Getting Real... Instagram vs Reality and the Busyness of This Season

I talked to a friend a few weeks ago that said to me, "Seeing you on instagram makes me want to take a nap...you're always doing something!" And that's true, BUT there are LOTS of things that I don't get to. I choose to work a lot because I love my job, and I love my team. However, I'm definitely not a perfectionist at home. We have take-out almost every night for dinner, and I pay someone to do our laundry every week On the days that I workout after work, I change clothes as fast as I can when I walk in the door and wait to shower until the kids are in bed, because I don't want to miss that time with Gus and Marlowe. Oftentimes on the way to school Gus asks me if I can pick him up, and I almost always tell him that I can't because I'll be working. And there are times when I'm playing with Marlowe that she calls me Cece (her nickname for our wonderful nanny, Chelsi,) and then quickly corrects herself with "Mama." If I said my heart didn't sink a little each time those things happen I'd be lying. If I said it didn't sink while I'm typing this I'd also be lying. All that to say, I'm not "doing it all." I have an incredible team at work that makes all my ideas come to life, and I have people I love and trust at home to help me when I run out of time..or steam. I stayed sick for a month, and I'm finally feeling better because I reluctantly took two days off to rest. Amazing how much better your body works if you sleep;) On a recent podcast of The Daily Hope with Rick Warren, he talked about finding our strengths that God gave us and doing the most we can with those. I'm investing in myself and my business because I want to do design for a long time, but I do have daily guilt because I miss my babies a lot of the time. So I'm 100% in when I'm with them. I know they will never doubt how important they are to me or how much I love them because that is what I pray for every single day. I pray that they will be kind, empathetic, and secure in who they are. I am constantly working on being secure in how I am and how I'm doing life. Am I doing ok? Am I doing most of it right? Is there even a "right?" I guess at the end of the day I just need to make peace with what works for our own families and keep trying to make our own unique families the happiest and healthiest they can be. xo

Hosting a Fabulous Bridal Shower... Details and References to Host Your Own

Hi friends!! A couple of week ago, our team got together to help me host the most beautiful bridal shower for one of the girls on our very own JCI team. If you follow along with me on socials, you may have seen some sneak peeks of the decor, the food, the party favors, and more! Today we wanted to share all of the references, details, and links we used so that you can host your very own bridal shower.

The Details…

• The invitations… Zazzle.com made it simple to create and customize the prettiest invitations. We went with a classic blush pink, gold, and white color palette for the shower. See our photos below to check out the invites I made! Ps, this shower was “shower” themed, so I loved the touch of having umbrellas on the invitations we sent out.

• The decor… Again, I wanted this wedding shower to be “shower” themed, so we ordered some amazing white paper umbrellas from Oriental Trading Company. We hung these from the curtain rods in my salon where we hosted the shower and it was a really sweet and unique touch to add. Linking similar paper umbrellas here. We hung these using fishing wire so that they truly looked like they were hanging. We also ordered a balloon arch kit from Amazon. It was actually fairly simple to assemble with our whole team there to help, but we’d definitely recommend a balloon inflator to help speed up the process. These are super inexpensive and easy to use from Amazon. Linking the balloons and arch kit and inflation machine here for you!

• The food… When it came to food we went with an awesome local caterer called Bacon and Caviar to help prepare the perfect menu and serve food and drinks during the shower. Here was the menu we went with:

  Cheese & fruit tray

  Mini croissants - pecan chicken salad

  Deviled eggs - old fashioned, pimento cheese, bacon & blue cheese

  Strawberry & basil bruschetta, grilled bread

  Mushrooms stuffed w sausage & swiss

  Fruit tea

• The cake… If you’ve followed along for awhile, you may remember the amazing puppy cake we had made by our talented friend “Sweet Little Mother” who is local to Nashville. She created the most beautiful cake with the most amazing edible flowers on top that was also delicious! “Sweet Little Mother” always knocks it out of the park!!

• The party favors… We wanted to make sure all of the guests had a something small to take home as a thank you for coming so we prepared little take-home bags with three powdered donuts inside. We purchased sparkly paper diamonds from Zazzle.com and place one in the middle donut to make it look like a ring, which was adorable! We’ll link the materials for these here.

• The games… It’s always fun to have some fun games planned to keep the party interesting and guests involved, and I found the perfect game cards from Zazzle.com! The guests thought this was so fun, and I did inexpensive bracelets as prizes for the 2 winners. We’ll link the games here for you as well.

We had so much fun and were honored to host this special bridal shower and we hope some of the details, pictures, and resources we linked will help you to throw your very own shower soon!

