All photos by Victoria Smith/SF Girl by Bay
Never have we ever seen a more perfectly collected home than that of Victoria Smith, writer, photographer and stylist for well-known US design blog SF Girl by Bay. We’re talking edgy flea market finds, vintage doors, the coolest rattan daybed and a vintage record collection. We’ve had our eye on this creative’s Pinterest for awhile now (can you blame us?), so naturally we jumped at the opportunity to snag a few decor tips from the stylish blogger!
The Los Angeles-based writer and stylist is truly a Jack (or Jane) of all trades. Don’t let her current location confuse you, she’s a San Francisco girl at heart, born and raised. She found herself in L.A. neighboring another very famous designer we’ve been drooling over for an embarrassing amount of time, Leanne Ford of US design show, “Restored by the Fords”, to whom Victoria admits she admires while complimenting her unique eye for design.
Victoria’s Instagram, which Domino Magazine hails one of their “design instagram accounts for endless inspiration”, is truly an infinite pool of stellar design content. You can imagine how thrilled we were to show up on her stylish grid!
Shop the Look
Eager to gain some design advice from the stylist, we asked Victoria how to achieve that perfectly curated, eclectic look she’s so thoughtfully mastered. “I always suggest that people should decorate with pieces that have sentimental value or stories behind them to create a space that make you feel happy to be in,” she tells us. “I think if you can collect and shop for things that really mean something to you personally, you'll love spending time in your home.”
To that she adds, “I also start with a 'base' if you will, of a pretty neutral canvas of black and white; therefore you can add to it with color and textures, and you can change it up often as well, even seasonally with accessories, art and flowers in bright colors or warmer colors for winter and fall.”
She describes her own design aesthetic as eclectic. “It’s constantly changing and evolving,” she tells us. “If you decorate all at once, it tends to take the fun out of the process so I’m always adding and subtracting unique pieces as my taste changes. I have quite a lot of vintage flea market finds paired with newer ‘basic pieces’ like a comfy slipcovered white sectional sofa and a Saarinen dining table that I’ve then added vintage chairs to. I like a very mismatched look.”
We’re happy to note that our black Smith Armchair was one of those later-added pieces, and we think it looks absolutely gorgeous in front of that epic bookcase! We both continually joke that we named our most popular chair after Victoria. Needless to say, Smith belonged in her home.
Victoria mentions the idea of sustainability, “I’m all for sustainable living, which is why I love vintage pieces so much -- the ultimate recycle. I loved that Barnaby Lane builds classic pieces to last a lifetime and pass down to generations, rather than a poor quality piece that ultimately ends up in a landfill.”
On top of running her blog, Victoria also owns her own online vintage shop, Super Marché. She travels to France (which she admits isn’t a hardship!), shops the flea markets, and sells her one-of-a-kind finds on her beautiful online shop.
Continue on to see the rest of Victoria’s perfectly imperfect LA home, and see how she styled Smith in front of the bookcase of our dreams.
