Category Archives: WALLS

WALLS | our humble honolulu abode.

Jaymee + Reis' Honolulu Cottage

i’m really glad i took these photos last week because since then our house has been turned upside down, inside out, and looks like clothes and boxes threw up everywhere.  we are in the middle of packing and ouy, it’s one big mess over here.

anyways, i’m excited to finally share some pics of our [very] humble abode since it will no longer be ours in less than 2 short weeks (so sad!).  our place is tiny, but i love it so much…mostly because it’s been our first place as husband and wife and making a home together has been so much fun!  we live underneath the main house in a one bedroom and have an incredible view of the ocean.  this house for sure has its quirks (i.e. our bedroom is actually just a giant hallway from the living room to the kitchen), but it also has so much charm (those windows!!!).  we’ve definitely had to get creative with the layout.  we have way more furniture than what comfortably fits in this space for practical reasons as well as the fact that my office is also our dining room and our living room.  i’m not really sure what our style is…kind of an eclectic mix i guess?  most everything in this house is a random find from a garage sale, craigslist, or it was picked up for free on the side of the road (like my desk and our dresser!).  while i’m excited that we are purging or selling just about everything and starting with a clean slate in california, i’ve grown a bit attached to our home and its quirky character.  it breeds the homebody in me because i just love being at home.

Jaymee + Reis' Honolulu CottageJaymee + Reis' Honolulu CottageJaymee + Reis' Honolulu CottageJaymee + Reis' Honolulu CottageJaymee + Reis' Honolulu CottageJaymee + Reis' Honolulu CottageJaymee + Reis' Honolulu CottageJaymee + Reis' Honolulu CottageJaymee + Reis' Honolulu Cottageour bedroom gets the best natural light and wakes me up every morning!  our pillow is also special because we got it on our honeymoon in italy.Jaymee + Reis' Honolulu CottageJaymee + Reis' Honolulu CottageJaymee + Reis' Honolulu Cottagewe’re not big drinkers and cute bar carts are hard to come by, so i decided to utilize an industrial cart as a beverage cart and for more storage (we barely have any counter space)!  we get so much use out of this little corner whether we are blending smoothies, storing sparkling water for dinner parties, or making our morning coffee.

Jaymee + Reis' Honolulu CottageJaymee + Reis' Honolulu CottageJaymee + Reis' Honolulu Cottagei will miss you, little cottage.  you’ve been so good to us!

 

WALLS | R+D.

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i featured morning glass a few weeks ago on walls and today i’m showing you their  “sister shop” (at least that’s what i call it), R+D.  i’ve been coming here with my friend nicky once a week for the past month or so to work since we both work from home.  i love coming here for the rad atmosphere, free wifi, and delicious food and drinks (which are the same as morning glass…their scones + sandwiches + stumptown = YUM).  plus, they have a bookstore at the front of the shop that sells the best kitchen and coffee table books ever.  i would probably buy almost every book on the shelves if my wallet would allow for it.  the whole cafe is a pretty hipster little joint and has abundant tables for working and good lighting (very important!).  i give it two thumbs up and encourage you to check out the rest of kaka’ako while you are visiting!  so many of the surrounding shops are new and really neat so you should take a little looksie!

 

WALLS | lauren + david’s oakland apartment.

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i’ve been waiting a really long time to share lauren and david’s apartment for a reason i really don’t know.  i kind of equate it to when i was little and i would save all of the red skittles to eat last because they were the best!

well, this isn’t the last WALLS feature by any means, but i’ve been holding on to this one to share because it is the red skittles of apartments.  every square inch is SO amazing and i feel unworthy to even show it on my little blog.  this thing belongs on design sponge or apartment therapy!!

