Hey guys, thanks so much for entering the Graham and Brown wallpaper giveaway! It was super fun to read about your decorating hopes and dreams… sorry I’m about to crush most of them.

Hopefully not permanently?

Anyhow, comments are now closed and I ran the numbers through the magical doohickey, bee bopp booo bing zam:

Wow, that is just weird. Numbers be crazy, yo.

Congratulations to Lauren, you are the winner!

“Would love to win Bao in cream. I’m buying a small fixer upper apartment and would love to use this in the entry.”

Sounds like an awesome plan to me… I would slap some crazy art on top and call that space done.

HUGE thanks to Graham and Brown for hosting this amazing giveaway!

For everyone who didn’t win, here is some wallpaper porn to get you through this trying time. Don’t say I never did anything for you.

Happy Friday!

[pinterest]

Friends, I don’t do giveaways very often. On a daily basis I am inundated with emails from press people trying to get me to review off brand paint and eco toilets, but I try to keep the blog strictly related to things I want to get in my house right now.

Things like wallpaper.

Me and wallpaper have a lifelong love affair going on. It started when I was a wee baby, swaddled in a muslin cloth tacked together by wallpaper paste, rocked to sleep with the sweet smell of wet wheat in the air… fast forward to today, when I have a closet filled with stacks of wallpaper samples. Sometimes I stroke them gently at night and whisper sweet nothings into their ears. Don’t tell anyone.

All this to say I am a little excited to be giving away THREE ROLLS of Graham and Brown wallpaper designed by Steve Leung!

The winner will have her/his choice from any of the six Asian inspired patterns designed by Steve Leung in any available colorway.

THREE. ROLLS. BAM.

That’s enough to paper a huge feature wall, or perhaps a small powder room, foyer, or laundry room.

So, basically $80000 worth of wallpaper… or maybe $255 USD. Whatever. That’s a lot of wallpaper. Let’s check out the players, shall we?

There’s Jiao, which has a touch of the De Gournay about it. This color is very pretty in real life, but other colors are also available.

This is Bao, which means treasure. Adorable, because my Chinese bud always calls my kids “bao bao.” Anyway, the rep sent me a black sample but I lovessss the cream on cream. You can’t tell from the picture but this pattern is very textured.

Hua has some metallic interest in the branches.

Juan is so sparkly it’s like a disco in your eyeballs. I am kind of obsessed with the gold on cream colorway.

Ling has great scale, and is slightly textured. All of the colors are nice. Karly likes the cream on cream but I think the red might be Chinese Chippendaletastic.

And then there’s Mai.

Let me tell you about this honey of a paper: you can hang it vertically or horizontally. It has a teeny touch of metallic interest, but not Kim Kardashian much. All the colors are great — the white and silver is dreamy and versatile, but the charcoal is dramatown and would be perfect in a foyer.

In short, I want to marry this paper and I’m a little annoyed I agreed to give it away rather than keep it for myself. 100% serious.

There better be a lot of entries or I will be tempted to create 100 anonymous email addresses and enter my own contest.

Kidding! Hahaha.

Ha.

I took some pictures of the samples the rep sent me so you could kind of get a sense of the texture on the papers.

Jiao/Mai

Bao/Hua

Juan/Ling

All of these patterns are nonwoven paste-the-wall papers that are so easy to hang even a dummy like me can do it. And if you tire of them, just peel the paper off the wall in strips.

You need this in your life.

Contest rules:

Please peruse the available selections here and pick a fave pattern and color. Leave a comment telling me all about your favorite paper and what you plan to use it for. The winner is free to change her/his mind so don’t get all analysis paralysis on me… I’m really just curious and y’all know I love to talk decorating projects.

That’s it! Leave a comment and you are entered for a chance to win three rolls of Graham and Brown wallpaper designed by Steve Leung.

The contest ends at midnight central time on Thursday, May 16. Winner will be announced on Friday.

Let’s blow it up, people.

[Graham and Brown]

I’ll let you ascertain what exactly the extra “F” stands for. On Wednesday I woke up sure that it must be Saturday, but no — just another day in the longest week in the history of the world. So I apologize for not being the postess with the mostest, but when you’re trying to type with Pitbull’s “I Know You Want Me” cranked up to the max on a xbox dance game, you can’t really expect much.

I will say that Ike is a very talented dancer. And yes, I am awaiting my parent of the year award. I hear it’s coming any minute.

Anyhow, I’m having an internal debate about the wallpaper I had chosen for the front entry:

I’m looking for something that can play second fiddle, because Wallpaper X will be holding court next to the dark front room and I don’t want the paper to get any melodramaculus ideas about stealing the show.

So this is Neisha Crosland’s Zebra in stone, and it’s a two roll minimum. From England with mega shipping rates. So that makes it well over $200 for this order alone. Now that’s not a ton of $$$, but when I have a zillion things to buy it’s about $100 more than I had intended to spend. Remind me again of why I’m not rich and famous?

