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Plans for the new nursery are taking shape. But, in terms of execution, we’ve yet to so much as dampen a paintbrush. I’m stalling because I want to wallpaper one wall but, as ever, I’m lingering over the choice of wallpaper.
We’re going for pale blue, not because I’m a traditionalist, but because the walls are already the most gorgeous shade of summer sky blue (bizarrely, the shade is actually called Polar Sky). It’s the color our first son had and I can’t bring myself to get rid of it yet even though he’s graduated to more grown-up tones (which will be revealed soon, I promise).
But I still want to switch things up a bit with the addition of wallpaper on a single wall. The goal is to keep the look simple and sweet, but to get away from the bland and traditional. Basically, I want a cross between the purity of this scheme:
(Photo by Chris Everard via Sarah Kaye Represents)
And the quirky vibe of this room (minus the skull of course):
(Via Houzz)
Yes, I know, hard to imagine. But trust me, it’s going to work (I hope).
So, back to the wallpapers. The perfect choice has to be right for a child’s room but also for a grown-up space as we might turn the nursery back into a guest room one day. So no trucks, trains, planes, dinosaurs, ducks etc. It has to work for a boy, not just a baby, which means erring on the masculine side. It has to be fun, but not hectic. And it has to be blue! I started with this: Cloud Bay by Rapture and Wright, in powder.
Problem is, when I got the sample it just looked, well, dull. Plus, the blue was too green. It’s also very tricky to source this in the US – there’s one distributor and it costs a fortune to have it shipped all the way from the UK. So then I considered this: Daydream in China blue and orange, by Wallpaper Collective.
I still love this one and might come back to it. But it might be just a little too childish for our needs. I can imagine getting cheesed off with the birds in a few years. Then I hit on the idea of a more geometric design. I have loved Vivienne Westwood’s Squiggle pattern for ages and now it’s available in wallpaper from Cole and Son. But unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be available in the US and UK suppliers won’t ship it here.
So, finally, I’ve arrived at what is hopefully the perfect solution: Hick’s Hexagon in blue by Cole and Son.
I’m excited about this one and hope that the sample lives up to expectations when it arrives. What do you think? Any other options I’ve missed?
With any luck, we’ll have the decision made and will be flexing our paintbrushes very soon, so watch this space…
Photo from Flickr.
I promised this year would entail some new challenges, and now I can finally reveal one of them. We’re expecting our second child in April! This explains the reduction in posts to this blog during the Fall: morning (ie all-day) sickness and fatigue do not mix well with blogging. But, with all that behind us, we’re looking forward to welcoming a new little boy into our family.
Photo via here.
Now, since this blog is all about interior design, most of my baby-related posts will be focused on his nursery and the other decorating projects a new family member entails. As any design-obsessed mother will know, a baby is a wonderful excuse to explore a whole new aesthetic (not to mention redoing a perfectly acceptable room in the name of ‘baby-proofing’!) In our case, it means redecorating three rooms. Our older son will move into the guest room, the guest room gets combined with the office and the new baby will take over my son’s old room. Bring on the paint chips and wallpaper samples!
Since I’ve had some experience decorating nurseries with baby number one, I can learn from prior mistakes. I’ll share those, and the inevitable new ones, on this blog. We’ve also nearly finished our first son’s new room so I can share those pictures soon. I promise not to let kid-friendly design take over, though – there will still be plenty of inspiration for grown-ups!
In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a few images of stylish nurseries. If I’m honest, I find it hard to find images of nurseries I really love and that balance both adult and baby needs – while also being suitable for a boy. Even these examples don’t necessarily satisfy the practical requirements of a modern nursery. More on that later. But they capture the right mood so, for now, enjoy…
A 1970′s nursery – yes really – via the Giggle nursery decor blog.
Via Sweetie Pie Pumpkin Noodle.
Via here.
Via here.
The ubiquitous image of Jenna Lyons’ nursery as seen in Domino (via here).
