February 21, 2011
courtesy of freshhome.com
Could we have a harder group of people to decorate for than the teenaged male?
They are not exactly outspoken when it comes to the decor of their rooms. In fact most of the teenaged guys I know tend to shrug and mumble, “I don’t know…whatever…” Don’t be fooled. They really do care they just don’t want to talk about it.
They have long out grown their cutesy themed rooms. They may appear indifferent to the whole design thing but they really do want a comfortable space for hanging out or studying or they may want a space to reflect their various current interests. Over the years I have had requests from guys (reluctantly dragged into Seven’s with their parents) ranging from an all black room to a room with different colors on every wall to giant sports murals to snowboarding wallpaper.
Many of us as parents would draw the line at an all black room though. Sorry guys.
But I have come up with a few different ideas for you.
January 31, 2011
Got ugly wallpaper? (courtesy of photobucket)
I am a pushover when it comes to helping friends out with their projects. A friend recently purchased a house that needs a lot of work. Initially she called me to help her figure out her paint colors and before I knew it I committed myself to helping remove all kinds of wallpaper from her walls. “How did that happen?” I wondered dazedly after I left. How did she rope me into stripping wallpaper of all things?
It must have been the sob story about how busy she is and how she can’t possibly get it all accomplished. About how she hasn’t a clue how to go about it and wouldn’t want to mess up the walls.
Or it could have been the fact that I secretly like to strip wallpaper.
“WHAT? You like to strip wallpaper?”
January 10, 2011
CL Designs Kaleidascope
Winter. Blah. Michigan. Double Blah…
I don’t mean to offend those of you who love the snow but I rather enjoyed our respite last month from the white stuff. However this being Michigan, deep down I knew it wasn’t going to last long.
I suppose being stuck inside is a good thing. It has given me time to take a look around at my walls and consider changing a thing or two.
Instead of overexerting myself by shoveling the driveway, I think I’ll get a work out by taking home a bunch of wallpaper books and figuring out a plan for my house.
If you are looking for a great pick me up this winter consider some of these beautiful wallpaper patterns. I have paired them with paint colors if you need ideas for coordinating some other areas around your house…
October 11, 2010
York Wallcovering
“Wallpaper, Wallpaper! Where for art thou, Wallpaper?” — A quote from Juliet after having too much time to contemplate her naked castle walls while waiting for Romeo to show up.
I myself have lamented on the rather un-adorned state of my dining room walls and wondered what in the world to do with them. The problem lies not in the lack of choices but in the abundance. Shall I faux finish them, use metallic plaster? Shall I just paint them? Ahh…”Tempt not a desperate man” or woman!!
September 7, 2010
Accent or Feature?
Long, long ago in the age of beige, people were craving a little color. Because the idea of painting an entire room anything other than beige or off white was too intimidating for most, along came the Accent Wall. A section of color painted in a room was the solution– a tentative way for homeowners to dip their toes into the color pool so to speak.
Remember walking into a home and seeing a bold color kind of standing on its own looking lonely and heavy in relation to the rest of the room?
Remember the strong reds, blues and greens that covered a single wall in almost every room? What was once an unpredictable pop of color is now, well…sort of predictable.
Welcome to 2010 and the introduction of (drum roll please…) the Feature Wall.
Feature wall? Sounds like a marketing gimmick. Just a new name for an old concept. Well no, not necessarily.
August 16, 2010
Wall Pops Loopy Blue
In a couple short weeks school will begin again. Here are some suggestions for turning boring student rooms into something a little less vanilla. Most student housing has rules about what you can and can’t do with your new home away from home — so please double check before getting too carried away.
June 7, 2010
Wallpapering is not something we generally think about tackling over the summer although on those really steamy days it could be nice to hang out in the A/C or when it rains. Given the number of rain days lately I am sure we can find some time to hang a few rolls. Feature walls, small powder rooms, entryways all make great spaces to paper. Even the backs of the bookcases should not be excluded from a little wallpaper pick me up… (Plus with these fresh summery patterns I don’t know how anyone could resist!!)