Thanks so much for reading! Talk to ya next time!!

xx- JCI TEAM

Kids Bedrooms... Simple, Affordable Staples

Hi friends! It’s been awhile as 2021 has been off to a crazy start here at JCI! Lots of exciting new clients and projects and we’re feeling blessed to be staying so busy. We’re back on the blog on this snowy Friday to share some of the best, most affordable staple pieces for your kids and their bedrooms.

We often get questions from you all on where to source furniture, pillows, etc. for kids and if it’s worth an arm and a leg to design a child’s space. Our answer… We’ve always said that it’s important to invest in staple pieces that can grow with your child, but not to splurge on elements that won’t be here to stay for long. We just wrapped photography on a project with the sweetest family of 6 and we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to snag a few photos of the simple pieces we actually sent our clients links for- all ordered from places like Target, Overstock, Amazon, etc. This family has two precious boys and two sweet girls so we’ll share plenty of gender neutral pieces to help you all source items for your own home. Moral of this blog… spend more money investing in staple pieces (bed, rug, chest/nightstands) that will grow with your child and less on throw pillows, art, etc. A neutral white coverlet is the perfect base to add some fun pillows and throw blankets to match your child’s personality. Linking some the best accessible picks below!

Click on a room to shop some of the items used or click here to shop this week’s sunday 6:

Thanks for reading and we’ll talk to you next time!! xx-JCI Team

The Interior Design Trends that Made the Biggest Impact in 2020

It is safe to say that 2020 flipped every aspect of life upside down throughout the tumultuous year. Holiday celebrations required social distancing, hand sanitizer sales were at an all-time high, and restaurants were forced to focus on take out. Even less affected markets like interior design still underwent radical changes and saw the introduction of various trends. These various trends were mostly a response to the increase in individuals working from home during the pandemic, but those quarantined at home and not working also frequently used the time to change certain aspects of their homes. Below the trends that had the biggest impact on the interior design world in 2020 are discussed and explored. 

1. Home Offices

Yes, home offices were by far the largest trend to sweep across the interior design world this year. At first, when the initial wave of the pandemic hit, many workers opted to transform a particular area of their house into a temporary workspace. However, as the year progressed and many workers realized the advantages of working from home and the likelihood that they would continue to do so for at least several months, these workers started to long for their own home office. 

Home office’s in 2020 were often designed with productivity, efficiency, and comfort in mind. Office designs drew upon natural lighting, particular colors, and a range of natural scents to increase productivity, while technology was introduced into the office to improve efficiency. In 2020, workers realized they no longer needed their fancy work office. 

2. Wallpaper

It seems silly to suggest that wallpaper is not popular every year. But in recent years, the trajectory of the trend has been down. Enter 2020. During 2020, more and more individuals were inside their homes for extended periods of time, and as they spent time in their homes some notice elements they wished to change. Wallpaper was a popular trend because not only is it highly versatile and customizable, but also anyone with patience can successfully install it. 

So, where engineered hardwood flooring would require a whole installation team to enter a home, wallpaper only required free time; something people had an excess of in 2020. 

During 2020, floral, bohemian, and geometric patterned wallpaper experienced the most excitement. Individuals purchasing wallpaper seemed to either overtly or subconsciously be trying to bring the outside world into their homes through their wallpaper. 

3. Millwork Details

Just as floral and natural patterns of wallpaper gave homeowners a way to bring the outdoor world into their home in 2020, millwork did the same. Drawing upon earthy tones and wooden hues, millwork flooded the home in a variety of ways. More and more design specialists opted for exposed wood beams, handrails, and large wooden front doors in 2020. 

Though millwork with natural wood tones and hues was popular in 2020, the year also saw interior designers experimenting with bold new color palettes.

4. Resurgence of Traditional

While some design trends in 2020 looked forward, quite a few look to the past for inspiration. More so than in past years, the 2020 interior design world saw a resurgence of traditional design elements. While it was never quite out of vogue, mid-century modern design experienced a considerable increase in popularity in 2020. Other traditional trends like these various farmhouse molding ideas also saw a resurgence in 2020. 

It seems as more and more designers and homeowners began to contemplate their situation during quarantine, they realized parts of their past that they would like to reclaim. This trend is expected to continue, especially as the end of the covid-19 pandemic is still up in the air. 

Predictions for 2021

The year 2020 introduced some familiar faces and new ideas to the interior design world. In 2021, one can expect these elements of nostalgia and ambition to continue to coexist. Particular trends like home offices, will also most likely continue to see an increase as more and more companies are realizing the benefits of having their workers work from home.

Matt Lee is the owner of the Innovative Building Materials blog and a content writer for the building materials industry. He is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that save money, improve energy efficiency, and increase property value.

