Too much pattern, and other stories

Arren Williams June 8, 2021

All this sudden heat does slow things down rather deliciously. Makes me crave a chilled glass of rosé in the steamy outdoors, slowly sipping while watching the condensation speckle the wine glass and puddle on the table.

And, while things are busy, work currently has the consistency of molasses. Slow and sticky, but sweet if it ever gets there. How impossible is it to get anything done these days?

I discovered Populus Project through the bastion of cool and contemporary west coast design; Provide. The brainchild of Brian Lin, a Taiwanese-American product designer from Houston who now calls Vancouver home, Populus is the result of Lin pivoting from a career in fashion to create covetable objet for the home.

Just say yes to Lin’s stunningly simple yet utterly textural Silver Travertine trays - your keys and loose change will thank you. The trays also come in a heavily veined and totally g-g-g-gorgeous Italian Portoro marble . And I am totes in love with the polished brass Stack Burner designed to hold incense. Light it up and watch the smoky fragrance loop and curl through the pierced top.

Round and oval trays in Silver Travertine. Populus Project

I always wonder about too much pattern. Is that even a thing? Can there ever really be too much pattern in an interior? Listen, before I sound any more like Carrie in SATC, I know this lewk might not be popular with the Japandi-loving crowd, but aren’t these two examples of mural wallpapers just stop-you-in-your-tracks fab???

First up, we’re serving FLORAL in this space by interior stylist Agi, featuring the 'Fragment of wallpaper' mural from the V&A Museum collection at Surface View. The design is taken from a circa 1725-50 wallpaper panel from Eltham Lodge in Kent, scaled up to deliver a definite design moment.

Let’s follow up with this little number from Transylvania-based patterntastic firm Mindthegap, who’s maximalist ethos infuses everything they do. The Azure mural is part of a collection they’ve dubbed Sundance Villa, and includes 201 other patterns, in case the mood takes you.

Surface View ‘Fragment of wallpaper’ mural. Interior design: Agi

Oh, hello high-contrast black and oak. The new Jamie Beckwith collab with Currey & Co is definitely pushing all my buttons, translating Beckwith’s mindbogglingly gorgeous patterned wood surfaces for floors and walls to a 10-piece collection of furniture and furnishings.

Of course!!! You’ll shout, when you realize you can actually match Beckwith’s Gio Ponti inspired Swoop surface in oak with his Swoop Cabinet. (shown below). I’m seeing a wall in the wood pattern fronted by the cabinet, and topped with a barmy vintage lamp like this, you?

Swoop cabinet and Arrow cocktail table. Jamie Beckwith for Currey & Co

More horn-tooting… A while back my talented sister co-founded Plum & Belle, a stylish online resource for sustainable home goods, fashion and apothecary. And, when I chat with her over Facetime on the daily, I’m always pumping her for info on the latest finds they’ve added to the shop.

While there’s always something I want to get my hands on (I’m talking to you, Shibori indigo dyed vintage French linen tote bag), a long time fave are the heirloom kilims by Ishkar. Woven by Afghani weavers in partnership with the Norwegian Refugee Council, they embody the handmade specialness of true craft. Read more of the story behind the blue Band-e Amir design or Anar in burnt umber, each handwoven in wool.

Hello, how are you?

Arren Williams December 7, 2020

Hey, how’s it going?

I must say I’m not sure where the time has flown to? We appear to rushing headlong towards the Holidays at breakneck speed, about to crash directly into 2021. Which, imho, can’t come soon enough.

Anyways, here are a few faves that have caught my eye over the last while.

Cheers, Arren

While I admire the Japandi look as much as the next person, I must admit all that predictable pale beigeness does leave me a little cold. It’s all too predictable, no?

Colour! Pattern! Verve! That’s what we need, and thanks to architect and interior designer Cosimo Bonciani, that’s what we’ve definitely got in this space. Hello wallpaper! Which appears to be vintage from Ub in Florence, giving me another reason to dream of travelling Italy, if only to poke through the thousands of rolls they have in stock.

