Obsession #6: Wall decals

I remember my college dorm room... the first chance I really got to decorate a space of my own. I was not very ambitious. Generic posters (Flaming June and Klimt's The Virgin) plus a lofted dorm bed represented the height of style for me then. But if temporary wall decals had existed then, my room might have looked very different. If you have a college-age kid, or anyone living in an apartment they are not allowed to paint, give them this link! Or if you have a huge wall you need to fill, check out some of the options below.



The first decal company I "discovered" was Blik, but since then I have unearthed a veritable treasure trove of companies offering transferable bits of thin vinyl that can instantly transform a space. Here are some of my favorites.

Blik's wall decals are fun, funky, and removable! They even offer a line of "re-stiks" that can be moved around on the wall at will (or at your child's whim!) They also have a partnership with T-shirt company Threadless, and each month a new user-submitted Threadless design is made into a Blik decal.


Blik decals come in custom colors too, although it costs extra to get them in non-stock colors. I tend to gravitate towards the simple designs, like the oval shapes above, but they also have much more elaborate images that can serve as large scale art or murals, as well as fun and silly designs that would work well for a nursery or playroom. Blik also offers classic images by Keith Haring and patterns taken from mid century modern Eames fabrics. Blik may not have been the first company to manufacture these decals, but they will always be first in my heart.



Despite my love of Blik, Dezign with a Z is very likely to get my first decal business on the strength of their modern "Square dots" decal alone. I have a special place in my heart for those mod rounded rectangles, and have a plan for them in my stairwell. A low contrast brown-on-brown application that will be my nod to paneling on the lower half of the walls.

Dezign with a Z has some brilliant ideas, including chalkboard decals, clock decals (add a working clock mechanism to the center of a decal for some fabulous-looking clocks). They are more perhaps a bit more modern than Blik and have more options in the floral genre. Unfortunately, they are also one of the more expensive options.



Flair 4 All seems to be aiming at the teen market, with young trendy colors and styles, and a $20 price tag per pack. Most of their styles are too "cute" for me, but they are doing good things with their colored bullseye lines.






RoomMates decals are aimimg younger still, with Bratz and Spongebob decals, as well as growth charts and decals based on popular children's books such as Curious George and Where the Wild Things Are. They also have an adult-based line, but without custom colors and in limited styles. Their strength is clearly in their large line of licensed character decals and other goodies for the kiddos.











Wall Slicks has a little bit of everything, good designs for adults and children, as well as some nice lettering. In my opinion, their real stand-out offering is their holiday line. I adore the mod and fresh Christmas decals for holiday decorating, and will probably be sporting a few this holiday season.







The Surface Store has some designs after my own heart, including this pattern they claim is "inspired by" Eames and Knoll. Well, yes. Clearly. They also have some mod and funky florals, a fun kids' line, and mini-decals that can be used on your laptop or other electronics.




Wall Candy Arts is another one aimed at the kids. They have a small line, but in it are some completely adorable animal images that take my heart and demand a place in this list.



Last, but certainly not least, WallTat offers all of the usual suspects for kids and adults, but they also have some unique offerings, among them some truly dramatic installations that could really take center stage in a room design if you can afford them, like this line graphic. They also offer a line of decals specifically designed for your car, as well as a line of reflective vinyl that looks like mirror and a transparent line designed for glass applications.

There are others. There are many. Search for wall stickers or wall decals, and join me in wasting the rest of your evening trying to figure out how many of your rooms can have fabulous wall decals in them before someone starts to notice.

Obsession #5: Knock-offs

I can't help myself... I love knock-offs. I want my home to look like "a million bucks," filled with luxurious designer things. But I am a stay-at-home mom with two kids. My husband makes good money, but not enough for me to throw down $1200 for a single chair or $7500 on a light fixture. It is what it is. So I shop at discount stores, get stuff used, and look for knock-offs. Here are a few of my favorites:


I love the classic Knoll tulip table and chairs, designed by Eero Saarinen. They are sleek, modern, and have a retro-future Jetson's aesthetic that I adore. For the Knoll originals, you'll spend about $1500 for the table and $1200 PER CHAIR for the base model. They also offer higher end models with marble or wood tabletops, and upgraded armchairs. Or you can start the bidding at $199 plus $50 shipping on ebay for the table plus two chairs. Not a "Buy It Now" so it is likely to go higher, but still. More commonly, I have seen the knock-off chairs going for between $135-160 on ebay for a single chair, and Ikea's DOCKSTA dining table at $149 is a dead ringer for the Saarinen tulip.