this incredible apartment located in oakland, california (rockridge, specifically) belongs to one of my best friends, lauren, and her boyfriend david (who, by the way, is an insanely talented journalist and just did a piece for this american life!).  lauren and i got placed together in the dorms our freshman year at ucsb and i am so glad i lived with her throughout college because 1) she was the best roommate/friend + i love her a whole lot and 2) we always had the cutest apartments thanks to her.  she is ridiculously crafty and UBER talented at interior decorating as you can see.  i am most definitely recruiting her to help us decorate our next place in LA.

she has curated such a beautiful space (equal parts feminine and masculine!) with knick knacks and furniture from thrift stores, the alameda flea market, craigslist, west elm, anthropologie, and some hand-me-downs.  lauren even used wrapping paper from paper source as wallpaper for an accent wall!  they’ve lived here for three years and i’m so glad i’ve had the chance to visit multiple times.  we recently stayed with them when reis was interviewing for residency in the bay area this past january.  not only is the interior perfection, but their neighborhood is so charming and quaint!  you can walk to coffee shops, markets, and restaurants in about 3 mintues or BART in about 10 minutes.  they are actually moving into the city so sadly, this space will no longer be their home!  but this just means that their new place will get another feature on WALLS!  thanks laur and ferr for letting me share your oh so beautiful apartment!  love you guys.

WALLS | verve coffee roasters.

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remember the last WALLS feature where i showed you laura’s adorable little beach cottage?  well we are staying in santa cruz, california for today’s feature at a coffee shop that she introduced us to while we were visiting.

i know i say “this is my FAVORITE coffee shop” quite a bit…but i think i really mean it this time.  this place is at least in my top five FOR SURE.  i’m excited to share with you verve coffee roasters!  seeing as it is my ultimate dream job to brand a coffee shop (hint hint any prospective coffee shop starter-uppers out there that might be reading my little blog), i was immediately drawn to verve for their amazing combination of great design + decor + really good coffee.  those edison light bulbs, that simple yet bold black + white menu, the product display cards, the packaging, the stamped to-go cups….ah!  all of it is just so dreamy.  perfection in a coffee shop in my opinion.

*there are 3 locations in santa cruz, but this is the downtown one located at 1540 pacific avenue | santa cruz, ca | 95062

WALLS | laura’s santa cruz cottage.

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part of the reason i wanted to start this walls columns was because a lot of my friends have really cute houses/apartments that i wanted to showcase.  one of my best friends laura (who just visited a few weeks ago) lives in santa cruz, california in an adorable cottage a few blocks from the beach.  it is just the coziest, cutest thing ever!  we were able to see her house on our drive back to southern california from san francisco in january.  she and her roommate have successfully decorated their place using thrift finds, DIY projects, and flea market scores.  a few of my favorite things about their house: the amazing natural light, the open kitchen shelving, the shingles on their bathroom wall (+ an unpictured clawfoot tub!), and their bubbly bar.  the structural charm of the place with the wooden beams and old windows PLUS their interior decorating skills make it so homey that upon entering you want to curl up on that couch with a blanket, a good book, and a glass of champagne.  and hey, check out that beach at the end of their street (santa cruz WOULD have a peace sign drawn in the sand, ha!).

WALLS | morning glass coffee + cafe.

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morningglass6 morningglass7 morningglass12today i introduce you to morning glass, yet another one of my frequented coffee shops on the island.  when laura was here, we went two days in a row because it’s just that good.  plus, it’s located in a cute little area tucked away in manoa valley.  the biggest perk here is that they serve stumptown coffee…which in my opinion, is reason enough to go back multiple times in one week.  i believe they are one of the few cafes on oahu to serve that delicious brew and so it makes it a special treat when i go!  their food is also pretty delicious.  i am partial to the scones, but that’s just because i have a major sweet tooth.  my all time favorite drink on the menu is their iced vanilla latte.  i kinda want one right now just typing + dreaming about it.  they make their own vanilla in-house and i give it 10 stars out of 5.  so check this place out if you are in need of a good cup of joe and a cozy atmosphere.  not gonna lie, you might find me there later today.  i’ve successfully given myself a major craving.