orla kiely--lots of pretty.

the designs of orla kiely take me back...not sure to where or how or why but they definitely conjure a memory/sense. i suppose it doesn't really matter--i simply love her designs. she's a cute lady, too. some of the rooms shown below are a bit of an orla kiely overload but there are some great retro and mid-century pieces; fantastic inspiration for such styles, too. 

images courtesy of harlequin.uk.com

amazes me how such a simple design can become so iconic, like marimekko.

whimsical floral wreath backdrop.

the world is full of talented, crafty women. women with big creative ideas. ideas that are actually executed and executed well, with the finished product often ending up in a magazine like domino or a book like design*sponge or on a cool blog like oh happy day.

and then there's me.

i'm likely one of the last women on the planet without a crafty bone in her body. well, it might be there; if it is, it's the size of a splinter. most of the time i'm ok with this about me. i've never been prone to the world of crafts. it can be a lot of work and extra stuff and decisions of where to store it when i'm done. blah blah blah. but then i come across crafty ideas like this floral wreath backdrop and my jaw dropped because i decided on the spot i must make one for myself. and i think i could!

isn't it fabulous? it doesn't even have to be used as a backdrop for anything. i think it would just look lovely on the wall, taking up the whole giant thing.

images courtesy of ohhappyday.com

hand-cut paper maps: unbelievably cool.

the intricacy and detail blow my mind. that's all i can say. karen o'leary, you are amazingly talented.

images courtesy of anthologymag.com

find your city on her etsy site, studio kmo.

woven wall hangings.

i am truly awed by these woven masterpieces by mimi jung. i'd cover my walls in them and stare at them all day long, every day.

images courtesy of brookandlyn.com

my mother had a loom and back in the day wove wall hangings, too. what a remarkable talent.

permanent wall art.

i'm marveling at charlotte mann's wall installations--meticulous work accomplished with a thick black marker. cool stuff. but i wonder--would it smell like permanent marker for days after the work was completed?

images courtesy of charlottemann.co.uk

bold bold bold wallpaper.

these wallpapers by catalina estrada are unabashedly vivid and wild. i absolutely love them. it would take a very special space and extra care to the detail of decorating to make them work.

what i find fascinating and interesting about the photos below is the wallpaper isn't the single textured or bright piece; there are exposed beams and patterned floors and colourful chairs and gilded mirrors and artwork.

very bold. very brave. are you that courageous with your own living space?

images courtesy of anthologymag.com

isn't the tiger wallpaper awesome?

black and white decor.

while the richness of the black and white stripes and other matching pieces (zebra carpet running the stairs) is a tad much for me, i appreciate its grand appeal from an artistic and glamourous approach. it's such a simple concept--black and white--but always packs quite a punch--whether that punch is classic or strong or something else. having it in your entryway is making quite a statement and i'm curious about your thoughts. what do you think of the black and white decor pictured below: like it? hate it? love it? i think the decor style in the second photo is my preferred of the three. it's less intense, i'd dare say even casual, and the colour from the red bench and floral pillows keeps it cute and light.

images courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com

i'm completely head over heels for the gray and white floor in the first photo. to have enough floor space in a room for such a large and subtle design is something to envy. not to mention how beautiful the design itself is.

owl wallpaper love.

i'm doing cartwheels over this owls of the british isles wallpaper. it features 10 owls: barn owl, eagle owl, hawk owl, snowy owl, tengmalm's owl, scops owl, little owl, short-eared owl, long-eared owl, and tawny owl. i've always loved decorative owls and seeing them on wallpaper makes my heart dance.

images courtesy of remodelista.com 

the briar owl wallpaper is lovely, as well. it has a more romantic feel to it which is fitting since it was inspired by the sleeping beauty tale; guardian snowy owls nesting in the tangled briars protecting the sleeping princess. if only we commoners could be so lucky to have such a grand creature as our guardian.

image courtesy of remodelista.com

pretty shiny ikat.

'til now, i haven't really bought into the whole ikat trend but seeing it all shiny and mosaic-style on the walls has definitely caught my attention. rad stuff. that bronze mosaic (3rd one down) is calling my name.

images courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com

pretty wallpaper.

beautiful earth-tone wallpaper from kenneth james. i would use a bit of each below in my [someday] house.

images courtesy of onekingslane.com

see all my love for wallpaper: wallpaper love  /  (500) love  /  wallpaper love continues  /  taking a look inside  /  decorating my someday cottage  /  find a wall to paper

attention: star wars fans.

these are cool: minimalist interpretations of the star wars planets by chicago designer justin van genderen.

 images courtesy of imagekind.com

see all of the posters here.

chevron.

i'm a big fan of chevron stripes on walls and this is a wonderful example--subtle yet bold. i also really like the shag rug. it's a warm room.

images courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com

i'm planning (and hoping) to add a chevron stripe or two in my bathroom come the new year. i'm thinking bright marigold.

find a wall to paper.

i just can't help myself: when i see awesome wallpaper i have to share. and with the creative minds of today hard at work, there's a paper for everyone--from quirky and crazy to classic french toile. what's your favourite? are you bold enough to choose a woman silhouette with an insect or are you drawn to the toile? i'm digging the bird design.

images courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com

all of the images posted are from the team of geniuses behind apartment therapy. find the full posts here, here, and here.

follow my wallpaper infatuation with these posts: wallpaper wedding / "star wars" wallpaper / decorating my someday cottage / taking a look inside / wallpaper love continues / (500) love / wallpaper love

read the writing on the wall.

like micaela of the drifter and the gypsy, i love the idea and look of old book pages covering my walls. also like micaela, i'm not sure if i could bear ripping up a book to do so. (and i think my sister would have my head--rightfully so--she's a librarian and master of books.) nevertheless, it sure looks lovely when it's all finished.

images courtesy of thedrifterandthegypsy.blogspot.com

what about you? think you could rip up an old classic book to display the pages on your wall? 

"star wars" wallpaper.

a callout to my brothers (and any other star wars fans out there): how awesome is this?!?

image courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com

i would absolutely cover part of a wall or a closet in this wallpaper. genius.

i didn't see a spot mentioned of where to buy it so i emailed super7 for information.

update: response from super7--the wallpaper is no longer for sale. so sad!

framed.

super cool refurbished frames and furniture by foundre. i'm especially a big fan of the bookshelf--made from salvaged douglas fur flooring milled 150-200 years ago.

image courtesy of foundrefurnishings.com

based out of chicago, foundre specializes in customized furniture and frames from locally recycled materials.