Posted in Wallpaper Trends at 9:28 am by Carrie Wigal
I came across a new website this week called The Wallpaper Pirate, and I found the article on the homepage quite interesting.
Having worked for an 800-number wallpaper company back in the late 80’s (taking phoned-in orders and handling customer service calls), I was introduced to the term of “pirating wallpaper”.
The wallpaper pirate was considered to be an 800-number business who stole business from the retail establishment. While the retail store would house the books and carry inventory on their shelves for customers to look at, the 800-number business (advertised in the back of home decorating magazines) would offer the same product for sale at a considerably less price.
While being a wallpaper pirate had a negative connotation even at that time, our philosophy where I worked was…if you can’t beat ‘em, join em. So, the company I worked for not only had a retail establishment (actually about a dozen of them across New Jersey), they also had an 800-number business operating out of their “back room”.
The prices charged in the store were higher to cover the overhead costs of running the store (ie, rent, storage space, utilities, payroll, etc.), while the prices charged through the 800-number were much lower due to the overhead costs being lower (just payroll, telephone & advertising expenses).
That’s how some stores managed to survive. Well, this was back in the 80’s…now we’re in a new millennium…enter the Internet. Read the rest of this entry »
Permalink
Posted in Decorating Tips, Wall Home Decor at 7:31 am by Carrie Wigal
If you still have plain light switches and outlet covers in every room of your house, listen up. You can spice up your rooms with decorative plate covers. You can either make them yourself or buy them already made…and the selection is vast.
For rooms with existing wallpaper/border, you can use any leftover wallpaper/border to cover your plates so they coordinate with your walls. Instead of just covering them to blend in with the wall, choose a pattern that causes them to jump out and accent your wall. If your walls are just painted, then the options are limitless. If you’re crafty, making them yourself will be a breeze. If not, check out eBay and you’ll find a whole host of covers to choose from.
The switch plate pictured above coordinates with Pooh & Friends Wall Border from the Disney Home Collection.
Technorati Tags: switchplates, switch plates
Permalink
Posted in Decorating Tips, Wall Home Decor at 7:05 am by Carrie Wigal
When redecorating a room, don’t forget about your lighting. While it may seem that you will have to purchase all new lamps for your new décor, sometimes all you need is a new lampshade. Replacing a lampshade is a lot cheaper than purchasing a whole new lamp.
I find it is easier to wait until your major room components are in place before selecting new lampshades. Let the theme of your new room evolve, then select lamp shades that either compliment or contrast with your theme. For example, a wild safari room with a zebra rug on the floor, might be well-served by a simple solid-color lamp shade to help offset the boldness of the rug. However, in a less wild décor, such as a simple, clean, contemporary design, a bold lampshade would add visual interest to the room. Don’t be afraid to experiment! Read the rest of this entry »
Permalink
Posted in Decorating Tips at 12:21 am by Carrie Wigal
Don’t neglect those windows! With a little creativity you can pull off some pretty nifty dressing for those panes.
When decorating a room with a theme, consider alternatives to the traditional curtain rod, why not use:
- a baseball bat for the little leaguer
- a pool stick for the billiard/games fan
- an oar for the boating/nautical enthusiast
Read the rest of this entry »
Permalink
Posted in Wallpaper Trends, Wall Home Decor at 11:38 pm by Carrie Wigal
At first glance it appears that wallpaper (borders, more specifically) is a saturated market, but you know, I’m having second thoughts. Nobody really sells the stuff. They just slap up an e commerce store and show pretty pictures with prices, but nobody is really talking about the benefits and features of wallpaper in general, let alone trying to sell to people who aren’t already actively looking for a particular pattern. Read the rest of this entry »
Permalink
Posted in Wallpaper Trends at 11:22 pm by Carrie Wigal
There’s a product on the market called PaperIllusion® by Village. It’s a faux finish wallpaper with a twist. While it has a faux finish effect painted on the wallpaper, it is meant to be ripped in pieces as opposed to cut into strips. Then it is hung by overlapping the pieces haphazardly as opposed to matching the strips up side by side. It’s a very unique paper, in that it is made to adhere to itself, unlike any other kind of wallpaper.
While this wall paper has been around for many years (first introduced on QVC), there’s a rise in popularity due to the many uses being touted by sites like Paper It Fun!, a paper illusions wallpaper blog: Read the rest of this entry »
Permalink