Brocade Home Foil Wallpaper... (Via Made By Girl)

In my quest for wallpaper, I came across some interesting looking ones from Brocade Home. They're like FOIL paper and you can slightly see your reflection in them. 

IS IT JUST ME..... or do they also remind you of the 70's!?!? Looks like trends do come back.... Either way, I like them!   

What do you think of these? tell tell......

images via brocade home

Thinking About My Office....(Via Made By Girl)

Remember my old office space? Well, I'm missing it right now just a bit!  I was SO excited when I re-did it earlier this year (see pics here). At the time, it felt so great to work in a NEW space! Well, now I have another blank office to work with and this time it will be a challenge.....in many ways. Even though most of the furniture is with me, the decor is what will change.
I have some IDEAS but would love to hear your input & recommendations. Since this space doesn't accommodate the 2 Parsons desks together, this is where it will be placed.  I have a desire to place wallpaper on the wall directly in front of my desk & even though I'm contemplating an animal print paper, I'm NOT sold on it yet!!   

Any thoughts on what kind of wallpaper for my wall?? Will the animal print paper work here?

Ok, DON'T LAUGH...this is just a mock-up I did super fast in Photoshop so  that I could get a clear picture of what it might look like. Ha!

Who knows..I may TOTALLY HATE this idea in a few days...I'm like that.

Maybe I should just paint a really LARGE canvas and place it over my desk...hmmmm

Map Quest: Part Deux

When I posted about maps in the post Map Quest two years ago, I only had a few examples to share. Now there are not only more examples of maps as art and wallpaper but also maps painted on walls and ceilings. If papering an entire bedroom as Steven Gambrel did above seems daunting, you could always try it in a small powder room. Even easier is just hanging a framed map on a wall. The best part is that you'll always know where you're going. Enjoy!

Kerry Joyce

Matt Albiani

Kim Coleman in House Beautiful

Painted ceiling by Miles Redd

Peter Dunham

Ruthie Sommers in House Beautiful

Hamptons Designer Showhouse 2009

India Hicks

Unknown

Thomas O'Brien

Secondhand Rose

I had powder rooms on the brain yesterday because I was ordering vintage wallpaper panels from Secondhand Rose for the powder room of my downtown project. When I went to pick them up, I couldn't resist taking a few photos to show you the extent of their collection of vintage wallpapers. They are amazing!

The patterns like these tufted designs are amazing and are popular with not only designers but restaurant owners including Billy's Bakery. It's definitely worth a visit but make sure you note that they have moved from Tribeca to Fifth Avenue at 27th Street. Happy Shopping!

Secondhand Rose

230 Fifth Avenue

Suite 510

New York, NY 10001

212-393-9002

www.secondhandrose.com

Photos by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic

Excuse me while I go powder my nose.

Powder rooms are a great place to go a little crazy because you are less likely to get bored by the design since you don't have to look at it that often. It's also fun to wow your guests since they are the ones most likely to use the powder room. One of the easiest ways to create a wow is to paper the whole room in a patterned wallpaper but what I'm loving now is making your own wallpaper or overhanging the walls with art. Steven Gambrel, above, papered a powder room in plates from the Cabinet of Curiosities book.

One of my favorite restaurants in New York, Cafe Cluny has papered their two restrooms in botanical and bird prints similar to Steven's powder room. They are small spaces but I love the thought they put into making them pretty. One interesting thing they have done since it's a public space is to cover the walls with clear Plexiglas to keep them clean and dry.

LA based interior designer Schuyler Samperton has papered her powder room with post cards and pictures. I wonder if it started out with a few and then expanded outward as time went on.

I also love that Schuyler Samperton propped up photos on a shelf in the same bathroom.

Artwork can become like wallpaper if it's hung en masse. The limited edition Love posters by Yves Saint Laurent that Polly Mellen has framed and hung in her bathroom add color to the otherwise all white room.

Just in case you want your guests to remember who you are or where they are, you can paper your powder room with own photo or book cover like Candace Bushnell.

Marion McEvoy has also hung framed photos of herself in her powder room. There's something cheeky about this that says that you don't take yourself too seriously.

One of my all time favorite powder rooms is at the J. Crew Collection store on Madison Avenue. The striped walls are fabulous but what I love are the Hugo Guinness prints that line the walls.

Interior designer Amanda Nisbet also lined the walls of a powder room in the Traditional Home Designer Show House in Hugo Guinness prints. The funniest part is that she swapped out the mirror for a chalk board. I wonder how your guests would react if they couldn't fix their hair or reapply their lipstick! I bet that would definitely elicit a big wow!

Farrow & Ball and HC Throw a Party!

Last Wednesday night, I had the pleasure of co-hosting a party with the venerable British manufacturer Farrow & Ball to celebrate the launch of their new Bamboo Papers line of wallpaper. The evening was a great success and I'd like to thank all the busy designers and friends who stopped by including Amanda Nisbet and Anne Patterson of Amanda Nisbet Design, Lizzie Bailey of Gerald Bland Antiques, Kevin Isbell, Allison Caccoma, Laurie Reynolds, Gena Dorminey of Elizabeth Bauer Design, Nicholas Manville who heads the 7th floor at Bergdorf Goodman, antique dealer David Duncan, Knollwood Antiques owner Richard Lavigne, Mercedes Desios and Alberto Villalobos of Etos, Chandler Hudson Kenny and her architect husband Anderson Kenny who brought along a group from his office at Peter Marino, as well as many more Farrow & Ball fans.

If you haven't seen the Bamboo Papers in person yet, I highly recommend you stop by the showroom. The pattern was adapted from a 19th century Japanese print and is available in two sizes and over 39 colorways and is printed with Farrow & Ball's zero VOC paint which makes them eco-friendly! I especially love the two blue and metallic papers that change color depending on how the light hits them. Bamboo is also a considered a symbol of good fortune in the Asian culture and I think we could all use a little of that these days!

