Wallpaper of the Week - MetalXGlass by Brian Yates

http://www.brian-yates.co.uk/wallcoverings.shtml?pageNo=15

Isn't this lush ? I made the fatal mistake of taking a trip down to the Chelsea Design Centre last week. I did actually have some 'proper' work to be doing there sourcing fabrics and wallpapers but I just get so distracted by all of the beautiful things I really am a kid in a toy shop. Among some of my favourite finds were these wallpapers by Brian Yates.

They have such an amazing texturised finish, with parts appearing to be 3D and parts actually being 3D where they have been embellished with amazing glitters, velvets and in some cases glass beads. The problem is that you really do just want to reach out and touch them - not ideal in real life as even my 4 year old has been heard telling the 1 year old "no hands on Mummy's wallpaper" and the glass beads did take me back to the 1980s and the temptation to pick the woodchips out of the wallpaper at the side of my bed - oops ! Beautiful though ! (The glass beads not the woodchips)

The wallpaper that I have shown above also answers another interior design problem that I frequently come across. Which metallic finish to have in a room and how to get away with combining a few different finishes - I'm talking brass this, chrome that etc etc... By using a pewter base with a metallic finish you can never really be 100% sure what colour it is. Nature will take over and dependent on the direction of the natural light source, which angle you view the paper from and at what time of day you will get a variation on the colour that you are looking at allowing you a little bit more flexibility.

But let this be a lesson, if you are wanting to co-ordinate ...get a really good size sample piece, hang it exactly where its going to go and live with it - I'm not talking hang it up long enough to get your other half to say 'yeah like it' I'm talking a week, look at it before you leave the house, when you get in, when you are around at the weekend - its not cheap, its not one that you want to be taking down and doing again !

Where would I use this ? Master bedroom or a dining room - it seems a shame to hide such a beautiful thing away but an element of practicality needs to step in - its not one for a family room ! One of my favourite finds to date, you'll definitely be seeing more of this range to come...

Wallpaper of the Week - Vivienne Westwood Cut Out Lace

http://www.cole-and-son.com/collection_detail.asp?collectionid=116

I know its a while since I've done a wallpaper of the week so I thought it was time to update you on a new range that I have fallen in love with !

I made the mistake of discovering that there is now a direct train from MK to the Design Centre at Chelsea Harbour - its one of my favourite places, I just get all dizzy and excited with the sheer volume of scrumptious fabrics, delicious wallpapers and don't even get me started on the trims ! If you haven't been I'd definately recommend it as its open to the public Monday to Friday - its just where do you start ?

I started with my favourite wallpaper showroom - Cole and Son - I needed to place the order for the flamingo's ! I was on the hunt for a paper to go behind an upholstered headboard to make a feature wall in a master bedroom - in my mind this had always been a dark paper, taupe, chocolate, coffee ...for no particular reason it just had been. I was so focused on the pink birds that it wasn't until I was walking out of the showroom on a mission to visit Romo fabrics and match some linen's that the Vivienne Westwood Cut Out Lace literally made me stop in my tracks !

I have searched and searched for an image of this paper that does it justice and I'm afraid that the ones I have shown just don't show it off to its lushest ! (On the advert above its the second dress in) As soon as I have it in situ I'll post a photo in the meantime the link above will probably be your best bet.

Its called 'Cut Out Lace' and is available in 3 colourways, Charcoal Black, Off White Linen (shown above) and Ecru and Taupe. The design was apparently first used in her Spring-Summer '07 I Am Expensiv collection, developed from a fragment of antique lace. Despite searching for a darker paper I was instantly drawn to the Off White Linen that had a full wall of the showroom dedicated to it.

The colours and shades representing the lace, give the paper a depth and texture that is almost 3D. From some lights the overall feeling is that this is quite a light coloured paper with a few darker accents but from other angles you almost feel yourself getting sucked in ! It was love at first sight. I did the usual, spend the rest of the day trying to find an alternative but there was nothing for it ...decision made !

...sorry I know its just a wallpaper, I'll shut up and go and do some measuring up or something !