The interior was designed by Bonciani for luxury shoe designer and creative director, Samuele Failli and definitely puts the wow in wowzah! Want more after this little tease? Then snap up Living Corriere’s 2020 no. 11 issue.

It suddenly feels like just about everyone is thinking about a bathroom renovation, and whether it’s large or small, the right faucet is key. Want a something that’s both stylish and simple? Well, Riobel recently launched their new Reflet collection with House of Rohl, and I was lucky enough to see these sculptural beauties up close.

Eveline Simard, one of the Canadian designers behind the collection, describes it as “Incorporating a soft, wavy surface, encased in a rigid frame, combining both the elegance and power of water.” Look closely, and you’ll spot the polished softly curved interior surface inspired by the movement of water, which looks extra chic when paired with the brushed finish framing the rest of the faucet.

If you’re asking me, I’d love to see it paired with simple clean-lined white fixtures all set against a super-bold marble or stone, like Ciot’s dark and stormy Hurricane Black slab.

Photo: Riobel Reflet’s full range of finishes

Every now and then I’m stopped in my tracks by something special, and the Nº180 Petite Cupboard by Avoirdupois left me completely gooped.

This little darling, made by designer/engineer James Stumpf in his SoHo studio, looks all sorts of stunners in statement-making green lacquer with burnished brass hardware. It’s giving me major Art Deco via Italian modernist vibes, and those curves!!! Score yourself a standout lamp and a vintage tray to corral your liquor bottles, and call it done. Oh, and if you want to really swoon, it’s even available in a double-wide version dubbed the Nº177 Grand Cupboard. Clock that here.

Of course there’s more to see… Check out the full collection here, and scope out the range of lacquer and woods the pieces are available in.

Photo: Nº180 Petite Cupboard in green lacquer

Pattern, Pattern, Chair

Arren Williams September 30, 2020

A fun part of my schedule this week was shooting remotely at home for Citytv’s Cityline. The subject was our principal bedroom, a space that had a forced renovation due to some major construction we endured over the summer.

Things have definitely changed in the space, and for the better for sure. I can’t wait to share the results with you, and it’s extra fun looking back at how the space looked when it was shot by Angus Fergusson for House & Home magazine more than 11 years ago.

Cheers, Arren

Dots and squares, oh my! Just say yes to this rather fab collab between creative consultants and 3D designers Terzo Piano and Or.nami wallpaper, which playfully toys with trompe-l'œil to stunning visual effect. Think simple graphic shapes and drop shadows inspired by architectural design.

Available in either vinyl or rather covetable silk, there are 4 designs in different colourways to whet your whistle - I’m already dreaming and scheming of a space where I can use them.

While one of my current projects includes a chic little bathroom in white and grey, this brand new collection by artist and designer Nathalie Du Pasquier for Mutina tiles definitely has me drooling.

More is definitely more here. Du Pasquier’s wonderfully barmy layering of pattern on pattern is key, with a perfect mix of fifties modernism and vintage designs all thrown together with gay abandon. And, if the 41 tiles in the Mattonelle Margherita collection aren’t enough, there’s also 11 coordinating paint colours for all you OCD design fans out there that want everything to match. Seriously.

Oh, and the art direction for the collection’s launch? It’s all feeling very cinematic and inspirational, and honestly I could happily post every single shot, but will show some restraint with the three faves below. Scope out the rest of the collection, here.

Wall: Star, Stripes, Marghe Black. Floor: Double Red, Stripes.

Wall: Marghe White, Frame Black, Marghe Half White, Marghe Half Black, Line. Floor: Petals, Line. Margherita Paint: Sand Matt.

Wall: Marghe Light Blue, Stripes, Star, Kite White, Square Black, Marghe Black. Floor: Marghe Light Blue, Double Red, Stripes.

Am I the only person that dreams about chairs? This one in particular sent me down a bit of an internet rabbit hole, to be sure.

I first spotted the vintage originals in this stunning apartment in Florence, with masterfully edited interiors by Massimo Adario (click here to see more). Though they couldn’t look more at home in this space with views across the Arno, these spectacularly curvy seats were originally designed by Czech architect Jan Bočan for furnishing the Embassy of Czechoslovakia in Stockholm in 1972.