Here I am with the Farrow & Ball showroom manager Lori Reich. Can you tell that neither of like to have our photo taken?!

Designer Laurie Reynolds stopped by with her boyfriend Matt who was excited to see inside the infamous D&D Building that Laurie mentions everyday!

Lori Reich showed Nicholas Manville of Bergdorf Goodman and his partner the new Bamboo Papers book.

I think we might see a wall of Bamboo Papers in Richard Lavigne's antique shop Knollwood Antiques soon which would perfectly compliment the chinoiserie pieces he has for sale!

Jessica Gold and I chatted with the very dapper antiques dealer David Duncan of David Duncan Antiques.

I owe a big thank you to Alberto Villalobos of Etos, seen his with his business partner Mercedes Desios, for taking many of the photos of the party while I was busy meeting and greeting!

After Alberto left, I didn't take any more photos so I apologize to those I missed! Thanks again to everyone who came out on a chilly New York night to view this great new collection of wallpapers and to Farrow & Ball for asking me to co-host a wonderful event!

And last but not least, no party would be complete without a gift bag! I'm sorry we couldn't invite everyone but the showroom is small so we might find a bigger venue for the next event! Until then, stop by the Farrow & Ball showroom and check out the beautiful Bamboo Papers!

Quirky Quadrille!

When I was searching for fabrics for my current big project, one of showrooms I visited was Quadrille. Turns out nothing was right for that particular apartment but now I can spot one of their fabrics a mile away! The showroom includes collections by Quadrille, Alan Campbell, China Seas, and Home Couture but are often all called just referred to as from Quadrille. Some of the fabrics look very similar so it's often a little confusing but worth the hunt. They always look cheerful and it's fun to see how different designers use them in their work. Enjoy!

The outdoor vignette above was one of my favorites from Domino and the Aga Reverse fabric from China Seas seemed like one of their favorites!

Domino used Aga Reverse in brown for the chairs in Katie Lee Joel's chairs that made the cover. I think these were brought in for the shoot and not her regular dining chairs.

Probably the most well known of the China Seas fabric is Arbre de Matisse Reverse that was used in the room designed by Billy Baldwin for Woodson Taulbee. The print was inspired from the Matisse above the sofa. This photo was also used for the cover of Billy Baldwin Decorates and a print of it was used for the end papers .

Jonathan Berger also used Arbre de Matisse Reverse in brown for this Brooklyn townhouse.

Tory Burch is seen in the September 2009 issue of Elle magazine in her breakfast room that has been swathed in blue Arbre de Matisse Reverse.

Designer Meg Braff upholstered a pair of chairs in green Arbre de Matisse Reverse.

Alexis Beard's decorators, Chiqui and Nena Woolworth, used a lot of Quadrille fabrics in her home including Nairobi in leaf on the sofas in the living room.

Amanda Cutter Brooks home was featured in the premier issue of Vogue Living and her living room features Java Grande by China Seas upholstery.

I love the graphic quality of the colorful Cap Ferrat fabric by Alan Campbell in Meg Braff's son's bedroom. There is a story in the Albert Hadley book about how he and Sister Parish were one of the first firms to use Alan Campbell's fabrics. They were modern then and still look modern today!

Aerin Lauder had a custom color Deauville fabric by Alan Campbell created for her kitchen in her East Hampton home.

One of my favorite fabrics at Quadrille is Paradise Background and here Meg Braff creates a beautiful bedroom with it.

I've seen this fabric that Ruthie Sommers attributed to different sources but I'm pretty sure it's Lyford Background by China Seas. I told you that sometimes the patterns get confusing!

Tom Sheerer also creates a pretty in pink bedroom using Lafayette Toile.

Jonathan Berger used another fabric from China Seas, Lysette in magenta, for a powder room in the Brooklyn townhouse.

Carleton Varney, the king of color, also used Lysette in magenta but this time the reverse version. The pillows are also in Lysette in magenta and green.

Although you can't really tell in this photo, interior designer John Wiley used Lysette Reverse in orange for bedroom draperies.

Another one of my favorites is Macao II by China Seas in Jungle Green which designer Palmer Weiss used for a client's chairs.

Here Macao II is used for a sofa and chair cushions by Brockschmidt & Coleman.

Ashley Whittaker created a beautiful dining room with Veneto by Quadrille.

Also in Alexis Beard's home is Este Reverse wallpaper by Quadrille.

In Alexis Beard's master bedroom, the wallpaper is Bali II while the headboard is upholstered in Bali Isle.

Meg Braff upholstered another set of chairs in Bali II in blue which looks great at the beach.

I love how the green Island Ikat looks on the roman shades in this bedroom designed by John Wiley.

Domino really did seem to love Quadrille fabrics and used Bali Isle by China Seas for this sofa.

Once designers fall in love with fabrics at Quadrille, they tend to use the fabrics in various rooms of a project. Here Carleton Varney upholsters a sofa in Potalla Background by China Seas.

Meg Braff wallpapered a powder room in green Potalla Background by China Seas.

Aerin Lauder also seems to love the Quadrille showroom. Her son's room is wallpaper ed in Zig Zag from Alan Campbell in green. She also had her outdoor furniture upholstered in Ferns by Alan Campbell when it appeared in Vogue Living but seems to be gone in the photos in the July/August 2009 issue of Elle Decor.

Carleton Varney also used Ziggurat by China Seas for this bedroom.

Then there is the most memorable use of a fabric from Quadrille. In The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda sits on a sofa upholstered in Melinda by Alan Campbell. That's all.