Bloom Nursery Details

Hi friends! Last week we installed a sweet project with an organization called Bloom Family Designs. This organization helps families who are fostering or adopting create beautiful spaces for their newest addition, and we were lucky enough to get to work with them once last year, and again last week. Bloom asked us to help them create the perfect space for sweet, Maggie, who is just 3 years old and has just been adopted by her foster family. We found out a few details about what Maggie loves to make her space as special as possible and found out that unicorns and the color purple are two of her favorite things! We had so much fun creating Maggie’s new room and after posting photos on our stories from the install last week, had lots of questions on where to get the items we used to style her room. Because these projects are primarily funded by donors, everything we selected was very affordable from places like Target, Overstock, and Amazon. We wanted to help you by linking everything we could so that you can recreate the look!

Linking our resources from Maggie’s room reveal with bloom

Click Here to Shop Items

We hope this helps you to find out where to shop for some of these sweet items to use in your own space! One item we could not link is the sweet unicorn print by our friends at Sketch & Co. You can check them out on Instagram @sketchandcompany and also follow Bloom @bloomfamilydesigns to learn more about how you can support what they're doing!

Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend!!

xx- JCI Team

Throwing the Perfect Puppy Party... Marlowe's 2nd Birthday Party Details

Hi and happy Friday to you!! How crazy fast has this fall flown by! It’s hard to believe that we’re already almost into the holiday season. The fall is a busy season in the Couch home because we celebrate Marlowe’s birthday, Mark and I’s anniversary, and my birthday. A little over a week ago we had a birthday party to celebrate Marlowe’s second birthday! Marlowe is completely obsessed with dogs or as she calls them, “woof woofs”, so naturally we had to throw her a puppy themed party. Because of everything going on with covid, we were excited to be able to host a small party with family and close friends at our home. So many of you reached out to us on socials after seeing some of the photos from the party on asking about the details, so we thought we’d write a blog on how to throw your own puppy themed party! Here are the “paw-some” details;)

FOOD:

The cake: If you’re a Nashville local, you have to check out “Sweet Little Mother.” She makes the most spectacular cakes and has made Gus and Marlowe’s cakes for their last several birthday parties. I gave her a little direction on color, since of course, we had to have a pink cake- and let her run with it. And let me tell you, she knocked it out of the park! You can follow her on Instagram to see more at @sweetlittlemother We’re including pictures below!

The food: Because the party was fairly casual, we stuck with bite-sized snacks like cookies, chips, finger sandwiches, and mac and cheese cups. The mac and cheese cups are always a hit, so I’ll link those here for you!

Decorations:

If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that we’re big Amazon people! We were able to get all of our decorations from Amazon. My favorite part party detail was the “Adopt a Puppy” area we set up for the kids. We bought the cutest little dog balloons and set them up with a sign that said “Adopt a Puppy” for our guests to grab during the party and take home. They were adorable and such a hit with the kids! We’ll link all of the decorations you’'ll need for your puppy party here. Yes- all from Amazon!

Goodie Bags:

I had so much fun putting together the little take-home goodie bags! Here’s what I included: puppy notepads, puppy stickers, Scooby snacks, funny puppy face sticker sheet, and bone-shaped candies all in little, pastel plastic dog bowls! Everything is available on Amazon, so I’ll link all of those items here!

And thank you to Evin photgraphy for capturing all the sweet details!

Thanks for reading, friends! We'll talk to you next time!

xx- JCI Team

Trend vs Timeless...

Hi friends! It’s been a crazy season and a crazy busy few weeks at JCI, but we’re back on the blog this week to talk a little bit more about design trends versus timeless finishes that will stand the test of time. So often in the design world, we get stuck on something trendy, like the accent wall of the early 2000’s or green carpet in the 80’s. It can be hard to differentiate what’s here to stay versus what’s timeless and won’t stick out like a sore thumb a few years down the road. Here are a couple of areas to think about in terms of whether they’re trends or timeless:

1.) Wallpaper- Lots of people associate wallpaper with the horrible striped paper with a floral border from their grandma’s house, but the truth is, wallpaper, when done right, is here to stay! We are huge proponents of wallpaper at JCI. Some tips to avoid trendy and stick with timeless are to 1) opt for grasscloth- grasscloth is a good neutral, safe bet that adds some texture and interest, but doesn’t feel as busy as a pattern or print. You may look back at a patterned wallpaper you picked in a few years and regret the investment, but a grasscloth is a safe choice that you won’t get tired of. 2) Don’t do the whole wallpaper accent wall thing… Trust us, this screams trendy.

2.) Paint colors- It seems like every year a new article comes out about how “gray is out” or “ black is in”… We’re here to tell you that neutrals are always here to stay. If you want a safe option that you aren’t going to get tired of in a few years, opt for a neutral. Honestly, we paint so many of our client’s homes white because it kind of “goes away” and lets the other elements, furniture, accessories, art, speak for themselves. Next time you read online that “white kitchens are out”… don’t fret! Neutrals are timeless.

