One of the most difficult things for clients to do is visualize what a change in decor will look like. This is especially true with color. Especially when I come up with something outside the norm - which is fairly often. I love color and like to use it in unusual ways. I’m proud to say that I haven’t a had single client reject the end result. In fact, it’s typically quite the opposite.
This is largely due to two reasons. First, I’m a design genius (at least in my imagination, so please don’t burst my bubble or it’s the paddy wagon for me). Second, I know how difficult it is for many people to imagine what something will look like without some visual help. A little paint chip often isn’t enough.
I’m not the only one to understand this. Paint companies figured it out long before I did. And most have come up with paint visualizers to help you out. They all work the same way. You choose a room from one of their samples and paint the walls, trim and ceiling using their colors. You can save the result and print it out.
It’s a nice tool to help you get started. Here is a list of links to several sites that offer this service.
Be aware that the color on a computer screen will not look the same in real life. You may need to tweak your selection. And I’m a big fan of testing a color first. Regarding the visualizers, I wish they offered a larger choice of rooms to paint. Really, how difficult can that be? Also, don’t waste your ten dollars on Bennie Moore’s program that allows you to upload your own photos. It’s a pain to use and they should be giving it away. But they make a good paint.
Have any of you had experience with these? What’s your opinion of them? I’m also wondering how many of us have weekend DIY projects planned for this weekend. I’m making over the gravel pit.
I love the new lines of paper and fabrics from Jane Churchill. They’re a contemporary departure from her more traditional patterns. Lonsdale embraces the return of foils - something that was quite popular in the 1970’s. If foil isn’t your thing, her Calder and Caro Collections works with Lonsdale and come in a wide choice of colorways.
I find that some of my clients shy away from bold wallpaper patterns, fearing they’ll overwhelm a room. I feel quite the opposite. Large patterns can really make a room zip. Here are some tips on how to get it right.
• Flat surfaces will always show an over-sized design to its best advantage, so avoid using it on a wall with lots of picture molding that will break up the image.
• An intense, large pattern will look lighter with a diaphanous fabric on the windows.
• Carry the design through-out the room. Use the print from the walls on things like upholstery or bedspreads or a bedskirt. This will create an intimate feeling.
• Use a large print on the walls, ceiling and at the windows. In a smaller room, such as a bath, this looks great.
• Use large graphic motifs to create artwork by framing it. Or to create the illusion of a headboard.as works of art in their own right by framing them.
• Strong contemporary colours bring traditional prints such as damasks and toiles up to date.
Jane Churchill designs are available through your favorite designer. Don’t have a designer? Send me an email and I’ll get them for you.
Have you used art photography as a means of decorating? I’m using it more and more in my projects. Compared with original numbered prints, photographic prints offer a less expensive way to complete a room with real style. One resource I particularly like is the work of photographer Olya Sanakoev.
Olya makes her home in Toronto, Canada and has been taking digital images with her trusty digital camera since 2001. As Olya says, “I shoot only digital - not because I don’t like film, but because I shoot for myself, and I like it this way. Photography is fun for me, and I hope that my photographs reflect that fun and joy in life. I think the world is beautiful, and I want to show that. Essentially, I like things that are pretty. Perhaps that’s no deep point, but we all enjoy beauty.”
Outside of photography and world traveling (seriously envious of that), Olya pursues an eclectic life. She holds a double major in Computer Science and Cognitive Science from the University of Toronto. She also writes a blog about knock-off furniture called (appropriately) Knockoffs.
Visit Olya’s site to see more of her beautiful images. You can purchase them in varying sizes. All her photographs are printed on high quality photographic paper. Her prices are as follows: $30 for 8″x12″, $50 for 16″x24″, and $70 for a 20″x30″.
Have you used art photography in your home?
MTV’s show The Real World is in Hollywood this year. The houses designed for the show always look like a lot of fun. I wish my apartment looked as cool when I was a yungin’. This year, the show’s designer used wallpapers to add texture and fun to the rooms.
The show often uses certain products in exchange for a promotion. I don’t know if they did that with Graham & Brown, but the house is full of their Drama Collection. I like the eclectic look they lend to the Contemporary Meets College Grad style. I especially like the living room.
The house also offers a lot of great ideas on how you can use wallcovering in differents ways. For example, they used three bold digital murals as faux headboards.
Do you like?
Decorating walls with decals has become a bit of a trend. They’re especially great for children’s rooms, where redecoration is a constant. Decals offer a way of changing a look without having to repaint.
Allison Krongard, the owner of WallCandy is launching some new designs this week. I really admire people who are brave enough to start new careers. Allison worked as a sales rep. for Knoll International for eight years. She developed WallCandy after being asked frequently by friends and family for stylish ideas to decorate babies’ rooms.
Her designs are styled primarily for children rooms, teens, and areas of the home that could use a little more whimsy. Here’s a look at some designs I particularly like.
The birds are new - just launched this week. The trees have several new decals which you can add to your basic tree. These would be wonderful in a bedroom or playroom. The kids could play with these and create something new every day. I really like that idea.
My favorite is the Paul Smith Collection. They’re sold in sets of 80 spots for $68.
I’ve used decals only on furniture. I had a desk made for a teen that was topped with flames. Does anyone have experience using decals on walls? Are they difficult to apply?
P van B is a contemporary wallpaper label established by Andrea Pößnicker. The wallpaper collections tell stories and are conceptual pieces of work. At first glance they are only “decoration”, but a second view reveals hidden messages. Typical are hidden erotic scenes, pin-ups, apple trees, encrypted typographies and alleged romantic landscapes.
