DISNEY SPECIAL PURCHASE

When it comes to wallcovering, DISNEY is always a big draw.

In our last blog posting we featured animal print borders and now as a follow-up, we are pleased to feature some of your favorite Disney characters.  Another form of animals you might say--one that shows animals as friendly interactive, almost human-like creatures.  So scroll on down and enjoy a gallery of Disney characters as they cavort in the forest, swim in the ocean or fly through the galaxy.  All for your viewing pleasure.

Winnie the Pooh Who

Who you might ask is Winnie the Pooh

He is a bear, what else is new

And Nemo in the deep sea blue

Those cute sharks cause you to coo

Buzz flies through the sky as not many can do

Count him among the very lucky few

Cinderella is a beauty for every prince to woo

She can even cause a cow to moo

Mickey is mighty and holds the glue

To all Disney characters, even Roo

ANIMAL PRINTS GALORE--A DAY AT THE ZOO

Animal prints are BIG and what better way to demonstrate animal print borders, than by photographing them in their natural habitat at the Cleveland Zoo.  Following is a photo album of some of our favorite animal print borders with some of our favorite models and our favorite animals.  The Cleveland Zoo just opened a special new Elephant Crossing exhibit that was a great starting off point for our On The Wild Side feature.  From there it was on to the monkeys, fish, turtles, cheetahs and giraffes.  Alas, no zebras in this photo album, but we do have zebra border, zebra wallpaper and cheetah/leopard print border and wallpaper (in-stock) as well.

Elephants Galore

And now to the cheetahs

Let's hear it for the fishes and frogs

Giraffes on High

GAME ON--A DAY AT THE ZOO

Whether big or little, striped or spotted, kind or not

Animals make you smile whether you are old or a tot

Their bodies are graceful and their faces benign

And manage to rise above the worst of human malign

Roaming the mysterious wild in a state of free

They're engaging as can be when hanging from a tree

Or when at the zoo they are well kept and fed

'Tis not such a bad life so it be said

Bringing joy and goodwill to all who will view

Causing even the most jaded human to utter a coo

Creative Uses for Wallpaper--Decorated Dumpsters

Over 105 years in the wallcovering business, we have heard about a lot of creative uses for wallpaper, but perhaps none as unique as a project started by a California-based artist, Christine Finley.  To quote Finley,  "I will use the wallpaper from FLOW (For the Love of Wallpaper) to continue wallpapering dumpsters around the world. Here is some info about the project..."

"Wallpapered Dumpsters transform environmental activism into unexpected beauty. This project is an inquiry into urban waste, free art, and notions of femininity, beauty and domesticity. Inspired by free and accessible art the artist states, "If we see dumpsters as works of art, we have raised consciousness."  


The project has been the subject of extensive press coverage including a comprehensive review by The New York Times, which included photos from around the world of decorated dumpsters.  


Following are an assortment of photos that capture the essence of the project.  Garbage dumpsters no more, they are now the proper repositories of the castaways that define our lives.

Decorated Dumpsters

  Wallpaper As Art Form

Just when you thought you had seen it all

There comes an idea that sounds a clarion call

Wallpaper can be used to brighten a room

But it also has potential to reclaim a tomb

On dumpsters so naughty and nice

They feed the homeless and the mice

But when you a decorative redux give

Suddenly the trash heap has a new life to live

As a work of art that looks mighty fine

‘Tis surely a promising environmental sign

That people do care about surrounding space

Enough to dress up a dumpster with a brand new face

WALLPAPER TRENDS

This week we continue our ongoing series of discussions with leading design experts about the state of the wallcovering industry.  Bob (Bobby) Higgins is associated with Sterling Decor Concepts and RJHiggins and Associates, representing International & Fine Decorating Products.  According to Bobby, the most important new trends in wallcovering are: Green and Lean.  Green refers to the ecologically sound materials associated with wallpapers today and Lean refers to the ease of wallpaper installation and the ease of removal.

