The Long Arm of Coincidence

So I was just virulently assuring Sean that wallpaper was not an option for us renters, and then, upon browsing through Lonny, I discovered that I was completely and utterly wrong. *facepalm*

So now, here are the many, many ways you can make wallpaper work as a renter without losing your security deposit.

The first is rather difficult-sounding. Apparently, you're supposed to put down a grid of painter's tape, to protect the wall, and then on top of that, you lay down some double sided tape, and then you can apply traditional wallpaper.

The second is fairly similar to the first, but doesn't work in areas with steam and water (bathrooms and kitchens). You find yourself enough lightweight fabric, spray your walls with starch spray, and then affix. To remove, simply pull the fabric away, and wash your walls.

Third is Sherwin Williams' EasyChange. The patterns are hard to browse, and I haven't found anything I've liked yet, but it might be worth checking out. Their selection is absolutely huge.

Wall Flats from Inhabit (and also from DesignPublic). Wall Flats are sort of like embossed paper tiles that can be painted on, though not reused. I love that the Wall Flats are all white, but also add texture at the same time. How Bobo.

Chrysalis Wall Flats

Next up is InteriorInstyle. In addition to the usual decals and whatnot, they've also got a selection of removable wallpaper. Sort of like giant Post-It notes that can be stuck to your walls. Their selection is quite small, but they've got several color choices for each pattern, which is nice. Also, they are Australian.

Vogue Wallpaper

Here is my personal favorite, Tempaper. Again with the giant Post-It product, but I really like their selection. Love the middle print, which is Gio in silver. Though I've had a little trouble browsing their website, which might just be our internet.

Another Post-It note product from Casart. In addition to the faux headboard, they've got a lot of non-intrusive and wood-themed prints.

From the Casart Organics Line.

Finally, I'm not sure if Blik falls under this category, but their decals are removable, so what the heck. Looking through their products, everything seems just a little bit too artsy, like that t-shirt you bought from Threadless that looks really cool, but makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. It's a dead girl! Whose hair is the sky! Blik also has these cute little Mario-themed decals. I would never use them myself, but will urge everyone else I know to decorate like this.

Clouds are sheep! Being chased by a wolf made of rain! And birds!

Workshop Light Decal
I actually think this is really cool.

Prints yay!

This coming weekend I will be moving into my new place for reals, which is unfortunate timing, since this coming weekend happens to also be Lollapalooza, to which I have purchased a 3-day pass.

So not until the weekend after next will I be able to purchase things :( But here are some of the things I want, from this one print place in England.

Polaroid

Every Cloud

Oh Deer

Wow.

Futurama only finished downloading last night. It only took all of ... 2.5 days. In that time, I also finished sorting out (and deleting) the pictures of decor I didn't like. I believe this one is by Nate Berkus...

I'm not so fond of the rug, but I really like that the juxtaposition of the (more) simple sofa with the (more) ornate chairs. Also, that bus roll is really cool. There are some real ones for sale on etsy, but there's not much selection and they're really expensive. The fake ones are both more numerous and more affordable, so I may just go for one of those...

Mac users are ridiculously artsy

This one worked their computer monitor into their wall of prints... Also, is that a Parsons desk with a reupholstered IKEA desk chair?

Matched Mismatched Stuff

I think the juxtaposition of the wallpapers is pretty cool, what with them having (sort of) opposite color schemes.


And here I really like the matched lamps in blue and black.


The sofa cushions in this picture come in pairs of yellow/red and circular/square, but the pairings are reversed. Awesome.

Is that pepper in your pants?

Or are you happy to see me?

This is so cool - the salt dispenser (the little dude) wears the pepper dispenser (his pants). This is from Artful Goods, which has quite a selection of prints in the style of UO, but I think some of the coolest things they carry are the salt & pepper shakers...

Salt N' Pants, $10

Primary Shakers, $32

Shake Me, $28

It's Alice! With the house on her head! Truth be told, it's been so long since I've thought about that book that I probably wouldn't have recognized it without the rabbit.

Cheese Knife, $45

Anthrax Scarf, $35

Dots Slimwallet, $75

Designed by Ray and Charles Eames! This is really expensive for a wallet.

Look at this!

I absolutely adore everything there is to love about this picture...


The Eames Lounge Chair, the sheepskin rug, the combo of white/wood/black, and Russian stuff. I adore Russian stuff! And by that, I mean the idea of blood candy and Cheburashka. Unfortunately, the only Cheburashka posters I can find are not only pretty small but also Japanese.

Cheburashka mini poster

Wall hangings

How can you tell whether art is good? I think I'd be a lot more likely to use Zatista if there were some way I could definitely rule out the pedestrian stuff. Whatever. I like the following:

Rush

projections

Outlook

This may be incredibly pedestrian...

But, band posters! Gigposters has a huge collection, though even they had only one poster barely related to Neon Trees.

Something Corporate/The Academy Is...

Metro Station

Jack's Mannequin

+44

Gigposters also has a (significantly smaller) selection of art prints that are being sold by individuals. Some with odd names like "Whalebones - Who are we?" Freaking hipsters.

I was so wrong.

