A burst of summer colors, beach-inspired accessories and outdoor motifs reminiscent of the Hamptons are the recurring themes in the Summer 2017 Collection of Pottery Barn.
There are block prints, kalamkari with handcrafted patterns, the rustic look of its Indio Collection, the coastal style of the Sausalito Collection, carefully molded natural spike coral and wave coral in cast resin for an aquatic note to the mantel or table, and even battery-operated flameless flicker candles to complement that outdoor evening look.
“You have the ability to decorate your home with different motifs. Our bedroom, our rooms, are very Pottery Barn. The rest of the house is West Elm,” said Anton Huang, president of Store Specialist Inc. (SSI).
Home accessories are about going back to the beach, basking in the sunshine, and having fun.
There are blues, greens, oranges, celadon, sea shells, animation, plates and tableware in sea motifs.
For those who shy away from color, all-white accessories are available, such as ceramic seashell plates and napkin holders.
West Elm, meanwhile, with its modern contemporary aesthetics, features elegant fabrics in velvet and leather, and mixed media of wood and stainless steel.
The Brooklyn-based brand also focuses on outdoor entertaining, so that there are bright colors and fun textures to transform the outdoor space.
Summer collection
For the Summer 2017 Collection, Pottery Barn gave sections to four influencers to design their versions of summer entertaining: Christine Jacob-Sandejas for her Pottery Barn outdoor dining spread; Robby Carmona for his Pottery Barn living room space; Cecile van Straten for her lounge area by West Elm; and Mikaela Lagdameo-Martinez for her curated play area for Pottery Barn Kids.
Sandejas said she always entertains in her garden. For her outdoor dining spread, she chose light blue flameless flicker candles, blue pots for her plants, melamine blue plates on rattan chargers, and mixed solids and patterns.
“I like colors, the Bohemian vibe,” she said.
Carmona loves music—he has thousands of albums in his collection, from classic standards to hip hop—so his take on the living room included a DJ booth, and a sofa with colorful throw pillows to complement the summer season, such as in a navy blue that reminds him so much of the beach.
“I do a lot of conceptualization indoors that I need to hear the music in high volume, but sometimes I conceptualize in any moving vehicle—a car, a plane, or even tricycles. But I really love music, it’s important when entertaining,” said the director and event curator.
Van Straten created a minimalist and elegant look with West Elm furnishings and accessories. The popular blogger also used blue as her color motif for her modern contemporary design. She used plates with printed quotes on top of wood chargers, and real candles.
“I don’t like a normal table setting. I like wood and navy. I love hosting dinners and entertaining, so I now have a more simple take on decorating,” Van Straten said.
Martinez, a model, entrepreneur and VIP services manager of SSI, curated a play area for Pottery Barn kids. Her circular table is decorated with teddy bears, lunch boxes, towels, dolls.
As a mother of three kids aged 13 years old to 10 months, Martinez knows children, and what catches their eye.
“Children love to pick up stuff and play with them, they love to grab everything. So every item on the table is set up in a way that they can get anything they want, and that’s okay,” she said.
