trendey

I’ve got stripes, stripes around my shoooulders...

I rather like the impression of black & white stripes in decor. It’s classic, modern and stylish. Stripes work well in any style. How ever the trend winds blow. I love my b&w Bob Pappelina rug, it always fits somewhere. There are some b&w stripes around this Autumn, e.g. in the well-circulated pics above from DAY and Ferm Living. Always classic and an interesting style-break in many settings, right now I’d combine the black-white-striped details with grey, with colour schemes like these, added a bith of warmth.

Personally, I am not particularly fond of modern graphic patterns, I think they often have a disruptive effect. As small details though, they can be really nice..

| photo: Trine Thorsen |

For large surfaces, I prefer a white pattern against a black background rather than vice versa. These dramatic walls below are really cool I think. And and extra hello to the boho charmig magpies!

| photo: Andrea Ferrari |

There is a blog called Fine Little Day. Maybe you all knew about it. I didn’t. It has a shop attached to it, a fine little shop, but what I particularly want to talk about is wallpapers. Wallpaper-envy. Of all the wallpapers on the planet, these below are of the kind I’m most passionate about. Vintage, in the very best sense of the word. Colourful in a muted, faded way. Floral in a pleasant non-disturbing kind of way. Most of all, they are granny-esque. If I’ve understood it correctly, they (i.e Elisabeth of Fine Little Day and her family) bought an old house, that looked like this on the inside …

Yummy. We might see more of this when they have moved in and settled (I hope). Another cool – fine – thing is that the son of this household, Otto, 9 years old, has designed his own wallpaper. It bears the name “Ohoy” and it is actually nominated to The Formex Formidable design prize.

You can vote for Otto & “Ohoy” at the bottom of this page.

…at the market, right now.

Some coloured walls and details. Still no doubt what the magic colour is..!

| images via Per Jansson Fastighetsförmedling AB |

I love things which are a little bit fun and quirky and the trompe l’oeil (“trick the eye” in French) wallpaper collections from British designer Deborah Bowness certainly hit the spot! I had seen the wallpaper strips with dresses before (top right), but shamefully I had not connected them up with this particular designer, nor had I seen any of her other work - before today. Now I’m pleased to discover that every single design in her repertoire looks amazing! My top favourites in her current collection are these:

And recently exhibited at the International Contemporary Furniture Fare in New York in May 2010, her new patterns featuring framed vintage art prints and a sofa look very promising. Below both types of wallpapers are shown together. The only things not wallpaper here are the artist herself , the stool she’s sitting on and the table next to her! :)

According to LA Times at Home, there is also an office clock (top left of image) which shows 1pm – always lunchtime! I could definitely imagine using some of these wallpapers in my home – especially great when space is an issue… Some designer chair scrolls could look pretty cool in a narrow hallway for example!

At LA Times I also stumbled across this magnificent wallpaper I hadn’t seen before from New York-based Trove. It’s called Fuoco and is a re-creation of a historical photo taken inside Teatro La Fenice, the opera house in Venice, Italy. Beautiful, and who couldn’t use an adoring audience gazing at them at home! :)

(The image on the right is a detail blow-up of the shaded area on the left image.)

…can be a rather fun and quirky alternative to going out and buying finished wallpaper. You could surround yourself with your favourite novel or poetry collection, do your bit for the environment by recycling old newspapers, or why not use a dictionary so you’ll never have far to go when you want to look something up! :)

I quite like the way the bookpages look on the walls in the image above – a bit haphazard and without too much yellowing of the pages. The end result is rather light and fresh. Below is another example.

I love the bed in this picture, the luxury of the white leather tufted headboard clashes in an interesting way with the scruffy thriftiness of the book-papered wall.

Another two examples below, this time with more vintage in the mix and with more ageing of the bookpages.

                                                                                                                                                                                                          [click on images to access sources]

After so many years of white, beige and discretely coloured walls and decor dominating the scene, it’s so nice to see big bold block colours becoming more popular. On-trend and fearless combinations of purple, red, yellow, teal/aqua and hot pink really liven things up don’t you think!

[pic 1: Skona Hem - pic 2: Dulux via Channel Four Homes- pic 3: Harlequin - pic 4: Lucyina Moodie - pic 5: Skona Hem]

I’m not so fond of one continuous marine style, but injecting a few nautical details in any other style can add lots of fresh interest. A bit of sea breeze and ancient fishing village vibe. I think this boat chandelier below is one splendid piece of decor, and the wallpaper right has a fine boho charm in a mild and light kind of way.

I just got back from a trip to Northern Sweden now where I’ve visited several cozy flea markets and made the best of bargains..! More about that later. Next on the agenda is – tada! – a trip to a picturesque little Italian fishing village. I have a feeling a good deal of interior design inspiration is awaiting there. In addition to the warm sun and sea, for our Swedish heat wave is now replaced by cold winds and pouring rain…In the meantime, keep enjoying fabolous Henen, the other half of the Trendey duo, serving you the uniquest and trendiest decor inspiration!

I think the wallpaper above is well worth mentioning although it is not brand new. The Listen and Record wallpaper by Australian designer Ilias Fotopoulos has this year been selected for the permanent collection at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in NYC. I think it’s beautiful, ultra cool actually, and the design idea is very interesting. We’ve seen braille-looking design before, like in these braille wall flats from Inhabit…

…but while the wall flats in braille lack any (known) meaning, Fotopoulos’ braille project aims to question notions of decoration and accessibility of design. This is done through a clever role reversal: While sighted observers can appreciate the dots’ decorative effect and feel their flocked three dimensionality, the wallpaper only makes sense to someone who is able to read the tactile language. Fotopoulos asks “As designers, do we really address important issues or are we decorators, players of pattern and colour? What can we do to give at least some out of work purpose?” His quest is to bring meaning, thought and awareness back into design.

One of my favourite jewelry is this one, below. I got it for Christmas a couple of years ago. It’s designed by the Swedish silversmith Efva Attling. The braille tags say ‘make love, not war’.

I just have to re-post this interesting wall paper piece I stumbled across over at Apartment Theraphy. It’s for doorways – unused doors I presume, a handle would certainly interfere with the picture – and it features ‘old parisian metropolitan’s stairs’ (above), Montmartre’s stairs and stairs from the Catacombs, an empty dressing, escalators, a vintage iron store front, a castel corridor, a mesy book stack…view full range here. The idea is funny I think, although not all too often useful if not you remove some skirting and put up door moldings on the wall -  install a faux door. That would make this an exemple of framed wall art…! Anyway, for the one who has shut a door whose crossing serves no purpose – this should be excellent inspiration.

Along with the colour theme just started (with Green for Balance and Stability), I will post a series of inspirations under the slogan “Let Your Interests Guide You”. When dullness strikes – let your specific interests run wild in the decor. Now here’s a quick note for the Fashionista. A fashion vibe expressed through the walls.

Wallcovering above is Make Up by Paper Moon. It shows women with big sunglasses and even bigger hair. Price tag £46 per roll, from wallpaperdirect.

A successful photo wall. Pic from House to Home.

For the 4th of July, I give you an awesome wall sticker.

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”