interior design by anne 46

sneak peek: jill bliss


for anyone who has picked up a copy of the new handmade nation book you may recognize some of the spaces from today’s first sneak peek: jill bliss. artist, designer, crafter, jill is just one of the many talents showcased in the new documentary, also titled handmade nation, due out early this year. today we’re excited to show off her portland, oregon home. i love that the colors in her home feel like something straight out of one of her illustrations. click here for more, full-sized images, and here for more of jill’s work. as always, you can find all of our wonderful sneak peeks right here. [thanks, jill!] -anne


originally from northern california [the bay area and a farm in the central valley near chico], i’ve also lived in nyc, and currently call lovely and amazing portland oregon home. i love rainy days, overcast weather, moss, and trees; so this is the perfect place for me!


i’m currently living in a huge old four square arts and crafts house with roommates. the house is the biggest one on the street so i suspect it was the original farm house for the area back when it was built in 1912. the last owner spent several years restoring it somewhat, there’s evidence that it had been a boarding house at some point. as a result of all the recent upgrades, most of my decorating has been limited to repainting all the rooms which, because of the sheer size of the house, actually took about 6 full months [and counting].


i’ve also had to buy or make some furniture since this place is much bigger than the one bedroom apartment situation i was previously accustomed to! that being said, my roommates and i prefer zen-calm places without a lot of clutter so i try to keep the visual craziness to a minimum, or at least tucked away.

Pin It

46 Comments

Katherine

Wow–what a beautiful home. Jill was one of the very first independent artists who I discovered, and her work was love at first sight. I love seeing bits of it pop up throughout the space. Welcome back!

julie.

great house! I’ve been a fan of Jill Bliss since Shelflife Record days!

joy

jill!
the house looks great! lots of new stuff & colored walls since we were there last year!
-joy

carlene

It’s lovely, but where is her workspace? Kat, are you seeing a studio that I’m not seeing?

Stephanie

I’d also love to know where the sectional came from! Thanks!

Marieke

i love it! i am totally inspired by the wooden shoe hanging in the 1st pic… i have tons of old dutch clogs in my attic that i’m now going to tack to the wall! beautiful home!

jill bliss

thanks for the positive comments everyone! the sectional is from zinc details in san francisco. unfortunately i no longer remember the manufacturer, but it was made in l.a. there are a few pics of my studio in the handmade nation book. i’ll post more on my flickr site tonight!

rhaya

I am a huge fan of Jill’s work and loved this sneak peek! The Christmas tree made me smile.

Caroline

jill! your beloved xmas tree!!! i’m glad i got to see it!

Kristin

I love the concept of having a picture shelf! What a perfect idea for someone with tons of art! I’d love to do this in my basement! What height would be the best? It looks about halfway up a door’s height.

Rose L.

Hi Jill-

Beautiful house! Can you please tell me the name of the green color you used by the staircase? It’s gorgeous!

amy

it’s great looking. love the consistency of the white frames. what material/color/type frame is it?

jill bliss

more questions answered!
rhaya – the tree is by kuno prey from unicahome.com.
kristin – the picture shelf is 38″ from the floor.
rose – i had the green paint custom mixed, which you can have done with any kind of paint these days in smaller shops. it’s pantone 454.
amy – the white frames are all from ikea!

kate Endle

Super impressed with your space. It really reflects your fab work in such a wonderful way. That just makes it all the more impressive considering you have roommates. Do you struggle to keep the aesthetic or do you live with like minded people? Some of both?

anh-minh

Wow. Jill – I love how you’ve transformed the place! Awesome wall colors. Forget the Ace Hotel; the next time I’m in Portland, I want a room at Chez Jill.

jacks

Love all the colors and especially the necklace nook! What farm did you live on in the Chico area? I live in Chico off the esplanade…

Sharene

Oh I love this, the little bench in what I’m guessing is the entryway is great. I just adore the idea of the art shelf. And the colours ooooooh :)

beth

I love those paper stars in the last picture. Are those something Julia made?

Emily

Really beautiful. I also love the wall color in the kitchen/breakfast nook – what color did you use there? Also custom?

rachel

i need that print of houses in your jewelry nook. is it one of yours? if not, where is it from?

jill bliss

hello again everyone! more answers to your questions:
jacks – the farm was our family’s, located between vina and corning
beth – i got the paper stars in buenos aires but if someone stateside makes them i’d love to know!
emily – the kitchen wall color is a standard yolo paints color, can’t remember the name
rachel – the print is mine, available here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19274045

danielle

Love the 2 tables in the kitchen. They are exactly what I’m looking for! Jill: Did you make them or buy them?

ashley

i love the closet/library. assuming it was a closet once, did you convert it to a library yourself? this inspired me to convert the closet in my office for more book space. not sure how to start that project though. any advice you could give would be great!

D

I love the couch. The fabric, the color everything. Where is it from?

chelsea

i love your house jill! so calm and handmade, just like your work!
i love all your jewelry- where do you get the chunky geometric necklaces, like the blue one on the left side of your jewelry nook?

Kim

Although both my daughters are up in Portland, I, unfortunately am firmly esconced in the Bay Area (near SF). Without divulging the actual location of the house, is it anywhere near the University of Portland? I ask because every time I am up there I see stunning old homes everywhere and would be willing to live in a run down old victorian if I could just HAVE ONE! : D

Cyndi

Awesome and so clean and colorful, I love the wall photo molding also. I tried that in my bathroom but it isn’t deep enough.
I adore the wall shadow boxes and the house print above the jewelry chest.
What fabulous ideas!
Smiles, cyndi

Katy Kristin

I, too, love how you designed your home, very cozy and charming. I giggled when you said you try to keep the visual craziness tucked away. I have the same problem, but I don’t think I’m as successful “tucking” it away.

jill bliss

oops, here are some belated answers to your questions!
danielle: i did make the tables. well, i bought the bases at ikea and cut 3/4″ plywood and painted it for the tops.
ashley: it was a walk-in closet. i just put bookcases in it!
d: the couch was made in l.a. and i bought it at s.f.’s zinc details!
chelsea: the chunky necklace is from anthro, but most of the pieces i get at craft/design fairs as trades!
kim: nope! there are many amazing houses here though!
katy: it’s all about storage with doors!!!

linz

I am in love with the tree on the right as well as the rest of your home. Where is that tree from? Thanks!

Peggy

I also am interested in where the christmas tree came from.

Faith

hi

the paper house on top of the cupboard are so pretty, where did you get time from ? =)

Leave a Comment

Design*Sponge reserves the right to restrict comments that do not contribute constructively to the conversation at hand, contain profanity, personal attacks or seek to promote a personal or unrelated business.