For the love of Wallpaper

It seems as if I find myself vacillating between the memories of the old house and the future visions of the farmhouse.

Yesterday's post about the nook reflected my need to revisit what I had already created.  I needed to go back and review the details.

The farmhouse house is so very different.  I feel like I want to wallpaper everything!

The ceilings are taller, the walls longer and the overall size is begging for a little intimacy.  Each room would love some individuality.

I'll just ask, why such adversity to such a great design medium?  At the mere mention of the word "wallpaper" people begin to wrinkle their nose, create lines in their forehead and of course the old stories of "when I had to remove the wallpaper from my house..." begin.

I've been there.  The little blue house was a fan of wallpaper when I first moved in.  I, however, was not a fan at the time.  I spent hours peeling, scraping, lifting and moistening layer upon layer of wallpaper in that house.  Removing the paper off of plaster walls no less.  I get the wallpaper condendrum, the love/hate relationship.

Here's the thing, though.  Paint is easy.  A well decorated home can't always be easy.  Don't get me wrong, I love paint too.  It will one day get it's glory and individual blog post.  To be fair wallpaper needed to get some recognition.

Wallpaper is a bit more complex than its paint accomplice.  There are patterns to match (or not) and colors to coordinate.  Inevitably there's the "who is going to put this stuff up?" question after you've already purchased the rolls from a company in the Netherlands and paid a hefty shipping cost.

That would be me.  I searched high and low and found the wallpaper I was looking for.  In the Netherlands.  Fortunately they ship to the states and when I received my package I was giddy with excitement.

The company is called Room Seven.

Room Seven focuses predominantly on children's bedding, clothing and accessories.  They partnered with  Coordonne in order to create wonderful wallpaper.  They have the most delightful and exquisite combinations of prints and colors.  While they are intended for children, I believe their wallpaper to be perfect for any space.

I don't intend on covering every inch of every wall but I am beginning to select a few areas in the farmhouse that have peaked my interest.  I am sticking with the Room Seven patterns throughout because I believe they are diverse enough to add interest, yet they create a flow from top to bottom.

 

I have a thing for this yellow.  I love the golden tone.  It's bright, but not too bright and presents a stellar backdrop for virtually everything.  

I immediately fell in love with this pattern.  It appears to me to have a playful sophistication that can be dressed up or dressed down.  The current plan is to hang this in the dining room.

Moving on I found a floral pattern to add to the foyer.  I can't express to you how much I love floral patterns on paper or fabric.  I've tried to look for patterns with simpler lines, geometric flow but the floral patterns get me every time.  I'm particularly drawn to the smaller floral designs, however, this pattern struck me.  The colors are vibrant, yet against the antiqued white background they become elegant blossoms.

The bright floral landscape is perfect for the foyer.   It's warm and inviting and I believe it will be a wonderful place to begin the story of our home as you walk through the front door.

I had originally decided to only wallpaper the upstairs.  The dining room and foyer were just add-on. 

I love my french provencial dressers in my bedroom.  They were my parents and not long after being passed along to me I painted them.  My mum was hesitant to pass them along at first because she loves natural wood.  I love paint.  She knew the outcome and held out as long as she could.

I believe the outcome was worth it.

Due to my affinity for the dressers, I really wanted to try to stay with my previous color scheme.  I cam across this pattern.

 

Out of all the wallpaper I've selected this is my boldest choice.  The majority of the colors, accessories and furniture in the bedroom are soft.  Based on the overall softness of the room, I believe this pattern can be pulled off.  In the evening, when the lights are illuminated it looks a bit breathtaking.  That's when I knew it would work in the bedroom.

For the spare bedroom I decided to be a bit repetitive.  

 

I couldn't help myself! I love this pattern and while I love the yellow, the blue is dreamy.  Perfect for a spare bedroom.  I'm sure there is some kind of rule to not papering the same pattern in a different room, even if it's a different color.  I don't care, I've never followed the rules.

The last pattern I selected was for Ava's room.  Ava is 11 and cares very much about what her space feels and looks like.  There are days when I highly desire a daughter who says "I don't really care about what it looks like. Pick out whatever you want."  I have to quickly remind myself that I have nurtured Ava's love for design and overall passion for art.  I have to allow her to have her own artistic identity.  

Within means.  Therefore Ava and I compromised on a more modern pattern for her room.  She is very interested in clean lines and structure, the opposite of her mum.  She loved the polka dot pattern.  We're a polka dot loving family.  While this paper takes on a different look I believe it will play well with the others.

The only area I have formally hung is the foyer.  I was confident with my selection for that area and when it was completed I loved it even more.

I hung the foyer over the girls spring break from school and we had a brief stay in Wisconsin.  I haven't been back to the house since.

I'm glad to have had the chance to recoup because here are the things I'm certain of when it comes to wallpaper.

1. Have your checkbook ready 
2. Have plenty of time available 
3. Have a replenished liquor cabinet

Regardless of what kind of wallpaper you are doing you are going to end up investing some money.  It just isn't cheap.  Nor should it be.  It's truly as if you are hanging a work of art so you need to be confident about what you are putting up.  You need to know you're going to love it tomorrow as much as you would today.  I can never do things the simple way.  I'm always looking for that unique, one of a kind.  Room Seven would be quite affordable for me if I lived, lets say, in the Netherlands.  But, alas, I do not.  Therefore, for the love of the paper, I will continue to save and buy each room as I can.  That's commitment.

Hanging wallpaper is a time consuming and detail oriented task.  Do not take shortcuts.  I highly considered hiring out due to the cost of the paper.  I didn't want to screw it up!  What I found was that if I took my time I was able to hang the paper quite well and most importantly to my liking.  I'm a type A.  I may have found a new career.

