; remodelista; the society inc. banks 120 lantern; Akari Light Sculpture from forage modern workshop; pop and scott; Washi Paper Lantern from nalata nalata; design*sponge; @kawa_heart_studio; the society inc. dampier paper lantern; light locations; anne black’s home via bobedre; vt wonen; elle decor south africa; sharyn cairns.

hey guys, i hope you’re all doing as well as can be expected under our current quarantine. i’m hanging in there, but haven’t been feeling great — it’s not corona-related — just a bad migraine-like headache and so it’s painful to wear my glasses and look at the computer screen. and so i’m going to dial back for the week. but, i’ve posted lots of “best of posts” based on what i thought might be helpful and inspiring for you this week. in the meantime, i’m laying low in my little cottage. they’ve closed the beaches and parks here in laguna, so i’m very grateful for our large backyard. stay safe, stay healthy and please stay home.

xo, victoria