Design*Sponge » windows and walls

portland designers for hygge & west

Grace Bonney — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:00:31 +0000

I’ve got Portland on the brain this morning, so it worked out perfectly when I heard that Hygge & West had collaborated with a great local design team called Pattern People. Founded by Claudia Brown and Jessie Whipple Vickery, Pattern People specializes in surface design for everything from fashion to interiors. Claudia and Jessie designed a new series of beautiful wallpapers for Hygge & West that were inspired by the flora and fauna of the Pacific Northwest. Their Forest Leaves pattern (above) is my favorite, but the full collection is definitely worth checking out. I love the way Pattern People re-interpreted imagery that would normally be done in dark greens and browns in such modern color combinations. Click here to check out and shop the new collection online. xo, grace

More wallpaper images continue after the jump . . .

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neisha crosland: hollywood grape

Grace Bonney — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:30:04 +0000

Since I’m talking about wallpapers, can I take a quick second to give a shout-out to my new (but not newly designed) favorite wallpaper? After we moved, I swore off wallpaper for my own home in exchange for embracing something cleaner and less pattern-driven, but this paper has totally made me change my mind. And if any designer could do that, it’s Neisha Crosland. Neisha designs some of the highest quality wallpapers around, and her “Hollywood Grape” pattern (in pale yellow) is calling me to it like a siren song. It has a distinctly vintage feel without crossing over (at least to me) into “retro” land, and the colorways are subtle enough that they don’t scream for attention. I’d love to use that pale yellow version in my living room — it would look so gorgeous with the dark espresso-colored floors. Ah, to dream . . . xo, grace

red start murals

Grace Bonney — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:00:59 +0000

I hold a special place in my heart for Texas (hence my desire to have it counted as its own region or country). I’m never surprised to hear about an exciting artist or designer coming from such a diverse state, and I’m always pleased when friends decide to visit and come back inspired by the unique feel and style of Texas. I started reading an email from Michelle at Red Start and smiled when I saw that she was based in Austin. There are so many fantastic artists working there, and she (and her studio) is definitely one of them.

Michelle and her team have been in business for over ten years painting dramatic murals and large-scale commissions for both residential and commercial buildings. Each project is done by hand with the help of a small group of local artists that turn ideas, themes and inspiration into real-life wall art. I was so taken with this recent project that I couldn’t resist sharing. Inspired by a turn-of-the-century William Morris textile design, Michelle and her team hand-painted this amazing pattern onto a client’s wall in New York. They are still adding the finishing touches, but I thought the current state was lovely enough to share as is. (I love the little hand-painted metallic details.) I’d kill to be able to paint like that. It would be such a nice spin on a more traditional wallpaper option. Click here to check out more of Red Start’s work and here to visit their Facebook page, where they update project pictures regularly. xo, grace

More images after the jump…

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studio rita wallpaper

Grace Bonney — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:00:42 +0000

One of my favorite things about spring is getting ready for ICFF and all the amazing design it lays out in (hundreds of) neatly packed rows. For the past few years, I’ve enjoyed seeing wallpaper studios featured more in those rows, and I’m curious to find out who will push the medium further this year, hopefully with some sort of interesting (textural?) innovation. Typically, that happens in the British design section, but I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed for something exciting in the American and Canadian booths. While the previews for new designs aren’t out yet, I did get an update about a pretty new collection of wallpapers from Sweden’s Studio Rita.

Working in cooperation with Photowall, Studio Rita recently released a collection called “Forest Views” that plays with different tree/forest motifs. The collection includes six large-scale patterns, my favorite of which is “Tiny Tree” (above) by Maria Bergström. Maria was inspired by the sunlight that filters through forest foliage and interpreted it in a way that feels handmade and homespun. I’ve featured my favorites above, but you can view the full collection right here and purchase the papers through Photowall right here. xo, grace

*If you’re looking for more wallpaper, I listed my top 50 resources right here.

binny children’s wallpaper

Grace Bonney — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:00:05 +0000

Morning guys- I’m still dragging myself out of bed but I thought something cute to start the day early wouldn’t hurt. This adorable wallpaper was designed by Australia illustrator and textile designer Binny Talib. Binny has a line of children’s wallpaper that is sweet and whimsical and perfect for a wide range of ages. This “Pups in Cups” pattern is my favorite and I can’t say a small part of me wouldn’t be tempted to use this in my own home. I’d probably stop myself because I’m pretty sure it would lead to comments like, “Oh, I didn’t know you had kids?”. Though I’ve been asked that question before after people see the collection of Rock Band video equipment we have.

You can check out Binny’s full collection right here and buy them online here, here and here. Thanks to Binny’s friend Sandra for the tip! xo, grace

50s wallpaper by sanderson

Grace Bonney — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:12:55 +0000

I’m not normally a big 50s person, but every now and then something inspired by that era will catch my eye and make me want to embrace a look that’s a little bit retro. Sanderson has always produced some of the most beautiful wallpaper designs on the market, but they recently introduced a new collection of 50s-inspired wallpaper that I thought would be fun to share here. I always imagine retro wallpaper working well in a kitchen for some reason, but I think these patterns would be great for a kid’s room, too. Sanderson’s 50s collection has nine styles to choose from, ranging from playful fruit and floral prints to patterns that look like 50s-era mobiles. Click here to check out the full collection online and pick up a roll or two. xo, grace (Thanks to Christocripp for the tip!)

*If you’re looking for more wallpaper patterns, click here to check out my Top 50 Wallpaper Resources.

CLICK HERE for more new wallpaper designs from Sanderson after the jump!

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