apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Not like your grandmother's house?? Did nobody's grandma decorate in the 1970s?

Great list... one to add is Walnut Wallpaper in LA.
http://www.walnutwallpaper.com/

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/beverlyfairfax/walnut-wallpaper-010751

Lisa
I'm old enough and it was my mother who decorated like this in the early 1970's!

All the current wallpapers are very vintage 1970's inspired. None now could be as bad as what was really popular then.
My parents had a hired "decorated" home in early 1970's and the wallpaper did have a similar look.

We had shiny patent leather wallpaper with humongous brown, orange and yellow flowers in the kitchen and the kitchen chairs had bright yellow patent leather seats and Formica table (solid Formica just became popular).

The formal living room was olive green and lemon yellow, with bright olive green wool carpet and bright green and yellow stripe silk fabrics everywhere.
The den had real Danish modern chairs, lamps and end tables and a sofa I wish I had now! Shag carpet in bright strange colors in all the bedrooms. The kid’s bathroom was hot pink and lime green and silver paper.

Hidden under all that carpet were the most fabulous perfect hardwood parquet floors!

I was always convinced the decorator was on acid.
Then when my mom re-decorated in the 1980’s it was everything tan and beige with huge sectional sofas.

Trends come and go as they do in clothes.

I’m old enough to have decorated my first apartment in NYC with Laura Ashley everything including all the clothes I wore.
;)

I don't think wallpaper will ever take over that much. It's sooo much more expensive than paint. I'm doing a very small area, the wallpaper will probably end up costing around $150, and paint would be less than 20. Plus, it's a pain to put it up. I'd guess that the current boom is fueled by the upper end of the economy, people who don't have to worry about cost, and aren't putting it up themselves.

Ok, yes....the wallpaper is to-die-for. Now let's discuss the model's green cuff. Where can I get that??

Australian wallpaper doyene Florence Broadhurst has been all the rage since the publication last year of "Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret & Extraordinary Lives" by Helen O'Neill.
We recently had an excellent online ordering experience from Signature Prints, the Australian home of Broadhurst's designs. They cheerfully and promptly send out samples and don't appear to have a three-roll minimum, my number one wallpaper peeve. This site is highly recommended!

http://www.signatureprints.com.au/frameset_divinedecadence.html

Absolutely great wallpaper. The nama rocco design that you feature is a favorite. But for pure kitsch and humor you've got to go for flavor league's scratch and sniff paper.

Wallpaper has definitely made a come back over the last couple of years. I have become more accepting of trends that I love one minute and hate the next...and vice versa!
Some design is evergreen and, well, some design is simply the best for it's 15 minutes.

I just want to add that wallpaper is much easier to hang these days.....that being said, I still haven't taken the plunge.

Anyway, great article!

There's also an awesome Finnish wallpaper company called Tapettitalo; go to www.tapettitalo.fi/english.html. Some awful dated stuff, but then the company also has the classic 1950s Scandinavian pattern "Night of the Skylarks," which is so whimsical and chic.

What a great list! I would urge everyone to order a sample to see the paper and colors in real life.

Also, I posted a link to this article on my blog, Design Hole, and added a few more.

Another great site for retro wallpaper (50's) is www.melinamade.com -- she also has fabrics and some kitchen accessories.

...talking of wallpaper and kitchens, plus throwing in some lighting and tile tattoos, here's another designer; MIBO. I found their lovely bright and bold products at www.2jane.com for the US, but there's also www.mibo.co.uk for UK based shoppers.

For an alternative to expensive wallpaper, check out the wall art produced by SURFACE Collective at www.surfacecollective.com

For more images, they also have a facebook group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4842573436

If you want custom wallpapers, http://www.mywall.net , is a good source...

I found that www.designyourwall.com has a great selection, too.

I don't know about the wallpaper but where can I find the girl in the pic?

I like it, its different but definitely doable in a nice room. And yes, she is hot, nice pair of legs on her!

Pfooey! Some of those "sources" are for the trade only. I think they can all collectively jump in a lake for all I care. Let's try to emphasize/reward the vendors who make these papers truly available to Joe Six-pack.

I have news... "to the Trade" IS "available."

And I didn't think Joe Six-pack was a big wallpaper fan.

I love this list! Here is another great wallpaper source to add: http://www.interiorplace.com

Take a look at Horizons collection, it is something I never saw before in wallpaper style.

Here is a similar cuff. I love it in red, and the business is a Ventura local, woman owned business that sustainably sources their products....

http://www.bettybelts.com/Products/cutoutsleather_b.php