Cats, Birds and Blueprints

The final wallpaper has been pasted.  And I'm proud to say some of it is original and unique to my house.  In 2010 I donated my collection of antique Japanese beckoning cats (Maneki Neko) to the Mingei Museum in San Diego.  There were about 200 cats--from an inch to about 3 feet tall--in materials from stone, wood, porcelain and clay to paper mache.  Along with a coffee table book, the museum produced many gift shop items to go with the show--including wrapping paper.  Several months ago I contacted the museum and asked about the artwork for the wrapping paper.  They generously gave it to me and--long story short--I had wallpaper made for a powder room.  I had them increase the proportions of the cats, and I'm happy with how it turned out.  It's definitely unique to me and probably won't appeal to the next homeowners.     Tap title to continue reading

I spent so much time with my architect, and loved pouring over the blueprints.  I still like comparing them to how the house and rooms turned out.  Not wanting to pack the plans away to never be seen again, I decided I'd wallpaper a room with them.  (Unless you specifically want original white on blue blueprints, they're done in black and white these days.) The laundry room seemed like a good choice--I'd get to enjoy them but they wouldn't be in a public room.  So I picked about a dozen of my favorite views and went back to the company who printed the cat wallpaper.  Voila!  

Another powder room I papered with a pattern I had in my Palo Alto powder room--a William Morris print - Bird and Anemone.  When I like something, I stick with it!  I ordered it soon after I decided to build, which was a good decision, because it was soon discontinued.  The vanity table is an antique that I also brought from my Palo Alto house. 

Wallpaper may not be as popular as it used to be, but my house style is traditional and I love the variety of patterns available and the ability to print your own.  I just wish I had more rooms to paper!  The wallpapered rooms seem so snug--for lack of a better word--compared with painted rooms.