Bobby Higgins, Wallcovering Guru

Bobby has decades of experience in the wallcovering industry and is always on the lookout for new trends.  He travels the world on a quest to find the next big wallcovering 'thing'.  And, following are some of his sound bite observations regarding the wallpaper of today:

• The design community is gravitating back to wallcovering
• Wallpaper is being used as a design focal point on single walls v. an entire room
• Textures are 'in' from mosaics to faux finishes to suedes and tactile stucco and other natural looks that make a design statement but are kind to the environment
• New wallcovering materials and supplies make it a virtual snap to install and de-install wallpaper--Easy Up Easy Down
• Natural fibers are big--Grasscloth and cork in particular
• Wallcovering is timeless
• Big Colors--Turquoise/Spa Blue/Purple/Yellow/White
• The new demographic--kids love wallpaper--it is 'new' to them
• Retro looks are big--circles-geometric shapes
• Tone on Tone with texture is the new neutral
• Future trends--wallpaper is back to stay--consumers are recognizing the enhanced value wallpaper adds to a home and the warmth wallcovering adds to a decorating scheme
• 20-30% of wallcovering is now purchased on the Internet
• Designers are turning their attention to creating new wallpaper looks. Two big names in wallcovering design are Candice Olson and April Cornell 

So, wait no more.  Check out your local wallpaper store--yes, there are still some stores that actually stock product and they tend to offer great pricing deals--or do a web search.  Either way, you are in for a treat--wonderful products in many different styles and colors. You  are sure to find something that will truly enhance your personal decor.  

Wallpaper Used Creatively

Wallpaper offers a simple and cost effective way to change a room's look or vibe.  But, a new trend is to use wallpaper in specific ways as a dramatic accent.  It can be used for a single wall or as a filler between molding strips instead of a picture.  Or, use it for scrap booking or craft projects, to wallpaper a doll house or a dresser or a door, or as a backdrop for a photograph--the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

The following photographs offer real life examples of how the same wallpaper pattern can be used effectively in different ways in very different settings.  The first photo illustrates a sliding bedroom door covered in a golden hued fleurs-de-lis pattern.  Note the border pattern above the door and at chair rail height as well. In the second photo, the same paper is used beneath a chair rail going up a double staircase in a contemporary take on a traditional home.  In both cases, the effect is striking and noteworthy.  

So, give some thought as to how you can make a dramatic wallpaper statement in your home.

Door Covered in Wallpaper

Wallpaper Creative

Wallpaper can change the look of a place

And make it seem like a different space

It doesn’t take much money or time

And is the perfect cover for muck and grime

So give some thought to what to change

Wallpaper offers you quite a range

From stripes and plaid to cloth of grass

It looks good with copper, silver and brass

Cover a dresser, door, floor or wall

And in the process, have yourself a ball

Batter Up

It's that time of year when thoughts turn to America's favorite pastime--BASEBALL.  It is also a time to clean out clutter and freshen up the look of your home.  What better way to blend a love of sport and a new decor than with a baseball border.  Shown below are some wallpaper border alternatives that could make a study, recreation room, game room or teenager's bedroom look oh so new.  Borders are available in generic form and also specific team colors and graphics.

Selection of Generic Baseball Borders

Batter Up

Grab your glove it’s that time of year

To head to the ball park and cheer

For your favorite MLB team be it major or minor

Even the hot dogs taste better than at the diner

America’s favorite pastime is here for another season

To bring us joy and sorrow, sometimes for no reason

And to show your rah rah spirit is for real

What better way than to that old border peel

In order to replace it with a border brand new

You can be one of the special privileged few 

Browns Borders In Stock

Cleveland Browns Border

It's Back!!  Cleveland Browns Wallpaper Border is impossible to find.  It is a border that is not currently being produced and yet there is a large demand for this product.  We quickly sold out of our last supply and just now have received a new shipment.  At a time when basketball is winding down, baseball is heating up (Cleveland Indians Home Opening Day is one day away) and football remains in the news, this is a good time to stock up on a Border that will soon become a collector's item.

Go Indians
Go Browns
Go Cavs 

Wallpaper Creative

In the last blog posting, we interviewed Gary Levine, a lifelong student of the ways of wallpaper and the current President of U.S. Wallcovering.  Over the past 60 years ( I know, he doesn't look THAT old),

Gary Levine, President, USW

Gary has studied new wallpaper hanging techniques and has become proficient in many aspects of the wallcovering industry.  Along the way, he has led seminars and workshops for thousands of people on the 'Best Way to Achieve a Perfect Wallpaper Installation'. 
There are 5 Super Technique Pointers that Gary would like to share with all readers:
1.  Don't use a seam roller
2.  Use activator, even for pre-pasted product
3.  'Book' wallpaper for 7-10 minutes
4.  Start hanging opposite the entrance to a room
5.  Use water boxes for borders, not for wallpaper
If you would like to have an explanation on any of these points, just drop us a line at uswallcovering@yahoo.com and we'll provide further details.

Creative Uses of Wallpaper

Wallpaper is not just for hanging on walls. Below is a listing of some of the more creative ways to apply wallpaper.

