Designer crush: Modern Declaration

As a designer, I often find myself buried in magazines, books and sometimes even Pinterest. Admiring the works of my peers. Yesterday, I stumbled across this photo:

Image via Modern Declaration

I was instantly charmed by the work of Daun Curry of Modern Declaration. I felt like we were long lost sisters or something! I love her style. I love when design can be timeless but playful. If given the opportunity, I always try to stick a little whimsy in my design work. I am so happy to look at her spaces and see the same and look forward to seeing much more of her talented work.

What do you think? Are you not giddy for the traditional damask print punched up a notch with the hand guns?! I AM!

xo}L

What I'm Loving This Wednesday: Aimee Wilder Wallpaper Collection

When it comes to wallpaper, I absolutely love Aimee Wilder. Her designs are modern, simple and beautiful. While you can use this line in just about any room or setting, I find that it works especially well in children’s rooms. You can create a playful and youthful look that is still modern and chic. This line of wallpaper features a really great array of different colors and patterns, some of which are actually going to be featured on Vans shoes in the near future. 

According to Aimee, her influences include typography, logo design, illustration, textiles, urban toy design, rock poster art. Once you see her line, you’ll definitely see these elements emerge. You can use her patterns to help create a really awesome vibe in any room. The Aimee Wilder line of wallpaper is available at lots of different retailers and online stores. You can also shop on her website, which allows you to order samples or wallpaper by the sheet or yard as well as art prints, t-shirts and pillows that feature her patterns. 

Whether you’re looking for something bright and playful or more subdued and sleek, you’re sure to find it within Aimee Wilder’s collection. Here, I am showing Birds (the teal and green pattern), CropCircles (blue and white) and Gondolas. There are so many more to choose from, and if you liked these, or have a secret passion for robots, you’ll definitely want to check out the rest of her line: http://www.aimeewilder.com.

 

Granny Chic Bathroom

A friend of mine sent me this photo seeking help for her rental bathroom. Take a look at that dated wallpaper! Since she is only renting, she obviously can't do anything permanent.

So I went to the drawing board and came up with this story board for a "Granny Chic Bathroom" This old dated wallpaper better be ready for a big face lift!

Attention: This is NOT your Grandma's Wallpaper...

So many times in the design industry have I suggested a wallpaper (verbally, no visual yet) to a client, and countless times, I have received the same ill faced cringe... "Ohhh, umm, no, wallpaper is just not for me." I always dispute this comment with a smile, and push through with fantastic wallpaper samples that they had no idea existed and eventually, usually can't resist.

The truth is, when wallpaper is brought up, they usually have a flashback of their grandmother's home and it's a very dated wallpaper with a small scale lattice work, flowers or some goofy design that is 9 out of 10 times curling in the corners of the wall... those days are long gone my friend. If you have nightmares of horrible wallpapers from the past, let me take you through a land of hand painted luxury, modern twists on the classics, graphic prints, bold statements and colors that extend beyond the rainbow... brace yourself, get ready to be wowed, chances are, you will be wanting some fun patterns on your walls!



Today, I had a trip to the Merchandise Mart and saw some pretty beautiful things....

The following graphic wallpapers are from Dessin Fournir, 

I kept turning my head just to get one last look, they are fantastic! 

You can't go wrong with a classic black and white design:

Or you could punch it up with red and white:

This next wallpaper is a beauty, hand drawn design by Chicago gal Casey Gunschel of Palace Papers. 

This design simply stunned me, from afar it looks like a timeless damask design...

Step a little closer... SURPRISE! It's actually Coy Fish! 

Some of the most beautiful wallpapers I have ever seen come from Cole & Son they have a wide variety of modern, traditional, hand painted, the list goes on and on. The following pattern is one of my ultimate favorites...

In fact, I love it so much I actually re-created this design onto one of my mid century pieces (from the best store ever, Chic Antique Chicago). I hand painted the design in orange and gold, take a looksee...

This wallpaper by Aimee Wilder was recently discovered by my co-worker while sourcing for a child's playroom, so many fun designs... Robots & Sumo Wrestlers. Enough said. 

Yes, the following image is wallpaper covered in Sumo Wrestlers...

Wouldn't this be so fun in a nursery...