Andrea has freshened up collections of renowned wallpaper companies and has established wallpaper for art-projects. The showroom in Berlin-Mitte is located in the latest hot-spot Rosa-Luxemburg-Strasse.
Today is my son’s last day of school and we’re going out to celebrate. I’ll be back later with Chair or the Day.
I think I’m having a flashback. Design Hole friend, Melissa, suggested I take a trip over to Waverly and look at their wallpapers. Here’s what I found.
Personally, I think the designers at Waverly misunderstood the mid-century aesthetic idea when they came up with these 70’s-inspired prints. These remind me of my grandmother’s kitchen.
Waverly is a budget-conscious choice. While no one loves a bargain more than I do, the downside is the quality. Their printing process and paper quality isn’t always what I’d wish for. One thing I will say is that their website is very user-friendly. You don’t need special access to view their patterns. And they list the suggested retail price, which is nice since Waverly is often discounted.
I’m wondering what your opinion is of these patterns. Is it just me? Or do these prints look horribly dated?
Working with Black & White Design
Wallpapers have been rediscovered recently. And for those of us who never tired of them, it’s a nice thing to see. If I see another faux paint trick I think I’ll have a seizure. Joking aside, the faux thing was nice, but it’s time to say goodbye. I prefer wallpapers because they add so much more depth and texture to a room than any faux technique. Or plain paint for that matter.
Here are some nice black and white patterns from Ferm Living. You need to be a bit more careful when working with this bold, graphic color choice. Too much and you’ll feel like you’re living in a permanent acid trip. Here are some ways to use these types of patterns:
Ferm Patterns: Berry Black & Black Rose
With light patterns, like the two above, you can cover an entire room without going blind. There’s plenty of white space. Consider papering the ceiling. Don’t forget that fifth wall. The papers (above) would look great in a bedroom, dining room, or hallway. Window treatments options include a white eyelet, or similar feminine style. For a contemporary look, try a solid white or black fabric with black and/or grosgrain trimming. Paint the molding and doors black.
Ferm Patterns: Branch & The Fir Tree
The Ferm patterns here are better choices for a small space where you want a lot of drama, like a powder room, laundry room, or small hallway. The pattern is so bold, you don’t really have to do anything else. Keep everything else, like light fixtures simple. Or, do something that plays with the pattern. A light fixture with branches would be a fun choice. Antlers with the fir trees? Could be cool.
Ferm Patterns: Silhouette & Little Leaves
The two patterns shown illustrate the difference between a blinding graphic and a soft one. For a larger room, like a bedroom, our eye can rest when there’s more white space. Which pattern would you rather wake up to? Bold patterns, like Silhouette can be great in a bedroom, if you use them on one wall. It helps create a focal point. Behind the bed is the perfect spot. Then, repeat the pattern in unexpected places throughout the rest of the room. Try papering the panels of the bedroom doors. Or the inside of a closet. Make lampshades with remnants.
Do you have a favorite wallpaper tip? Do you have a questions about wallpaper? Leave a comment. June is wallpaper month. We’ve got all month to cover the topic.
June is Wallpaper Month. Here are some whimsical and wonderful papers from Studio Printworks. They’re carrying artist, Kiki Smith’s design “Maiden & Moonflower,” which she created for a special show currently underway at the Museum Haus Esters in Krefeld, Germany. The show runs through August 24th.
Sheila Bridges, the designer of the Harlem Toile says, “I designed it to remind people of many of the stereotypes that have historically been and continue to be associated with African Americans living in rural parts of the country as well as urban areas like Harlem.” Visit the site to see all the colorways available.
Southern Flowers makes me think of wallpapers from the 1940’s. I wasn’t around then, but someone must have forgotten to update and it made an imprint in my brain. Artist Sydney Albertini says she was inspired by one of her own paintings.
I would love to meet Jessica Smith. Her papers are too much fun. Are you wondering where you would use a paper that’s got some funky in the fun? Try lining the back of a bookshelf. Use it on just one wall. The laundry room is the perfect place to do something really wild. It makes doing a chore so much more bearable.
Do you have an interesting wallpaper use? Pass it along and I’ll write it up. You have all month to send me photos of your own wallpaper projects, your questions, ideas, favorite patterns - whatever. Let’s make it fun.
June is Official Wallpaper Month here at Design Hole. I’ll be writing posts about interesting papers, some how-to ideas, and decorating with wallpaper tips.
To kick things off, I’m starting with Spanish paper designer company, Tres Tintas. This high quality wallpaper is printed in Barcelona, Spain. They start with traditional designs and add their own young, fresh contemporary air to them.
Tres Tintas is managed by the second generation of Papeles Pintados Aribau, the pioneering wallpaper shop from Barcelona. You can buy directly at their online shop here.
Do you have a favorite wallpaper tip? A favorite paper? Or, perhaps you have a question about how to get creative with wallpaper. Shoot me an email, or leave a comment.
Speaking of wallcovering, I found this amazing glowing wallpaper over at Damned Good Design. Here’s the link to the post.
It’s from designer Jonas Samson. Enjoy!
Walnut has added a new wallpaper collection by artist, Geoff McFetridge. Flowers from Pottok, comes in two colorways, and is his newest creation.
For several years McFetridge has used pattern design as a part of his art shows. It was a natural evolution to turn his love for pattern toward creating designs especially for walls. Pottok is also his creation. McFetridge’s patterns have a unique allure. They’re playful and not your ordinary thing.
Pottok products are printed by hand using waterbased ink, which means no varsols are used in any part of the printing process. The papers are not treated with chemical waterproofing of any kind.
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