• Cover a refrigerator using adhesive-backed magnets
• Cover the back of a curio cabinet
• Cover the back of bookcases
• Cover a closet door (see photo below)
• Cover a portion of a cupboard door and surround with molding
• Use as a back-drop for a photograph--large or small
• Cover glass mirrors or place decals on windows
• Use as an accent wall 
• Use in lieu of a painting
• Apply to a ceiling

Example of sliding closet door covered with the same pattern as on the adjacent wall

  

Wallpaper Creative

You have a chance to make a change

In many ways and a very broad range

From closets to bookcases and even a frig

The use of wallpaper can be a bridge

From the simple to the simply spectacular

No matter what the plan or the vernacular

Whether stripes or clouds or checkered plaid

Wallpaper lifts your spirits and reduces the bad

It also can change the look or feel of a space

For this, one could make a very good case

Wallpaper Installation

Go With the Flow

Well, Spring still hasn't arrived at the shores of Lake Erie so, as promised, here are some more photos from Lapland.  The first photo is of the room sign outside an ice room at the Ice Hotel in Sweden.  Featured are the designers who created the room which is one of a select number of specially designed spaces. FLOW--How appropriate because it is the name of U.S. Wallcovering's new e-commerce website, For the Love of Wallcovering (FLOW for short).   The second photo shows the ice bed covered in reindeer skins and an expedition-grade sleeping bag.  You stay surprisingly warm.

Sleep Anyone

Wallpaper Installation

And, what you may ask, do photos of a Lapland Ice Hotel have to do with Wallpaper Installation.  Not much, except an ice hotel is probably one of the few places where wallpaper cannot be applied.  Otherwise, wallpaper is the perfect complement for any room or to cover just about any surface for that matter, except one of snow and ice.

In this week's blog we will start a series of tutorials on:
Advanced Techniques for Hanging Today's Wallcovering.

Our resident expert is Gary Levine, Owner of U.S. Wallcovering, a business devoted to all things wallcovering, wallpaper and borders. U.S. Wallcovering has been a leader in the wallcovering industry for over 105 years.  Gary grew up in the family business and has over 50 years experience working with wallpaper.  He has led seminars for thousands of people on 'The Advanced Techniques for Hanging Today's Wallpaper.'  In a recent interview, Gary revealed some techniques which are contrary to usual practices.  Let us start with Wallpaper Preparation.  At the start of a project, the roll of paper should be reverse rolled to take the tension out of the paper. And now,  it is time to 'book' the paper.
Booking Time.  Booking time refers to the time between when you apply activator or paste and the time you actually hang the paper.  Most instruction sheets suggest a 2-3 minute booking time but to quote Gary, "why manufacturers recommend 2 minutes is beyond us".  The appropriate amount of time for booking is 7-8 minutes in order to allow the paper to properly absorb the adhesive.

Stay tuned for additional Wallpaper Installation Tips in next week's blog.

Wallpaper Installation

Hanging wallpaper is a breeze

Honest, this is not some marketing tease

Just paste it up and smooth it down

You can do it all without a frown

Just pitch the roller and the tray

And be prepared to smile when visitors say

You did that perfect job without any help

Nary a scream, a shout or a yelp

And the resulting wall is a perfect '10'

Whether in a kitchen, dining room or den

Lapland Revisited and Ohio State Basketball

Dear reader, You are probably wondering what Lapland has to do with Ohio State Basketball.  Actually, there is a connection. Lapland is a #1 destination for winter beauty and Ohio State is a #1 pick for an NCAA championship.

We actually had some readers from Sweden checking out our last Lapland posting.  Kind of fun to see the blog activity map with green all over the USA and then a green entry in Sweden.  And, with wallpaper so popular in Lapland, especially in the Jokkmokk region there may be a real business opportunity in the making.  In the meantime, Disney comes to Lapland--I have sent off Hannah Montana, Peace sign, train and solar system borders and decals for the rooms of some young Laplanders.  Once the products are installed we'll try to get photos to post for all to see.

So, feast your eyes on some more Lapland photos and on some Ohio State decals just in time for March Madness.

Reindeer Race on Frozen Lake

Top of the Line Lapland Dress Code

Until Spring comes to Ohio I think I will continue to show photos from Lapland--puts our snow days and freezing temperatures into perspective.

And, now on to Ohio State.  One can imagine that the two gentleman in the Lapland photo above are cheering for Ohio State and encouraging the Buckeyes to maintain their #1 ranking.