I used to tell people that my dream non-college, blue-collar job was to be a taxidermist, but umm, NO. The Evolution Store sells taxidemist products and other animal by-products, and just browsing through makes me want to vomit.

Rat, Cleared and Stained

Their entire store is full of stuff like this. They also have penis bones(?!) and sharks in jars. This is totally not my cup of tea, but if that's what you're into...

Dark Tricolor Brindle Cowhide

The nice thing about this store, versus IKEA is that IKEA just has a random selection of cowhides, but here you can specify the color and the texture.

The only safe categories to browse: rugs, decor, and posters. The posters are very similar to the old-school prints of flora and fauna that you can find in really old books, which is pretty freaking cool. If I can't find any old books to ravage, these are an already-matched solution.

I am aware...

That this is a little boy's room. But I do so love the matched airplane prints! I shall be sure to look through old bookstores for old encyclopedias, atlases, and transit books that I can mercilessly loot for matched prints.


Also, check out that bridge set. Little boys always get the best toys.

I want one!

How fantastic are these?

Snatch

Kurt Godel

Akira Kurosawa

From weirdchief on ebay.

Deconstruction

So, umm, I kind of love the look of the picture and the frame separately leaning against the wall. The rest of the look is a little too grunge-chic, and I'm a little too fond of the creature comforts of my possessions to give them up entirely.

I think what I'm going to do is take large art and lean it against the wall instead of hanging it up. Besides, anything that's reminiscent of this place can't be half bad.

IKEA has got several large, unframed prints for not too much money. Unfortunately, they're about as personalized as a brick, but nobody can afford custom prints that large.

IKEA Pjatteryd (30 3/4 X 46 1/2) $49.99

IKEA Pjatteryd (30 3/4 X 46 1/2) $49.99

IKEA Premiar (55 x 78 3/4) $149

All pictures here. My only issue with some of the large prints is, how in the world do you fit them in a car??

Quick picks

Uncommon Goods - They've got fantastic stuff under home decor, dining, and desktop. Didn't check out the other categories.

Some favorites:

• Dancing the Moose Away Clock
• Remote On/Off Switch - This I absolutely must get. I HATE getting out of bed to turn off the lights.
  
• Glass Water Faucet Sculpture
• Wine Barrel Side Table
• Mowbot - mowing robot statue
• Birds on Wire Prints - set of 3
  
• Reading Man Lamp
• Airswitch Beaker Lamp - you switch it on/off by passing your hand overhead
• Mona Lisa Clock - Mona Lisa smiles only at noon and midnight
• Airplane Lamp
• Chikuno Cube - Reusable airfreshener made of graphite
• Light Table

New-Old Stuff

One of my favorite parts about working at JS, other than the free soda/yogurt/meals/access to childhood heroes, was their collection of WWII posters. They (supposedly) possess a first edition of each US WWII poster ever printed (!!), and these posters were hung all around the office. The ones I saw the most were hung in the game room and had ominous captions like "Somebody Talked."

If drowning soldiers were staring at you accusingly from the walls, you'd suck at ping pong too.

These reproduction WPA posters are both less forboding and wildly less expensive (from Hickoree's).

What's he doing? I can't really tell.

The only thing I love more than the idea of commercial flying is possibly New York.
This combines the best of both worlds.

Boats! And tariffs! Yeah!!

Czech playwrights are simply the coolest.
(Apparently some people consider Tom Stoppard to be one. Um, no.)

Niche products

You know when you've arranged something, and it looks ... ok, but it's not perfect? Happens to me all the time. PicturePerfect solves that for all the OCD people who are just too lazy to get out a ruler or a bubble level bar.

But wait, even I'm not that lazy. And regardless of how small my apartment is, I'm going to keep a mini-fridge in my bedroom for yogurt and Mountain Dew because the kitchen is just too far. This is possibly useful if you're hanging 40 pictures together (like in the second photo), but on a smaller scale, a bubble level bar is way too cool to stop using. Also, I like the composition and arrangement of the first picture.

Why are whales so compelling?

It's not just me. Someone at UO thinks so too.

I have a long documented love affair with this first whale print. I first spotted in-store at the Soho UO sometime last summer, and instantly loved it. I didn't get it because of spatial constraints and because I was too lazy to haul a 20x34 frame home, so I bought some LP frames instead. The second time, it was at the MassAve UO, and I was again too lazy to carry it home, so I bought a whale ashtray instead. It will not escape me the third time.

Devil Whale

Control

And then of course, I have to buy some more LP frames (to replace the one that broke when it fell behind the bookcase) and to add to my collection. Unfortunately, the ones I've got are silver, and there's only black and white available online.

Cardboard Safari

Perhaps it's my poorly disguised fondness for the interior of the South Street Seaport Abercrombie, but I absolutely love these cardboard cutout animals (via Cardboard Safari: website and etsy). Unfortunately, they're all quite compelling, and I can't decide which one I want.

In addition to the above stag head, moose, bison, and rhino heads are also available.

Not to mention a complete, free-standing rhino.

And (wonder of all wonders!) an elephant head.

Something tells me that more than one cardboard animal per residence would be unreasonable, but the heart wants what the heart wants. Perhaps with enough skeepskin blankets and cowhide rugs, an effect could be achieved where one cardboard animal trophy per room would not be out of place.