Betsey Johnson’s Kitschy Interiors Stay Living in My Head Rent-Free
[ad_1]
To be immersed in an atmosphere like that feels like stepping into a museum of whimsical treasures; a Betsey environment vibrates with a creative energy that is funneled through a kaleidoscope vision. Or as Liana describes, it’s “some fairytale all-pink painted home in a hip trailer park that resembles a sassy dollhouse with its—also!—pink tiled bathroom, a floral print upholstered couch, and an expansive Murano glassware collection.”
Kristen views Betsey as a pioneer collector, something she discussed with the designer in depth for a home tour in 2018. “When I was interviewing her, she was talking about how she had all these things for years, like all the different pillows, posters, even plants, and just putting them together like not following rules,” Kristen says. “The way she arranges it, it’s somehow not too cluttered even though she has so much stuff, which is my biggest challenge.”
Betsey isn’t afraid of bold colors, mixing and matching, or pairing oddities together, preferring to curate an aesthetic that has rich and layered details instead of worrying about references. Susan defines the core of Betsey’s signature style as “funny, whimsical, juicy, abundant, high femme.” It’s an aesthetic that can’t be replicated because it’s so personal to her, but mastering the art of such a high level of curation is something we could all learn from Betsey. “She knows what she wants, and that’s the most important thing,” Kristen adds.
Over the summer, a listing for an acrylic armchair from the Melrose boutique randomly popped up while I was deep in a search hole on eBay. It features one of her signature floral fabric designs, but what blew my mind was how it’s in the style of Marcel Breuer’s iconic Cesca chair. Although you can’t put a price on the sentimental value of a Betsey piece, I spent a few days negotiating with the seller before purchasing it for $300. (My next order of business is getting it from my friend’s office in Los Angeles to my apartment in New York City, but I’ll figure that out in due time.) Now, I think I’ll take a page out of her memoir to guide me through this next stage of my adult life: “Be independent. Don’t care about trends.”
How to decorate like Betsey in 3 steps:
1. Be yourself 💄
“The biggest thing is be yourself, don’t follow trends. If you want to have a bright pink carpet in your room when minimalism is in, that’s fine—do it.” —Kristen Bateman
2. Dare to pair and hold on to the things you love 💋
“It’s about pairing things from different places and holding on to items. It’s okay to be a packrat sometimes. When I was interviewing her, she told me about these things that she kept for years, and maybe she didn’t have a place to put them in her apartment in New York, but eventually she found it in her home now. [It’s about] pairing things together in an interesting way that you wouldn’t necessarily expect and disregarding rules.” —Kristen Bateman
3. Put your tchotchkes on display 🎀
“Display tchotchkes anywhere you find space, hang your favorite dresses and bags on the wall like art, mix patterns (leopard and rose print is a personal favorite!), and, of course, flowers and plants everywhere! I think Betsey would love our Doria Fruit bowl and our Tutti Trutti Confetti bowl around her home.” —Susan Korn
Ready for a blast from the past?
[ad_2]
Source link