 

There is a large assortment of Ohio State related decals available in time for OSU's certain appearance in the NCAA March Madness playoffs.  We can only hope they have a long run all the way to the Finals and beyond.  Go Buckeyes!

Lapland--Ohio State

Can't get it out of my head

Even when all is done and said

Lapland as a destination is much fun

Just as Ohio State basketball is # 1

Though world's apart, there is a bond

One that reaches across the Atlantic pond

In Lapland they mine for tin

And in Ohio they seek a win

So here's hoping reindeer will find food

And the Buckeyes will be in a champion mood

Wallpaper in Lapland

Farmhouse Entrance in Swedish Lapland

I have just returned from Lapland and there is so much to share.  It has been hard to select a representative group of images.  The picture above says a lot.  It is a front door to a Swedish farmhouse north of the Arctic Circle.  The red color of the siding is a particular red that actually has a special Swedish name and is used on many rural dwellings. The key is in the door with a welcome sign adjacent.  What a sign of TRUST.  It is TRUST that permeates the Sami culture--a culture very dependent on the movement of reindeer.  Reindeer are a Laplanders 'bank savings'.  There is little exchange of money and much bartering of goods and services.  Aside from the open door policy, another example of TRUST is the commitment of a weaver to send me a hand loomed blanket and then have me pay for it at the Market next year.  WOW!    

Reindeer on the Move

Lapland is a territory that goes across 4 countries north of the Arctic Circle--Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia.  There are 80,000 Laplanders, or Sami as they are better known--40,000 of whom live in Norway most of the time and 20,000 of whom live in Sweden most of the time.  I say most of the time because their lives are linked to their reindeer herds and they will sometimes cross over national borders while moving their herds to pasture.  Once a nomadic people, they now inhabit small villages and towns in the far north and once a year converge on Jokkmokk in Sweden for a market that has been in existence for 400 continous years.  

Per Leads a Reindeer Caravan to the Market

 It is cold in terms of temperature (-20 degrees F while I was there) but warm in terms of the hospitality and genuine kindness of the people. Just as the dwellings are painted red and sometimes yellow, the traditional dress of the Sami people is very colorful and quite elaborate in terms of the embroidery and the silver belts and ornaments. The traditional Sami hat has many red threads as above.  Some people jokingly say there is a red thread for each reindeer owned. Note the traditional costumes below.

Traditional Sami Man and Woman in Native Dress

Sami Wool Meets Down and Fur

Sami Family with Sleeping Child and Geometric Wallpaper Background

And, what a surprise, Wallpaper is popular in Lapland!  The middle photo above features a strong geometric pattern which serves as a perfect background for a display of functional design pieces.  In fact, every wall in this Sami home is covered with wallpaper purchased on-line.  Additional photos below feature other walls in local dwellings with a combination of soothing and exciting patterns.  We talk of how wallpaper is coming back in the USA.  Well, it never left Lapland where it has been appreciated for many years for its ability to soften a room and add interest and depth.  In their craft work and dress the Sami epitomize style and good design sense.  We can learn much from them, their way of life and their emphasis on TRUST.

A Sampler of Wallpaper and Border

Paintings Stand Out on Neutral Wallpaper

These patterns reflect a variety of colors and styles utilized in Sami homes in Northern Sweden.  I'll be sending my hosts some Peace Sign Decals, Hannah Montana Border and Train Decals for the young grandchildren.  U.S. Wallcovering comes to Jokkmokk.  Perhaps we can have a stall at next year's Market and sell some of our popular Disney decals and Borders.  When we considered market expansion, setting up a temporary sales showroom in sub-zero temperature was not part of the plan.  But, we are all about meeting customers' needs.  So, who knows?

In closing, the following pictures capture some of the natural beauty of Lapland as viewed inside a room at the world's largest Ice Hotel and from a frozen farmhouse window.

Art Room at the World Famous Ice Hotel

Inside Out--View from Farmhouse Window

Wallpaper in Lapland

Who would have thought

Of all the things sold and bought

In the far reaches of Sweden cold

That wallpaper would be edgy and bold

It is a commodity hot

Laplanders are truly besot

With the possibilities of a patterned paper

Featuring texture and many a geometric caper

So feast your eyes on the examples rare

Even as you beware of the moose and bear

U.S. Wallcovering Launches e-commerce Site

For the Lovc of Wallpaper.com Goes Live

U.S. Wallcovering has been in business for over a century and has continued to adhere to the principles originally promoted by its founder,  Abraham Levine--provide the best quality merchandise, offer the best value and support it all with the best customer service.  As U.S. Wallcovering made changes, those changes were always tied to what customers were asking for.  And, now, customers are asking for alternative shopping options.  U.S. Wallcovering has listened and we have just launched an e-commerce site to support our basic store at www.uswallcoveringonline.com.  The new store can be reached at http://www.fortheloveofwallpaper.com.  We still have a ways to go in terms of site enhancement and product category completion but it is a start. We welcome your feedback.

