apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Is anybody else tired of the wallpaper? I know, I know, it's "IN" right now. It's "hot" and "hip". It's also very expensive, especially for something that can look dated so quickly. I grew up in a house full of wallpaper and it never appealed to me, so I'm not at all surprised that it still doesn't. I'm just curious what other AT readers think of the wallpaper resurgence (in the States at least, I get it that it's been popular in chic European cities for quite a long time). Would make for an interesting AT poll, no?

I vote "no" in the wallpaper poll. Actually my vote would be "he!! no" After living in a series of apartments with extremely hideous wallpaper, I can't ever imagine a time when I would want to use wallpaper.

I downloaded Sketchup a few weeks ago. I agree, it's awesome.

On second thought I guess my vote would be "yes" ... I am tired of the wallpaper resurgence.

I don't dislike wallpaper in general. My grandmother has a couple of wallpapered rooms that have been the same for at least the last 40 years, and I still really like them. I'd be happy to duplicate them in my house (if my house were anything like hers).

Can this wallpaper be ordered in the states? The website is not user-friendly.

I've seen wallpaper look good in the right space, and I create the look of wallpaper in my miniatures... but for my own home, my aesthetic is heavily shaped by the 1920s, which is the era of flat paint in light-to-medium, fairly muted colors.

i think that theoretically, wallpaper could work. especially if you are very well off and can hire someone to deal with it.

i think some of the new super-intense wallpapers would probably be better used sparingly. i also would consider using on furniture, hung framed on a wall, or maybe in hidden spots like inside cabinets and drawers. a papered closet would make me incredibly happy every time i went on the hunt for a pair of shoes.

but, no, i can't imagine ever papering an entire room.

I have been banging the drum for SketchUp! for at least a year here on AT and mentioned it again when Google bought them and made a free version.
It really is that good and intuitive.

oops, sorry about the !
It used to be SketchUp! before google bought them.

Wende, was your house ever in an AT house tour? I'd love to see your interpretation of 1920's style in your home. I also adore San Francisco (don't live there but I've visited) and there are so many charming apartments. I think your dolls probably like the wallpaper in their own homes, it probably makes them feel special. I'm assuming there are dolls, but maybe there aren't. I've noticed people often go to incredible lengths to make their dollhouses realistic and then use dolls in their dollhouses that aren't to scale and I always found that bizarre.
The Opoponax, it's funny you mention closets. I think if I opened my closet and there was some wild/wacky wallpaper in there I would think that was fun. That would be much more easy to live with than an entire room, and it isn't a space you spend considerable time in. Using a wallpaper in an accent wall application or as a covering for a room divider (such as using it to cover a screen) are good ideas.
I think my own personal reasons for disliking it are 1. the price 2. the permanence and 3. the 'busy' nature of it. If I wanted to paint a room a wild color, like that deep blue-green French blue featured on here the other day, and it didn't work out, then oh well. I would only have spent around $30 and it could easily be changed. If I was spending $100+/roll on wallpaper that's a major investment. I know not all of the wallpapers are loud but as somebody who likes a very simple, clean-lined and relaxed look most wallpapers don't fit the bill.

does anyone know what that lime green chair is? the one in front of the striped wallpaper?

i wish i could have one wall of my living room wallpapered, but i couldn't handle it all around me.

The South -- I have photos somewhere on Flickr, though those are before some recent changes, but my apartment isn't up to AT design standards and will never be submitted as a home tour.

I'm much better at conceptualizing answers to other people's problems than at solving my own, probably because it's easier to spend other people's time and money. :-)

Wende, I bet your place is fantastic. I know what you mean about "AT design standards." I love my own home but wouldn't want it to be in an AT tour because people can be unnecessarily cruel with their comments. If your place doesn't look like it came out of the DWR catalogue, then boy are you in trouble. If it DOES look like it came out of the DWR catalogue, then you might be in even more trouble. You can't win.

