Brunschwig & Fils “Bird and Thistle” in a North East Houston Powder Room

The homeowner loved this paper, and had to have it somewhere in her family’s new home in Humble, in far northwest Houston. The powder room turned out to be the perfect spot!

Originally the room was faux-finished in a heavy and rough “Tuscan” texture painted a dark reddish brown color. This classic wallpaper pattern changes the whole look, bringing an air of elegance.

The paper has a toned-down silver metallic look, with soft seafoam colored tree trunks, foliage, and birds on it. The ceiling was painted a coordinating soft murky blue, and the wallpaper coordinated beautifully with the tile.

It was quite thin. I like thin papers. The seams were practically invisible, and the paper was somewhat twisty – Sometimes that is good, because you can manipulate a strip to fit slightly off-plumb areas. But sometimes it’s not good, because warps and wrinkles can develop. In the powder room, this was not a big deal, because I never had more than three strips next to one another. But in a larger room with more strips hanging sequentially, it could be a problem.

This design is called Bird & Thistle, and is by Brunschwig & Fils, a British company and a higher-end brand. It was bought from my favorite source for good quality, product knowledge, expert service, and competitive price – Dorota Hartwig at Southwestern Paint on Bissonnet near Kirby. (713) 520-6262 or dorotasouthwestern@hotmail.com. She is great at helping you find just the perfect paper! Discuss your project and make an appointment before heading over to see her.

Shields and Soldiers

OK, this is a wallpaper pattern and a use that you are going to either love or hate. It’s in a boy’s bedroom (all four walls), is by Brunschwig & Fils, and is featured in the December 2017 issue of Southern Living magazine.

Wallpaper on Siding – CUTE Idea

Here is some colorful Brunschwig & Fils wallpaper that an artsy and innovative woman wrapped around her home’s siding! Don’t worry – it’s on a screened porch, so it’s protected from the rain and sun.

(I can’t help but notice the bubbles and wrinkles. But I guess if you’re papering siding for your outdoor porch, a few imperfections are not a big deal. Still, the paperhanger in me wants to know what caused the bubbling, and if it were possible to do this installation without the wrinkles.)

Classic Trellis by Brunschwig & Fils

Over yesterday and today, I put this in an under-the stairs powder room of a soon-to-be-married couple in the West University area. The homeowners loved it!

Although I would prefer a quieter look (meaning, paint), many people love wallpaper on the ceiling of these small rooms.

When doing this treatment with ANY pattern, it’s important to keep in mind that, as it works its way up the ceiling, the pattern will match on only ONE wall. From there on out, it falls where it falls!

Observe the photos to see what I mean. With the right pattern, it’s not a big deal. For instance, the toile I posted photos of a few months back turned out great. And this trellis, even with some mis-matches, looks very good.

A pattern that would not work as well would be, let’s say, figures of animals or people, that would be turned upside down as they travel across the ceiling, or would have their heads, for example, cut off. Ouch!