Decorating Tips: Head-Turning Walls

Uccelli wallpaper by Fornasetti from Cole & Son

One of the tenets of good interior design is that every room should have a focal point. If you don’t have a natural focal point in your room – like a fireplace or a window with a view – and you don’t have any artwork, try turning your whole wall into a focal point. 

These wallpapers designed by Italian artist, Piero Fornasetti, are conversation-stoppers!  They’re quirky, they’re unique, they’re anything but boring. If you're tired of the usual florals and geometric prints put you to sleep - take a look at these wild patterns. Above in the Uccelli pattern, a flock of birds brighten up a dull hallway.

Cole & Son is reproducing famous designs by Fornasetti and turning them into wallpaper for the home. You have a boring stairway? How about these zebras peering out at you as you climb the stairs?

Procurati wallpaper by Fornasetti from Cole & Son

Nottambule wallpaper by Fornasetti from Cole & Son

If you don’t want the whole wall covered, try a border around the room instead.  Have a hoot with these night owls, the Nottambule wallpaper. And if prints of animals are just not your style, the Teatro wallpaper will take you on a night out on the town.  Theater-goers peer down from their balconies in this wonderful old-style Fornasetti design. Now that's a wall full of drama!

Interested in learning more about wall treatments?  Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design.  At Sheffield, you will learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.

Your Favorite Collection on Display

New TraditionalistsNow that you have your wonderful blue and white porcelain collection of plates  or those crystal goblets from Venice, where are you going to put it? You can’t just place it on that metal bookcase you bought at the local hardware store.  You have to do it justice! The right display cabinet will bring your collection the attention it deserves. 

If you have a somewhat eclectic style – a mix of traditional and contemporary furnishings, these display cabinets will fit into your decor. From the New Traditionalists above, the Cabinet 272 is made of bleached walnut with nickel hardware. The cabinet below from Century is made of maple and finished in black.

New Tradition cabinet from Century Furniture

china cabinet from Century Furniture

For more traditionally designed interiors, the China Cabinet above – also from Century - has an Art Deco feel.  A slightly more ornate and feminine style is the Pompadour cabinet from Grange. Notice the contrasting trim on the curvilinear skirt and cornice. 

Pompadour Cabinet from Grange

Sofiero breakfront from Country Swedish

If you have a light color scheme and a traditional, informal style, you may look at 18^th-century Swedish country furniture. This Sofiero breakfront from Country Swedish has a soft curvilinear top and will complement your china collection.

Oval Cabinet from Barbara Barry Collection for Henredon

This graceful cabinet designed by Barbara Barry for Hendredon would match an elegant contemporary space. The cabinet is made of walnut and decorated with oval tracery.

Interested in learning more about furniture design?  Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design.  At Sheffield, you will learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.

Win Our Interior Transformations Book Contest

Are you a decorating enthusiast? Do you obsess over fabrics, patterns, and color? Do you spend inordinate amounts of time in the furniture section? If you said yes to all, then we have the book for you.  Ann Grafton of the Colefax Group shares her decorating expertise with her book, Interior Transformations. 

Filled with gorgeous photos, Interior Transformations will inspire you to rethink your home's interior design. Grafton works her magic with beautiful fabrics, unique accessories, and furniture that works in any home.

Win a Free Copy

To win the book, please leave a comment below letting us know who your favorite interior designer/decorator is and why and we’ll select a winner at the end of Wednesday, June 19^th.  We’ll contact the winner via email and announce the Interior Transformations book winner next week. Last week's winner of our New Rooms book was Sharon from New Mexico.

Garden Styling

When we finish putting our stamp on the interior design of the home, we like to venture out to our gardens and enjoy a fresh breeze.  While nothing can compete with Mother Nature’s floral and green splendor, you can still style your garden furnishings to add that personal touch. 

In choosing your garden furniture, you don’t have to stick to the humdrum rattan chairs or worse, the cheap plastic furniture.  There are many choices to turn to and we chose some favorites here, what I call Parisian Chic and British Colonial.  

Paris is well known for cafes that line up wide boulevards. One can imagine a Parisienne bicycling up to one and meeting a friend for a croissant.  In our Parisian garden, we can enjoy our cafe on delicate iron cafe furniture from Evergreen with La Mer pillow and citrusy candleholders from Crate and Barrel. And for that special chic touch, an old-fashioned bicycle turned planter to display your blooms.

If you want a somewhat more formal garden look, take a look at our British Colonial garden. We chose the Ceylon armchairs from Ballard Designs, made of weather-resistant eucalyptus wood.  The floral Catana outdoor pillow is also from Ballard. We potted our plants in a crackle-finish blue ceramic planter from Evergreen. Instead of an ordinary side table, we used a garden stool, Cathay, in a Chinese porcelain style.

Interested in learning more about furniture and interior design? Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design.  At Sheffield, you will learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.

Win Our New Rooms - Home Makeover Book Contest

It’s that time of the year to give your home that makeover you’ve been fantasizing about. And we’re giving away a book on how to do it!  Sally and Stewart Walton gives us practical decorating and makeover tips in their book: New Rooms – A Practical Home Makeover Guide. 

Learn how to:

• Refresh a kitchen on a low budget
• Create global styles
• Install mood lighting
• Make simple furniture for kids and teen rooms
• Dress up tired old floors
• Create floor cushions, window treatments, etc.
• Reupholster and restyle old chairs
• And more!

Win a Free Copy

To win the book, please leave a comment below describing a makeover project that you want to accomplish in your home and we’ll select a winner at the end of Monday, June 10^th.  We’ll contact the winner via email and announce the New Rooms book winner next week.