Hanging above my kitchen table (a glass-top from Ikea with a bench under the window and two of the knock-off tulip chairs) is a lovely knock-off Le Klint 172b light fixture (the 17" diameter one). The real deal will set you back close to $400. The knock-off is $139 with free shipping on ebay.

Shall I continue?



On my short list for the deck attached to my glass studio is a pair of Bertoia diamond wire chairs. They're modern, sculptural, and surprisingly comfortable. And also, they're over $900 a pop. Ooooooor I can pay $140-160 on ebay, roughly the cost of a replacement cushion from Knoll.

One last one for good measure. The PH Artichoke pendant light by Poul Henningsen is an iconic image in design, and at over $7500, it has the price tag to match. Another "gallery" that shall remain nameless offers a knock-off at $1250 (center image), but imagine their dismay when Urban Hom offered their version for just $389 with free shipping.

Obsession #4: Room and Board

It's not like me to pimp just one store in a blog entry, but I am so excited that Room & Board is finally getting a store in DC! I have been willing to buy beautiful beautiful things from them over the internet for years, but am not quite willing to buy a sofa without sitting, reclining, and cuddling on it first.

I even considered the 5 hour schlep to Soho to try out their sofas, but now Spring 2010... they're coming to me! Yay!

Obsession #3: Nakashima tables

They have everything. A touch of the natural and letting the wood speak combined with mid-century modern sleekness. There's even a little zen in there for good measure. Timeless. Here is a classic example available from Moderne Gallery, who seem to have loads of them. Check out the full array. They are gorgeous one-of-a-kind works of art.


Inspired by a DIY version I came across in my research, I recently bought a 6+ foot long walnut slab on ebay to try my hand at making my own Nakashima-esque table for my foyer. Here is the wood I bought, which should be arriving in the next few days. Wish me luck!

Obsession #2: Decorative window film

We've all seen it... faux stained glass, or those Victorian-looking etch decal thingies. I have nothing against Victorian style, but it just ain't mine. So when I went searching for some privacy window film for my bathroom, I saw a lot of stuff I wouldn't let touch my house with a ten foot curtain rod.

And then I found this.




Cool! Solyx Cut Glass Pebbles from Decorative Films. I will say that some of the coolness of this particular photo is from the objects behind the privacy film. But still, it's way cooler than some stupid etched flowers surrounded by faux etched lace.

They have modern etched-look privacy patterns in simple geometrics, and some very interesting things in the cut glass area, including this simple film that simulates rain glass.

They also have faux lace and flowers, if that is your cup of tea (in an antique china teacup with roses on it, no doubt).

Obsession #1: 3D wall treatments

My design obsessions are many and varied, but this one was strong enough to have motivated the starting of a blog. I have no formal design training, so some lessons I have had to learn on my own. Lessons about design history, lighting concept, and this lesson, the topic of today's obsession: Walls are more than a place to hang art. Walls can be art.



Case in point, Vortex Bloom by Modular Arts. Modular Arts makes mineral composite panels that look like fabric on the wall. They have more pop-style designs as well, but the curves and texture of these two really do it for me.


Dune, also by Modular Arts. Don't even get me started on the combination of 3D walls with lighting design. I don't have the chops, but I can certainly appreciate the genius. I have fantasies of this pattern as my kitchen backsplash, to complement my classic Le Klint pendant light. Cleaning it might be a pain in the kitchen (or a pain in something else), but it just might be worth it.


For a smaller, possibly more DIY project, check out Inhabit Wall Flats. Eco-friendly, biodegradable and made of renewable bamboo pulp, these beauties can even be installed temporarily in apartments (must be left white for temporary installs).

The price is good, at under $90 for a pack of 10 18"X18" panels. I'm thinking about a 3-panel wide stripe of these to hide a bad drywall job in my living room.


B&N's Iconic panels are another prime example of stunning 3D wall design. These have the added possibility of a wood veneer finish, bringing them further upscale. I prefer the simplicity of the white, but both are beautiful. The marketing of the panels with iconic mid-century modern chairs is not hurting their case either.



3D Wall panels, an Australian company, has an MDF line available in several cool finishes, and also a recycled plastic line that can be used outdoors. They actually have some of my favorite designs, and they will be making an appearance somewhere in my house if I can afford the shipping. Unobtrusive and textural, they can play either a supporting or starring role, depending on color and finish. I have long been in search of the origin of the wall treatment in Castle's apartment on the ABC show "Castle," and I think these might be it.

For smaller 3D applications, check out Wallter 3D paintable decor, although this genre may be taken over by the ever-expanding wall sticker/decal market, one that I will no doubt wax poetic on in the near future.