A Floor to Adore.

I think I suffer from IDD...Internet Deficit Disorder.   Most of the searches I initiate end up way off course. Five clicks into a search for appliances,  I find myself admiring a hand-hooked bird pillow. The good news is, despite not being the most efficient route, I sometimes find these detours take me down a path I didn't know existed.

The image above is the product of one such episode, and it stopped me dead in my tracks. Surprisingly, it wasn't the dreamy white daybed, the chic chandelier, or even the onlooking bust that captured my undivided attention.  It was the floor.  Graphic, yet graceful, it was fresh, yet timeless.  But, what was it??

Go, go Gadget Google.  I search flooring, black and white, sunrooms...even throw in a  "tromp l'oeil."  And finally, I discover this sophisticated floor's humble roots:  it is made of cement.  Both beautiful and utilitarian, the tiles have lined public buildings in China, Russia, Europe, Mexico and even the Southern US for generations.  The icing on the cake?  Very little energy goes into the manufacturing of these tiles as they are air dried, and created using basic earth components and natural pigments.

Up, up and away my virtual journey goes.  First stop is Popham Design.  I am won over by their contemporary spin on this old world tile.  Founded by a former filmmaker and public relations exec from New York and Los Angeles, their colorful collection of cement tiles are manufactured in Morocco and organized in delightful patterns of "scribbles and loops" and "sixes and sevens."  

ZigZag  

Wink

Rings

Determined to stay on task,  I discover Villa Lagoon Tile.  With an impressive inventory  of  both custom and stock cement tiles, there is something for everyone.  I pause for the ocean-hued, interlocking tiles of their Marrakech Collection...

Marrakech Collection

but, am decidedly crushing on the muted tones of their Nuevo Castillo:

Nuevo Castillo

My last stop is at Granada Tile who describes these tiles as "having the strength of concrete and the feel of silk."  Their Design Gallery is a must-see, featuring their tiles installed in some Hollywood hot spots:

Bouchon Bistro, Beverly Hills

Delphine Restaurant, W Hotel Hollywood

Biscuit Filmworks Headquarters

The last one to catch my eye takes me full circle.  The coloration is a bit more bold, but their "Cluny" tile looks remarkably similar to the one that started it all:

Photo Courtesy of Orange Beautiful and Colleen Locke

A sample is on the way so I can get an up-close look at the tile that became an instant object of my affection.  For which room will they adorn?  That remains a bit up in the air as its use in the sunroom (which will have a near-term designation as a playroom) was unanimously voted down on the basis of "being too bumpy to race cars and things."  So, with my own wheels still turning, I set out to find another room at 323 to call "home" for these glorious tiles.

Pretty Papers.

With the walls of 323 becoming conspicuously more absent, I begin to reflect on the walls of my past.


I don't think I have ever encountered a real estate listing that boasted a property's "floor-to-ceiling wallpaper" but my last home certainly could have.  When we moved into the "split level full of my elbow grease," every room represented a different page from a 1980s wallpaper sample book.  It was covered in fruit, ducks, chintz, stripes, florals and, more florals.  Weekend after weekend, I pulled, peeled, tugged and steamed until I had removed every last inch.  And then, I swore it off forever.


Flash forward to the present.  A new wave of wallpaper has emerged, and it is once again covering everything from the pages of top design mags to the lobbies of posh hotels.  Suddenly, the strange scratching sound created by the "scoring" tool, and the smell of DIF begins to fade away.  Between its versatility and endless options, ranging from swank to sweet, wallpaper begins to win me over.  My threats of the past, now idol, quickly replaced by a full-on crush.  I've never really been one to hold a grudge anyway.


For those who are still commitment-adverse, Sherwin Williams has introduced EasyChange, a line of non-woven wallpapers designed to "go up and down effortlessly."  An added bonus...they are an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional vinyl.  Did I mention they are gorgeous?

Book Name: BEACON HOUSE DAMASK EASYCHANGE
Pattern Number: SW657-2938
Color: PERIWINKLE/LT. BLUE

Another wonderful line of wallpaper offering maximum design flexibility is TEMPAPER.  Their tag line, "Self Adhesive, Repositionable, Temporary, Wallpaper" says it all and their pictures speak for themselves.

Of course, pastable papers still make up the majority of  wallcovering options, but I think I could live with this Villa Nova Kamini paper by UK based wallpaper designer, TIKU for quite sometime. Doesn't that qualify it as sustainable?

Photo courtesy of Ideal Home via DecorPad

Still can't find the right one?  A nearly bottomless resource for incredible wallcoverings (among other things) is with the textile and design powerhouse, Schumacher.  Their Eco Chic collection features several grasscloths, sisals and paper weaves that would add dimension to any room and are manufactured with all-natural materials, natural wheat-based glue and environmentally safe dyeing processes.

Nishiki Diamond Weave
5003090  Straw

Kozu Woven Squares
5003160  Wheat

Hygge&West features a small, but delightful line of papers produced here in the USA.  Check out their recently launched line of textural papers designed by beloved blogger, Joy Deangdeelert Cho of Oh Joy!.

Photo Courtesy of Oh Joy! 

Last, but certainly not least, is a couple of my favorites for the little people in our lives.  First stop is Dwell Studio.  With an absolutely awesome web tool that allows you to customize their [removable] papers, you can feel like a designer for a day. One click changes the little buses and cars from orange to grey.  Another click makes them go from little, to well, big and bigger.

Photo Courtesy of Dwell Studio

A strong contender for my son's bath is this whimsical whale print by Geoff McFetridge.  Silk-screened in Los Angeles by Pottok Prints, it is printed on recyclable paper using water-based inks.  It is also void of traditional chemical waterproofing.  

Photo Courtesy of House Beautiful via The Decorologist

So, once again, I discover "Green" comes in every color.