What can I do each day to make my life beautiful? That’s a question we have asked ourselves for years. If we’re honest, it’s a big part of why KIM+ONO was even founded. Co-founders, sisters Renee and Tiffany Tam, grew up being mesmerized by the traditional Japanese dress of kimono. The garments themselves, the history behind them, and the craftspeople who stitched every detail of the Japanese dress into being became the inspiration for their own line of kimono robes. As little girls, they watched as beautiful everyday objects became artistic works, bringing life and vibrancy to everyday life through the meaning imbued in how each object was made.
It was with that spirit that KIM+ONO was born — a brand that prizes bringing a little beauty and luxury to every single day. And although we may think that slipping into your women’s silk robe is one way to bring art into your everyday life, we know that there are a variety of ways to do that. You are only limited by your imagination. In every moment of your day, you have an opportunity to bring more art (and with it, more beauty, meaning, and richness) to your everyday life. So in today’s journal, we’re going to give just a few examples of how to bring artistic style into everyday life, in the hopes that you are inspired to find what is beautiful to you, and amplify it in your everyday routines.
We love to blend function and beauty. That’s part of the reason we brought our Washable Silk Collection to life! It’s the perfect marriage of elegance that’s also functional and durable in everyday life. That’s why bringing art and aesthetics to your functional objects is an easy, quick upgrade to the most mundane moments! Perhaps you’ve been using the same coffee mug for years with the same crack and the same coffee stains — why not purchase a handcrafted mug by a talented local artist? Each time you use it, you bring a little extra beauty to your kitchen table. We interviewed Emily Reinhardt, of The Object Enthusiast, during Covid and she had some great tips on how to create an at-home environment that is filled with beauty. Her advice:
Surround yourself with things that excite you and make you feel alive and appreciative. Take the time to discover the things in life that you love and find ways to bring that into your daily routine. One of my favorite types of ceramic things to collect are handmade ceramic mugs. Bonus if it comes from someone I know and love. I have so many mugs that oftentimes I see the artist first, and the mug second. When I’m choosing my cup I think to myself, “who do I want to have coffee with today?” This really livens up my routines!
When you fall in love with a piece of art — go all the way! Bring it into your space however you can, and pretty soon, you’ll be collecting and curating a world you find beautiful. That’s what we did when we opened our brick and mortar kimono store in Chinatown, San Francisco. We knew we wanted a bold artistic piece to define our store and create a welcoming, beautiful vibe for our customers as they wandered in from the street. So we were excited to work with talented artist Valerie Santillo to create a beautiful floral mural on our back wall. The mural accentuates the deep breath we want you to feel whenever you visit our kimono store, and it’s an identifiable call back to the designs of our floral silk robes. Forever inspired by Valerie’s art, we decided the floral mural should also live on a floral silk robe. So we created the Jia, pairing Val’s cool and contemporary design with our fan favorite Washable Silk material, and turning it into a piece of wearable art. Since then, we brought the same beautiful design to an eye mask, a scarf, and a wrap! You can do the same with the designs you love. Bring it into your home through a poster, a shirt, a rug, or even wallpaper. Find beautiful art you love and build out your home around a collection of different pieces that feature it.
Just like you can turn art into functional objects for your home, you can turn functional objects into works of art! One easy way to decorate your walls is to hang your women’s silk robe on the back of a door or a hook on the wall. Display your morning and evening lounge style during the day, and don’t lock that beauty away behind the closet door. You can do this by even creating an altar, placing your tarot cards out, lighting a candle, and letting the beautiful objects you use day to day to have a place where they live out in the open.
We never think you need a special occasion to have a celebration. In fact, we love celebrations that have nothing to do with anything special! We love a celebration that is just about getting together with the ones you love. And the good news is that if you make it beautiful, it’s even easier to get the party started. You can invite a bunch of friends and family over for an afternoon garden party and get swept up by the beauty. Slip into a green kimono robe that reminds you of the garden you’re in, make yourself a part of it, serve a bit of tea, and some snacks, and voila you are celebrating an everyday moment. And by making the celebration a little extra beautiful with your floral silk robe, then each time you put on your green kimono robe, you’ll be reminded of the most beautiful things in life — the ones you love.
Remember that beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, so the most important way to bring beauty to your everyday life is simply to listen to yourself.
