Video Walking Tour of Paris Design District

Irwin Weiner ASID - Thanks a million to the folks at EditorTV for bringing us some of the best interior design "happenings" on video. In these two featured videos today, they've taken two of the most iconic names in textile design today - Crans Baldwin of Donghia and Ludovic Darricau of Elitis - and brought them to one another's showrooms (and also to Donghia's Rubelli showroom) to see the latest textile designs (along with the cool 3D wall murals from Elitis) and landmarks of the Paris design district. 

In this first video, we begin our walking tour and showroom field trips ...

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Weekend DIY Project: Wallpaper a Room

Irwin Weiner ASID - We're asked so many do-it-yourself questions, that we thought it would be a good idea to share with readers some of our favorite DIY videos each Friday, in a regular "Weekend DIY Project" feature. To begin the series, let's tackle one of the most popular DIY chores, hanging wallpaper. The first thing to realize is that you need to prep the wall first. I've been involved in some projects where old wall surfaces glaringly show every hole, blemish, and rough spot through beautiful wallpaper. So prep first. If you need to remove old wallpaper (not covered in the following video), look into that, then use this video to guide you through wall prep, measuring your rolls, matching patterns, applying paste, hanging the paper, and so on. 

As we say on Design2Share, "knock yourself out!" and good luck. And if your weekend projects are too much for you and your family to handle gracefully, by all means throw in the towel and call a professional to give you expert help. That's what we're here for.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

Go to This Old House for How to Hang Wallpaper step-by-step advice.

Go to Ferm Living (from the folks who brought us this great DIY video), and check out their home goods ... and their bold Wallpaper collection.

And check out the huge assortment of imaginative designer wallpaper at The Wallpaper Collective.

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Adrienne Chinn's Urban London Collection Celebrates the Gritty City

 

Irwin Weiner ASID - Digital images can make thrilling wallcoverings - witness the new Urban London collection of fab treatments from London's superb interior designer Adrienne Chinn, in collaboration with textile designer Annette Taylor-Anderson. Adrienne describes her inspiration for the new mural line, which also includes textiles, rugs, and hand-blown glass tie-backs. 

"I was inspired by focusing on the things we walk by everyday but ignore or discount - the grilles, graffiti, man-hole covers and pavement marks. The more I looked the more I saw - patterns, textures, colors. I went looking for beauty in unlikely places, and I'm happy to say I found it. So many of us live in urban environments of buildings and concrete and we dream of escape to the country. But I say, look around you. The beauty may not be as obvious but it is there, and it's all the more appealing for its hidden quality."

 

The following video shows you more details of Adrienne's Urban London digitally printed wallcoverings.

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When Decorating Relies on Really Good Bones

 

Irwin Weiner ASID - No, it's not Halloween or the Mexican Day of the Dead . . . but I decided to dwell on the darker side of interior design today and ruminate on all the different ways we can add bones (literally) to our home decor. "Good bones" most often describes the positive architectural features of a space, such as high ceilings, decorative arches, moldings, and attractive passage doorways. But I was drawn to how human bones have been increasingly creeping and clattering into our decor, from wallcoverings (see above: Beware the Moon's Skulls Wallpaper, Bronze on Oil Slick) to furniture (see below: Vanitas collection, including a skull chair, vertebrae floor lamp, and brain ottoman). The trend is not new, as you'll see in our creepy featured video of the famous bone-encrusted interior of the Kostnice Ossuary in the Czech Republic.

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Update on June 14, 2011 by Design2Share

Super King Size Leather Beds: We just found a great collection of sleek leather bed designs. They add sophistication, whether your bedroom decor is traditional or modern. 

Featured Project: DIY Painted Headboard

Now is the perfect time to think about freshening up your interior space. With a splash of color here and a new piece of furniture there, it's easy to redecorate. Here's a quick, budget-conscious DIY design idea to help get you started.

Paint Your Own Headboard

Chances are if you if you purchased your bed frame as part of a bedroom set, the headboard is already included. If you don't want to put forth the extra cash, especially after paying for a pricey mattress, no problem! Painted headboards are a great way to add a pop of color to your bedroom.

Step 1: Measure the width of the head of your bed and mark it with blue painter's tape from floor to ceiling. Now, choose your color based on your desired color scheme. You obviously don't want it to be the same shade as your walls, but it should complement that color.

Step 2: Once you have your color, paint the wall, staying within the blue painters tape. Once the paint dries, if you choose to do so, you can detail with paint or with some removable wall decals from a company like Blik. For as little as $40, Blik makes easily removable wall decals in fun shapes like bookshelves, chandeliers, birds, etc. If this sounds like too much work, don't worry and leave your wall a solid color.

Step 3: Simply position your bed up against the painted wall, prop up some decorative Euro pillows in coordinating colors and patterns, and you have yourself a headboard. You might want to take this opportunity to invest in a new comforter or duvet in fun, light, spring colors. You'd be surprised at what a little bit of paint and some new bedding can do for your space!

Contemporary vanities and more at Decor Planet for your bathroom needs.