Lots to think about…
Bathroom, lavatory, loo, toilet, powder room, cloakroom – whatever you call it, decorating the smallest room in the house is not exactly the most romantic of design projects. Unless you live in the SF decorator showcase that is, and can powder your nose in this delightful space:
(Photograph by Elizabeth Fall)
In our case, our downstairs bathroom is not only the smallest room in the house but probably also the smallest room in the world. It’s billed as a quarter bath, which means it has nothing but a toilet in it. There isn’t even room for a washbasin (before you exclaim in horror, we wash our hands in the kitchen sink). Just to get into it, close the door and sit down, you have to perform a complicated maneuver, which requires practice. To make matters worse, the ceilings are so high that the space seems even narrower – a bit like being in a large vertical coffin. And it has no heating so feels like a Victorian outhouse in the middle of a British winter.
So why bother decorating it at all, you ask? Well, remodeling the layout is not an option at the moment, so I decided to make the best of the situation. If we can’t have a spacious bathroom with wide washbasins, fluffy towels and glamorous mosaic flooring, then we can at least have a space that doesn’t look like it should have strips of newspaper instead of bath tissue. This is how it turned out.
I chose the Bindweed wallpaper from Ferm Living for the walls above the dado rail. The bold black and white design brightens the space immensely and the pattern even makes the room seem larger. My husband spent the best part of a day putting the paper up, only to run out half way through the last wall. It was two days before Christmas so we had some shipped overnight (thanks to the very helpful folks at Branch) and he finished up the job on Christmas Eve. Now that’s true love: spending the day before Christmas in a freezing 5′ x 3′ space, suspended over the toilet bowl, wrestling with soggy wallpaper.
The lower walls show traces of one day being tiled but have been covered in layers of paint in varying shades of avocado and magnolia, so we just painted them white. The light fitting (this one from Lamps Plus) seems a particularly perfect match – it echoes the shape of the flowers in the wallpaper and, when lit, gives off a lovely dappled light (making it tolerable to spend more than five seconds in there).
Finally, the mirror is from the West Elm sale. We joke that it suits the room perfectly because it is probably the smallest mirror in the world. The actual glass is just about big enough for powdering your nose (because your nose is all you can see). But I like it so it has stayed.
So that, in a nutshell, is how we converted our ‘loo’ into a space to be proud of (well, not ashamed of at least). Fortunately, 2010 will bring some more ambitious and exciting decorating projects, details of which I’ll share very shortly…
If you’ve read this blog for a while, then you’ll know I have a ‘thing’ about wallpaper. I’m drawn to the idea that, with a few dollars and a couple of hours’ work, I too could have trailing florals, rich chinoiserie, dramatic geometrics or sumptuous metallics on my walls. Trouble is, very little of these tempting wallcoverings ever make it into our house. That’s because I am hopelessly indecisive and, frankly, the knowledge that a decision would mean no more excuses to linger over wallpaper samples and web sites, makes me just want to avoid making choices altogether.
My usual haunts when looking for wallpaper inspiration are the likes of Osborne and Little, Romo, Cole and Son, Graham and Brown. So I was delighted to discover the site of Anna French the other day. Based in Scotland, Anna French designs lace, fabrics and wallcoverings. Her florals, beautifully drawn with rich colors and lots of metallics, are simply stunning. So much so, that I might actually be tempted to make a decision at last! So, for all those who, like me, love a bit of wallpaper eye candy, this post is for you.
Just think, you could unleash the true romantic in you with this design: ‘Bouquet’.
Experiment with the color combinations of ‘Damask’.
Introduce some ladylike glamor to your home with ‘Bird in the Bush’.
Enjoy the childish simplicity of polka dots with ‘Spot’.
Go for a bit of understated elegance with ‘Wisteria’.
Or sheer exuberance, with ‘Firework’.
And, my personal favorite, ‘Lavinia’, shown here in gold on veridian. (Wouldn’t you just love something in your house that you can describe as gold on veridian?!)
And if you want a peek at the fabric collection, check this out:
If you want to imbue your space with a sense of luxury, I say look no further than Anna French. As for me, I’m ordering my wallpaper samples right now…
I know black walls have been a design trend for at least a year. But it still takes courage and conviction to decorate with black. I still can’t get over the fact I chose two black-framed mirrors for our house – I thought I was being so bold!
But I’ve come to realize that there are some lower-commitment ways to decorate with black. If you love the drama of black but don’t want a moody look, check out some of these ideas.
