Bringing It Home

Whether you’re looking for a rug to define your living room or provide functionality in your kitchen, we’ve compiled a user-friendly guide to help you navigate your way through selecting the right one. With so much to consider — from materials and size to form and function — we’re here to break it down so the toughest part will be unrolling it in your home.

Home. It’s where the heart is and now, more than ever, it seems to be where just about everything else is too. Never before has home been a more central hub to practically every facet of our lives and intertwined with our day-to-day challenges and triumphs. Home is no longer just home. For many, it has been redefined as the gym, the office, the classroom and the weekend gathering place, and then to top it off, where we retreat to get away from it all. Home has now become the centerpiece of our lives and the comforts of home have taken on a whole new meaning, and value.

You may find yourself looking for the silver lining while homebound these days and here’s some good news — nature is flourishing. Venice has clear canals, LA has no smog, and wildflowers everywhere are expected to bloom in abundance this summer, supporting the butterflies, the birds and the beloved bees. Traffic-free roads, plane-free skies and widespread business closures have made the planet a beneficiary of this pandemic and Mother Nature has shown us just how quickly she can adapt and thrive in our absence. Although we can’t stay inside forever, we have an opportunity to emerge more mindful of our carbon footprint and committed to reducing it — not just on Earth Day, but all throughout the year.

We’re all sticking close to home these days, which makes living in a space that feels safe and nurturing more important than ever. In these uncertain times, creating a home or space that provides a sense of calm and care can have a significant impact on your wellbeing and help reduce stress and worry.  The upside is you don’t have to tear down walls or even makeover an entire room to achieve that benefit on the inside. Even a small shift in your personal environment can create an uplifting and healing ripple effect to carry you through the day and into your life. And that sounds pretty good to us right now. So here, we’re sharing our favorite “C’s” to design a happier, healthier homelife and the simple ways to do it.

Bixby & Ball owner, Betsy Bracken, was featured in Interiors California recent issue with a Q&A about what sets her boutiques apart and what keeps her inspired.  The print version can be found on our press page but read on for the full unedited version.

Buying art is often an emotional decision and one we can’t always explain—after all, it’s through the lens of our own life experience that we interpret creative expression.  Even so, there are some things to keep in mind when looking for your next piece to ensure it’ll be one you’ll want to keep looking at for many years to come.

Wade Koniakowsky, one of the nation’s leading ocean-inspired artists, began painting at the age of six and started surfing before he was 12. By blending these two passions, he has gained worldwide recognition for his oil paintings and earned himself the unofficial title of the coolest artist in town. Recently, we sat down with Wade—our neighbor and current artist in residence—to find out why he made the career jump from advertising to painting, how he stays inspired and the one scene he could paint for the rest of his life.

’Tis the season of giving and gifting! Are you ready? Don’t worry if you’re not, help is on the way! Often, the stress of the holidays can overshadow the joy of gifting, but we want to encourage you to take a little extra time on those nearest and dearest to make their holiday extra bright. After all, it’s the most wonderful time of the year to go (a little) over the top. So here, we’re sharing our favorite tips to elevate your gift-giving game.

The center of holiday hosting is often the table and when it comes to décor, every detail counts. Whether you decide to go simple and relaxed or fancy and elegant, your tablescape sets the mood for your party and sparks conversations among family and friends. From beautiful linens and place settings to a mood-setting centerpiece and candles, every item on your table (however small) is an opportunity to make your guests feel special. But with so many decorating options one can easily be overwhelmed in knowing where to start, so we’ve compiled the essential elements. After all, the season of hosting is upon us and we want to help you nail down the decorative details. So read on, follow our tips and create a table that will be a feast for the eyes and a delight for all the senses.

Fall has arrived and we’re ready—are you? Hot summer days have faded into cool autumn nights, leaves are beginning to turn and pumpkins are popping up…well, everywhere. As fun and beautiful as the changing seasons can be, it may feel tricky (and pricey) to shift your home décor from one season to the next. But let us assure you that it really doesn’t take much to infuse just the right amount of fall spice into your space. We’ve gathered our favorite tips to make the transition an easy one, so by the time we fall back on Nov. 3rd your home will have fallen right into place.

When shopping for your home, it can be difficult to decide where to invest more money and where you can get away with less. And just like in fashion, not everything in home interiors requires splurging. But when it comes to the pieces in your home that you use daily — like that pair of jeans you’d wear every day if they were always clean — they’re certainly worth the investment. Upholstery is the hardest working furniture in the house and we’re here to tell you that you really do get what you pay for. So before purchasing your next upholstered piece, let us break down all of the important things to consider.

The season of patio parties, backyard BBQ’s and impromptu invites is underway and we’re here to remind you that the key to hosting any summer soirée is to keep it simple. Forget elaborate recipes and trying to make everything perfect (that’s what the holidays are for!). Instead, embrace the lightheartedness of long summer days and focus on just a few key elements to create a fun gathering that you will enjoy as much as your guests. After all, it’s summertime and the living — and entertaining — should be easy.

June 21st may mark the official start of summer but for those of us in Southern California, it’s been feeling more like winter. While the rest of the country is heating up, we’ve been cooling down, leaving us dreaming of the endless summer for which California is known. So until the clouds break and the sun appears, we’re sharing our favorite ways to weather the gloom—layer by layer—proving that there is always a silver lining.

Decorative pillows are one of the quickest ways to elevate a space or transition your home from season to season, but finding the right ones isn’t always easy. Questions like, "How many should I get? What size is best? Which colors and patterns suit my style?" are all ones that can turn a seemingly simple task into a decorating dilemma. The good news is there are no rules or absolutes when it comes to this key piece of décor, but it can become tricky to pull it all together and create a cohesive look. So, before you begin your perfect pillow pursuit, here are a few important considerations to help ensure that your only pillow problem will be deciding which are your favorites.

Let's be honest, it's easy to become overwhelmed and discouraged when looking at photos of beautifully designed homes with impeccably staged rooms flooding our social media feeds. With inspiration overload, there's always something better one click, swipe or scroll away. So how do we remedy this problem? By shifting our attention away from wishing we lived somewhere else and instead focus on loving the home we have. So whether you're living in your dream home or still dreaming it up, we hope these simple and easy tips will help you feel more grounded, connected, and in love with where you are—right now.

It all began with two young—and admittedly naïve—entrepreneurs pursuing their passion for coastal living in a historic cottage in the heart of the Solana Beach design district, eager to make their mark on the world.  And a beautiful one at that.