Why This Vintage Loveseat Stopped Justina Blakeney Dead in Her Tracks
My grandparents, Bette and Art, were very special people. Their way of being in the world greatly shaped who I am today. They were giants in my life: adventurous, generous, wise, and loving beyond measure. Travel was a priority for them, and every year they brought home exuberant stories, photos, and souvenirs to share from remote pockets of the earth. Their beautiful home reflected their vibrant life.
In the background of my sweet, early memories of them—and this home—was a lush pattern of lovebirds and tropical flowers that covered the walls, drapes, and furniture in blues and grays. It was all over their home, and it was wild.
I thought about that home a lot as I was writing my new book, Jungalow: Decorate Wild. I thought about the pattern, and how it made me feel like I, too, was adventuring to remote pockets of the earth. I wrote about the experience and its impact on me in my new book, and even included photos. It was, after all, the genesis of my obsession with botanical patterns—which is an integral part of the Jungalow brand and my personal style.
Now that I’m decorating my own family home, I try to channel my grandparents. I want my new home to feel like theirs: an artful, collected place of fun, caring, festivities, music, and laughter; a loving place that encourages imagination and exploration.
The day of the book launch, with a few minutes between virtual events, I found myself shopping for my new home, mindlessly scrolling through the “new” section of a vintage online marketplace. All of a sudden I stopped mid-scroll.
A loveseat. The pattern. I stared, then gasped, and just kept nodding my head. My heart pounded, I felt a rush. I screenshot the sofa and zoomed in. My eyes welled up and I felt warm emotion wash over me. It was the same fabric. The same pattern. The same exact loveseat that my grandparents had in their home.
It felt like a hug from my grandparents on the launch day of my book, a book I had worked on for nearly three years and dedicated to my grandpa Art who had passed away last September. I could hear my grandfather’s voice in my head, “You done good Tina-li!” and my grandmother adding in her East Coast accent, “So, when will you hear if this one made the New York Times Best-seller list?!?” I smiled at the piece of furniture that brought my grandparents back from the dead for me on the day of my book launch.
Needless to say, I bought the loveseat.
Upon its delivery to my new home, seeing it in person, I felt the rush again. It brought me back to their home the way a whiff of familiar cologne can.
The loveseat does not match the carefully curated vibe I have going on in the house so far. The colors are a wild and weird addition to my color scheme. I do not know where it will eventually live. It’s totally random, and by far the most wonderful piece I’ve found for the house. It is a time machine. I sink into it and I’m transported back to them. I stare at the pattern and I hear my grandfather’s deep voice echoing across the room as he beams, “Bette—get the camera!” I smell the matzo ball soup broth on the stove, and feel my grandmother’s hand on my knee as she asks me, “So, what’s doin’?” Her manicure is on point.
All of a sudden, my new home grows roots. It starts to tell my story.
I believe that a truly beautiful home isn’t about a perfect color scheme or expensive furniture. My grandparents’ message came through loud and clear: A truly beautiful home is all about love. After all, it’s not every day that your grandparents send you a loveseat featuring lovebirds from the grave on the day of a book launch. Message gratefully received.
Justina Blakeney is a designer, author, and creator of the beloved blog-turned-brand Jungalow. Her third book, Decorate Wild, is out now.
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