Showing posts with label wallpaper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wallpaper. Show all posts
Saturday, March 31, 2012

Flying high

Lately I'm seeing birds in many design magazines and home decor shops. They keep popping up on wallpaper, pillows, bedding, pottery, art work and in cages.  It seems the sky's the limit!  Here are some of my favourite ways to integrate a theme into your home. It doesn't have to be birds, it could be butterflies, fish etc.

Wallpaper 

Heather Garrett eclectic laundry room
 Houzz
 I love the design possibilities of wallpaper, but I can also remember all those hours of scraping it off walls.  My preference now  is to use wallpaper on smaller spaces or as an accent.  The colours in this pattern work perfectly with other colours in the room. In a small space which isn't lived in daily you can be a little more whimsical or adventurous.

living room eclectic living room
maison21

This vibrant yellow is hard to ignore and it is used sparingly.  Framing sections is a perfect solution for a shot of pattern and colour.  Look closely and you will see tiny birds.  The graphic pillow repeats the motif in a much bolder way.  
Creating Exploration eclectic kids

 And the bird theme is carried through this nursery even to the ceiling.


Wall Decals and Stencils

Four Walls and a Roof contemporary kids
 These white birds  are subtle and fresh even with the addition of pattern on another wall. I think white drawings are so minimal  because they just hint at their presence.   


Look up!  Look waaaay up! What a lovely finishing touch in a nursery!   

oniroco eclectic kids
 Oniroco

  You have to love these graphic birdcages and birds on the wall, but don't miss the pillows!




And here they  are again in  graphic black providing a  backdrop for this dark sofa.  I like how the curved lines of the sofa interact with the curves of the cages. And following up with the real thing......

Birdcages

Family Room Details traditional family room
 Cristi Holcombe

Using cages is a way to reference our fine feathered friends without having them actually  appear.  The absence of presence so to speak. I love the weathered driftwood with the straight lines of the cages.  


 You can also attach birdcages to your wall for a very three dimensional look which leads me to other forms of 3 D accessories....  


Sculpture
Accessory Closeup traditional entry
Nelson Wilson Interiors

Tucked away on a table top amidst  a display of flowers and books, 
Interieurs Showroom by Francine Gardner eclectic home office

 commanding a shelf in a very contemporary office space,



 or hanging in pristine whiteness to delight a new baby, birds take many forms in homes.


Eames House Bird by Vitra modern artwork

 The iconic Eames bird can be found in many styled homes. Charles and Ray Eames had the original carved bird and constantly rearranged  it in various vignettes around their home and when styling photos. Because of the colour and simple lines the bird was sought by Eames fans.   Using 3 D scans of the original bird Vitra is now creating reproductions of it.


Art work


Edgewood Townhouse modern

Silhouettes of birds and branches provide a very eye catching headboard design. 


Black & White Master Bedroom with a Touch of Teal contemporary bedroom
Small prints of various birds matted large and stacked on either side of this bed make for an interesting symmetrical layout.

Spring 2009 British Colonial Entry Room Design Ideas | Williams-Sonoma Home tropical

 Don't forget you don't have to hang artwork.  It can be beautifully displayed as part of a vignette.



Painted Furniture 
black birds

Birds appear to be a favourite motif on painted furniture.  This striking combination begs your attention.  It would make a fantastic art piece at the end of a hallway.


  

 What a difference from the dresser above.  This one is all calmness and delicacy. 

 Lighting

Mountain House eclectic dining room

 Ingo Maurer  birdy chandelier is a modern classic that will always inspire interest.


Lola Bs traditional living room

 And a more traditional take on a birdie chandelier.

 I could keep going but this post is already too long!


Do you have an interesting way you have included bird motifs in your decor?  Just click on the comments button and have your say.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Create a wow powder room



 How often does a powder room get the royal treatment?   In many homes  powder rooms are  small,  windowless with functional aspects.  These elements usually defy  anything exciting happening in the space.  I'm out to prove that a powder room can be the star of your  house.


 Use tile as an accent


FORMA Design modern powder room


Buy exciting accessories



utopia projects modern powder room
Houzz
The contemporary nature of the wall mounted vessel sink and hand crafted mirror is further enhanced by  horizontal striping on the walls. There is no doubt what the star of this room is.

Choose a theme 

Powder at Hualalai tropical powder room
Willman Interiors / Gina Willman, ASID via Houzz

The subtle Asian details in this room have been duplicated in all of the pieces.  If you choose a theme for a room its success is always in the details.  

Use wood effectively

Modern/Contemporary Powder Room contemporary powder room
Marius Daugvila  via Houzz

This bathroom design is enhanced by the addition of the vertical strip of wood that backs the vanity and accentuates the asymmetrical placement of the sink.  A round mirror works against the vertical line. The vase of twigs (wood again) mimics the vertical lines and helps to balance the asymmetrical layout.

Lively powder room contemporary powder room
Andre Couture Coloriste Decorateur

This bathroom also relies on vertical wood  detailing for interest.   The pops of green bring  a natural  feel to the room.

