Because we want you to look as good in paper as you do on paper.
Wallpaper. We love it. We hate it. We paint over it. We rip it down - but not without framing a piece of it as a nod to the era in which it was painstakingly applied.
Wallpaper belies a home's history: it tells a story of a particular decade and socio-economic class, and beyond that, a particular person. It is the definition of "trendy," vacillating from super-duper-wallpaper-your-ceilings cool, to maybe-under-the-sink not-so-cool.
Well guess what? It is COOL! Right now! But not put-it-on-the-ceiling-over-the-top cool. Thank goodness.
Dogs. Like babies, they make every photo better. :) But this entry/drop zone would be gorgeous even without Man's Best Friend. Image Courtesy Kim Cornelison Photography. "Silvergate" wallpaper by Farrow & Ball.
Spring is here, and if a big home renovation isn't in the cards for you, a little project just might be. I've had two friends ask me in the past two weeks about my favorite wallpaper resources, both for teeny-tiny powder rooms. Powder rooms and entry ways are terrific places for a splash of something daring.
Courtesy of Meghan Carter Design. Photographer: Stephani Buchman. "Seraphine" wallpaper by Romo.
Wallpaper is to your home what accessories are to your outfit. You can go splashy or understated, but either way they complete a look. And what's the rule about accessories? Too much is too much.
Let me clarify, actually. Too much can be too much. Sometimes too much is, well, just right.
Don't you love when I give you easy rules to follow?
If you are hesitant, or you're on a budget, or you're, I don't know, married, you may want to consider starting quite small. Wallpapering unexpected places can have just as much impact as whole walls; good things come in small packages and all that.
Line your drawers. (Courtesy of Blue Eyed Yonder. )
Paper yourself a headboard.
Do the back of a bookshelf. (Courtesy of Tamara Honey of House of Honey)
Give life to a room divider. (Courtesy Guillermo Villasante and Angela Marcos of La Antigua )
For unexpected spaces, use unexpected sources: try vintage on etsy, or even wrapping paper, which can be mod-podged to cover small spaces, say, behind your china.
Courtesy of Hannah's Treasures
If you're only doing a small space, you can also justify more expensive paper. You may fall in love with a hand painted silk chinoiserie, and find there's simply no turning back. We at SYI love to help you with all your justifications.
Frame a small piece of wallpaper, such as this de Gournay chinoiserie, a bit of a budget buster if you put it all over your dining room walls.
Wherever you put it, wallpaper can really express you.
You are Bold! You are Colorful!
You are elegant and perhaps a touch traditional.
Courtesy of Rita Konig and James Merrell, photographer. "Perroquet" wallpaper by Nina Campbell.
Birds in Midnight. Courtesy of Galbraith and Paul
You are whimsical and pretty.
You are understated.
Photograph Courtsey of © Thibaut Inc Anna French Birch Cork wallpaper.
While we're looking at textured options, check this out:
Courtesy Lovely Crafty Home
So what are my favorite wallpaper resources? Look no further.
Galbraith & Paul - handmade in PA!
Walnut Wallpaper - a great clearing house of lots of designers, styles and price points
Graham & Brown - global manufacturer of designer wallpaper and wall art
and Paul Montgomery for your Handpainted silk
Does the resource list exhaust you? Do it yourself! And get points for reuse and creativity:
Photographs as wallpaper (Photo by Laure Joliet for J3:Z2 At Your Leisure)
Courtesy of Graham & Brown (1-800-554-0887, www.grahambrown.com)
Ok, the above image is real wallpaper. A a friend of mine (who somehow keeps coming up in this blog) used to have it under her stairs, and all her guests would sign or draw to mark their visit. Being cheap on a budget, however, I took a sharpie to my wall one day and got the very same effect.
I'll leave you with this: Do something you love. And others will love it too.
The entire first chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, painted by hand, where else? Under the stairs. (Courtesy of When Boredom Strikes)
post-script:
Browsing? Find some great wallpaper pinned by SYI at