Little Hands Virginia Tablescapes Showcase

The Inaugural Spring Tablescapes Showcase benefitting Little Hands Virginia. Photography by Gordon Gregory

I was honored and excited to participate in the inaugural Spring Tablescapes Showcase benefitting Little Hands Virginia, a nonprofit that ensures children in Central Virginia have essentials from birth to improve their outcomes in life.

“Tropical Punch” by Sara Hillery Interior Design. Photography by Gordon Gregory

For this festive showcase, I created a playful yet elegant tablescape that drew on some of my favorite travel memories, my love of balancing classic forms with bold colors, and my desire to bring some energetic whimsy to a fundraising event for a noble nonprofit and mission.

Hints of travel inspo are found throughout this colorful and cheery design. For example, I wanted orchids to be a focus of the centerpiece after falling in love with them in Thailand. Hot pink origami napkins are a nod to the time I spent in Japan, and I paired bamboo plates with small-print batik-inspired placemats (and also threaded the bamboo theme by using white bamboo-backed chairs). 

Sara Hillery Interior Design’s “Tropical Punch” tablescape.

I can never resist combining old and new so I incorporated vintage champagne flutes along with modern handmade tumblers on the table. In addition to the floral table skirt, the table setting pops with punches of pink and orange (hence the tablescape’s name “Tropical Punch”) as well as more neutral details such as ivory French silverware from my own collection.

Sara Hillery with her tablescape, “Tropical Punch.” Photography by Gordon Gregory

I loved being a part of this wonderful event and am looking forward to the 2nd Annual Spring Tablescapes Showcase.

Little Hands Virginia, “What a Wonderful World” 2024 Spring Tablescapes Showcase

Save the dates – An Evening at Tablescapes will take place on May 2nd and the Tablescapes Luncheon will be May 3rd. Tickets available now on the Little Hands Virginia website. See you there!

Pantone Color of The Year 2022

PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri, Pantone’s color of the year (and a brand-new color creation), was selected to reflect our changed and changing world. It’s a bold and brand-new color creation that, according to the Pantone Color Institute, “ displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expressions”.

We are all about courageous creativity and bringing a more joyous attitude into our lives and our homes, and colors in the periwinkle family are surprisingly versatile. Veri Peri, which brings together beloved, calming blue with an energizing violet red undertone, can be used throughout the home to give small doses of color therapy.

Between zoom fatigue, the uncertainty of the next few months, and the fact that most of us feel like we’ve been in our own personal Groundhog Day movie since March 2020, injecting a little zest and vibrancy into our lives sounds pretty appealing right now. Cheers to the new year and to new energy in our homes and in our lives!Between zoom fatigue, the uncertainty of the next few months, and the fact that most of us feel like we’ve been in our own personal Groundhog Day movie since March 2020, injecting a little zest and vibrancy into our lives sounds pretty appealing right now. Cheers to the new year and to new energy in our homes and in our lives!

Here are a few ideas for how to incorporate this hue:

This floral periwinkle pillow will add a modern touch and a color boost to a sofa or couch in a more neutral shade.

A periwinkle carpet, particularly with a soft, shag texture, is a feast for the eyes…and feels amazingly cozy on feet too.

In Sara Hillery Interior Design’s County Lines textile, the color of the year gets complimented and contrasted with other saturated shades for a playful pattern that subtly salutes Virginia geography.

Entryway periwinkle flowers

Not sure you want to commit long-term to periwinkle in your home? No problem: in this light-filled entryway, a vase of periwinkle flowers brings a natural, lively pop of color.

Before and After Living Room Makeover

An artsy family’s sense of whimsy and passion for collecting unique art was lost in a drab living space that was weighed down by a busy patterned rug and dated wall adornments. We came in to help create a refined adult retreat that was functional and kid-friendly and simultaneously could serve as a space for the family to show off their one-of-a-kind paintings.

By updating the dark khaki walls with a soft, warm white paint color and refreshing the white molding, the room immediately feels substantially lighter. To continue with this fresh theme, we covered up the dark wood floors with a creamy natural fiber area rug that is both kid and dog friendly.

A simple glass coffee table keeps the space light-hearted and airy, while reflective lamps, vases, and accessories maintain the breezy vibe. Matching mirrors and dark chests on either side of the fireplace balance the room while creating the illusion of an even more open and bright space.

Tying in colors from the family’s amazing art collection into the chairs, pillows, and drapes helps to achieve a playful, yet unified atmosphere. For example, the patterned pillows resting on the blue armchairs reflect a design similar to that of the painting between the drapes, while the bunny-printed bolster pillow maintains the same sweetness as the nearby bird painting. Sprinkles of green in pots on the mantel, in the form of a tableside succulent, or arranged creatively on the coffee table give additional nods to the natural world and keep the space from looking overly pristine.

Combining sleek shapes, organic textures, and the family’s distinctive artwork, we transformed this living room from a dark den into a vibrant, light-filled space perfectly suited for family life, artistic inspiration, and perhaps even a little quiet reflection and reading time.

Get the look!

Museum Fix

Museums are slowly opening up, and returning to more traditional travel is (knock on wood) on the horizon, but jetting around to the latest exhibitions seems ambitious at the moment.