Glossy black wood door and window frames, with lots of white and a bit of glass, keep the space light.
Just a few pieces of black furniture, like this coffee table and bookshelf, allow you to dabble in black decor, without going the whole way.
Even an entire wall in black wallpaper looks light when it is punctuated with an open doorway.
A black armoire sets a classic tone for a white room decorated with black accents.
Just a single piece of black and white fabric injects drama into this muted bedroom.
Black walls are an easier option when you have lots of windows. I also like the cozy effect for an office. I like to think it would aid concentration!
I love black in kitchens against all that marble and chrome.
In bathrooms, it looks so decadent – even when you only use a tiny bit of black.
Talk about making a statement. Black doors and a simple black table make this otherwise all-white entryway fabulous. I love lilac accents (in this case the flowers) too.
A dramatic black and white canvas breathes life into a space.
This room demonstrates solid commitment to black – but the soft textures (drapes, velvet sofa) make it more inviting.
This really pretty pendant looks great against the more austere black wall and stone fireplace.
Or reverse the look with a modern black pendant against a pretty backdrop of traditional white walls and fixtures.
I love the graphic appeal of a striped rug and lots of black picture frames.
If you don’t like the idea of painting a wall black, who could resist the luxe appeal of black wood?
With paneling it’s even more effective.
Or pick out an architectural feature – in this case the staircase – in black.
Or how about switching things up and painting the wainscoting black and the upper walls white? It has the effect of grounding an almost white space.
Have you tried decorating with black? Do you still love it?
Credits:
1 & 2 – Decorpad, 3 – Apartment Therapy, 4 – source unknown, 5 – Apartment Therapy, 6 – Peacock Feathers, 7 & 8 – Pink Wallpaper, 9 – Simplified Bee, 10 – Peacock Feathers, 11 – This is Glamorous, 12 & 13 – Graham Atkins Hughes via Desire to Inspire, 14 – The City Sage, 15 – Apartment Therapy, 16 – The Rug Company, 17 – Door Sixteen, 18 – A Life More Fabulous.
When it comes to colors, my design aesthetic is lying somewhere, bruised and battered, in the no man’s land between cool neutrals and wild brights. Trying to accommodate both tastes is rather exhausting. But I’ve found some solace in the portfolio of photographer James Merrell, whose work shows brights being introduced into otherwise neutral spaces in some very surprising ways.
Take these mostly white (or black and white) spaces, for instance. A single yellow end-wall, or a bold-patterned chaise make them exciting, but there are still plenty of neutral areas to give your eyes a rest.
Taking your color directly from nature, or in this case a photographic wallpaper, instantly makes the look more restful and organic.
Ah, the power of purple. That lavender chair! That lilac dresser!
What an impact a single piece of art makes. Even more impactful is the use of a patterned wallpaper, in a single color, used on walls and ceiling in an otherwise simple room.
Even color-phobes can handle introducing color with their wardrobe. And, better still, this look requires everything else to be completely white! I like the picture wall too – we’ve all seen jewellery used as decor before, but here I like the way it’s intertwined with the art.
Last but definitely not least, who said moldings and wainscoting had to be all-white? The bright green here makes the neutral furniture pop and it can be changed back to snowy white with the flick of a paintbrush.
So, for others in my situation, I hope this gives you a few ideas and the courage to try more brights. And for the color aficionados among you, please do share your tips and tricks! How do you introduce color into your home?
All photos from Judith Miller Inc. Check out Merrell’s portfolio for more images – don’t worry, there are some lovely all-white rooms in there too!
I’ve started to become a fan of black and white patterns in interiors. There’s nothing quite like the drama and contrast of a black and white scheme to energize a room. In particular, I’ve been eyeing up some of the fabulous wallpapers out there in this popular color combination. There are literally thousands to choose from. It’s quite bewildering. At some point I may pick one for the bedroom wall that has been naked for so long. (Although I’m actually enjoying browsing the options still, so don’t count on a decision any time soon!)
Here are a few of my all-time favorite black and white wallpapers, as well as some stunning new finds. There are some pretty wild patterns in here but, I figure if you’re going to go for the graphic appeal of black and white, you may as well go all the way and pick something that stands out.
