Budget-Friendly Artwork for the Nursery

We are making more progress with the nursery this week! I just ordered this adorable set of prints last night from Etsy (my mom gets the credit for finding these! thank you!).

Seller HopSkipJumpPaper has a sweet collection of baby- and kid-friendly prints up for sale at amazing prices. This set of two was only $24. Can't wait to receive them so I can go pick out frames!

While I am an admirer of art, I'm not in the position to spend a lot of money on pieces, especially for my baby's nursery. That's why I am obsessed with finding chic ways to dress up walls on the cheap! I learned a lot about that working on photo shoots and wanted to share a few great ideas with you today.

Book Pages
Some might think its blasphemy to rip illustrated pages out of a book and frame them. For me, I think it has to depend on the type of book and how much you spent on it. Golden Books are a childhood staple and cost-effective. How adorable are these framed pages from Baby Space in Australia? If you can't bring yourself to remove pages, make good-quality color copies instead, they'll look just as great!

Fabric-Wrapped Canvases
For awhile there, I was obsessed with wrapping blank artist canvases in scraps of fabric. If you know how to wrap a package, you can certainly wrap fabric around a canvas. I like to use a staple gun to secure the pieces on the back. Check out this great tutorial from Fiskars, they took it one step further and turned the canvas into an organizational center, adding, trim, hooks, photos and ribbon pockets!

Wallpaper or Wrapping Paper
I especially love to do this with a clip frame (that means it has to edges), that way the paper looks as if it is floating off the wall! After we were married and setting up our first apartment I had framed a gorgeous sheet of wrapping/decorative paper from Kate's Paperie and hung it above our bed. I loved that I only spent about $15! How great are these kid-friendly papers, also from Kate's Paperie?

We all love great artwork, but when our budgets won't allow it...do it yourself!

Happy Weekend!

Craving: Metallic Wallpaper

As we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our first baby, my husband and I are definitely in nesting mode. While he's taken to the exterior of our house, I am of course obsessed with making our little place the perfect haven for our growing family.

When these metallic wallpapers popped up in my inbox yesterday, I was smitten. I love, love, love to use metallics to accessorize and these are some of the prettiest wallpaper patterns I've seen lately. 


This first one is my "realisitc" favorite, meaning the one I can most see myself using in my home. I'd love it for the bedroom or a transition wall in our living area perhaps. Its subtle sheen is perfect for giving a space a little sparkle. And who doesn't love a little sparkle in their life?

Jacobean in Cream, Gray and Gold from Bainbridge by Fairwinds, printed on breathable, environmentally-friendly non-woven paper, $56.99 per single roll; http://www.brewsterhomefashions.com/.

Moving on to my "fantasy" choice...I absolutely love this gold shimmery style. It's called Moiré in Deep Gold. So luxe and rich, this would need to be reserved for a special place in the home such as a bedroom, entryway or long hallway perhaps. I'd use it in small doses but I bet many designers out there have other ideas for it!

Moiré in Deep Gold, an acetate Lurex fabric on a breathable, environmentally-friendly, non-woven paper, $450.00 per lineal yard, http://www.arteforkoroseal.com/.

Another gold favorite is this subtler choice from the Artisan Collection by Thibaut Designs (a favorite wallcovering manufacturer). I love how the scrollwork seems to dance when the light hits it as seen in this photo. I would use this for the sunniest room in my home!

Montreal in Metallic Gold from Artisan Collection by Thibaut Designs, a handmade, dimensional raised print on breathable, environmentally-friendly nonwoven, fabric backed paper, $210 per single roll, http://www.thibautdesign.com/

How about you? What do you think of metallic wallpaper?

York Wallcoverings: Inspired by Disney

York Wallcoverings is just one of those brands that continues to inspire with every new collection and their Walt Disney Signature line is no exception. I recently received a lovely email about York's latest wallpaper designs, all inspired by Disney's iconic film, Fantasia.

The film is such a whimsical masterpiece, I was so excited to see what the designers at York came up with. Here are a few of my favorites, along with the artwork they were inspired by:

Pixie (bottom) was inspired by The Nutcracker Suite scene (directly below) as the forest is awakened by a blanket of dewdrops delivered mid-flight by the dewdrop fairies. So pretty, I see this in a nursery or even in a bathroom.

Illuminata (bottom) was also inspired by The Nutcracker Suite scene (directly below) and its whimsical dewdrop fairies illuminating the forest in the early morning. I love this design for a nursery or a child's room. I would love to paper one wall in this! So inspiring!

I also happen to love the Allegro pattern (below), another Walt Disney Signature pattern. So cool, I think it would be great for smaller projects like papering the inside of a closet or even just to frame and hang in a bedroom.

There are so many other pretty designs, go check out the entire Walt Disney Signature collection at York Wallcoverings. You'll be glad you did!

Wallpaper Makeover

We've been in our current home for about two years now and I still have quite a bit of re-decorating to do. We (or rather my lovely father-in-law and hubby) painted when we first moved in but I've quickly grown out of the color I chose for our bedroom.

It's the only room that I'm ready to change the walls and I keep toying with the idea of wallpaper. I know it’s a much bigger commitment but I am in love with all of the new designs and technologies available now.

York Wallcoverings has just introduced their line of wallpapers textured with sand right into the designs! How amazing to get great design and texture all in one. I especially love the designs from designer and HGTV star Candice Olson...classic, cool and modern.

This one is my favorite. It’s called "Lattice" and this is the color palette I'd like to go with for our bedroom. I would even settle for wallpapering just one wall with this and then painting the rest of the room in a soft gray. Loving it!

Lattice on Charcoal Non-Woven with White Sand (CX1227) from Candice Olson Dimensional Surfaces, $129.99 per single roll.

This is another of Candice's designs, "Ironwork," another favorite. Ironwork in Turquoise on Non-Woven (CX1329) from Candice Olson Dimensional Surfaces, $89.99 per single roll.

These and other sand designs are all available at www.yorkwall.com or you can always call 1-800-375-9675.

I Dream of Wallpaper

(image from Target.com)

I just turned in an article about wallpaper trends to a local magazine. (It will be out in May and I'll post it here!). I was really blown away by all of the amazing prints, patterns, textures and color combinations that are out there. Not to mention all of the eco-friendly choices!

Last weekend I spent hours online gazing at pattern after pattern. But I have to admit, I spent most of my time at Target.com. Really? Yes. They have a huge variety of cool wallpapers at great prices! The image above is of "Damask" by Graham & Brown (one of my faves) available at Target.com. I'm thinking of using it on an accent wall in my craft room. What would you do with it?