Modern Wallpaper

Wallpaper is a great way to make a strong impact in a room and today there are many modern designs to choose from.  I love wallpapering an entry, a powder or a dining room with a powerful paper.  Choosing these rooms is a good way to not risk getting tired of the design but, hopefully, if you pick one you love you will have it to enjoy for years.  Here are some of my favorite sources..


One of my favorite places to shop for wallpaper is Walnut Wallpaper in Los Angeles.  They have a great selection to choose from.  I love this color combination...

Schumacher is another that I go to often..

and I love the Imperial Trellis in any color...

Graham & Brown has a great selection to choose from..

Kreme is another great source..

Flavor Paper is a wallpaper company in Brooklyn that does everything from floral, funky, to digital.  Great for turning images into wallpaper..  Here is one they did for the singer, John Legend..

and here is an image from their award winning showroom...

Modern Interior Sliding Doors

Sliding doors are a great way to add a divider between rooms giving you more flexibility and multi-function to a space.  It is a interesting way to join an en suite and gives the sense of continuity between any room when open.  There is also an advantage when you do not have the required space to open a swinging door such as smaller hallways and narrow spaces.  Functionality aside, sliding doors can be an integral part of a room's decor.  It can add a great focal point to a room or hallway; a touch of creativity that gives that room or hallway an edge.  From contemporary to rustic, check out some of these I have gathered and get creative with one of your rooms!

I see this as a great divider for an en suite bedroom and bath..

I love the dark smoked glass as a dramatic, sexy effect or even masculine with the right finishes..

Clean and sleek.. cool with a thick flokati or shag type rug..

and here...

The height and scale of these massive doors are strong, beautiful and bold and I love the low, long handle..

adding the frosted glass give the sense of transparency while maintaining privacy..

same for here.. this also gives a sexy edge to the bathroom.. although I would have carrera marble or high gloss in white for this bath..

I like the contrast of materials on this door.. it gives interest without weighing down the wall..

I love the high gloss and bold color for contrast here.. great statement someone made here..

Not a fan anything here except the concrete and door but another example..

A great way to conceal a washer/dryer.. or a pantry..

I like the black, white and wood contrast here.. a nice balance..

and again here..

and lastly, look how great this robin's egg blue looks here... love it.

Restoration Hardware in West Hollywood

Restoration Hardware has recently been rebranding itself as a luxury retailer by closing a lot of there smaller stores and opening grand, flagship galleries in major metropolitan areas.  This West Hollywood location on Beverly Boulevard was one of the first and opened in June 2011.  


Entering through the European courtyard you see a magnificent display of outdoor furnishings tented by lavish olive trees and hanging lanterns.  They have taken outdoor furnishings to the next level by creating furniture and fabrics that have that indoor/outdoor living environment. 

Moving to the interiors you will find 24,000 square feet of gallery space.  Upon entering there is  a great newsstand devoted to international design publications accompanied by a tea “atelier” by Bellocq.   

The rooms are impressive and staged beautifully.  Filled with nice linen-, burlap- and leather-upholstered furniture the space flows both dramatically and softly from room to room.  They also have great reproductions of vintage lighting (and a few knock offs of current lighting manufacturers so I will not buy those here).  They have timeless and reasonably priced hardware, bath fixtures and mirrors as well.  

Additionally, there is a floral design studio to put the final touch on any room.  This studio exclusively showcases the new  Eddie Zaratsian Custom Floral and Lifestyles brand. 

To all the bostonians, Restoration Hardware has signed a lease for the historic building at 234 Berkley Street (at Newbury and Boylston Streets), once home to the swank LouisBoston clothing store. With over 40,000 square feet to fill, I hope they add a cafe (I loved "L" when it was Louis).   I am excited to see how it will look, similar of course but their look is now somewhat timeless so it is pleasing.  There is no opening date set but likely late spring or early summer.  

FYI, this building was built in 1863 and was home to the New England Museum of Natural History for many years.  

An Afternoon in Silverlake

Silverlake, CA (just east of Hollywood) is inhabited by a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic groups, but is best known as an eclectic gathering of hipsters and creative types.  It is also an excellent place to shop for some great vintage and new Mid-Century modern pieces surrounded by some cool clothing shops and places to eat.  My first stop was to grab a coffee at this cute coffee and lunch spot Food Lab.

Once coffee in hand, I meandered over to Casa Victoria; a notable store for vintage and inexpensive furniture.  Here are some of the pieces I found..

These case pieces have such great style and would look great in a lacquered white, graphite grey or even a chartreuse green..

These stands give me the idea of side paneling at a bar with antique mirroring or even a wall feature in a powder room..

These brass candlesticks in a variety of sizes are a cool, eclectic accessory for any room..

These lamps are big and funky in a cream and gold finish for a monochromatic room..

Close by on Silverlake Avenue is Lawson Fenning.  Not to be confused with there sister store on Beverly Blvd.  This shop is more reasonably priced and has some amazing finds of both vintage and new..

I love the art and dresser here..

This is a beautiful mid century dresser.. 

and check out these chairs; they would be great in a cotton/velvet, a mohair or even a hide..

and just steps away is this great place I found for lunch and coffee.. LAMILLCOFFEE Coffee Boutique and Restaurant 

The Boutique 

couldn't cut the glare out but I love the screen with the chandelier.. 

and the restaurant is very well done as well

I love everything here, the glass with the gold, the screen prints on the wall, the finished concrete floors, the red, black and sea-foam green, tufted leather chairs..

A great place for lunch and I recommend trying these (sorry no pics before it was gone)...

Tasmanian Sea Trout:  House-Cured, crispy brown rice crackers, wasabi peas, chives, wasabi crème fraîche, daikon radish, toasted house-made brioche

WGFJ Ramen:  Japanese noodle, tofu, spinach, scallions, buna shemeji, Tokyo negi in a miso broth

and to finish, one of there amazing coffee beverages:


Orange Infused Cappuccino with Cacao:
Orange infused textured milk with espresso and dusted with cacao  


Last stop was this hip shop called Amsterdam Modern on Sunset.  They have everything from Mid-Century furniture and lighting to clothing and jewelry. 


I love this vintage, brass chandelier.. 

and these funky mod green pendants..