And here are the deets:
1 – Random Geometry by Nama Rococo (I only just discovered this fabulous source of wallpaper); 2 – Sixty-Eight by Nama Rococo; 3 – Serious Bokay by Nama Rococo; 4 – Butterfly Valley by Elli Popp; 5 – Bindweed by Ferm Living; 6 – Butterfly by Timorous Beasties; 7 – Leaf by Timorous Beasties; 8 – Mediterranea by Cole & Son; 9 – Elise by Monsoon; 10 – Unknown; 11 – Modern Scroll by Nono; 12 – Horses Stampede by Florence Broadhurst; 13 – Pretty in print – peacock by Judit Gueth; 14 – Grove Garden by Osborne and Little; 15 – Unknown, via the Glam Lamb; 16 – Colada by Umbra; 17 -Walk in the Park by Osborne and Little;18 – Bittern Feather by Graham and Brown; 19 – Exotic by Julien MacDonald; 20 – Butterflies by Kate Larsen; 21 – Solitude by Superfresco Soraya; 22 – Cow Parsley by Cole & Son
I was thinking about pink recently. Why? Well, I spotted this colorscope over at Simplified Bee and decided to give it a whirl. I was drawn to the fuschia color most (which apparently makes me courageous, passionate, playful and serious (?)) Anyway, then I wondered, why don’t we have more of that color in the house? Of course, it’s because I don’t think my other half would relish the thought of being surrounded by hot pink. That got me thinking, is it possible for us fuschia fans to inject a little of our favorite color into our homes without dooming ourselves to a life of marital discord?!
I found some interiors that use pink in small amounts and in a way that is anything but little girly. With a little encouragement, I think he might be able to live with these.
Via the Style Files via DesignSponge.
Via British Homes and Gardens.
The last three are from this Flickr feed.
Via Casapinka.
Via Apartment Therapy.
Designed by Mirka McNeill Farmer.
Via Decorology
Via Dwellings and Decor, via the Inspired Room.
Three above via LivingEtc.
Don’t get me wrong, he tolerates (perhaps even enjoys) most of my interior obsessions. But pink is usually just a step too far. What do you think? Would I get away with any of these?
I’ve just been pouring over the fabulous and inspiring web site of British interiors stylist, Claudia Bryant. I spotted a photo of her work on A Room Somewhere (in itself a great source of inspiration) and now I’m hooked. What’s great is that Claudia’s work varies so widely – there’s probably something in her portfolio for everyone. And there are literally dozens of ideas that could be applied to any home.
I love the oversize lamp here. The metallic vases are a nice way to introduce some sparkle and reflection without the standard over-the-mantelpiece mirror. And have you ever seen a black sofa look so ladylike?
This room is just so pretty: vintage charm with a bit of disco glitz!
I don’t even know how to describe this wall treatment. It’s very cool though. Even if you couldn’t muster the courage to do a whole wall like this, a small panel as art would be great propped up in the hallway of a beach house (if you have a beach house, that is…)
How to do blue and red: choose muted tones of each and mix with some vintage furniture and pop art.
Here’s a different look altogether. Cool, calm and collected. I adore that huge clock and the dual-colored wall.
Definitely LivingEtc. A round rug under a round bedside table under a round pendant shade – just perfect.
I love the use of color to define the office area in this kitchen.
Panels of different, mismatching wallpaper! I have to try this somewhere…
Phew – idea overload.
I’m in the mood for sparkly interiors, it seems. If it’s shiny or shimmery, glittering or glistening, iridescent or pearlescent, lustrous or luminous, metallic or crystal, gilded or burnished, mirrored or sequinned – I want it! So, for anyone else with my magpie tendencies, enjoy this collection of rooms that sparkle with metallic wallpapers and fabrics, crystal chandeliers, mirrored furnishings and twinkly pealights and all manner of shiny things…
Credits: 1-17 LivingEtc; 18-19 Graham & Green; 20 Osborne & Little; 21-22 Gwyneth Paltrow’s house via Habitually Chic; 23 Michael Grimm via The Deco Detective; 24 Metropolitan Home; 25 Elle Decor; 26-30 Metropolitan Home
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