Entry Makeover ~ Part One.

A couple of winters ago, on a stormy day, I decided to try my hand at wallpapering. Yes, I had wallpaper
in my home already but I couldn't take the credit for hanging it. (Thanks Stephane and Aunt Marilyn!) This time, I wanted to do it on my own.

Unfortunately two things went wrong:

#1 I had no idea how to wallpaper and it showed.
#2 I never liked the pattern of the paper from day one. I got it from a $5 bin and couldn't pass up the deal. Lesson learned!

As a result, my tiny little front entryway, which could be oh so cute, became what I saw as the blemish of the main floor. Here are a couple of shots of the little room. I did the wainscoting all by myself, I might add. toot toot! :)

Well, long story short, I decided this was the weekend to start a little makeover in that room. Luckily, I had a couple of helpers. 

Off came the wallpaper. An annoying job yet somehow therapeutic once you get going!

Up went a coat rack, minus the hooks, with whatever pieces Steph could drum up in the basement. 

A little Saturday shopping excursion to the antique shops proved fruitful. We picked up a little piano bench which will fit perfectly. Plus, the lid lifts up for hat and mitten storage. Bonus!

It's a start! Next up is priming, painting and the fun part- styling! Oh... and speaking of shopping excursions, we found some fun finds. I'll be back later in the week to share the goodness.

MIA

Hi all! I intended to take a few days off from the blog and it turned into more than a week! I'm still following my favorite blogs and continue to be inspired every day! I promise to get back to posting more regularly soon. It's a busy time of year at school and I've got lots going on these days... please stick with me!

You know how I love wallpaper. Anthology, one of my favorite online mags featured the home of Joy D. Cho, the brain behind the blog and company Oh Joy! The wallpaper took my breath away. I'm a sucker for pattern and lately I love anything in gold/bronze.

Isn't it beautiful with the bold arrangement of frames on the wall? Kitty is cute too:)

You can check out the rest of the papers in her line here.

I appreciate my followers so much and promise to be back with more.. soon:)

Wallpaper Love

I've been asked quite a few questions recently about the wallpaper in my living room. It just may be my favorite thing in my whole house. As soon as it went up, the pattern and the soft colors made the room finally feel complete. I have not tired of it yet!
Some of you want to see a better picture so I tried my best to get a few that capture the pattern best.

And here is the whole room again with the wallpaper on the back wall.

The other questions were regarding its source. I ordered it through a local paint and wallpaper store in town. I looked into it again and unfortunately it has since been discontinued! :(

*via wallpaper to go

I'd like to share a little lesson learned...

When I first fell in love with wallpaper, I knew only of the ones features on my favorite design shows or magazines. Often $250/roll with a minimum 3 roll order. WAY out of my budget.

I came to find out that there are all kinds of sources that are very affordable and offer the same effect.. or at least I think so! The paper for that whole wall cost less than $75 and I think it looks pretty great!

Less than a great piece of art, but with as much impact. Only downfall? Let's be honest... a pain in the butt to install. A two person job which inevitably leads to a wee bit of frustration :) Worth it though!

SATC

In anticipation of Sex & the City 2, I've been watching the trailer and checking out pictures of the girls and the set design. Carrie and Big's house looks amazing. Check out this wallpaper!

I knew I recognized the pattern and I figured it out! It is from the line of wallpaper and fabric by Katie Ridder. It is called Oiseau and the color is chocolate. I love all the colorways of this print.

All my girls are heading out on Saturday night in celebration of our friend Amy's 30th. The plan is dinner and SATC! As of now, I have to work but I am dying to go! I can't wait to see the girls, the clothes, the sets, the decor...

GRASSCLOTH LOVE

It is certainly no secret that I love wallpaper. It is such an easy way to add visual interest to a room. Especially for me who can't commit to hanging art! I have it in my living room (and I love it!), my dining room, entrance and my bedroom.
My new fascination is grasscloth wallpaper. Well, not new exactly considering I have taken home the sample book from Get Creative Interiors in Summerside on more than one occasion in the last 2 years. But lately I have been seeing it everywhere! I was originally drawn to the natural soft colors but now I see it in colors like turquoise and green. You can even get it with a pattern now.
The great thing about colored grasscloth is that it allows you to use color to make an impact on your walls but because of the color variation in the material it isn't as dramatic as a solid color.

via eddie ross

One downfall is that grasscloth is more expensive than most wallpapers and I've heard it is somewhat challenging to apply since it isn't prepasted. But rather than do a whole room you could do a small entryway. Or frame a section behind a bed with mouldings for a chic headboard? Or paper the back of a bookcase?

For those in Summerside who are interested, there is a good selection of wallpaper in stock at Get Creative Interiors (formerly Color Your World) on the All Weather Highway. They also have books to order from and the prices are very reasonable. The staff is extremely helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. It is worth a visit!