Anyway I find myself shopping for wallpaper. Again. So far this is the best I’ve found:

I like most of Harlequin’s Deco inspired Arkona collection, actually. Otto is a pretty pattern, but not quite as light and bright as the NC’s Zebra.

Cole and Son’s Malachite in silver on beige is also a contender. It’s super hard to photograph, but I think this picture shows the color and texture well. You can also see a picture I took of it here.

So, I’m open to suggestions for interesting tone on tone wallpaper. Hit me with your best shot.

Or maybe I should just go with this mural:

It is pretty tempting… but I think I better stick with my original plan.

Happy TGIMFF, y’all.

At any given time, I have about 10 items ready to go in shopping carts all over the web. The only thing that stands between me and a neatly organized browser is, of course, money. Sadly I’m not a wealthy woman, so I have to pick and choose which wants make the cut. And it’s probably a good thing I can’t just rush out and buy whatever my little heart desires as soon as it fixates on an object — I may or may not possess a rather capricious nature. I might change my mind once or twice (or a million times) whilst concocting a final plan. So let’s check out what I’m looking at and decide what to buy, mmmm kay?

First is this guy from shades of light, which I’m planning to put in the nursery. He’s about $200 shipped to my house and I know that’s not bad for a fixture, but I’m cheap and keep hoping to stumble upon something just as good for half the price.

I also have samples for these scrumptious wallpapers by Flat Vernacular, all of which kind of fit my color palette. Some I might have a place for, some are just objects of lust.

There’s also this hilarious toile print made of derby cars from the same company that would make the cutest kid’s bathroom ever, but not sure I want to go that juvenile… or maybe I do. TBD.

Adorable leopard pillow by Arianna Belle. I don’t really need this, per se, but it’s cute and splashy and $55.

Ikea has new leather furniture out, and it’s pretty damn comfy. The Karlstad now comes in white leather, which is probably not the most kid friendly, but at least it cleans up easier than fabric. Our chesterfield is looking shabby, and this mightmightmight work as new seating. Don’t worry — I would burn those legs in the fireplace and buy a new set of chrome ones. For $899 (plus $135 back as an Ikea gift card), it’s a whole lotta sofa for not a lotta moola.

Of course what I really want is a pair of these plush Ikea Mellby chairs to replace Chester. A pair of chairs would suit our seating configuration so much better and be more versatile down the line. Sadly, Ben would rather have a couch to sprawl out on… comfort vs aesthetics? Hmmm.

Probably I will buy neither right now and focus on other matters.

Like the marble table I have yet to order…

Or the paint I need for the kitchen cabinets, the upholstery for the nursery chair, bedding for the guest bed, chairs for the new table, a desk for the office, or any of the other million pressing issues I would like to tackle before the baby arrives.

I might have some problems with focus.

So help me out — anything on this list I must buy today?

Hi, how was your weekend? Mine was one of those bust-your-ass-but-accomplish-very-little affairs. At least, that’s how me and my sore tailbone are feeling this morning (wtf, pregnant ladies?! what is happening to my coccyx?). Sucks to have so much to do and to be so impaired lazy. I did manage to squeeze in two chocolate covered donuts… yay for me!

So, what’s really going on at Casa Erin? Let’s discuss some life decisions I’ve come up with (thanks to Karly and Naomi for listening to my whiny pleas for advice).

#1. Wallpaper has been selected.

Pheasant in Coral will go in the upstairs hallway, Neisha Crosland’s Zebra will go in the entry, and Pines by Little Greene will go in the powder room. It was really tough to decide where these should go architecturally speaking — e.g., which rooms should be dark or light, what needs small scale or large, what colors will the rooms adjacent to the papered rooms be painted, etc. So I’m very excited to have a (tentative) decision.

#2. The front room will now be a play room instead of an office.

We’re going to squeeze the office into the guest bedroom, and I’m pretty stoked that we don’t have to put doors on this room anymore. Yipppeeeeee! I’m STILL trying to sell the coffee table, the shelves will get painted, art has been moved, sconces may be installed, leopard rug will make an appearance, and on the opposing wall I think I’m going to buy a vintage deco armoire to house all the toys. Like so:

Or something like this. These come up on craigslist all the time for dirt cheap.

#3. With Sanders‘ help, I am close to deciding on paint colors for most of the rooms in my house.

MOST. Not all. Ike’s room is mostly nailed down, I’m very close on baby room, I have a good start for the bedroom, and maybe I have an idea for the dinette… oh, the dinette.

#4. We sold our good old table (to a blog reader who recognized our house on craigslist!!!) because it was way too big for our new house, and then bought another… ok table.

First, let’s say goodbye to old table. She was a beauty.