3.) Identify what elements or looks you’ve consistently loved over the years, and opt for those in your home. What’s trendy vs timeless often has so much more to do with our own perspectives than what an article or Facebook post says. Good luck!

Thanks for reading! We’ll talk to you next time!! xx- JCI Team

Design Don'ts... Mistakes to Avoid By the JCI Team

Hi friends! Happy start to a long weekend! Last week we filmed an exciting “On the Couch with Julie” with our very own JCI team. One topic that came up in our discussion was our design don’ts… There are a few mistakes we all agreed that it’s best to avoid so we thought we would share a few with you all on this week’s blog. Here are the JCI team’s top 4 design don’ts:

1) A Rug That’s Too Small- One of the worst design mistakes to make is buying a rug that is way too small for your space! Yes rugs can be an expensive investment, but there are affordable sites out there like Ruggable.com and RugsUSA.com with fabulous options! Trust us, measuring before buying will save you from what we call “the magic carpet effect”. The last thing you want is rug that’s floating around your space- A good rule of thumb is to make sure the front legs (at least) of every piece of furniture are touching the rug.

2) Boob Lights- We know you know what we’re talking about! If you have a dated “boob” light in your entry, hallway, or bathroom, do yourself a favor and replace it with a different style flush mount or fixture. You’ll thank yourself later!

3) Accessories That Aren’t to Scale- Another big mistake you’ll definitely want to avoid is purchasing accessories that are way too small. Accessories that aren’t to scale can cheapen the look of your space, so make sure you’re selecting accessories that are the right scale. For example, often we see tiny table lamps in a space- If you bought your lamps at Target, they’re probably not going to be the right scale! We know the truth hurts, but you’re getting what you paid for! Invest in larger lamps (30” or taller) for a more substantial and complete look! P.S. we love Target, don’t get us wrong:)

4) No Drink Tables- We actually just posted a Sunday 6 with links to some of our favorite brass drink tables to complete your space last week. As a rule of thumb, you should always have a place to set your drink from wherever you sit. If your family room feels like it’s missing something… Make sure you’ve layered in with drink tables. You’ll be surprised by the difference this makes in completing your space!

We hope these few design don’ts help you to avoid common mistakes that can really kill the design of your space! Have a fabulous weekend and we’ll talk to ya next time!

xx- JCI Team

Our Design Process...

Hi there! This week we are excited to be writing to share a little bit about our design process with you guys! Julie has been in the industry for over 15 years, allowing her a lot of time and trial and error to perfect our process. Whether you’ve worked with a designer, you are a designer, or you know nothing about the industry, the process can look distinctly different from firm to firm. If you’re considering hiring a designer or want to know more about the steps involved, we hope this will help you to better understand our process and get a general idea of what the steps involved in your design project involve:

THE DESIGN PROCESS….

1.) Our process starts with a client initially reaching out to us. Sometimes we have clients who are referred to us by a builder or friend, have found us on Google, Instagram, Facebook, in a magazine, or through many other avenues. We begin with an initial phone call to explain our process and pricing, then as next steps we set up an initial client “meet and greet” so that the potential client is able to meet with Julie to get to know our team. This meeting is short and sweet and is truly just to make sure we’re on the same page in terms of the goals of the project, and also allows the client to bring inspiration images, Pinterest boards, etc. to serve as inspiration for our team’s selections.

2.) After our initial meet and greet, once the client has decided to move forward, they pay a retainer upfront that we deduct our design time from as we go. Our team will go to the site to take measurements, photos, and take a look at existing furniture pieces to start the process. At this point, the measurements are used to draw the space in AutoCAD to create space plans. We will present the various options for furniture arrangement to the client to determine what works best functionally, and then based on which arrangement works best, we will begin making selections.

3.) Sometimes we will design homes in phases by room, and in this case we will prepare all of the selections for that space, photos of the furniture item we’ve selected, fabric swatches, finish samples, wallpaper samples, etc. to present to the client. From here we either get the green light to order product or we make a few re-selections. The presentation piece typically takes place about 2 weeks after the initial meet and greet. The real time gap takes place in the period between the time the proposed selections are ordered and install day.

4.) Once we create a proposal with the items we’ve presented, we send the proposal on to the client for approval and then we place the orders. For many items, the lead time is anywhere from 8-12 weeks, meaning that the install likely won’t take place for around 3 months after orders are placed. Because items are coming in at different times, and because most vendors we use require a commercial shipping location, we work with a local receiving warehouse who manages storing and delivering our furniture and items.

5.) The last step in our process is the install! This is always a fun day because we get to see all of the pieces we selected months back come together to complete a space. On the day of the install, it’s all hands on deck. Our team shops for accessories, books, and other items as needed during the day of the install to completely finish out the space. Later down the road, we have some spaces photographed so that we can share our work with you!

We know the design process can be daunting, but we hope this helps to explain our process! Have a fabulous week and we’ll talk to you next time!

xx- JCI Team

Simple Ways to Elevate Your Builder Grade Home...

Hi friends! Happy Thursday to you. While most of our projects are new builds at this point in time, we do also design a fair amount of homes utilizing existing furniture or working around existing finishes. Sometimes a builder grade home feels builder grade. Things like lighting, trim and molding, and other finishes can be dead giveaways at a beautiful custom home versus a home that is more of a builder grade model. Whether your home is a custom new build or a builder grade home, you can elevate your space and make it just as beautiful by paying attention to a couple of upgrades you can make.

5 Simple Ways to Elevate Your Home

1. Freshen up with new paint- An easy way to make your space feel light, bright, and fresh is by adding a little paint. This is probably the most inexpensive way to make the biggest impact. We typically paint the most lived in spaces a white, whether that be go-to colors like: Snowbound by SW, Pure White (SW), or Simply White by Benjamin Moore. Trust us! A fresh coat of paint goes a long way!

2. Replace dated hardware- If your kitchen, bathroom, or cabinet hardware looks cheap and dated, luckily there’s a simple way to change that! Sites like House of Antique Hardware, Etsy, and Build.com are all great options for beautiful hardware that can be easily swapped out. Unlacquered brass, polished nickel, and any antiqued brass hardware option is gorgeous and gives your home a touch of sophistication that will take your space to another level. Always be sure to measure your existing hardware to make sure your replacements will fit in the holes that are already drilled! Otherwise, you’ll end up with a little more work patching up and repairing!

3. Replace your lighting- Lighting can be tricky, especially when it comes to getting the scale right, but by replacing dated lighting with fixtures that are more up-to-date, you can beautifully accent your home. We always say that lighting is the jewelry of the home. Things to avoid… what we call, “boob lights”. You know what we’re talking about!! Replace those boob lights with a beautiful pendant or small chandelier and let those light fixtures steal the show!

4. Add wallpaper- Wallpaper is a huge trend right now and we’re all for it! Even if you’re in a rental, the peel and stick wallpaper options are inexpensive and extensive! Go for it with a beautiful wallpaper in spaces light bedrooms, an office, a dining room, and especially a powder bath. P.S. if this is an update you want to make, you’ll want to stay tuned for this week’s Sunday 6 where we’ll be sharing our favorite wallpaper options!

5. New draperies- Custom draperies can be expensive and difficult to come by. If custom draperies are attainable for you, we recommend a white linen fabric with a black iron French return rod. If not, there are great readymade options from places like Pottery Barn that are also white linen and will work well depending on the size you need. A fresh set of drapes will make your home feel fresh and bright- You won’t regret it!

We hope these 5 simple steps will help you make little changes to your home that will definitely have a huge impact! Let us know if you have any questions in the comments below, and we’ll talk to ya next time! Remember to be on the lookout for our wallpaper picks on this week’s Sunday 6 on Instagram and Facebook!

Have a fabulous rest of your week!!

xx- JCI Team

Mixing Old with New

Hi friends! Happy Wednesday to you! Is it just us or does it seem daunting to keep your home looking fresh and new while incorporating some of your treasured collected items? Julie’s personal design style is definitely more collected with antiques incorporated throughout a modern, clean, and natural space… Lot of whites whether it be paint or furniture, wood grains, beautiful art, with relics that all tell a story incorporated throughout. Julie’s personal home consists of white walls, white linen draperies, and lots of white upholstered furniture. Her walls are adorned with lovely antiques that she’s collected over the years and you might find that some of the most memorable pieces in her home are collected items she’s been holding onto from years past. Today we wanted to share some tips on how to incorporate old with new and also share some of our favorite places to source antique pieces!

How to Incorporate Old With New

When we think about ways to incorporate old pieces with new in a way that still feels fresh and modern, we lean towards items like antique mirrors, art, figures/ statues, china, candlesticks, and accent chairs. In Julie’s new home built about 4 years ago, she incorporated gorgeous collected pieces throughout to give the space more character and tell a story. For example, if you’re out antique shopping and find any kind of old print, textile, sketch, photo, etc. you can easily have these reframed and layer them on a mantle in front of a mirror or even group a few together to hang. When it comes to china or dish ware, if you can create a collection of like items, you can easily showcase these throughout your home. Julie displays her collection of vintage mint green and turquoise dishes collected and gifted to her by her mom and grandmother all together in open shelving in her working pantry. By keeping like items together in a group, your collected items feel less out of place and more like an amazing and finished collection. If you find an amazing pair of antique chairs with great bones, you can can easily have them recovered in a simple white linen or pretty fabric and use them as pieces to add interest to your living room or flanking your dining room buffet table. We did this more recently with a pair of antique chairs that Julie had found years ago and had in storage. They went from a dated and dirty pink fabric to fresh and beautiful after we had them recovered with a white linen fabric. These are just a few examples of easy ways to think through incorporating antique finds throughout your home in a way that isn’t dated or overbearing.

Where to Source Antique Items

Some of Julie’s favorite places to source antiques are websites: Chairish, 1st Dibs, and Everything but the House. There are hundreds of items from art to mirrors to furniture and new items are added every day! We source a lot of neat finds for clients from some of these sources that are so easy to access online. Click on the links above to shop these sites now! Locally in Nashville: Eneby Home, Robin Rains’ showroom, Gas Lamp 1 and Gas Lamp Too, and 8th Ave Antiques are all favorites of Julie’s. Definitely check them out and if you find something you love, think through how you might layer it in or display them as a collection to add character to your home!

We hope this helps!! Have a happy Wednesday and we’ll talk to you next time!

xx- JCI Team

Styling with Brass...

Hi friends! We hope your week is off to a good start. The number one question we get from you guys is how to style specific spaces throughout your home. This week on Instagram and Facebook we shared some of our favorite brass items. A brass touch here and there is agreeable in any space, and we came across some awesome accessories like bowls, vessels, candlesticks, etc. that are perfect for styling. A few weeks back we filmed a few tip videos and one was on the topic of styling shelves. In my master lounge we have an area where all of our books, items we’ve collected over the years, and brass objects tend to land, and the way that I ensure that everything is kept consistent is by repeating one aspect throughout. I chose to repeat brass because the possibilities are endless as far as sourcing new accessories that will fit to scale in the space. Click here to head to our Instagram and click on our highlight called, “Tips” to watch. We’ll also share and link all of our favorite brass items below to shop!

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Shop here… Click the button to shop

Click to Shop

These brass objects and vessels are all perfect for styling and ensuring that there is some aspect of consistency kept throughout the home. Bowls are awesome for styling because nondirectional objects can be used on a table where all sides will be viewed, bookends are perfect for shelving or can be separated to use on coffee tables, etc. There are lots of ways to utilize brass items for styling throughout your home and these picks are all affordable and easy to order online!

We hope these items work in your space! Have a wonderful week + we’ll talk to ya next time!

xx- JCI TEAM

On the Couch with Julie...

Hi friends! Have you been keeping up with our “On the Couch with Julie” series? If you’re new around here, we’d love for you to check out our IGTV series where we’ve been interviewing experts in the industry to share their stories, tips, and tricks on all the things. We’ve had a home builder, an artist, a wardrobe consultant, a therapist, and so many other amazing guests join us to share their stories! Wondering what’s coming this week? We’ll be filming several new interviews this week and are excited to share an interview with Dawn Burns, aka the Nashville Mom later this week. Dawn has a fabulous blog and social media presence where she shares about all the things. Our interview with Dawn is coming later this week… stay tuned and don’t miss it! Click the couch logo below to follow us on Instagram so you won’t miss an interview! You can also view all of our interviews from the “On the Couch” series under our IGTV page.

We love to hear from you all to find out what topics you want to learn about, who you might want to hear from next, what questions you have, etc. for upcoming episodes of “On the Couch” so please reach out and let us know via Instagram DM or email (jessica@juliecouch.com). We can’t wait for you to listen to this week’s episode! Stay tuned.

We hope your week is fabulous and you enjoy your weekend! We’ll talk to ya next week!!

XX- JCI Team

Trending Items for the Home + JCI Lookalikes...

Hi friends! It’s Wednesday!! How has your week been so far? We happened to come across some FABULOUS finds from places like Target, Etsy, and World Market that we couldn’t not share with you all! We actually had a few requests from you to share some lookalikes of product we’ve placed in some of our projects, and ended up finding a few awesome ones as we shopped through. We’ll attach the graphics we posted to Instagram and Facebook below for you to look at if you’re interested in seeing some items we loved! You can order them all online.

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Shop these finds by clicking the button below…

Shop Now

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Click the button below to shop now!

Shop Now

JCI Product Lookalikes…

We hope you guys love some of these picks as much as we do! We’ll share photos of some lookalike products at more affordable price points from some of our past projects! You can head to the graphics above and click the buttons to shop these items online now.

Have a fabulous rest of the week, friends!! We’ll see you next time!

xx- JCI Team

Julie's 5 Daily Non-Negotiables

Hi friends! I hope your weekend was wonderful! Our family was sick last week and had a bit of a COVID scare, but luckily we all tested negative!! Though we had to cancel the family vacation we had planned for last week, we are very grateful to all be healthy again. This week on the blog I wanted to share about something I discussed a few weeks ago when my friend, Heather Adams of Choice Media, interviewed me for her podcast, “This Intentional Life”. You may remember Heather from an “On the Couch with Julie” interview a couple weeks ago, but she asked me a fabulous question- one that I think is worth asking ourselves to make sure that we are aware of the things in life that are significant to our day-to-day and help us function best. What are your five daily non-negotiables? In other words, what are five things that you engage in every single day that are a part of your routine and are significant to how you live and function? In an effort to help you guys get to know me better, I thought I would share my own.

Julie’s 5 Non-Negotiables

1.) I start my day with Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope- A podcast by Pastor Rick Warren that I listen to in the car as I’m on my way to work each morning. The messages are short but chock-full of great words of wisdom and encouragements that help me to start off the day on the right foot.

2.) Orange Theory- I have never really been one to be obsessed with working out or fitness, but I have gotten into Orange Theory over the past year and am obsessed! We have several locations around my office and home, so I always make an effort to squeeze in a workout if I can. It helps me in so many ways, physically, emotionally, and mentally to workout each day.

3.) Reading with Gus- Between working and all the other things that I have going on each day, I make an effort to devote time to spend with just Gus every day. Reading has been one constant that Gus and I both really enjoy. We actually did a roundup of some of our favorite kids books on our Amazon storefront page that we’ll link here if you’re interested.

4.) Bath Time with Marlowe- If you keep up with me on Instagram, then you have probably seen my “Bath Time Confessions” stories of Marlowe and me. Again, doing bath time with Marlowe each night gives me dedicated time each day for us to be together. The bonus is when we do “bubbles” aka bath time, she is captive, and I don’t have to chase her for a few minutes!

5.) Prayer- Another non-negotiable that is a vital part of how I work and function each day. There’s not necessarily a specific time of day I block out for this, but rather it’s more of an ongoing conversation with God throughout each day. The past few months have been challenging for me becasue I thrive with a plan, a list, and a timeline. But I feel on the days that I try to do it all by myself I fall short. Prayer has given me hope and focus that is so very needed for me right now. xoxo

Thanks for reading!

We hope you have a fabulous week and that this prompts you to think about what 5 things that are vital to your day-to-day life or even add some new routines that will be helpful to you!

Talk to you next time!!

XX-JCI TEAM

Because You Asked: Our Countertop Favorites...

Hello and happy short work week! Am I the only one who can’t believe that we’ve almost made it to July? What a crazy first half of the year it’s been! We had several of you request that we share some advice on what countertops we’re loving right now, so we decided to do a whole Sunday 6 (posted yesterday) to share that with you. If you’re interested to see it, please head to our Instagram page and see our highlight called “Sunday 6 pt. 2”. We’ll share all of this information and more here on the blog as well.

Our 6 Favorite Countertops

Our number one pick is Calacatta Gold Marble. With deep gray veining and taupe/ gold accents, this option is a stunning classic. It can be expensive, but so very beautiful and timeless. Our second pick is Carrara Marble. Even more classic, this marble with gorgeous black and blue undertones and movement and lots of variation is stunning in every space. Our third pick is Soapstone. Durable, very low maintenance and really beautiful. We’ve used this often in bar spaces or in working pantries for a little variation and drama. Next is absolute black granite. We’ve found that the leathered finish has the feel of a soapstone at a better price. Still very low maintenance and durable. At number five on our list is Metro Quartz Unique Calacatta. We’ve loved Metro Quartz options and this specific select looks much like a gorgeous Carrara marble at a cheaper price point and is much easier to clean and maintain. Last is Aurea Stone: Lincoln (Quartz), which is a white stone with little movement. It creates a very neutral, clean slate that is classic and really beautiful in the spaces we’ve used it in. We hope this quick run-through of our favorites is helpful to you and gives you a bit of an idea of the looks that we’re loving that are timeless and very versatile in most any space.

On the Couch with Julie

We’re excited to share a fun interview we filmed this past weekend with our friend and talented G. Grace Gallery artist, Kent Youngstrom. Kent is an incredible artist with pieces all over the country. You may have seen his work for NoBull, Lululemon, Magnolia, and many other well-known brands. You won’t want to miss as Julie interviews Kent to ask more about what inspires his work, what kinds of projects he does, and more! We’ll be sharing this later this week, so stay tuned on Instagram and Facebook. As always, please email Jessica (jessica@juliecouch.com) with any requests for who you’d like to see or what kinds of topics you’d like to hear about “on the couch”.

Have a fabulous week!

XX- JCI Team

All the Bathroom Things + More from JCI

Hello! Happy Friday! We hope you had a wonderful Father’s Day weekend and have had a great week. Last week we posted a roundup of some of our favorite Amazon picks for the home. We found so many other really great picks that we created another little roundup of items you didn’t know you needed for the bathroom. Some of our favorites are clear shampoo, conditioner, etc. bottles with labels to standardize the look of the products in your bathroom. We also linked some readymade sleek bottles that you can fill up… it’s a small touch that actually makes a big difference in sophisticating your space. We also linked more basic items like fresh white bath towels that will freshen your space or fill empty shelves.

On the Couch with Julie

This week has been crazy and we decided to share a video we filmed a month or so back instead of filming a new “On the Couch”. We have more awesome content coming next week, but for this week, we thought we’d share a fun video we shot with Gus (Julie’s 7 year old), Jessica, and Julie at Julie’s home. After wrapping filming a couple of other videos, Gus wanted in on the fun, so we sat down with him on the couch to ask him 5 questions. Head to our Instagram and Facebook pages to watch and stayed tuned for next week’s video!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

XX- JCI Team

All the Home Items from Amazon You'll Want to Know About...

Hey there! Happy Tuesday to you. We shared a few of our Amazon picks on this past week’s Sunday 6 and got such great feedback from you all. Who doesn’t love anything that can be bought at the click of a button and arrive within 2 days?! Because you all were so enthusiastic about some of the items we shared, we thought we would share a few other amazing go-to’s that you won’t want to miss!

All Things Home… All From Amazon

We’re linking all of our favorites… from throw pillows, to decorative objects, to dining chairs, tons of amazing coffee table books, and more. It’s all linked here for you on our Amazon Storefront. To highlight a few of our favorites… the mood moss is a must. We use it in almost every client project in a shallow bowl or planter, and it adds the perfect touch of green to any space. Another favorite, the cutest lumbar pillow that is versatile for use in lots of different spots in your home. Lastly, the modern black planter. So much easier to order it from Amazon than to go on a hunt for one at your local garden center. We’ll attach the graphics from our full round-up below in case you missed them on social media! We hope you find something that is perfect for you and your space, too!

We hope you have a fabulous week, friends!

XX- JCI Team

Paint Colors to Keep in Your Back Pocket...

One of our most asked questions is “what paint color is this?”…. Today, we decided we would write up a quick blog post on our paint color favorites that we use time and time again for you to keep in your back pocket. If you’ve followed us for awhile, you know that we use lots of whites, blacks, grays, and blues. If you missed our stories on Instagram and Facebook today, we’ll share them again below for you to look through. Here are our favorites with photos of spaces where the paint was used for reference…

Want a copy of our complete paint guide?

You never know when you’ll need a few go-to paint colors, so we’ve created a complete guide with a list of all of our favorites so that they’re all in one place. Pro tip… we’re those people who have 20,000 photos on our phones… We recommend saving the graphic with all of our paint color favorites to your photos and creating an album called “paint colors” so that you’ll have these in your back pocket next time you need them! Click here to receive our FREE paint guide! We hope this helps!!

About G. Grace Gallery + More from JCI

Hi friends! We wanted to do a quick post to share a little bit more about something that is near and dear to our hearts… Julie’s not for profit art gallery, G. Grace Gallery. Julie founded the gallery a few years back in memory of her daughter, Georgia Grace Couch. The gallery offers pieces from 20 talented and award-winning artists who have joined the gallery from around the country. Pieces range from $30 to around $4,100 and represent a variety of styles from landscapes, to colorful abstracts, botanical prints, and even pottery. We wanted to share a bit more about the gallery and its mission with you all because it means so much to us. Julie has partnered with the Forrest Spence Fund to help critically and chronically ill children in the mid south, giving back profits from all sales to support them and their fabulous and impactful mission. All artists take commissions meaning that through G. Grace Gallery, you can collaborate with our artists to ensure that you’re buying the perfect piece for you and your space. You may not know that our gallery actually doubles as Julie’s design studio for Julie Couch Interiors in Nashville, TN in the 12th South neighborhood. It’s so inspiring to work surrounded by beautiful art! Oh, and if you’re a designer, we’ll work with you to ensure that you make a 20% commission off of your placements. We’d love for you to check out our gallery for your art needs because it’s something that is very dear to our hearts and has the ability to benefit and give back to others in the mid south. We’ll link our website and Instagram below if you’re interested in checking us out!

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Click the button below to learn more about G. Grace Gallery or shop!

Learn More

A few available G. Grace Gallery pieces…

WE hope you’ll check us out- either online, or in person to shop some of our lovely pieces!

XX- JCI/ G. Grace Team