Wallpaper in American Farmhouse Style Magazine

I’m always thrilled to see wallpaper featured in magazines – especially magazines that historically promote sparse , all-white interiors and décor . This February / March 2023 issue showcases a LOT of wallpaper – including right her on the front cover !
The magazine didn’t list much, if any, info about the patterns or brands. So please just enjoy the patterns and decorating elements. If you want to pursue one of these, I can hook you up with a merchant who can probably find it for you, or something similar.

Whimsical but muted ” village ” pattern as backdrop for headboard accent wall .

Note the use of nubby textured textiles to warm up this wintery room.

Sweet roses . I hung this very pattern just a few months ago. https://wallpaperlady.wordpress.com/2022/06/26/romantic-vintage-look-rose-bedroom-accent-wall/

Shore birds in flight have been a popular theme .

This is an obvious (and much more affordable ) riff on the $$$ ” Acanthus ” design by Schumacher . This one is a lot more playful , too, IMO.

We’re entering a guest house / B&B / airBnB with several rental units having the same footprint , but different decorating.

Look all the way to the left – a tiny snippet of wallpaper on the accent wall , nicely coordinated with the color of the cabinets , as well as complimentary to the pink-ish wall paint .

Wheat wreaths on wheat wallpaper .

Subtle stripes in a sleeping area . Note how nicely the installer centered / balanced the stripes on the headboard / focal wall .

An earthy, natural pattern I hung not too long ago, and also have it coming up again. Looks like dandelion seedheads, maybe. Fun upward movement.

Many ” Farmhouse ” styled homes these days are using tile that looks like this. But this backdrop is actually wallpaper . Showing how you can get the visual impact of patterned tile without the expense or permanent impact on your wall .

Cute idea for the backs of narrow shelves . This is a clever look on stairs , too – I’d say mostly in ” artsy ” themed homes .

This wall is actually made of ship-lap . But there are many wallpaper patterns out there that mimic the look of this popular decorating material . Particularly the Magnolia Home line by Joanna Gaines , made by York .

More wallpaper masquerading as tile on this bar backsplash .

Bright colorful butterflies .

Same color scheme , different wallpaper pattern .

Cheery lemon pattern . Here’s a similar one I did recently. https://wallpaperlady.wordpress.com/2022/11/11/picasso-slept-here-crazy-pattern-in-a-complicated-powder-room/

Fun with green and leaves

Moving from pattern to texture . Here you see natural fiber grasscloth flanking the entryway , as well as on the back wall .

A fun Industrial Modern / Rustic look for this accent wall . Not sure if this is a plastic 3-D faux brick material , or wallpaper . But there are plenty of brick-look wallpapers available , many with light texture on the surface . For help tracking down something you love, contact Dorota at the Sherwin-Williams on University in the Rice Village. Call first and discuss your project. Wed – Sat (713) 529-6515 .

Slightly ethnic look to this dark blue headboard accent wall in a guest bedroom .

Done With 26 Years of Dark

Originally decorated in the 1990’s, this powder room was perfectly in sync with the era. But time marched on, and it was time to update. And brighten!

The homeowner is originally from India. Her home contains a lot of artwork and other items brought back from that country. She didn’t set out to choose an ethnic-themed pattern, but I really do think that this design is in tune with what one would see in India. In fact, the last time I hung it, it was for a young couple with Indian roots.

Despite the pink cast in the second photo, this wallpaper is a beautiful soft seafoam green color, with raised-ink in gold forming the textured design.

The wallpaper is by York, one of my favorite brands, and is a non-woven substrate. This material doesn’t expand when wet with paste, so you can get accurate measurements, paste and hang immediately with no booking wait period, and you have the option to paste the wall instead of the paper. Since this powder room had tricky areas (behind the pedestal sink and toilet), I opted to paste the paper.

This wallpaper was purchased at Southwestern Paint on Bissonnet near Kirby. Over 500 selection books, discounted prices, and great service picking out your perfect pattern.

The home is in the Memorial Villages area of west Houston. I worked for this gal’s daughter in Bellaire a few years ago.

Ethnic-Looking Pattern in River Oaks Master Bedroom

First picture: Boring white walls

Second picture: Using the laser level to get the first strip nice and plumb, and with the pattern centered in the middle of the wall.

Third picture: Finished accent wall.

Fourth picture: Close up of the pattern. To me, it has a strong ethnic feel.