Lapland Here I Come

In my quest to seek out unique wallpaper patterns from around the world I am off to Lapland to check out the wallpaper offerings north of the Arctic Circle.  Might be hard to wallpaper a reindeer-hide tent but wallpaper would be a nice antidote for a landscape covered in white for much of the year.  I am told they are experiencing one of the coldest winter's in recent memory with average temperatures hovering around zero. There is a special Winter Market held every year for the past 400 years that draws people from around the world to delight in the beautiful landscape, shop for Sami people crafts, listen to lectures and view exhibitions, sample some reindeer meat, ride a dogsled, stay in an Ice Hotel and otherwise enjoy the special charm of Lapland in Winter.  I promise to share some of my white on white photos when I return.  While I am running about in my Michelin-man down coat this blog will be vacationing as well for two weeks.  When we come back it is off to the zoo snap some of those animal print patterns next to the real thing.

In the meantime, stay warm.

Mela

Lapland in Winter

The cold north beckons

With snow and ice I reckons

And temperatures that define cold

You have to be of a certain mold

To see beyond the frost and limited sun

This is not a place to sit on you bun

But rather a land where one is in constant motion

In order to prevent frostbite if one had such a notion

So, off I go loaded with objects of goose down

Enough to keep any a frozen face from a frown

Honeysuckle is Hot

It's official: Honeysuckle is the Color of the Year.  A cross between pink and rose, this is a color that brings warmth into any room.  Honeysuckle has been named the 2011 Color of the Year by Pantone which is a company recognized as THE color experts and the developer of the Pantone Matching System color chart used by designers worldwide.  Articles in recent newspapers and trade journals have confirmed the selection of Honeysuckle.  To quote an article from the Akron Beacon Journal, "Honeysuckle is a reddish pink with a blue undertone.  It's stimulating, yet not as aggressive or passionate as red.  It's also somewhat complex." Think of using it in a breakfast room or a small powder room, a child's room or a multi-purpose space.  If you are concerned about wallpapering an entire wall with this color, consider using a border in Honeysuckle as a way to bring this color into your living space without having to redo your decor. It works as well with deep colors as it does with soft pastels and neutrals.

The picture below features a patterned wallpaper in a dining area.  Perfect in a place by the ocean or any body of water or in a country cottage set in a forest.

Honeysuckle colored wallpaper warms up a dining space.

 

 

Browns Borders Sell Out.  The response to our blog reference to Cleveland Browns border has been terrific.  We had a limited supply of this hard-to-find border, but, don't despair--we are getting more. 

Honeysuckle Rose

Honeysuckle is the color of the year

So says Pantone, do you hear

With warm tones and subtle shade

'Tis a color that with time does not fade

But rather always looks spiffy and new

What a wonderful and sunny pleasing hue

Animal Kingdom

Photo Credit Don Iannone Photography

Well, I promised a picture from the zoo displaying some animal print wallpapers and borders alongside the real deal and that zoo picture will be coming up soon but this photo was just Too Good.  Many thanks to Don Iannone, a fabulous photographer, for capturing this image of a coyote on a frozen Lake Erie in Bratenahl, OH.  Pretty impressive.  Just 10 minutes from downtown Cleveland, Bratenahl also boasts deer and red fox and an interesting array of migratory birds.  Check out the Bratenahl website at http://www.bratenahlplace.com

Still on the animal theme,  we have received a number of requests recently for wallcoverings featuring horses.  There are many wallpaper and border patterns featuring horses of all sizes and activity from galloping stallions to prancing foals but one of my favorites is a set of horse decals that can be affixed to any surface and are totally removable and changeable.  The picture featured below is of decals installed on a child's playroom window in Bethesda, MD and the five year old little girl applied the images herself.  How easy is that.

Enjoy what winter has to offer and dream of spring.

Animal Kingdom

It's that time of year for snow and ice

Wouldn't a ride on a horse be nice

A frozen tundra on Lake Erie

After a few weeks it makes one dreary

A roving coyote can spice up the white

But beware, he may choose to fight

A camera lens is a safe bet

To ensure his appetite you do not whet