While the originals, made for Bočan by Thonet in lacquered bentwood and cane, deservedly fetch a pretty penny, I was fascinated to see that new versions of the chair are de rigueur in all sorts of chic interiors in Australia.

Available in both black and natural from the folks at Worn, and stunningly well priced I might add (I did the conversion), the sad news is that they won’t ship outside of Australia. But, kudos to Worn for their commitment to ethical sustainability, since their Cane Loungers are made of non-chemically treated materials harvested from sustainably managed plantations. Plus, for every chair sold a native tree is planted to help offset carbon emissions.

Brownie points to whoever can send me a source closer to home…

Photo: Laura Fantacuzzi and Maxime Galati-Fourcade

More and More and Less

Arren Williams May 21, 2020

Are we there yet?

Sit tight, we have a ways to go. So let’s stay connected, let’s stay kind, and let’s stay creative.

Cheers, Arren

Architect and interior designer Laurent Buttazzoni recently launched a cookbook with Rizzoli, Diner à la Maison: A Parisian's Guide to Cooking and Entertaining at Home. I only mention that since his Insta is filled with more cooking than interiors, but luckily AD France and Vogue Living can help fill in the gaps with some calorie-free fabulosity.

The top pic - a fab bedroom in his place in Sicily - popped into view because I was on the hunt for info on the French carpet mill, La Manufacture Cogolin (I’m currently obsessed). That’s their Trémourier design, one of many patterns woven in wool on jacquard looms dating from the 1880’s. I don’t know about you, but I am just loving the fire engine red of the bed frame against the grass green of the carpet. To see the rest of the place, featured in 2015 in AD France, click here. Do it!

Gutsy primary colours with a vintage-meets-modern twist also abound in his home in Paris, and obvs, every home needs a hand-beaded throne. Pop on over here to Vogue Living for the lowdown, and to take a peek at the rest of his place.

I’m back and forth about wallpaper at the best of times, but is it ever an antidote to the endlessly ubiquitous white walls that have become such a go-to for interiors. Listen, I love ‘em like the rest of you, but every now and then someone has to take a stand!

Thank heavens for the likes of stylist Mary Norden, who recently put this smashing vignette together for Homes & Gardens mag in the UK. That riotous wallpaper - Midnight Garden by artist Flora Roberts for Hamilton Weston Wallpapers - is literally drop dead gorgeous. Add in Bethan Grey’s Nizwa cabinet in Jade, whose work I’ve been such a fan of after seeing it in person at Maison & Objet a few years back. Then, finish up with a perfect mess of vases and pitchers. Is it all too much? Yes, and it’s all the better for it.

For even more floral goodness, snap up a copy of Gathered, co-authored by Norden and photographer Polly Wreford.

We’ve had the windows open and the doors flung wide these last few days. Thankfully in this part of the world warmer weather seems to finally be here.

So, as we start to think about cottage weekends with friends, they’re just around the corner, let’s take inspo from spaces that look like they can handle sandy feet with aplomb. I’m all about this interior by American designer Terri Ricci. It feels perfectly fresh and summery, yet also perfectly pared back.

Shiplap done right. A whitewashed wood ceiling. Worn finishes and just the right amount of modern. And hey, anywhere there’s a bulkhead light is alright by me. Roll on summer…

Guest blog / Jenn Hannotte: Feeling scrappy?

Arren March 29, 2011

Jenn Hannotte: In our last house, we got a little creative and made a scrap-wood wall in our upstairs-kitchen-cum-nursery (take a look at the first snap below). We found all the wood in the rafters of our garage and cut them down into different sizes and just screwed them into the plaster. The result was a little unusual for a nursery (or a kitchen!) but it really gave the whole room a really warm, rustic vibe. We toyed with the same idea in our current house - in our actual kitchen - but fancied more of a cleaner Scandinavian cottage kinda feel (more on that soon...).Needless to say, I'm a big fan of the whole raw-wood look, so when I saw this wallpaper by Piet Hein Eek I got a little flustered.

