Target : Take a Peek at Opalhouse’s Wild First Year—Then Master the Maximalist Trend at Home

April 17, 2019

Whether you're a bona fide jet-setter or simply daydream about epic travels from the comfort of your couch, Opalhouse is the secret to immersing yourself in the treasures, colors and textures of far-off places-without spending a fortune (or worrying about passports and jet lag). We debuted the eclectic Home owned brand last April with an opulent-yet-affordable collection of more than 1,300 pieces across bedding, bath, furniture and décor. And we're just getting started! In honor of its first anniversary, join us on a trek through the brand's beginnings, soak up the inspiration behind the spring collection-and learn how to bring a bit of Opalhouse's magical maximalism to life in your own home, straight from one of our fave home style experts. Buckle up-you're in for a wild ride.

Like any good travel story, this one begins with a touch of wanderlust. Back in 2016, our guests were loving Threshold 's classic look, but craving even more options to bring their personal style to life in their homes. Target's design team stepped up to the challenge, listening to guests' desires and dreaming up stylish, affordable treasures to help tell their unique stories. In the two years that followed, the team crafted four new owned Home brands from scratch: Project 62 brought modern masterpieces, Hearth & Hand with Magnolia made modern farmhouse ultra-chic, and Made By Design elevated the everyday.

And then there's Opalhouse-the epitome of maximalist elegance. A dream for guests who want to mix, match and layer bold, vibrant (and totally affordable) eclectic pieces into their homes. Let's just say that they quickly fell in love, snagging statement patio pieces like this egg chair, giving their bedding and towels a refresh and layering in accents like unique candles-just a few of the brand's best-selling categories to date. But with the first anniversary-and spring!-approaching, we wanted to go even bigger and celebrate Opalhouse as a force of nature with a lush, tropical spring collection. Think deep, jewel-toned colors, animal motifs and vibrant florals. Here's a peek at how the team brought it all to life:
Inspiration strikes
The only way to truly capture an authentic, well-traveled vibe? Take to the air, of course. Steeped in our guests' needs, our team of trend-spotters, designers and artists travel the world, from the streets of Aix-en-Provence, Lisbon, Paris and Mallorca to the lush landscape of Hawaii, soaking up inspiration to ultimately infuse into every Opalhouse piece. Think artisan, handmade ceramic vases inspired by jungle animals and lovely floral patterns dreamt up during a Big Island waterfall hike. Sometimes the pull of the natural beauty is so strong, that our artists can't help but start creating right away. They're pros at painting and sketching pretty much anywhere, from a cute café table to a cramped airplane seat or a crowded train.
Broad brush strokes
Fresh from their travels, our artists settle in at our Minneapolis headquarters studio, where they paint, sketch and make their masterpieces (they create an astounding 13,000 unique pieces of artwork per year). One of our current faves? This striking jungle scene. Believe it or not, this piece started as a hand-drawn sketch. The artist then set down the colored pencils and used digital tools to perfect the pattern. From there, the prints make their way onto all kinds of Target-exclusive products, from pillows, wallpaper and bedding to placemats and more. Seriously, how amazing is this quilt? Or should we say, how amazing is this whole spring collection? The texture, the color, the elegant little details-ahhh, we can almost smell an ocean breeze.
Hold up-if this ultra-bold look is a little much for you, fear not. You can absolutely incorporate touches of the trend into your own home without fully committing. We asked Target Home Style expert Emily Henderson to spill five tips for mastering what she calls 'quiet maximalism.'

'Color, pattern and eclectic touches are back in a big way-and Opalhouse perfectly captures the trend in an amazingly affordable way,' says Emily. 'But there's no need to go full throttle (unless that's your jam-then by all means, go for it!). I like to take a 'lite' approach-all the flavor and visual interest, but more approachable and understated.' Flip through these photos for inspiration to create the look in any home:

Stay tuned to A Bullseye View as our Opalhouse and broader owned brand journeys continue!

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