“I believe even the smallest moments are worth celebrating, life is better at the beach…you can achieve that luxury, coastal inspired lifestyle from which you won’t need a vacation” are some of the philosophies New England based coastal lifestyle blogger Helen Phillips exemplifies that resonate well with us at Marigold Living. Her much-loved blog “Life on Phillips Lane” provides inspiration, ideas and valuable tips to fellow homebodies for living their most beautiful coastal-inspired lives – in a relatable, attainable and mindful way.
We are pleased to collaborate with Life on Phillips Lane and share how Helen and her friend Emma Nunn, capture their refreshingly unique, creative take on our heritage Indian designs. On this Style Guide, they present beautiful, seasonal tablescapes both outdoors in Emma’s Florida home overlooking a lake, and indoors in Helen’s home right off the Long Island Sound – both homes with unmistakable beachy, warm and cozy vibes! We are particularly impressed by their eye for selecting the softer dusty pink, sky blue, and bisque patterns in applique and block prints in Emma’s Florida home, and adding pops of the signature Marigold Living saturated blue Lotus and Sahara pieces in the mix to great effect. Equally interesting is how they create a non-conforming yet a perfectly beautiful Fall tablescape with our Gina lilac and green pattern in Helen’s home.
Last but not the least, what always makes us happy is to see how people are keen to incorporate timeless Indian design, no matter what their underlying design aesthetic is. We love how Helen is inspired by her grandma’s love for high quality linens that get passed down in families, and Helen’s own appreciation for well-crafted block printed table linens, that would similarly get handed down to someone else to enjoy.
Our design aesthetic is often informed by our surroundings and upbringing
“As a born-and-raised New Englander… I gravitate towards beachy, warm & cozy vibes”.
Q: How would you describe your style? As a New Englander, would you say the coastal New England look has influenced your taste and design aesthetic?
A: Simple. Coastal. Classic. And yes, 100%! As a born-and-raised New Englander, I would say my taste and design aesthetic are heavily influenced by my surroundings and upbringing! I gravitate towards beachy, warm & cozy vibes if that makes sense? Imagine: a cozy knit sweater, a pair of cut-off, faded jean shorts, a good beach read, a glass of rosé, and a thick blanket. That’s me in a nut-shell! And above all, I’d like to think my style is attainable. I hope when someone stumbles across Life on Phillips Lane they think, “yeah, I could do that,” or, “she seems relatable.”
Prioritize timeless pieces
“Marigold Living’s block print textiles are true classics! I can see myself handing down to someone else one day.”
Q: How do our heritage Indian designs fit with your décor style?
A: Trends come and go, and sometimes they’re fun to get caught up in, but no matter what, here at Life on Phillips Lane we prioritize highlighting timeless pieces. Marigold Living‘s block print textiles are true classics! Just as my grandma has gifted me some of her tablecloths and napkins and placemats over the years, I love adding decor pieces to my collection that I can see myself handing down to someone else one day. With how high quality your pieces are, I know they’re built to last!
Get out of your comfort zone to get the creative juices flowing for mixing and matching
“…the more you experiment and think outside of the box, the easier it gets.”
Q: The power of mixing and matching prints is part of our ethos at Marigold Living – do you have any advice as to how one can go about this without feeling overwhelmed?
A: Going in with the mindset of “more is more” is always a good place to start! I totally get how mixing and matching prints can feel overwhelming, and sometimes it feels that way for me too, but the more you experiment and think outside of the box, the easier it gets! Emma definitely helps push me out of my comfort zone and I’m so lucky to work with her because when we put our heads together, we really get the creative juices flowing and that’s when we come up with really fun ideas and unique visions!
Tying together bar and dining areas with creative use of linens
“I wanted to highlight the versatility of a table runner by draping it across and down the side of the countertop…to tie in the outdoor kitchen space with the dining area”
Q: How did you go about pulling together this outdoor entertaining setup, tying together the bar and dining areas? We are impressed with how they play off each other with a creative mix of our patterns and pieces. Did the Florida landscape play into your picks?
A: I always love adding new table runners to my collection because they are SO versatile and fun to play around with! And yes, I said “play” because styling this whimsical outdoor entertaining moment was pure joy for me and Emma! Emma did a great job selecting which pieces would highlight the tablescape and I love how she layered the table runner over the tablecloth to give it even more dimension and coziness.