Scrapwood is a series of paper's that give the illusion of...well, duh...a scrap wood wall.. but without all the hassle of the cutting and screwing AND in perfectly complementary hued woods. So while I think of some where to hang my latest obsession, take a look at these images and figure out where you'll want to use it, too.'Cause you will - Obviously.

For more of Jenn's take on style click here.

Seriously fun

Arren July 22, 2010

Saw this chair a couple of secs ago on Twitter and thought how great it was, and now here I go sharing it with you lot. It's a fantastically quirky Victorian club chair (love the turned black legs and casters) that's been upholstered in a metallic silver print on a dark purple Irish linen called D'ya-think-e-sauras, from PaperBoy in the UK. Victoria Cramsie of PaperBoy scored the chair at an auction, one of a pair, she's now itching to get the other one re-upholstered too. Check her firm out for lots of seriously fun prints on fabric and wallpaper - you should really take a look at Animal Magic and Hand Made - that are nice and un-sugary, and a v. sophisticated take on designs for kids. Oh, and thanks to Victoria (aka PaperBoyLondon) for posting the shots on TwitPic!

5 quick questions: Laurence Llewelyn Bowen

Arren June 7, 2010

If you like a bit of lavish and lush, then you'll definitely enjoy a slice of designer Laurence Llewelyn Bowen, who first popped up on screen close to 15 years ago on the Brit makeover show Changing Rooms. He was, and is, unapologetically theatrical and over-the-top, though unlike Hildi Santo Tomas on TLC's Trading Spaces, I don't believe he has ever glued grass to some unsuspecting homeowner's walls... Recently LLB has been busy, designing wallpaper collections (his Helsinki pattern is one of my faves) and launching a new 32-colour paint range in the UK for Graham & Brown, as well as publishing Decorating with Laurence Llewelyn Bowen, his new book. With all that on the go, I'm super happy that he found a spare minute to answer 5 quick questions.

Arren Williams: What's inspiring you right now?

Laurence Llewelyn Bowen: Gothic.

AW: Is there anything that drives you crazy when you walk into a space?

LLB: When people have decorated a room in delusions of blandeur.

AW: What's the next thing you have your eyes on for your own house?

LLB: I am always looking for unusual and original pieces of artwork.

AW: How would you describe your look, and has it changed over the years?

LLB: I love design that fuses traditional and historical elements and up to date contemporary style. I sometimes deviate from the balance slightly but it is a preoccupation of mine to bring historical style alive.

AW: What's next on the horizon?

LLB: My new book Decorating with Laurence..., which has just hit the book shelves and is having phenomenal feedback. The book celebrates my personal style, a lot of pattern, a lot of colour and an enormous amount of wall space.

Guest blog / Jenn Hannotte: What goes around

Arren May 21, 2010

Jenn Hannotte: While Arren had the good fortune to physically enjoy the ICFF this year, I had to get my virtual fix and have been scouring all the blogs who have covered it. Apartment Therapy's founder, Maxwell Gillingham- Ryan, recently posted this over-view of some of the new wallpaper designs showcased. What really caught my eye were the new bold florals from London-based pattern designer, Camilla Meijer. Check out her 2010 intro, and compare to a wall in my new home with its original vintage paper. Now that's a bit of a déjà vu!! Maybe I should keep it... [Images 1,2 via Apartment Therapy]

For more of Jenn's take on style click here.

Say hello to Amy and Kelly

Arren May 10, 2010

Well, here's a nice sneak peek at the brand spanking new Graham & Brown wallpaper collections designed by Amy Butler and Kelly Hoppen that'll be launching this weekend at the ICFF in New York! First up are Amy Butler's deliciously patterned Temple Tulip, Georgia and Fountain. Next are Rose, Hicks and Vintage Flock, all from top Brit interior desiger, Kelly Hoppen. Oh, there's more, but that's all I can get away with showing you for right now! Any faves?

