{friday finds: as seen at hirshfield’s}

Benjamin Moore Inner Glow on the walls and that amazing ikat fabric on the sofa is Thom Filicia for Kravet.

Eye spy, from the pages of the February and March issues of House Beautiful, lots of lovelies you’ll find at Hirshfield’s Design Studio and at our retail stores. Stop in and check us out. 

{get your pink on}

Cystallisation

 Happy Valentines Day!

What better day to showcase one of my favorite colors, “PINK.” Enjoy the eye candy and have a grand day.

{friday finds : wallpapering tips : how to hang wallpaper}

We promised you if you stayed tuned, we would follow-up our post on wallpaper tools and supplies with a post on how to hang wallpaper. And we like to stay true to our promises! So now that you have the right tools and supplies, let’s go over some best practices for hanging wallpaper:

Prepping your walls to hang wallpaper:

• Remove all outlet plates, vent covers and anything else that can be removed to make less taping work for you. Turn off the electrical current to the room and cover electrical outlets with masking tape.
• For painted walls: Wash walls with solution of trisodium phosphate, then rinse with clean water and allow to dry.
• For new sheetrock: Apply two coats of Hirshfield’s Wall Prep Universal Primer.
• For wallpapered walls: Remove, clean off old paste, rinse and dry.
• The wallpaper experts at Hirshfield’s recommend using Hirshfield’s Wall Prep on painted surfaces with flat paint, and Uniprep over surfaces with a sheen.
• Repair and patch holes and cracks.
• Check that all dye lot numbers are the same on each roll and inspect each roll of wallpaper for flaws.

Measuring and cutting wallpaper:

• Start in an inconspicuous corner (i.e behind a door), and plan to work hanging the wallpaper from right to left.
• Take the width of the paper minus 1/2″ and measure that distance out to the right from the corner. With a pencil, draw a straight vertical line using a plumb or a level. Determine the pattern desired at the ceiling line before cutting your first strip.

{wallpapering tips: tools and supplies}

Ready to take the plunge and embrace the wallpaper trend? The wallpaper experts at Hirshfield’s are ready to help, seam roller and broad knife in hand!

Let’s back up for a second. For some of us, hanging wallpaper can’t begin until the old wallpaper has been taken down. For those of you who fall into this category, check out our  tips on how to remove wallpaper.

Ok, now that the wallpaper has been removed, let’s talk about the tools and supplies you’ll need to hang your fabulous new wallpaper.

• Sizing: Sizing will help to keep seams from opening up or shrinking. This product also aids in the future removal of wallcoverings. Hirshfield’s recommends Uniprep 100% Acrylic Universal Wallcovering Prepcoat for shiny surfaces and Wallprep Universal Primer over flat, unsealed surfaces.
• Border Adhesive: This product ensures proper adhesion of borders when installed over a coordinating wallcovering. This is not for use over painted surfaces because of the strong adhesion. Hirshfield’s paint experts recommend AllPro Border Adhesive.
• Prepasted Activator: This product is applies like a wallcovering adhesive and activates the dry adhesive on the back of prepasted wallcoverings. Prepasted Activator is a great alternative to water and a water tray as it provides extra track to prevent seam separation. Give Hirshfield’s Prepasted Activator a try.

{what’s on thibaut’s best sellers list?}

If you’re not familiar with Thibaut, they offer over 50 books in their wallpaper library. Each collection contains a distinct group of designs by themes such as traditional, nautical, stripes or toile. Also, included in the offering are papers, vinyls, natural textures, and lovely fabrics.

Here are the top four patterns from their best-selling book Texture Resource Vol. 3:

Tuscany Leather

{friday finds: decorating with books}

Sure e-readers and tablets provide a nice, organized way to keep track of all your books, but when it comes to home decor, nothing beats the real thing. Of course, actually reading the books is optional.

“It’s nice to have books around. They add so much ambiance. I hope we never live to see the day when books are eliminated from the home,” said Minneapolis interior designer, Jim Noble (Minneapolis Star Tribune, “Decor by the books“).

Books add warmth, dimension and visual interest to a space. There’s just something about having books around that make a room feel more important.

{friday finds: silhouettes by ashford house}

Scenic Woodland

Medallion with Scroll

When I hear, “you’re going to love this new book” my heart races for a few seconds. A new wallcovering book always carries the hope of great expectations. The Silhouettes book is a winner in every category!

{bits & pieces: and the winner is…rivets}

Interior Design Magazine Best of Year Awards
Category: Wallcovering
Rivets – Phillip Jeffries

Congratulations to Phillip Jeffries on their award and the recognition they received from the design community. Job well done.

Finalists were selected by qualified interior designers and architects via an online vote during a two-week period in October, and category winners were determined by a jury of leading architects and designers. The presentation of awards were Thursday, December 1, 2011. It is worth noting, Phillip Jeffries had two nominations up for the BOY Award: Rivets and Geology.

Rivets and Geology

Adding another dimension to wallcoverings is the RIVETS collection. Hand crafted by artisans, a raised relief pattern made with pearlized inks is hand applied to our natural Manila Hemp, Glazed Abaca, Linen and Jute wallcoverings to create the look and feel of authentic nail heads. Strong and bold, this pattern of 11.3” squares is available in nine unique color combinations that are truly riveting!

What do you think of the pattern? I would use the paper on a focal or accent wall in a dining room, living room, or bedroom.

  Hirshfield’s Design Resource carries the complete Phillip Jeffries line. You can also find Phillip Jeffries at some of our retail locations, but please call first and verify the books they have on hand.

Images: Phillip Jeffries, Phillip Jeffries, Tilton Fenwick, Tilton Fenwick, Kirsten Kelli, Phillip Jeffries, Phillip Jeffries

{friday finds: the seamy side of grasscloth}

You have found the perfect grasscloth for your dining room. You’re ready to order, but first ask yourself if you’re able to embrace the idiosyncrasies of these natural beauties.

With grasscloth, natural or dyed, you will see seams when the paper is up on the wall. If the paneled effect bothers you then grasscloth is not for you. As we like to say in the business, “That’s the inherent beauty of grasscloth.” You won’t have as many seams with grasscloth, because it is 36″ wide compared to 20 1/2″ or 27″ wide standard wallpaper. Grasscloth is a natural fiber and there can be shading variations from roll to roll, even if it is dyed, you will see color variations.

With that being said, grasscloth is timeless and has been a favorite of designers for years. It brings another layer of texture, color, warmth, and in some cases, another pattern to a room. Grasscloth can be the rock star of a room or the back-up singer, the decision is up to you.

What are your feelings on grasscloth? Have you used it in your home? Do you prefer a natural color or a dyed version?

All papers are available at Hirshfield’s.

1. Palmer Weiss
2. Phillip Jeffries
3. Amanda Nisbet
4. House of Turquoise
5. Thibaut
6. Thibaut
7. Bryn Alexandra
8. House of Turquoise
9. Phillip Jeffries
10. House of Turquoise

{wallpaper week: fougere wallpaper by romo}

Wallpaper Week has taken us to the Netherlands, United States, and today, the United Kingdom with the Fougere Collection.

Just like the Thibaut and Eijffinger books, Romo showcases a prominent array of geometric patterns, variations on the trellis design, colorful large-scale florals, and the use of heavy metals. The vivid colors in the Fougere collection are inspired from the Royal Botanical gardens of Europe; interesting to see the strong presence of the “grape” and darker neutrals in the European lines.