Love: Murals...

...maybe because I lived in a home that had a Rufus Porter - early American itinerant painter- mural up the stairs. Believed to be the oldest art form (think cave paintings), murals are basically 'art writ large'. They can be hand-painted on the wall or in wallpaper form and, wow, what an impact - much more interesting than just an accent wall in a different paint color. Some of my favorite settings below...

Images:elledecor,architecturaldigest,houzz,lushome,buyaz,traditionalhome

Need: A Little Wallpaper...

...because paint can't do it all; sometimes you need a little dimension or pattern. Materials science didn't ignore the wallpaper industry and the offerings now can simply amaze...from metallic grasscloths, mica crusted, studded geometrics and stripes, embossed or thermoplated, it's worth a trip in to see what's new. Think about using on a ceiling (gilded in a dining room?), a bold print in the powder room or inside a closet - a sampling from vendors websites below...

These three from British company Hackney

love the raccoon with a book!

Moroccan inspired - sigh

Inset mirrors come alive at night

Classic mural for dining room

Beachy stripe does what paint couldn't...

Old school silk on paper is fabulous in a bedroom

Raised ink gives the appearance of nailheads

Instant cheer

Animal print or waves; perfect choice

Images:Hackney,York,Phillip Jeffries, Anna French, Thibaut

Love: Faux Bois

Translates to english as 'false wood', it originally meant concrete over metal armatures to sculpt realistic looking wood objects, usually for the garden. It's now enjoying an interior resurgence crafted as wallpaper, tables, lamps and accessories...a great way to bring an organic touch to even formal settings...



We used two of these, side by side, to anchor a gallery wall in the 2012 Harrisburg Symphony Showhouse

Old-school from Currey & Co.

From Global Views, this small end table also comes in brass and white marble

Love it!

As wallpaper in a London bath - how great is that zinc tub...



A series of three to make a floor mirror from Uttermost

Photo credits:Uttermost, Currey & Co, Global Views, lastladyoflondon,