Know your ABC's

Arren May 3, 2010

Madeline Weinrib is a firm fave for her delovely work in flatweaves, hand-knotted carpets and pillows, and now she's branching out. Upcoming for Ms. Weinrib is Allemande, her first foray into wallcoverings produced for her by posh wallpaper firm Studio Printworks (who're also working with artists like Michele Oka Doner and Kiki Smith). Yep, it's a damask pattern, and yep, it's black and white, but take a closer look and you'll see a free-and-easy painterly quality to the pattern that keeps it all nice and fresh and unexpected. Allemande will be on show in NYC at ABC Carpet & Home - the famous store founded by her grandfather, Max Weinrib - in mid-May and will definitely be worth a peek. I'll be popping down to New York soon for the upcoming ICFF so will let ya know how it looks! Take a look below at a couple of snaps of the silkscreened paper, including a close-up shot and, somewhere in the pattern, you might spy a little extra scribble that could be MW's initials... Oh, and if you fancy checking out Madeline Weinrib products in Toronto, check in at Y&Co.(via INK+WIT)

What's Spanish for wallpaper?

Arren February 17, 2010

One of the most recent wallpaper launches to make a splash is the Vital collection for Barcelona-based wallpaper firm Coordonné. Okay, what's so special about that? Well, it's the first foray into wallpaper by illustrator Jordi Labanda, and the first of Coordonné's new artist-designed series. The capsule collection shows all of Labanda's trademark fashionable wit, and includes papers wrapped around themes of make-up, 50's fashion plates, Damask silhouettes, and wild 70's inspired patterns. Yum.

5 quick questions: Barbara Hulanicki

Arren November 16, 2009

You possibly won't stumble across too many folks who have launched a capsule fashion collection for Brit fashion fave TopShop, as well as rustled up a stunner of a wallpaper line (all gorgeously flocked) for Graham & Brown and designed the interiors of a slew of hotels in Miami, let alone had someone write a musical based on your life, and have a documentary about you debut to rave reviews. I'm talking fashion and design icon Barbara Hulanicki, who first stepped into the spotlight in the mid-Sixties when she opened the doors on Biba - her incredibly influential boutique - in London, and who kindly said yes to answering 5 quick questions.

Below you'll see a couple of snaps from Flock, her swish collection for G&B which - yes - includes flocked skulls, as well as Marie Antoinette-ish portraits. You'll also spot a pic of the kind of inlaid bone furniture that's inspiring Barbara right now (found here), as well as a trailer for November Film's Beyond Biba documentary.

For more on Barbara Hulanicki click here, and to check out the rest of the 5 quick questions interviews click here. And! Be sure to check out the Interior Design Show in Jan '10, when I'll have the pleasure of talking design with Barbara on stage.

Arren Williams: What's inspiring you right now?

Barbara Hulanicki: The tropical weather and Indian bone inlayed furniture.

AW: Is there anything you hate to see when you walk into a room?

BH: A white sofa.

AW: What's the next thing you have your eye on for your own house?

BH: A Colombian sisal rug which has a silver metallic weave.

AW: How would you describe your style, and has it changed over the years?

BH: I am very eclectic. I become a chameleon with each client or project.

AW: What's next for you?

BH: I would love to start coordinated Biba Home shops!

5 quick questions: Nikki Chee

Arren October 8, 2009

Nikki Chee, Farrow & Ball's communications manager, has made the treck over from the UK a few times recently, and I've been lucky enough to catch up with her whenever she's in town. I think Nikki has one of those dream jobs, working for one of the world's best paint and wallpaper firms and getting to spread the news about all their new gear, so I thought it would be fun to put her on the spot and ask her 5 quick questions!

Below you'll find snaps of Nikki's latest design crushes from Farrow & Ball, as well as a peek at the Bamboo wallpaper, which debuted last month. Click here for more 5 quick questions!

Arren Williams: What's inspiring you right now?

Nikki Chee: Paint always inspires me – it’s so versatile and you can create a whole new look and feel in a room in a weekend! Creative use of finishes is great with paint too – such as using Full Gloss teamed with Estate Emulsion or Modern Emulsion to create stripes or patterns on a wall for added texture and contrast. Apart from that, it’s the use of dramatic wallpaper prints to create a feature in a room, or using contrasting wallpaper inside cupboards or behind shelving for a design twist.