Rely on large mirrors to increase your space

Residential  powder room
 Ownby Design

When you have a free standing vanity using a floor to ceiling mirror behind it enlarges the room significantly and it also creates strong vertical lines.  The dark cabinet with silver banding shows up well against the mirror.   



Formal Power Room contemporary bathroom 
dSPACE Studio Ltd

Choose a bold wallpaper


Tiptoe through the Tulips contemporary powder room
Martha O'Hara Interiors

 
Go for contrast  

HHL 2010 - Bathrooms contemporary bathroom
Atmosphere Interior Design Inc.

You can count on high contrast to bring a room to life.  There's nothing like black and white to create impact. 
Friday, October 21, 2011

Open doors - an ocean getaway

As a child I often imagined how a house would look on the inside as I drove or walked about the town where I lived.  I'm assuming I'm no different from most people.  My Open Doors  series of posts will fill the need to peek inside everyday homes- not the grand designs of decor magazines, but interesting homes that are achievable for most people.  Come along on a visit to my friends' ocean beach house. 

 The patio overlooking the Atlantic Ocean has lots of beach finds.   There's a wind up today. 

 From the kitchen looking out through the screened window.  Even I would like to wash dishes here. The exterior of the house is red with a soft creamy white trim.

Pat and Janna travel all the way from British Columbia to Newfoundland every summer to enjoy life on an opposite ocean. I met Pat  when she and a friend  came to visit my studio/gallery in my summer house.   Ever since we've been looking forward to our summer time visits. When they left this year I received a key to the premises so I could photograph.  

 After one visit to the Bonavista Peninsula , Pat and Janna fell in  love with the place and purchased a typical Newfoundland outport house and began to remodel it.  Remodel doesn't seem the right word though. They worked backward until they reached the original boards, removing layers of wallpaper and wallboard.  I was lucky enough to photograph some of this process for my wallpaper archive which is part of an art project I'm working on.  Here's what it looked like then....


 And look what was hiding under the layers of wallpaper, a newspaper article about The Kennedy family.  After much patience and elbow grease they were ready to simplify the decor.

 They painted the whole interior  white and added their personal touches. That's what makes a home in my book.  I appreciate the way they have arranged/displayed their finds.




 The accent colour throughout the house is red.  What a fitting use for these cod jiggers!


Sea urchins in a bottle, beach glass, a boat and sea birds on an old trunk flanked by windows and oars.  

 More splashes of red against white and navy blue.  The sofa is red,  but it was covered for its winter rest.

 Some  of my favourite things in the house... the checkerboard that has two colours of beach stones for checkers, and a book about sea glass which prompted me to get my own copy.  It just arrived and I'm reading every word getting ready for next summer's hunt.

 Most of the furnishings are from IKEA which is a feat when you live in Newfoundland- they have to be shipped or driven.   I covet the aqua coloured lantern on the bookcase. Would they notice if it wasn't there next summer?

 I love seeing the remnant of an old window (I'm guessing) above the left chair. Shutters are a very practical window treatment because these windows are visible from the street and there could be nosy people just like me hovering outside.


 

  I call this the gallery of "Walked On" .  Pat salvaged scraps of the various floor coverings from the house and framed them in simple IKEA frames.   The stark simplicity of the frames show off the contents.  Keeping the stairway all white further enhances the overall look of this very effective display.

Upstairs hallway leading to....

..... a great desk area .  Now where did they find that old map of Newfoundland that was on the school room wall in my day?

There are more rooms for another time, but I ran out of battery power before I could finish my job.  Do you have any favourites?

Thanks to Janna and Pat for leaving me with the key and welcoming my intrusion.
Thursday, February 3, 2011

The many uses of wallpaper

"Looking to add a punch of personality to your walls? When bold paint colours simply aren’t enough, designers are looking to beautifully patterned wallcoverings to do the trick."   Style at Home
If you've ever put up wallpaper you know  how much work it is to remove it.  Most people I know swear never to have to strip walls again.  But...are we losing out on a design opportunity? Maybe there's another way to look at it. You don't have to commit to four walls of pattern in your home or even think in terms of walls at all ; be creative.


If you want to add drama go bold.  Increase the scale of the print and use it selectively as a backdrop to a piece of furniture....



....or a seating arrangement.

 source

Create cutouts for a  nursery or a child's room.

Check out other interesting wallpaper uses at Budget wise Home .
There are several different patterns used on stairs.Keeping the wallpaper the same tone as the walls gives a very sophisticated look or play with wild colours for a totally funky approach.



Liven up the back of a bookcase....


source

... or bring a tired cabinet or set of drawers back to life.




Highlight a focal point in a room...


... or make it the focal point.  



Frame wallpaper samples simply and presto.. you have a graphic arrangement for very little money. Keep all the frames the same colour for cohesiveness.


And here's another idea for framing...


Cover a lamp shade ...
 

put it on a table top....

source 
 
or a mirror frame... 

Create wallpaper scrolls.
And then you could...

  • Cover boxes and trays
  • Paper the inside of a closet or panels in doors.  The list goes on......

Would you like to share your creative use for wallpaper ?

Unknown wallpaper