Adding Texture with Wall Paper

My guilty pleasure, like most of you, is Starbucks.  You may have noticed a lot of locations closing down for a week while they get a great makeover.  Well, my local Starbucks was one of those locations.  They opened back up with this amazing textured wall paper, thus sparking the topic of today's blog post.  As I am sure a lot of my readers know, I love the new wall paper.  (Not that floral crap my grandma had in her bathroom, but the new fun modern wall paper!)

Embossed Wallpaper

Wall paper is back with a vengeance.  I have people asking me about it nearly every day.  You can get all kinds of textures, like embossed, flocked, or even 3D wall panels.  I love flocked. Maybe it's because I have a soft spot for fuzzy things.  (Did someone say something about a fuzzy blanket?  No, what about fuzzy kittens?)  Flocked wall paper has a great edge to it.  I have even seen wall paper with flocked skulls! <--That's right, Flocked Skull wall paper by Graham and Brown

Flocked Wallpaper
Graham and Brown $85

When designing a space, texture not only add's a great tactile element, but it adds that visual interest that a space needs!  You can add texture simply with flooring, accessories, but why not wall coverings?  I don't see why not, do you?

Glitter Wall Paper
Utmost INC$500

Maleficent Flocked Wall Paper
by Wall Papers Direct
$123 

Enjoy wall paper. It has come a long way since the 1970's! 

Don't be Afraid of Bold Colors!

Ok, so my last post was about crisp grey colors that are exploding in popularity.  So this one, I am going to completely contradict myself and go in the opposite direction.  I am going with another collection of colors in the Sherwin Williams 2014 Color Forecast, Intrinsic! Bright colors that can be used as wall colors, or even accent or accessory colors.

Sherwin Williams SW 6841 Dynamo

Sherwin Williams SW 6788 Capri

Sherwin Williams SW 6382 Ceremonial Gold

Now, I bet your thinking, "Oh my, those are bright colors!"  Well, they look great.  Even together they add fun flair to any space.  The scene to the left shows a living room with all three colors on the walls and ceiling.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not advocating going out and painting this room....unless you really do love it, but I think that bright colors can add to a space.  Don't be afraid of color!  To the left, you can see the same room painted with only one of the colors, and a more neutral lighter color on the walls.  That bright pop of "Dynamo" on the center wall creates personality in the space.  (And just in case your wondering, the new wall color is Sherwin Williams SW 6156 Ramie)

Now, if you are renting, you could easily paint one wall and enjoy the space, and just paint it back before you leave.  I know the accent wall has been a bit overdone, however it is still a super easy way to add to any space.

Ceramic Stool $290

You don't have to use these colors just in your space, I am sure you have seen them raiding the racks at your local clothing store.  There are also a large selection of brightly colored accessories, lighting fixtures, mirrors, and other materials you can accessorize your space with.

Felt Flower Pillow $15

Color isn't the enemy!  There are books, shows, and a ton of resources available to give you inspiration and ideas for using color in your decor.  Like this great article on using color in an open floor plan.  Or this article by Paul Anatier on when to use warm or cool hues.

So what are you waiting for, welcome color into your space!

Shopping Mid Century Glam

Distressed Silver Leaf
Mid Century Mirror
$988.80

Caviar Fixed Small Rose Gold Glass Cluster
$2,400

Tortoise Large Silver Glass Vase
$345

Swept Sofa in White
 $1,799

Love it all?  Buy it here!

Some New Trends in Color

Contemporary Dining Room by
Tracy Miller/Miller Greene Design Studio

I keep seeing a new trend in wall colors.  This color isn't so much a color, but a lack of color.  As much as I love brightly colored spaces, I love these cool crisp walls.  They add a certain element of luxury and sophistication.  They look even better with crisp white moldings, and as the above picture shows, dark rich woods.  The space pictured above is painted in Sherwin Williams SW 0077 Classic French Grey, which is part of the 2014 color forecast "Reasoned."

Traditional Bathroom by
Castle Building & Remodeling

With even just a slight tint of color, these soft grey's are refreshing.  Just like the bathroom pictured here.  Another one of the 2014 color forecast colors, Sherwin Williams SW 7660 Earl Grey is an amazing color.  One I considered painting my own home.  (I got veto'd, my husband wanted a warmer taupe).  

This bathroom takes two of the forecast colors, a crisp clean white and Earl Grey, and pairs them beautifully.  With a Calcatta Oro marble floor, this bathroom truly is breathtakingly beautiful.  This space, like the above space, would also look great with a darker floor.  This color would also be great in a kitchen with darker wood cabinets and a Cararra Marble counter top.  

Looking for more inspiration?  Check out the "50 Shades of Grey" article on Houzz.com, or view more pictures below!  

50 Shades of Gray

A Style Defined: Moroccan

Home Office by Laura U, Inc

I love Moroccan Design.  I love the vibrant colors, the attention to detail, and the comfortable looking spaces.  My husband on the other hand, not so much. Morocco is on the North West edges of Africa, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Morocco has a diverse history, including many different inhabitants including Islamic, Berbers, French, Spanish, and Arabic.  This contrast in strong cultures has fused together to create this diverse and beautiful design style.  

Some of the things you will generally see in Moroccan inspired spaces include tiled floors layered with rugs, luxurious fabrics, metallic finishes, carved painted woods, and a lot of geometric patterns.  This style often includes bold colors, like purple, teal, yellow, and fuchsia along side more muted colors like white.  

The Moroccan also comes with a collection of great accessories.  Often, you will find great lanterns in metallic finishes, including Mercury Glass, which is ever so popular these days.  From beautifully sculpted vases, to ornate lighting fixtures, such as these great pendant lights by Viva Terra.  They are punched through, which creates a lovely mosaic of light on the walls while they create a soft glow in the room.  These particular lights come in a variety of sizes and shapes, and start at around $150.

Another popular item often found in a Moroccan style space are poufs.  This great seating option is sometimes considered a staple.  I personally have seen these also in some great metallic finishes, but also bold colors and prints, like the ones pictured here, by Graham and Green.  The fabrics and materials also have a wide variety of textures, creating both visual interest, as well as tactile.

Another staple of the Moroccan design stile is of course, the patterns. The patterns can be on anything.  From the fabrics adorning windows, (or Poufs!) to the tile on the floors or walls, pattern is essential.  The patterns can be simple in colors, or can be just as vibrant as the walls, it doesn't really matter either way.

This Mediterranean tile by SomerTile is a prime display of some of the great patterns you can find in this design style.  This mosaic would be greatly suited for a kitchen backsplash, bathroom walls, or any great Moroccan styled space.

There are a lot of resources out there today to find great products and inspirational images to get started on making over a room with Mediterranean flair.  Of course there is always Houzz.com, where most of these pictures came from, as well as Pinterest.com and a good old fashioned Google search.

Moroccan is not only a style, it is a culture, rich with diversity.  I would love to do a room in this style one day, but until then, I guess it's just finding great products and blogging about them.