Oh, table. I loved you so much. But she’s gone, (she’s gone) oh I’d pay the devil to replace her…

She’s gone.

Thank you, Hall and Oates, for providing the soundtrack to my misery.

And now, drumroll please:

Someone kill me.

We will discuss this travesty in full tomorrow, but I just don’t have the energy right now.

In fact, I think I may need another donut just so I can survive today.

Remember this wallpaper?

It’s the lusciously lickable, preppily psychedelic Pheasant by Twigs wallpaper that I was talking up last week.

In the interest of continuing theme Wallpaper Week, I started to shoot my sample collection in our hallway for your viewing pleasure… but then I went and ordered yet ANOTHER sample that I feel I simply must wait upon before asking your opinion.

I am going open a crazy lady wallpaper sample shop when all this is said and done — the kind of shop with dusty lampshades and random cats patrolling pee stained darkened corners. In other words, I have a problem.

While I sort out my OCD issues, I decided to shoot and post all the colorways for Pheasant because they aren’t available anywhere online. I tried my hardest to standardize the colors and density, so I think the pictures are fairly accurate. This may not be the most exciting post, but hopefully it will be useful to someone out in the world.

Blue

Brown

Gold

Gray

Malachite

Marine

Orange

Peach

Red

Rust

If you like, call the nice folks at Twigs and order some samples for free. Rolls are 100% gorgeously hand printed (from a 1980s pattern!), so you have to trim the selvedge yourself…

Cold sweat, people. That’s scary stuff.

But worth it — this paper is deluxe.

Also it reminds me of the time I “got drunk” and went to the renaissance faire to watch weird people make marbelized paper.

That alone puts it in front runner status, right?

Friends, I have about 3.2 second to write this post before all hell breaks loose, by which I mean that I will have to read Dogzilla 800 times and constantly assure Ike that we are not hiding a bagful of brand new toys from him (except that we are… he will get them next week on the plane).

Don’t worry — I’m not so unkind as to hide this shiny new toy from you. To continue our theme of Wallpaper Week, please see the following and try not to pee your pants with excitement:

Kelly Wearstler for de Gournay wallpaper.

I have plans to rob a bank during Ike’s nap this afternoon, but shhhh don’t tell anyone.

I need a rudder to steer me through the coming week of energetic Ike plus no school, no grandparents, and bedrest — it’s going to be a long one. What better distraction than wallpaper? And of course it doesn’t hurt that I’ve become something of an amateur expert (not a pardox, I swear) on the subject via long hours of obsessively trolling the internet in search of “The One.” We’ll discuss that very important matter later on in Wallpaper Week, but for today let’s talk House of Hackney.

They had me at the mirror image adverts, but I like the crazy romance of the patterns, too. Wild Card is a fabulous interpretation of Madame Castaing’s famous leopard prints, Dalton Rose has an ombre bottom, and Empire is cheeky good fun.

Wild Card

Dalton Rose Ombre

Empire Stripe

Flights of Fancy

Queen Bee

I’m a little smitten with the Empire prints for a mini gentleman’s room. I would probably only do it on on one wall and frame it out with molding, then paint coordinating color on the other walls — because that’s a lot of look.

Any favorites? That leopard print is sure to make an appearance in someone’s powder room, right?

After a relatively upbeat week I am heading into the weekend as a major grumpasaurus. Why, you ask? (Or maybe you didn’t ask, but since I have control of this here convo I’ma gonna tell you.) It’s because I went to the doctor yesterday expecting better news regarding my dumb pregnant problems, and instead they are worse. I am working really hard to be angry because anger trumps the wimpy weepies every day, and it is working. Sorry that you all should feel the flinty edge of my wrath — you really don’t deserve it. And we’d all been having so much fun lately.

So never mind bad things and let’s take a quick look at entry hall ideas instead.

I could spend eternity attempting to transform our rather modest foyer into something as grandly delectable as this one, designed by Isabel Lopez Quesada. But good architecture is a lot like cheekbones: either you have it or you don’t. And those of us that don’t must resort to seedier means of coquetry, namely makeup.

In decorating terms we’re talking wallpaper and paint and fabulous objects, and if anyone knows anything about dressing up a space, it’s Tony Duquette’s ex partner Hutton Wilkinson.

Our entry definitely falls into the “needs more makeup STAT” category. In the interest of moving that along, you may recall that I’ve been painstakingly collecting enough wallpaper samples to paper every house in the neighborhood, but I think I’ve finally narrowed my choices down significantly. I’ve yet to photograph the samples in situ, but here’s a hint about one of them:

I called the nice folks at Twigs and they were kind enough to send me a sample in every colorway of their Pheasant wallpaper. It is bananas, people. INSANE. Maybe too insane. I don’t know.