Give wallpaper a chance.  You might just like it. 

The magic of the Nook

I absolutely love small spaces.  I love the intimacy and the closeness of a small space.

The little nook in our little blue house was magical. 

When we moved into the little blue house 16 years ago the nook was all dark wood, with two benches on each side covered with a mustard colored, pizza parlor material.  The nook stayed that way for about 14 of the 16 years.

I never really cared for the dark wood and the functionality was limited.  The U-shape didn't exist until the remodel, therefore anyone who slid into the "booth" type seating would be stuck up against the back wall. 

In the early days, prior to kids, getting stuck in the back was a really bad thing.  Often referred to as the "drinking nook" friends would come over to play cards and games.  The person stuck in the back could never escape and always seemed to feel the worst the day after!

The nook remodel was phase II after the kitchen.  The original kitchen was just as dark as the nook and the cabinets were said to be disintegrating when the contractor began demolition.

We decided to take the kitchen down to the studs.  We were trying to save the cabinets but it just wasn't going to happen.  Dave and I try to do a lot of projects on our own but there are times when DIY just doesn't suffice.  This was one of those times.  I enjoy quality craftsmanship and this house deserved to have quality.

We selected custom ash cabinets, granite countertops, classic subway tile and stainless appliances.  A piece of tiger maple was selected for the coffee station to add a bit of variety aside from the granite.  Granite wasn't my first choice, but a compromise with my husband.  While the kitchen looks simple.  It was far from simple to create.  I spent years reading design pubs and books.  I researched colors, style and materials.  In the end, however, the design was just a gut instinct.

Pantry space was limited.  The custom moss and turquoise cabinet was designed with storage in mind.  I though my contractor was going to have a heart attack when I selected those colors, but in the end he did a brilliant job.

The wall color was by far the most difficult decision.  The kitchen was connected to the nook and the family area and the color needed to allow for light to reflect at all times of the day.  Through the years that space had been difficult to keep bright and cheery.  The goldenrod was an ideal selection.

The mosaic lighting wasn't selected until the end of the remodel and I have to say it added an eclectic talking piece to the kitchen area.  When illuminated they resembled beautiful art.

While we loved the kitchen, we knew the nook needed a remodel as well.  The kitchen had exhausted all our money and the nook would have to wait.

Two years after the kitchen remodel it was time to conquer the nook!  The entrance was originally two open doorway entrances.  A beam ran straight through the center.

I found an amazing restoration specialist.  Fortunately, he was able to see my vision.  I wanted a U shape nook to utilize the entire space and an open entrance. 

In the end I also determined I wanted to paint the woodwork of the windows to offset the goldenrod walls and blend with the colors of the kitchen.  Fabrics were selected last and added a tone of whimsy.

 

I can't even begin to tell you how many enjoyable evenings were spent in that nook.  The nook was perfect for gourmet breakfasts, crafting, homework, long talks, cups of tea and moments of clarity.

I mentioned earlier that the kitchen was connected to the nook and the family area.  I decided to stay consistent with the color scheme and them in the family area as well.  The end result was an extension of the magical nook.

Toward the end of our stay in the blue house I enjoyed every last meal we made in the kitchen, every last craft we created in the nook and every last laugh we shared in the family area.

I don't intend on recreating this look at the farmhouse in Wisconsin as I feel it deserves a story of it's own.  Perhaps elements of this magical space will reappear.

The temporary Art Studio

Everyone, and I mean everyone, needs a place to art.

 After moving from the little blue house, watching the movers pack up my studio I literally thought at one point I would stop breathing.  Dramatic, yes, I know.  That's exactly what it felt like.

I have spent countless hours in the studio after bad days and good days.  Laughing, crying singing.  The outcome was always the same.  I felt more alive, confident and at peace after I spent time in the studio.  

It was no surprise that the studio was where I would choose to "begin" in the new farmhouse.  

I have read countless design books and magazines.  I pinterest, etsy and twitter.  I'm a seeker of ideas and information like the many others.  After moving to this farmhouse the seeking stopped.  I no longer wanted to find the answers.  I wanted to create them.  I wanted them to be my own.

I shared in an earlier post that one of the main reasons I loved this old farmhouse was the third floor, unfinished space.  Most people buy homes for the kitchen, the bathrooms.  Boring.  I saw this unfinished space and I saw the potential.  I saw what it could become.   I could see the natural light, the structural changes and lots and lots of color.

Why buy a new home when you can have this!

While we figure out what the heck we're going to do with this space, I needed an interim art area. 

The room off the dining room filled the temporary need. 

I went to my organization, go-to person, Cate, and we started unpacking the studio boxes.  Box after box.  

 

Before I knew it, familiar and treasured trinkets were being made visible and I could feel the creative juices flowing.  I could breathe again.

 

Once the boxes were carefully unpacked the elements started to come together and a studio was born.  Even if it is for a short while.

 

At the end of the day we ended up with this. Still a bit cluttered and messy for my liking, but nonetheless a place to create effortlessly!

The next morning I awoke to laughter in the studio.  Music to my ears.  Ava and Cate were already making themselves a spot in what was considered my sanctuary.  I was fine with the scenario as each one is a constant muse. 

Where do you begin when you move into a new home?  How do you choose where to make your imprint first so that the rest of the home just flows. 

Here's the answer: go with your gut.  Find the spot that is going to inspire you.  Look at the the colors that motivated you before.  Chances are, if you loved those colors before, you're going to love them again.  Perhaps in a new way.  

Use pinterest, etsy and all the design magazines you want.  I love them all!  At the same time, remember that you know what you like and your instincts are probably right 99% of the time. Whatever you do find your soul and pour it into your home.

When I stepped foot in the studio I knew I was finally home.