Fifth picture: This paper is by Cole & Son, a British company. It has a pearlized sheen to the surface. The backing is a non-woven material, so it can be hung by pasting the wall or pasting the material. (I prefer pasting the material.) It is designed to strip off the wall easily and with minimal damage to the wall when it’s time to redecorate.

This wallpaper pattern 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.

Cole & Son Woods in a Powder Room

This powder room in a newish townhome in the Rice Military area of Houston was originally papered in a darkish jungle/ethnic/animal-themed wallpaper. It was a good look, but the new homeowners wanted something brighter and fresher. Plus, the original paper had been hung over the textured walls, and the bumps were showing through.

It would have taken me two long days to strip the original paper, smooth the walls, and hang the paper. So the homeowner tackled the removal of the original paper (following instructions on my blog (see page on the right side) plus info she found on the internet), which saved her the price of a day’s labor. It also made my job a bit easier.

But this job still required a lot of prep, which took a lot of time. The homeowners were out of town (they let me into the house via remote access), and it was nice because I could work in peace and quiet, and I could stay as late as I needed.

I skimmed on smoothing compound, waited while it dried, sanded smooth, wiped off the dust, primed, and then finally hung the paper.

The pedestal sink was tricky to get around, as they always are. And the bull-nosed / rounded edges of two outside corners in the room were a challenge. Additional hurdles were crooked walls, un-plumb walls, and a ridged non-woven wallpaper material that would not bend or yield to crooked, un-plumb walls. 🙂 The pattern itself was a bit forgiving of these imperfections, and I used a few tricks to make things look straight and true.

This wallpaper design is quite popular, and I have hung it a bunch of times. It is called “Woods,” and is by Cole & Son, a British company. It is printed on a non-woven substrate, and is designed to be a paste-the-wall installation – but I find that paste-the-paper is a superior method.

Best of all, the homeowner loved what the pattern and light color did for the room. The powder room is instantly brightened, and the images of tree trunks give the room a whole lot of dimension and draw you in, as if you were actually walking in a forest.

The strong diagonal repetitiveness of the tree branches usually bothers me a bit. But in this room, with each wall holding only two or three strips, the pattern is dispersed nicely and the diagonal effect is minimized. So, what you see is the forest, and not so much the trees. 🙂

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.

White Damask on Silver Cork as a Backdrop to Family Photos and 3-D Art

Here’s a follow-up photo to a space I did a few weeks ago. It’s always nice to see the finished room.

This family is all about its kids, a school-aged boy and girl, hence the block of family photos. They are also keen on their ethnic heritage, hence the African mask.

The wall the mask is hanging on is curved (see previous post), so it would not lend itself to traditional artwork. But because the mask is narrow, it sits nicely on the curved wall. The white color works perfectly with the printed white damask pattern, and the height of the piece makes it a dramatic statement in this large family room.

The wallpaper is a silver cork material by Thibaut, and the home is in Pasadena, in southeast Houston.

Fun Wallpaper Pattern for a Not-Too-Serious Master Bath

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This fun and somewhat ethnic looking wallpaper pattern went into the master bathroom of a newly remodeled 1939 brick bungalow in Montrose (Houston).

The homeowner kept saying, “It changes it SO MUCH! Before, it was just all white. Boring white. This has personality, and the room feels larger, too.”

The wallpaper is by Hygge & West, an on-line company, and is called “Diamante.”  Unlike most of their papers, which waffle, and curl at the seams (see yesterday’s post), this one was a positive delight to work with. I am guessing that that’s because there is not as much ink on this pattern.

Paper for a Princess

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When I first visited with this client, her little girl’s room was very PINK. And filled with fantasy and princess-themed items. She had even painted a portrait of herself in a summer art class – wearing a crown. They wanted something to compliment the pink, and with a bit of an ethnic feel, and a little fantasy wouldn’t hurt, either.

I sent her to my favorite wallpaper sales person (below), and she helped them zero in on this. Once the mother saw it, she knew immediately it was The One. The teal color goes with the three pink walls, and the exotic feel of the pattern hints of lands far away. It’s a room fit for a princess!

This wallpaper pattern is by Exclusive Wallcoverings, pattern #FD21334, and was bought at a discounted price from Dorota Hartwig at Southwestern Paint on Bissonnet near Kirby. (713) 520-6262 or dorotasouthwestern@hotmail.com. Discuss your project and make an appointment before heading over to see her.