spring is here!

We are in the mood for spring!

It officially hit yesterday, and just like that, the grass is getting greener by the day!

Let’s celebrate all things fabulously green!

1. Chandelier Earrings (Stella and Dot). 2. Villa Dress (J. Crew). 3. Playhouse (Crate and Barrel). 4. Luck Side Table (CB2). 5. Leather sandals (Aldo). 6. Green Rock Bench (Francis King Showroom).

7. Picnic silverware (West Elm). 8. Marimekko bowl (Crate and Barrel). 9. Green floral wallpaper (KDR Showrooms). 10. Glass pendant (Francis King Showrooms). 11. Green and gold bracelet (Anthropologie). 12. Green maxi skirt (J. Crew). 13. Window panels (Anthropologie).

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office update

Speaking of wallpaper…

This spring we helped a client out with her in-home office. Previously the walls were bright white and textured and the light wool carpet was starting to show wear and tear, so it needed at update.

We found some pretty wallpaper from the KDR Showroom and new wool carpet from Intersource, both wonderful showrooms at IMS.

This home office space went from drab to fab with the help of hauthaus!

Here’s a snapshot of the before and after!!

Before and after of a home office re-design in St. Paul.

 

By adding a medium tone-on-tone wallpaper to the walls and  wool carpeting a shade richer on the floors, this office has a new, different, cozy feel.

On the wall opposite of the desk is a new love seat, so while someone is working at the desk, one of the kids can be curled up on the love seat reading or working on homework.

Close up shot of the new office wallpaper.

 

Tip: One way to transform the look and feel of a space is to use wallpaper. There are endless different options, from barely there and subtle to in your face wild, and from textured to smooth.

trends in wallpaper

Here are some of the latest and greatest wallpaper designs from Weitzner. Holly got a sneak peek at these a couple of weeks ago from our rep and our samples recently arrived! They are lovely! 🙂

Top to bottom: Cinema Posters, Tea Leaves,  Reverie, Newsworthy

Cinema Posters: This cool woven wallpaper is made out of recycled movie posters! First they collect them, then cut them into strips, and weave them all together to create the final product. This wallpaper is unique in the fact that up close it takes on a whole different look and feel than it does far away. Love it!

Tea Leaves: The ink they used to print the words on this paper is made from black tea leaves. So the collection name Tea Leaves transfers both literal and figurative because the words on the paper all relate to tea and the ink is made from it. This paper would be fun in a breakfast nook or coffee corner.

Reverie: This pretty paper is made of 100% linen which is a natural product. The pattern is subtle and soft and this paper is available in a handful of calming colors. It is a great way to add color AND texture into a room without being too bold about it.

Newsworthy: This paper gets its name from the recycled newspapers that are used to make it. They collect the out of date papers and cut them into strips and weave them all together on a large loom. If you look close enough, you can still read some of the words, but of course they don’t make any sense since they are all snipped and randomly placed. This paper adds drama to any space where it’s installed.

Committment-phobe tip: If you don’t want to commit to a full wall of installed wallpaper, think of other crafty spots to use it… such as inside your cabinets or closets, on the back side of a bookcase, in large frames on the wall, or inside wall panels. (most places require a minimum yardage per order, so make sure you find that out!)

design spotlight: mirrors

The owners of this South Minneapolis home wanted to punch up the design of their upstairs hallway, but didn’t want to commit to wallpaper or anything too permanent because they were planning on putting their house on the market.  We suggested hanging mirrors of different sizes and styles on the walls to create a dramatic, new effect. They were especially excited about this because they love French style furniture.

This was our little take on Louis XIV’s Palace of Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors…

Tips for creating this look:

• By keeping the finishes of the mirrors close, you can create a cohesive look
• Vary sizes and shapes for more interest
• Hang the center of the collage at about 60″ from the floor
• You can find unique frames at vintage shops and paint them all to match
• Rub n’ Buff works wonders to bring an old frame to life (usually found at craft stores)

By hanging mirrors in this hallway we were able to give the client a new look without breaking the bank or forcing them to make a permanent design decision. When they move, they can take the mirrors with them and use them in another collage or throughout their new house.

the color purple

Today I’m taking a little color inspiration from the pretty purple Royal Candles and Geraniums flowers  that are outside of my office window…

Purple at home: 12 light chandelier by Cyan Lighting, abstract animal print wallpaper by Romo, and Theatre two seater sofa by DWR.

Purple in Life: carry-on luggage and garden hose sprayer from Crate & Barrel, and lavender infused sleeping blanket from Patina Stores.

Purple in fashion: watch by Marc Jacobs, leather heels by Michael Antonio, and Floral wrap scarf from Anthropologie.

What are you taking inspiration from today?

april showers…

rainy day products

The saying goes: “April Shower Bring May Flowers”. Well, so far it seems like April showers bring MORE April showers!

I think rainy days are good for staying in and catching up with your latest book while sipping hot tea or popping in a movie or two and enjoying some cuddle time on the sofa. What are your favorite rainy day activities?

Here are some ‘rainy day products’ to get you through the next couple of rainy days. Then hopefully we will see some May flowers next week!

(Top left to bottom right:  Swarovski Crystal raindrop chandelier; Chrysanthemum umbrella from Bibelot Shops, Sassy plaid rain boots from Target; Weather shower curtain from CB2; Smart rain slicker from Anthropologie; Copper rain chain from Patina Stores, Retro raindrop wallpaper and fabric pattern from Romo.)

meet ozzy!

Meet Ozzy.

He’s our new little office mascot.

He thinks he is a very helpful assistant, but most days he is better at looking cute than assisting at anything!

Here he is ‘helping’ me with our Secret Wallpaper Project…

I think he is trying to decide which one is his favorite.

Now if only we could train him to bring us our daily designer essentials like; drafting dots, number 2 pencils, and dark chocolate!