AW: Is there anything that should be banned from interiors?

NC: It’s all a matter of personal taste and I don’t think anyone should feel restricted by doing what’s perceived as ‘right’ all the time. But I’ve never been a fan of painting dado or picture rails in a light colour which just creates white bands around a room. The same goes for radiators – painting them white makes them stand out more, but if they are painted in a complementary shade they can blend into a scheme.

AW: What's the next thing you have your eye on for your own place?

NC: My next focus will be the dining room – it’s a small, anonymous room that could do with livening up and I have a dilemma. I’m either going to use The Lotus Papers in Drawing Room Blue with Pitch Black or paint it in Pelt, a fabulous rich purple. Pelt is winning at the moment, as I’d use it in Estate Emulsion combined with Dead Flat on the trim to create a seamless flat finish to really enhance the depth of colour, and create a dramatic feel which would look stunning in candlelight.

AW: How would you describe Farrow & Ball's style, and has it changed over the years?

NC: I don’t think our style has changed significantly over the years – it has definitely evolved but our colours and the colour palette remain timeless classics. The ‘Farrow & Ball look’ is as relevant and popular as it always has been but to a much wider audience – it’s no longer confined to traditional interiors of large country estates; Farrow & Ball is as at home in a contemporary loft or warehouse as it is in a country cottage, but still with the signature look everyone loves. In the last year we’ve introduced a more contemporary use of colour in our wallpaper collections, and the launch of our new eco-friendly paint finishes in August was a big step forward. All our new eco finishes are zero VOC - as tested to the US Environmental Protection Agency standards - and have little or no odour, reduced drying times, and no change to sheen levels or performance. So now redecorating your home in an environmentally responsible way couldn’t be any easier!

AW: What's next for F&B?

NC: Continuing to create more colourful interiors and exteriors and helping our customers to get there! Our latest wallpaper collection, Bamboo, launched in September. Featuring an exotic pattern adapted from an iconic 19th century Japanese print, the collection gives a fresh new look to the enduringly popular and timeless bamboo design. We also have some exciting new wallpaper collections coming up for next year and we’re always on the lookout for new showroom locations too, we currently have 25 worldwide. That’s just a snapshot - there’s a lot more to come!

A bit more from Viv

Arren October 3, 2009

My mate Stacey over at H&H blogged about Cole & Son's new collection created by fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, and I thought it was too good not to check out further. Dame Vivienne is one prolific so-an-so and a total favourite of mine, though I've only ever owned one Westwood piece, a denim jacket I scored for cheap at Century 21 and wore for years 'till it fell apart. So, I went to town digging for more shots of the just-released collection, and this is what I came up with. Check the snaps of the wooden mannequins below to get a taste of the line and you'll see why Stacey, and I, both love it. It's nutty and interesting and has some great historical and fashion-y references going on. That Squiggle pattern first appeared in Westwood's Autumn/Winter '81 Pirate collection, Cut Out Lace showed up on the runway in '07 and Insects is apparently based on fabrics from Queen Elizabeth I's wardrobe.

For more Westwood you can also order a CD here of all her fave runway tracks, and the books below - quite the spurge I must say - are the Vivienne Westwood Opus. A limited edition tome available with 9 different covers that features large scale Polaroids of her fashion over the decades worn by friends and family. And of course there's her work with The Rug Company. I totally covet the pillows she designed and her rugs, well, how could you not love this one? Finally, that last snap is of a vibrant Dame Vivienne at the end of the runway of her Spring/Summer 2010 collection, and yes, that is a stuffed toad peeking out from under her jacket. [Images: 1-3. Cole & Son. 4. Opus. 5. Via Daylife]

An odd dose of green

Arren August 17, 2009

It seems that Malachite green is on its way to being quite influencial, though not just the colour (which is wickedly intense and very '40's to my mind) by the actual pattern of the stone itself. I've spotted it popping up over the last while and think it's sensational, though I've yet to commit to it 100%. Osborne & Little has two new wallpaper collections that feature both the stone and the hue. First up is Palais Chinois from a new collection called Pompadour (influenced by the Marquise de Pompadour, the fave mistress of Louis XV). That second shot is Kishangarh (try saying that three times fast) from the Indian styled Sariskar collection, featuring silhouettes of perfume bottles in Malachite. Both look very dishy in that green, though if that's all a bit too much there are safer options too. Osborne & Little is available through the design trade at Primavera.

