WHOA! Wallpaper

I'm going to start off by not apologizing for the abundance of pictures that this post will contain. I was thinking about what I wanted to post about this morning while on the way to get Marley's blood drawn for some tests (poor baby!) Of course, I needed a little distraction while sitting in the waiting room thinking about how mad he was going to be that I didn't get to go back with him. (If you think I'm kidding, I'm not. His nickname at the vet is 'guilt trip'... they know him quite well!)

So, I'm waiting and thinking. Well, my parents have been considering doing some projects that would give their house a little facelift. They have replaced the old beige, boring carpet with a salt-and-pepper-esque frieze carpet (I totally didn't like it from looking at the swatch, but it looks great installed!) and medium-tone maple wood flooring. One of their biggest challenges is making a commitment. Prime example (and feel free to judge): They have lived in that house for 13+ years and still.do.not.have.any.curtains. Yes, I said it. They did, however, have some beautiful winter white wooden blinds installed-so this is halfway there! Commitmentphobes with an interior designer as a daughter- this is a travesty. I need about three seconds to make a commitment with design, I know what I like right when I see it. Design confidence. I gifted them some beautiful Belgian linen curtains last year for Christmas, and they're in the closet. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting on what?? Give me a ladder and move aside! Onward..

One thing that my mom cannot stand is the presence of the awful wallpaper in our house. Whoever lived there previously had horrible taste, and it was only made worse that they lived there in the 90's. Floral wallpaper with stripes, that's all I will say. Kitchen and two bathrooms, ruined. The kitchen is wallpapered in a hunter green and maroon tiny-scaled floral. First of all, hunter green and maroon?? Please, someone get me a fork to gag myself with. They painted the chair rail with what appears to be a hunter green chalkboard paint...hmmm. And to top it off... green polyester balloon valences stuffed with Walmart bags (those were removed immediately, promise!) Needless to say, I'm sure I've conjured an image in your head that you have to shake to get rid of...and quick! Point is- the wallpaper has to go, the chair rail needs to be painted, the cabinets are screaming for some new wallpaper, and the 90's called to reclaim their plastic laminate countertops. The bathrooms are begging to be stripped and painted, and it's going to happen.

This got me thinking...wallpaper. For a long time, before I really knew what products were out there, I was completely against wallpaper anywhere. In my head, I just always saw that green and maroon and couldn't get past it. But with further investigation in design school and now the design world, I now know that wallpaper can be drool-worthy if you look in the right places. It can also inspire the design for a room, or even a whole house, if you pick something with enough personality. In school, I relied on Harlequin, a company based out of the UK, to give me some of the most unique and bold patterns to compliment my design style. They ship free samples (Hallelujah Harlequin!) and have a scrapbook portion of their site where you can look at the wallpaper application and even create mood boards. It also helps that they show equally drool-worthy furniture in front of the wallpaper. I decided to revisit this website, and was quickly reminded why I had such a die-hard crush on them!

See..I told you, right?! To die for! Here are some other beautiful applications from different sources:

Sometimes I think it is really hard to go wrong with geometric patterns! 

Look at the contrasting piping on the chairs.

I LOVE this moody bedroom!

Ok...so I think almost anything with chevrons is pure genius. But look at this wallpaper! 

From the Land of Nod- wallpaper that your children can draw on. Come on! 

 A living room by Michelle Adams- lucite table, chevron curtains, bamboo mirror, and freakin' ostrich wallpaper. Totally works! 

Another company you need to know about- Madison and Grow. Based out of LA and they keep the environment in mind when designing their wallpaper and textiles!

Funky and fresh- perfect for a teenage girl's room!

Retro floral with an iron bed, and what looks to be a beautiful view. 

Classic black and white stripes. Enough said. 

If I was a guy and had a studio, it would get this newspaper wallpaper application.

Stark white with black, yellow, and metallic accents? MMk. 

Kelly Wearstler for VOGUE. Worship! 

Hope everyone is having a productive and beautiful Thursday!