For those of us who are still committed to armchair travel to get our fix of arts and culture, we have some compelling online options, several of which are hands on and fun for the whole family. 

One of the silver linings of the pandemic is that museums and galleries have put more of their pieces and the stories behind them online, so you can access them anytime!

Museum of International Folk Art

In addition to exploring the museum’s mind-bogglingly extensive online collection of folk art from all around the globe, you can try your hand at some of their DIY art projects, inspired by traditions including Mexican paper making and Japanese fans.

Tate

Through podcasts, articles, videos, and more the Tate offers a deep dive into numerous pieces in its collection and the passionate creators behind them. We also recommend the  Create Like An Artist series, with fantastic hands-on projects for both kids and adults with options including soap carving, making chocolate paintings inspired by Jackson Pollack, and using the techniques of master watercolorist Joseph Turner.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi

Online options at this gorgeous museum are extraordinary. We could spend days exploring, from an online book focusing on clothes and costumes in the collection to curated playlists to spoken word poetry inspired by various galleries to a “futuristic audio and visual experience”.

National Museum of India

Looking for some bite-sized art education? The National Museum of India’s Museum at Home features short videos on sculptures, artistic traditions, and more. The video gallery also offers quick, insightful dips into India’s fascinating art and history. 

Bata Shoe Museum

This quirky Toronto museum focuses on shoes throughout history (yes, the collection is as amazing as it sounds).  With the museum’s #BSMFromHome offerings, you can brush up on your knowledge of various shoe-making techniques, get a virtual tour of exhibitions, or de-stress with some shoe-themed coloring sheets.

Petra

If you haven’t been able to cross off the architectural wonders of Petra off your bucket travel list (or if you just want a return trip), this comprehensive “tour” of the Rose City might satiate your wanderlust for a short time. It’s not technically a museum, but there’s enough history and art to make for an educational and inspiring armchair voyage.

We’ve Got a Whole New Look!

We have been hard at work over the past few months totally overhauling our website, adding more to the services we offer, introducing our online store, and even launching a brand new design platform.

The new and imporoved sarahillery.com

We are so excited to officially debut our new and improved website. We have been working hard upgrading not only the look of our website, but the services we offer. Now you can fill out a design request online, allowing us to get right to work making your house the home you always dreamed of. We have expanded our portfolio with some of our most recent projects. And you can pick from three design services that will suit your unique needs!

Sara Hillery Curated Collection

The Curated Collection is a carefully selected grouping of furniture, case goods, art, accessories, and lighting for sale online as well as the full line of Sara Hillery Home textiles. Our working relationships with vendors across the US and abroad ensures our customers have access to an extensive variety of new, antique and one-of-a-kind products. 

Design Delivered by SH

We have launched an innovative design platform called Design Delivered by SH which brings the design process directly to homeowners who want to work at their own speed. The launch of this platform represents a new approach to home design projects and comes during a shift in the design industry as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Completely contactless, Design Delivered is a web-based platform that gathers an individual’s home project information and design needs and produces a new design all within six weeks.  Whether it’s a complete room re-design or a simple space refresh, Design Delivered produces a comprehensive package put together by Sara Hillery and her team of designers. The package comes with various pricing options, based on the size and scope of the project, and includes a floor plan, a color storyboard and proposals for window treatments, art work, lighting, fabrics, upholstery and paint plans. After a Zoom consultation and accessing a private design portal to upload inspiration images, a questionnaire and how-to measuring guides, the client then receives in the mail a final design box with a plan of paint colors, fabrics, wallpaper, draperies, furniture, accessories and of course a floorplan - all within six weeks.

While you’re here, you might be interested in Five Reasons to Hire an Interior Designer

Pantone Color of The Year

After a year like 2020, most of us could use some uplifting and some grounding. Pantone is ushering in the New Year with two colors that emanate emotions both calm and bright. While Ultimate Gray and Illuminating are not shades we frequently utilize, we’ve gathered some visual ways to make these colors (or similar hues) livable from our past projects. 

Incorporating a shiny golden-hued ceiling is a little like living just a bit closer to the sun. We used warm shades of yellow throughout this room along with gold accents and creams (and even a honey-hued seagrass rug) to keep it light and bright.

Just a pop of this yellow is enough to transform a room. The bone-colored busts of composers, earned from participating in piano recitals and a nod to the family’s avid interest in music) pop, especially when situated within a contrasting black frame.

Sunny yellow and gold unite the furniture, artwork, and accessories in this sitting area, while the subtle differences in shades add texture and vibrancy. The two-toned sofa is a modern, refreshing choice.

Incorporating calming “greige” roman shades might seem like a minor style decision, but they offer just enough contrast to the white carpet and walls to help create a soothing transition for the eye. 

We love all the earth and jewel tones in our client’s beautiful collection of pottery and vases. Selecting sunny yet subtle yellow chairs with matching chevron pillows helps to lift the space while also drawing attention to the variety of pieces on display.

Pantone describes the color duo as a “marriage conveying a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting”, and we hope you begin 2021 harnessing that fortifying, uplifting energy in your homes and in your lives.