Vow ! Even Liars and thieves have a place in American society. It is time to learn lessons from Ms stewart , how to lie and steal and get away with it in BROAD day light from the american justice system and the poor broker may have even left the country by now.

Double Standards - Isn't that what it is.

Uniden, I know what you mean. I'm struggling in my career - perhaps some jail time would do me good?

Sketchup! is great, I moved to it during my fourth year in architecture school. For some stupid reason the school had been teaching all their first years FormZ, a little known tool that was buggy as hell before version 5. Anyway, I took a course on 3D Studio Max used that for a while and later realized that it was overkill for my projects. Sketchup! is quick and dirty and one of the most intuitive programs I've used in a while.

I don't like Sketchup at all. It's a little too Skooby Doo for the work I do, however I can see how many folks would enjoy using it. I use both AutoCAD 2006 (with architectural desktop), & ArchiCAD 2006.

I've done wallpaper to pretty up the inside of some pretty awful cabinets, but would never, ever, paper a room--trendy or not.

I'm way too big a fan of clean lines to tolerate it!

And I used "pretty" twice--aren't I a little too girly today!

"Liftime achievement award for Stewart" !!!!!

It just shows to say that awards are not meant anymore for achievers with honesty but who have done malice to expand their kindom ! ! In her new cookbooks she has copied many a asian dishes and has forgotten to acknowledge it .

Who has the MSLO company roped in this time to get Martha the award ? Which arm have they twisted? and How much?

People will loose faith if she gets the award

By the way Maxwell a question for you -

why is Martha stewart's link put on AT ? How does she figure into design.

i've never understood why people get so hot & bothered about Martha Stewart.

it's not like she invented corporate corruption. and, um, you don't run a huge company with sunshine and butterflies.

now i'm no supporter and don't think her behavior is 'right' by any means. i just fail to see why, in a country that bred the Bushes, Enron, Monsanto, the tobacco industry, HMOs, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. (and those are just recent examples) what the big fucking deal is about Martha Stewart. if yall are such committed corporate watchdogs, go bark under a bigger tree.

It's because MS was selling Gracious Living, which one doesn't ordinarily associate with b*tchiness and securities fraud. When she acts like a CEO, she shatters the illusion that it's all about Home and Family and Tradition -- we see the cracks and realize it's all about selling the product.

This is also why people get way more excited about Urban Outfitters' record on gay rights, compared to, say, Albertson's (grocery chain).

Opoponax, I couldn't agree more. And Wende, while I see your point and think it's valid, I also think it's that bitchy women are unacceptable. Meanwhile, male CEOs are just doing what they need to do to run a corporation. I mean, how much flack does Hillary take for her coldness, when Cheney is not exactly cuddly?

In my spin class a few weeks ago, the instructor (a white man) was raving about Oprah and her Legends Ball, and then said, "Name me a nice, successful white woman." I was like "Name me a nice, successful white man, buddy, and then we'll talk."

i think the thing with UO vs. Albertson's is that people have much more choice of where to buy clothing than they do where to buy groceries. especially in the case of Urban Outfitter's, which is only available in urban markets where there is already a lot of choice. in contrast, i've only ever seen Albertson's supermarkets in suburban/rural areas -- places where there characteristically isn't a whole lot of choice in supermarket chains. it's not like you can just pick Whole Foods instead.

though i agree with you in principle. why are we devoting so much time to bitching about companies like Gap, UO, etc. when, ummmm, the oil industry, anyone?

Re Gap vs. Big Oil -- I think you've already hit on the reason. It's relatively easy to boycott the Gap; retail is hugely competitive. Tackling big oil requires rethinking our entire lifestyle.

Due to rotten mass transit to the 'burbs, I couldn't hold my teaching job if I didn't drive -- it's not a matter of being inconvenienced, but that mass transit simply does not run to some places late enough for the end of evening classes -- but it's a guilt issue. Plus, before the stock market went into its current dive, we owned petroleum stocks directly (not just through a mutual fund), so we profited when people were exploited.