The uproar continues...

Arren August 12, 2009

Mucho is happening on the house today (yay). Rod, my intrepid wallpaper guy, has started in on the grasscloth in the bedroom. It's a Gramercy wallcovering available through Design By Color and it's already looking mah-vellous. And Rod, ever the perfectionist, is carefully cutting the paper down so each wall has equal sized panels. Take a look below at the first few pieces up on the wall...

Downstairs in the basement we have the Ikea installers working their magic fitting the kitchen cabinetry into the laundry area. I'd planned out the cabintery last week with the Ikea Kitchen Planner - we went with the yummy hi-gloss Abstrakt white doors - then everything was delivered in super-zippy fashion. Now the work is happening very, very fast. A few hours ago all that was down there was this SmartDispense laundry pair from GE Profile, and by tonight most of the cabinetry will be finished. Phew! Oh, and btw - the latest Ikea catalogue smacked down on my doorstep this morning, so in a quiet moment (lol) I'll be leafing through and dog-earing all my new faves.

And then finally, that last shot is the media room, after we'd gone to town with the Ralph Lauren Paint in Palais Royal (take a look at the before here).

Design on the double (roll)

Arren July 16, 2009

Okay, I can't tell you how jazzed I am about getting to check out Graham & Brown wallpaper's HQ in Blackburn yesterday. Not only did I get a totally in-depth and fascinating behind the scenes tour of the company from Ian Brown (who, btw, is quite the expert on sustainability) I also got to meet up with G&B's lovely design team, who let me in on their design process and trend research (2010 looks brill already!). I also got a couple o' major scoops on what's coming down the pipe - In September there's a new capsule collection launching by design icon Barbara Hulanicki that has to be touched to be believed (more on Barbara here), and the ink is drying on a deal to produce a line of wallpaper with the fantabulous Amy Butler. In other words, watch this space...

Below you'll see a sneak peek of one of G&B's latest patterns; a dramatic fuchsia bloom on a black background, whizzing v. speedily through the gravure press.

Puzzle piece

Arren July 3, 2009

Hmmm, do I have room for another wallpaper in the house? lol. Maybe... When I saw Puzzle from Graham & Brown in person I immediately started planning where and how it could fit into our scheme. It's quite the hardwearing little monkey - splash resistant, UV resistant and scrubbable - and the faceted textured hi-gloss pattern is really quite fantabulous. Oh, and sneak peek alert; I'll be visiting G&B when I'm in the UK soon, so I'll hafta let you guys in on whats coming down the pipe in print and pattern!

Paper play

Arren March 2, 2009

Last week I happened to get a sneak peek at the latest Shand Kydd wallpaper collection, and meet the British designer behind the line; John Wilman. This will be the third book released under the Shand Kydd marque by Blue Mountain Wallcoverings (it's expected to hit stores in August), and each book has been a mix of strong patterns, directional colours and designs that you can really sink your teeth into.

Below I wanted to give you a look at a few of my favs from the current collection; Shand Kydd II. The great thing about the line is that John takes inspiration from historical remnants in Blue Mountain's extensive archive and then plays with scale, colour and finish (there's always a fab mix between matte finishes and metallics). Chelsea is a sketchy '40's floral that looks smashing in this intense purple, let alone pairing it with a painted floor and Eames Wire-Base table. Bamboozled hits, for me at least, a swanky 70's vibe. Kew is an over the top riot of flowers in Technicolor. Bloomsbury is painterly and loose with florals and zig-zags. And finally, Chelsea makes a calmer appearance in black printed on a cream ground. You'll find Shand Kydd available by special order at Home Depot, and through specialty paint and wallpaper retailers across the country.

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