I’m writing this very quickly before I pack for Baltimore. I leave this morning for the weekend. Don’t worry! I’ve got things lined up for the rest of the week.
Let’s start with the new Eco Collection from Graham & Brown. I’m really loving these new floral motifs. And I’m so happy that wallpapers are making a booming comeback.
This pattern is called Beauty. The color is Amethyst. It retails for $60 per double roll.
Next, don’t forget to check out my contest. Misterarthur told me to show a photo of my Desing Hole Tee shirts. But I’m already way behind just trying to pack. Egads! Later - much.
Finally, while I’m on the plane I’ll be putting the finishing touches on today’s Design Dilemma. I’m in love with this room. I hope you like it too. Stay tuned.
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?
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 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!
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about the new line of wallpapers from Anna French called Glamour. Yesterday, I was talking to Bonnie Doran, the manager of Thybony’s showroom at The Michigan Designer Center. (Thybony is adding Anna’s line, which will be available in a couple of months.) Bonnie gave me a little insider info. I thought you’d enjoy.
The photo featuring the pink and red flocked wallpaper is Anna French’s bedroom. Ms. French is 62 years old, which says to me that you’re never too old to have lots of fun in your bedroom. So here’s a big toast to Anna French.
I read a nice little post over at Apartment Therapy last night listing ten great wallpaper resources. I agree that wallpaper is back in a big way. Thanks to the internet, great designs are now accessible to everyone - not just those of us in the trade. So scoot on over and check out their list.
I’ve also added a list of my own. One word of advice - always order a sample. Colors on the computer are very different in real life.
I really love Plynyl. I discovered it while in Montreal. The hotel we stayed in, The Gault, installed it in their guest rooms, over radiant heated floors. It’s beautiful and you can clean it with a mop. It looks like fabric and has a thousand and one uses. Walls, floors, custom mats, car interiors. It’s really cool stuff. What is Plynyl? It’s woven vinyl fabric that’s bonded to a polyurethane cushion. The manufacturer is Chilewich.
We live in a fascinating modern world that never ceases to amaze me. Case in point: WallCollection, which offers completely custom wallpaper at a non-custom price.
Forty Flowers by Julia Rothman: $94 per sq. meterYou can upload your own image or choose a design made by an artist, such as one of my favorites, Julia Rothman. It’s great to see her career really taking off.
Cityscape by Julia Rothman, $94 per sq. meterTheir designs are sold by the square meter and they ship to Europe.
The online store, 2 Janes, has many fine items available for purchase. And at (mostly) affordable prices. Let’s take a peek at a few, shall we?
This might be a good solution for the Complete Setting project. Only problem, there seems to be a duck theme going on in that bathroom. So maybe this tile tattoo wouldn’t work. But they’ve still got the kitchen to work on. This is an inexpensive way to add a little style to boring tiles. They come in several designs and sell for $16.00.
Next up, these cute Asteroid vases. I’d put these in a powder room, bedside table, or perhaps some other strategic placement that needs special attention. They’re currently on sale for a mere $22.
I love this, so I saved it for last. I know I’ve posted about this before, but so what? Come get me. It’s paint-by-number wall strips. 2 Janes has a wallpaper version of this, but the strips are a much more manageable project. And I know because when I was in high school I painted all four walls and the ceiling with an ornate mural including a silver leaf duck pond. It took FOREVER! But I did finish it. So I’m proud of that. But I digress yet again.
These strips come in several styles and cost $18.00 for a 15′ strip. Sch a deal!
Wallpaper is back in fashion. I’m glad to see it. It’s fun to mix even traditional papers with contemporary furnishings. Farrow and Ball has a new line called Special Edition I (I hope they didn’t pay anyone for that name), and to promote it they’re dropping their 3-roll minimum order for a limited time. If you’re interested in a sample, or ordering send me an email.
Silvergate - available in 52 colorwaysI’m wondering if you like wallpaper or prefer paint. What about those faux finishes?
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