“Shabby-Chic” with a Coastal Flare: A Design Inspired by The Styles of Serena and Lily
While drawing up ideas for this week’s post, we couldn’t think of any better way to welcome the warmer months than by introducing a mood board influenced by Serena and Lily’s wildly popular coastal designs. If their name doesn’t ring any bells, you’ve more than likely saved one of their inspiration posts to your Pinterest board before. What makes Serena and Lily’s designs so distinct is their abundant use of cane and wicker throughout their furniture and lighting fixtures which mends beautifully with their trademarked powdery blue color palette that is dominant across many of their designs. Follow along below as we break down a couple of products from some of our own vendors that create a similar look!
Beginning in the Kitchen and Living Space, the goal in both areas was to optimize any natural light brought in through glass and windows by creating a clean white base with the countertops and backsplash tile, allowing for the accents of blue throughout the room as well as the natural fibers in the lights and furniture pieces to pop in contrast. With zellige tile rising in popularity for it’s handmade, “Moroccan” look, we opted for MLW’s “Piazza” 6x6 ceramic tiles in “white” for their subtle shade variation, adding a hint of dimension against Cambria’s “Smithfield” countertop while keeping the area bright and open.
Crossing over into the living area, the “Boracay” Chandelier from Cyan features a scalloped drum shape of woven cane with embellishments of warm aged brass, bringing the warmth of the coast into this living room, and adding depth against the delicate color palette created between the sea-washed wood floors from Bella Citta and the “La Broderie” wallpaper from York Wallcoverings. Popularized by Cyrus Wakefield in the 19th century, when cane was commonly used to secure cargo coming into the east coast ports, Cyrus would gather up bundles of the discarded cane left around the ports and discovered that due to its flexible but durable nature, that it could be easily molded into a variety of shapes for furniture. Thus, setting fire to the wicker furniture trend that began in Massachusetts, and quickly took the entire east coast by storm - prevailing to this day since the “Shabby-Chic” aesthetic has taken off.
Making a statement in the bathroom and further tying together the “beachy” but elevated motif throughout this design, is Thibaut’s “Lola” wallpaper in “pearl on soft blue”. Wallpaper is often a point of emphasis in many of Serena and Lily’s designs, as they will often integrate floral or simple patterns in their wallpapers to add interest into monotone spaces by breaking up the visual texture. In this scenario, we love the color and modern floral shape of the “Lola” pattern as opens up the space without clashing with the more “casual” elements in the room.
References:
Mosher, M. (2023, September 15). The history of rattan and wicker furniture in America. American Rattan. https://americanrattan.com/the-history-of-rattan-and-wicker-furniture-in-america/
