a country home – decorating with jenni at dear lillie

by Sharon Santoni
sitting room decor
Continuing our series about country homes around the world, I am happy to introduce  you, or those of you who don’t already know her, to Jenni at the successful home decor blog Dear Lillie.    Jenni and her brother run an online store for home decor, and her eye for design and styling is truly inspirational.  l love the way that her home is so up to date with the latest trends, but yet still looks comfortable and welcoming
 grey and white kitchen
What part of Virginia are you in and how would you describe this part of the country?
We live in the eastern part of the state. It’s nice because we aren’t too far from the beach but also can be in the mountains in a couple of hours too and DC is just about two hours away. We live in a quaint college town filled with history that we absolutely LOVE.
shelf display
– Can you tell us a little bit about the character of your home and how it came to you?
Our home was built in the 80’s in a colonial type style. We try to keep the overall look traditional but with lots of updated and modern touches.
bedroom in grey
– I love the way you feature your family’s rooms and life on the blog. How do you create spaces for family life?
Although we always try to have a space visually appealing, what is most important is that is is both comfortable and functional for our family so all three of those factors go into choosing both the furniture and accessories as well as the overall feel of each room. We try to have each room contain comfortable places to sit and places to play and write and store things as well. We choose pieces that we love and that are practical for the space as well.
 chalkboard at end of stairs
– You have a real talent for makeovers.. How do you know when it’s time to ‘make over’ a room? Where do you start?
We have owned several homes in our ten years of marriage and usually as soon as we’ve signed on the dotted line I am ready to start making over each room. We usually start with the rooms we spend the most time in  our kitchen and family room and then our daughters’ rooms and then move throughout the house from there. My starting off point for each room is usually to pick a color scheme – this can be dictated through a piece of art, wallpaper, fabric, or just a picture we saw somewhere. Once I have a color scheme in mind then we begin and it kind of evolves from there!
 blueberry cake
– Currently what is your favorite room in the house and why?
Our family room because it is mostly finished and I love the feeling of and it is the room we spend the most time in. We are adding some finishing touches to it later this month which I am terribly excited about and then it will truly be my favorite.
– How would you describe your decorating style?
I would consider it traditional with a twist that has kind of a comfortable and cozy yet elegant feel to it.
– What does living in the country  mean to you?
 I grew up in the country so I consider it to be a place with lots of outdoor spaces to roam and enjoy where you can see acres and acres of fields and farmland and breath in the beautiful air. It’s such a beautiful and relaxing environment that is soothing to the soul.
 little girls playing on fence
Thank you Jenni for inviting us into your home. 
If you would like to see more of Jenni’s ideas for home decor, then check out her blog or her Instagram feed
Over on my Instgram page, we have just announced the winner of our giveaway, click here to find out who has one a Stylish French Box

12 comments

jenny danna January 23, 2017 - 3:19 am

So glad you found Dear Lillie! Love her!!

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Vicky from Athens January 23, 2017 - 3:23 am

What a lovely home! Thanks for introducing her to us . . . or us to Dear Lillie!

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Darlene Narcisse October 3, 2023 - 3:47 am

Hi,
What paint color are your cabinets?

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Taste of France January 23, 2017 - 10:48 am

Oh, thank you for new eye candy to feast upon. I love her style.
Those little girls are à croquer!!

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Colleen Taylor January 23, 2017 - 5:05 pm

I love her home & what darling little girls she has. I will be certain to check out her blog. Lovely post Sharon.X

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Ivy Jenner January 23, 2017 - 9:18 pm

I just love her design, and the colours she uses. So inspirational as I’m redecorating my own house, thank you Sharon and Jenni!

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jane williams January 23, 2017 - 9:19 pm

I wish I knew her paint colour that she used in the kitchen, it’s just the shade of grey I’m looking for!

Jane Williams

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Jan January 23, 2017 - 9:21 pm

I love the Dear Lillie website and her Instagram feed, always such clever ideas, and so helpful for seasonal decoration

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Lori January 23, 2017 - 10:56 pm

I love her everything. I have ordered her stationery and a wall plaque.

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Paula January 24, 2017 - 7:00 pm

Oh I absolutely love Jenni from Dear Lillie’s home – such an inspiring instagram account and blog. Another winner of an interview Sharon, well done. x

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Joyce January 31, 2017 - 11:55 pm

I live in Virginia also, small town of Culpeper, doesn’t get to hot or to cold, only about hour from DC. Love your relaxing style. Beautiful little girls.

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Emeli July 18, 2019 - 8:11 pm

Thank you for showing me some of your houses. I also live in the country but use a more modern style of the interior at home. I believe that those things that surround us very strongly affect our lives, think that comfort and the quality of above all. Now I’m looking for a comfortable chair, and I think to buy such as in this article, what do you think about it? Have you ever used such furniture?

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