We’ll talk about it next week. Until then, I hope you have a lovely weekend filled with donuts and down pillows… or whatever it is you’re lusting after. Being pregnant does weird things to you.

Being a photographer is a double edged sword. Yes, I can make my pictures look very pretty, but it’s a lot of work and I get incredibly annoyed/enraged/depressed when the pictures aren’t perfect. So I talk myself out of posting house pics A LOT. Also, I am sick as a dog, Ike has been home sick all week, and I have a doctor’s appt today, so computer usage has been at an all time low (sadly I have yet to figure out how to write a post on my phone). What I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry I’m such a crap blogger. I have great hopes of being better in the near future. But the future is later so in the meantime, look at these random pictures and let me tell you about my adventures.

Yesterday I braved all manner of hideous setbacks to buy a Maitland Smith tessellated coral cocktail table set, just like the one you see in this here 1st Dibs picture. I got the coffee table and a pair of end tables for $175. BAM. Or I could have paid $3750 for just the table from 1st Dibs (WHERE do these prices come from?!).

The end tables look great, but the coffee table has a few etched in rings and a dull surface. Anyone know how to polish those out and reseal the top? I’m guessing whatever would work on marble or travertine would work on this.

The shape and scale are a vast improvement over the old Pace Collection stainless steel and glass number:

It’s a really cool table, but I really wanted something square for our new seating arrangement. I’m about to put it on Craigs, but if anyone wants to buy it shoot me an email or leave a comment. It does have some dings and scratches, and is generally… well loved. But it’s still built to withstand the apocalypse, so local buyers only. It’s easily the heaviest thing I own.

See what I mean?

In other news, I am kinda liking this wallpaper for the upstairs hallway:

It’s by Little Greene wallpaper; the pattern is pines.

Here’s a closer look at the colorway I have taped up right now. It’s teal with subtle golden pine needles.

So has anyone ever hung Little Greene wallpaper? I’m starting to freak about hanging real wallpaper by myself… you have to book and soak it. I’m not even sure it’s pre trimmed. Scary thoughts. Deep breaths.

Ok, that’s all my news for today. Please tell me how to fix my life, or at least how to hang wallpaper and polish my new table.

Thank you.

I’ve been busily (obsessively) taping little scraps of patterns all over the walls, feeling good about some things, horrified by others, and generally overwhelmed by the sheer variety of stuff out in the world. Probably this process was easier when Sears Roebuck offered your choice of three patterns, to be delivered by train or pony. Instead I find myself squinting into a crystal ball, wondering which of said 800 million patterns will be least offensive to me in a decade. Compounding the problem is Better Half Ben’s insistent, rather querulous complaint that all my choices are so “decorative.” That’s gauche, dude. And kind of obvious.

All this is to say that I had an interesting reaction to stylist and socialite Jackie Astier’s home featured in this month’s ED.

It’s all moody broody texture — not much in the pattern department. Now part of me finds this cozy and fabulous, and part of me thinks I’m just backsliding into my safety net. Haven’t I already been here before? Maybe. But lacquered walls and tonal faux bois wallpaper feel so soft and dreamy.

Oh, and grasscloth. Delicious delicious grasscloth.

This bedroom is too girly for me, but I think the color palette feels a little more avant garde than the gray gray grays used elsewhere.

It’s a lot of eye candy, but I also feel like I’ve seen so much of it before. Damien Hirst: check. Mastercraft brass: check. Beni Ourain: check. Milo Baughman Karl Springer Paul Evans: check. Kind of veers into furniture museum territory.

Still, I think she does a lovely job making the space feel more intimate. I’ve been hard at work trying to create layers with pattern, but maybe in some cases texture is the way to go.

What do you think? Are you all about pattern or texture?

[Elle Decor, Jackie Astier]

Seriously. Do. Not. Do it. I warned you. If you actually type it correctly, you will be treated to a panoply of, ahem, somewhat less prurient wonders. Although not exactly XXX, Rose Cumming‘s wallpapers, fabrics, and interiors, do hold a distinct sex appeal of their own.

Her Zebrine wallpaper has gotten a fair amount of interest in recent years, but I’m actually more interested in the starry Galaxie prints (how cool would that be in a dark colorway for an unexpected kid’s room?), and Sheryl — a tufty hot number. The only problem is that RC’s prints are to the trade, available through Dessin Fournir, and I have been to lazy to set up an account.

Anyone know if tufty time comes in colorways other than pink?

Yes, I know pink tufted walls would be cute in a girl’s room. Sorry, but I can’t go there. I may or may not have been traumatized by pink walls as a smallish child (and teenager).

Sidenote: thanks to everyone who left a comment on Friday’s post, or shot me a lovely email filled with well wishes. Still hanging in there.

Yes. Just like that.

[Peak of Chic, Lonny, Loathe Like Love, Peak of Chic, House Beautiful]