When picking our Marigold Living pieces for the tablescape and barscape, we were definitely inspired by the beautiful home Emma is currently staying in. Specifically, we drew inspiration from the stunning yard/landscaping, the lake, and the family’s collection of orchids!
For the barscape, I wanted to highlight the versatility of a table runner by draping it across and down the side of the countertop. Not only does it tie in the outdoor kitchen space with the dining table area, but it also helps guests identify where to go to help themselves to a beverage!
Tips for small things that make a big difference when hosting
“…already have your beverage of choice poured and readily available… I LOVE Marigold Living’s block print napkins, tablecloths, placemats, and table runners – they hide stains/spills really well!”
Q: Do you have any tips for small things that make a big difference when hosting?
A: Oh gosh, where to begin!! I LOVE sharing hosting tips on my Instagram so I’ve got plenty that come to mind! In terms of making your guests feel instantly comfortable when they come over to your home for a dinner party or cocktail hour, one small thing you can do that makes a big difference is already have your beverage of choice poured and readily available. If your guests see you enjoying something to drink (doesn’t have to be alcoholic, could even just be a sparkling water), they’re less likely to hesitate to either help themselves to something (if you have a help yourself bar area set up) or they’ll be more comfortable letting you know what they’d like when you offer them something to drink.
Additionally, you can phrase it like this, “Emma, what can I get you to drink? I’m having some rosé right now and I also have X, Y, and Z.”
Another tip! Choose your linens wisely. If you’re having friends over for Pasta Bolognese and you put out stark white napkins, you’re without a doubt going to cause at least one guest some anxiety about getting said napkins dirty. That’s one of the reasons why I LOVE Marigold Living’s block print napkins, tablecloths, placemats, and table runners – they hide stains/spills really well! Of course, most stains wash out easily, but still, it’s one less thing for guests to worry about so they can spend more time enjoying the evening!
When decorating, do what feels authentic to you
“…you can make just about any color scheme work as long as you embrace the feel of the season you’re in.”
Q: Typically, we have seen customers style our Florence–Gina block print in more spring/summer settings, but we love how you used them for a fall tablescape, accented with orange and white pumpkins and organic white tableware. Do you have any suggestions for those who don’t want to do the “typical” colors associated with fall in their tablescape, but still be seasonally appropriate?
A: That’s so funny! When I was browsing your website and came across the Florence-Gina block print my first thought was, this would be perfect for my Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving tablescape! As a coastal enthusiast my spring/summer color-scheme is mainly blues and sandy tones. It’s not until Fall/Winter that I really warm up my palette. With that said, I realize I’m not the “norm” here, so I understand how the colors I associate with fall are colors you’re saying people typically associate with spring/summer.
This is all to say, I’m a big believer that you can make just about any color scheme work as long as you embrace the feel of the season you’re in. For instance, some freshly-picked blooms from the yard and a pitcher of hand-squeezed lemonade would totally change the feel of the tablescape we styled with the Florence-Gina block prints.
Just remember, as long as you do what feels authentic for you, it’s going to turn out amazing!
“Your applique pillow covers are beautiful and super versatile”
“I would definitely place them in either my bedroom or my guest bedrooms… and in my living room.”
Q: Our applique line is very versatile and looks perfect in both of your settings indoor and outdoor – how else could you see these hand-sewn, geometric designs in your home?
A: Your applique pillows are beautiful and super versatile! It was fun utilizing them in these photoshoots and back home I would definitely place them in either my bedroom or my guest bedrooms. On second thought, they’re so pretty, maybe I’d put them in my living room so everyone can appreciate them!
The climate influences one’s décor and color choices
“…it was a no-brainer to mix in some pinks and pops of color that speak to the warm FL climate!”
Q: Given it’s fairly warm all year long in Florida, would you say this influences your decor and color choices when it comes to seasonal entertaining?
A: Yes! Getting to reunite with Emma in Florida was amazing!! I’m the kind of person who is very much influenced by the weather, so with Florida’s warmer temps it was a no-brainer to mix in some pinks and pops of color that speak to the warm FL climate! I really enjoyed this opportunity to stray slightly from my typical coastal, New England vibes. As someone who wishes it was summer all year-round back home, I not only loved the heat and getting to wear shorts and a t-shirt, but I also loved the chance to be a bit more playful with these tablescapes!
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