Holiday Entertaining
Setting thetable The Blue Jay Home stocks one-of-a-kind finds curated with love By Leah B erry P h otography by J ohn Mi chael Si m pson
rowing up in Venezuela, Lili Mazzei spent much of her childhood finding inspiration in those around her. Her grandfather and uncle were antique collectors, and her grandmother was a painter and interior designer. Once she was old enough to have a refined eye, Lili often spent her time perusing estate sales, flea markets and auctions, searching for unique additions for her home. It wasn’t until she received several requests to shop for family and friends that Lili turned her hobby into a business, founding The Blue Jay Home in Colorado in 2020. The online store features her
curated collection of finds – she started with antique and vintage dishes that she already had, but soon evolved into including home decor, modern pieces and gifts. Lili’s motto, “If I don’t like it, I don’t sell it,” means you’ll find primarily blue and white pieces – hence the business’ name – since she believes the color palette is timeless. These days, Lili goes everywhere in search of stock – she brings many items back from travels, estate sales and flea markets, and some are products that owners reach out to sell to her directly. “Even the days I come back with nothing are fun,” she says. Lili believes every piece on her website is reasonably priced, in fact, a fraction of what you would pay for the same product at an Lili’s vintage dinnerware is adorned with a tussie mussie table accent, made by Lisa Joyner of Fireside Farm, which includes burgundy amaranth, frosted explosion grass and thornless blackberry foliage.
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chapelhillmagazine.com
November/December 2023