We all fell in love with Justina Blakeney and her 1926 cottage in the Frogtown area of Los Angeles, which inspired the booming-boho Jungalow brand. But in 2020 she and her family moved to a 1930s Spanish-Mediterranean home in Altadena, which they’ve since been updating.
The June issue of Architectural Digest will feature her on its cover and give readers a tour of her digs, which are full of more than twice the jungilicious deliciousness, square-footage-wise. But BoHo Home readers can say they saw it here FIRST.
Pretty much every interior design blogger wishes for the success Justina Blakeney has experienced. In 2009 she brought her signature boho design esthetic to the world through her Jungalow blog, and in 2014 she launched her own namesake design brand, followed by her best-selling book, The New Bohemians, in 2015. Since then it’s been a whirlwind of press (including a July 2016 feature in House Beautiful), collaborations (Loloi and Target Opalhouse, just to mention two), as well as two more books.
But let’s get down to the goodies: Welcome to her home…
Inside-outside
Although the living room was painted white when Blakeney first saw it, she said she knew in an instant this was the space she dreamed of. She uses this soft adobe-inspired pinkish terra cotta (Farrow & Ball’s Ointment Pink) throughout the home to lend tropical appeal. She had the shelves built in to hold her collection of tchotchkes–things she’s loved and carried with her. I like the contrast of the teal paint on the shelves with the rest of the walls. It makes all those treasures stand out.
In the dining room, my eyes settle on the wonderful reproduction West African Senufo stool in the foreground, topped with a tapestry. Legend has it that the Senufo–or Golden Stool– floated out of the sky and landed on the lap of the first Ashanti king. Forthwith, it was declared to hold the soul of the nation.
Here, it unites a 1980s Italian travertine table, four straight-back chrome midcentury modern upholstered chairs–vintage from the 1970s–and a rattan peacock chair at the head. The peacock chair is 1970s style but redesigned by Blakeney as her “throne.”
Her new home, like her old, is a maximalist mix reflecting her own blended heritage and set of experiences. Her father is African-American, her mother is Jewish, and she lived in Italy for seven years before returning to LA, marrying Jason Rosencrantz and giving birth to Ida, now 9.
The lanai, situated between the living room and the outdoor, courtyard-enclosed spaces, features furniture sourced from Europe, India and North Africa to accent the pencil-rattan sofa Blakeney designed herself. As everywhere else in the house, it overflows with plants.
Notice the vintage Panton chairs Blakeney inherited from family. They adorned her dining area at her previous home and have been repurposed here.
The 2,700-square-foot house is built around a central courtyard, so beyond the lanai is this covered lounging space with a 20-piece carved wood sectional and open-air dining…
…as well as a pool with this tented daybed stuffed full of Jungalow Opalhouse pillows. A couple of these are tucked away in my sewing room closet, awaiting my new sofa, but my eyes go to the lovely kitty cat. (You’ll see another cat if you watch the video referenced below) I could tell Blakeney was a cat person, couldn’t you?
Under the sea
Teal tones seen on the living room shelves re-emerge in the primary bedroom, lending an underwater feel. Specifically, Sydney Harbor Paint Company’s Lime Wash in Blue Reef colors the walls here.
Blakeney found the 1970s Spanish-style rattan and upholstered headboard on Chairish. I’m grooving on that brass lamp. The rattan nightstand it sits on is vintage Bielecky Brothers.
More teal tones color Blakeney’s home office. This time, it’s Farrow & Ball’s Calke Green. The desk chair sports–no surprise here–a Blakeney fabric. I love the matchstick blinds and rattan valances, as well as the gorgeous vintage cupboard.
If you want more, which, if you’re a maximalist like JB, you of course do…
Two articles from the June issue are already posted on the AD website along with a 15-minute video tour of the home, hosted by Blakeney herself. The video includes areas not seen in the accompanying photos, such as her kitchen, a guest bedroom, her spa bathroom, and a dressing room decked out with all her beaming-boho accessories and clothes.
So get clicking these links and check out:
- “Step Inside Justina Blakeney’s Vibrant Southern California Home” by Sydney Gore, where you can also access the delightful video.
- “Justina Blakeney on Defining Her Own Title, the Value of Social Media, and Her Debut AD Cover,” also by Sydney Gore.
- “What Lies Behind Justina Blakeney’s Success,” by Kyle Hoepner, also on AD.
- “Justina Blakeney Masters Color and Pattern in Her Los Angeles Cottage,” the House Beautiful tour of her previous home from July 2016.
And if you haven’t already, you’ll want to check out her latest book–Decorate Wild— which I plan to review in my next post. Follow the (affiliate) links for more information on and/or to purchase all her books, as well as others on boho interior design: