Give Your Home A Vibrant Vibe With Designer Justina Blakeney's Jungalow Style

While most people today are trying to minimize the bold colors in their homes, designer Justina Blakeney is doing the opposite. Blakeney is all about embracing vibrant tones and lots of texture. According to Foyr, she's currently one of the top celebrity designers. This is because her unique Jungalow style, which creates wild, jungle elements in a bungalow home, has transformed the way bohemian spaces are designed.

Blakeney wants everyone to embrace the elements she believes make a home feel more personal and comfortable. In her own words, she says, "I think that's what design is all about; it's about bringing stuff into your home that makes you feel something, makes you smile, [and] brings you joy," per Architectural Digest. To give your space a Jungalow flare, you'll first need to understand Blakeney's style. Then, you'll need to know how to incorporate some of her favorite features, which include plants and earthy tones, natural lighting, color, texture, pattern, and personalized pieces, into your own home.

The Jungalow style defined

According to Justina Blakeney herself, the Jungalow style is all about creating a wild and joyful feeling in your space. Her design mixes the warm textures of the bohemian style with lots of pattern and color. She believes that the living energies in a house are what make it a home, which includes people, pets, and plants.

As seen during her home tour with Architectural Digest, the Jungalow style embraces an eclectic and maximalist design without feeling overwhelming. In her own words, she describes her aesthetic as being "all about indoor, outdoor, bringing in pieces I love from all over the world, [and] obviously color." When explaining the design in her living room, she says that "when people walk into this room, I really want them to have this feeling of warmth, of comfort, of good vibes, positive energy, a little bit of wonder, [and] a little bit of magic earthiness." All of these wonderful descriptors perfectly explain her style.

Blakeney's love for plants and earthy tones

One of Justina Blakeney's main elements in all of her spaces is plants. She loves plants for two reasons: one because they provide a beautiful green tone, and two, because they can transform not only a design but also those living in the home. In an interview with Anthropologie, Blakeney says, "It became so clear to me at such a young age that plants have the power to transform not only spaces, but people, too. Once you're in a rhythm with plants and you're surrounded by them — and they're thriving and you're thriving — it forms this beautiful symbiotic relationship."

From her love for plants flows her adoration for earthy, natural colors like green and terracotta. She says that green "is nature's way of soothing the soul," per Anthropologie. In an interview with Wit & Delight, she adds that she could do away with the all-white trend. Instead, she loves terracotta and things made from warm natural materials like wood.

The importance of natural lighting

Justina Blakeney is also obsessed with including natural lighting in her spaces. In an article on her blog, Justina Blakeney, Blakeney writes about the power of natural light and nature. She says, "we're so often behind screens, under artificial lights, and away from fresh air that I'm always seeking ways to bring nature and the feeling of the outdoors, indoors." Because of this, she decided to add many skylights to her own home, which provided her with more places to decorate with living plants.

However, Blakeney knows that not everyone wants to or has the budget to add skylights to their home. This is why she has additional advice about bringing in more natural light that doesn't involve installing any windows. According to Artful Living, she says that "during the daytime, harness all the natural light you can! Clean those windows to maximize the light flowing in. If you don't get a ton of natural light, you can use the reflective power of mirrors placed across from a window or other source of natural light to amplify what you do get."

How to incorporate color, texture, and pattern

Additionally, Justina Blakeney loves adding character and comfort to her spaces, and she does this through color and pattern. In an interview with Anthropologie, Blakeney says, "home is really an extension of the self — comfort and confidence are key." She also adds that, when choosing the right colors for your home, you should "close your eyes and think of the last few times you can remember feeling really relaxed and really refreshed — or the way you hope you feel when you wake up in the morning. What colors do you see?" She says this can be a great way to establish a palette in your home that's not solely based on trends.

According to Artful Living, Blakeney is also all about bohemian textured elements. She says that "some homes can be beautiful but feel a little over-designed or sterile. Making sure that you are surrounded by things you find beautiful and that are meant to be touched, used, and integrated into your everyday life is what gives homes that welcoming, inviting, [and] lived-in feeling." In other words, don't just incorporate items that you find aesthetically pleasing, but also think about how your decorative elements add purpose or comfort to your home.

The key: Embrace your personal style

However, the most important thing to remember when including the Jungalow style in your home is to think about what you personally love the most. According to Wit & Delight, Justina Blakeney says that her aim "has always been to try and inspire folks to tap into their own personalities and creativity." In the same vein, she adds that "the only mistake you can really make is to live in a space that doesn't reflect your personality, your desires, and your dreams." This really allows you to harness your own style and create a design that brings you joy.

To do this in her own home, Blakeney focuses on using pieces from all over the world that she believes showcases her family's personality. Her home is full of decor elements she has collected from other cultures or has made herself, which creates a fresh and unique design in every one of her rooms. She also incorporates plenty of animal and nature-inspired patterns, whether in the furniture upholstery, curtains, or throw pillows. According to Anthropologie, she says that, when creating art or designing your home, "you have to look within because you are so unique."