The “Oriental Scenic” wallpaper below  features temples, lotus flowers and Chinese lanterns.  This is a subtle luxurious pattern that is perfect for  high end  foyers, dining rooms  or guest powder rooms. The silk texture on top makes it look almost like a fabric on the wall. An easy pattern to live with yet reflects immense style. This type of design is almost becoming a staple with interior designers today.

These wallpaper designs are perfect patterns for all types of interiors . I love this bedroom as it reflects a calm yet decorative environment.

Even Oscar Wilde loved chinoiserie as Zoella states below:

“This style of interior was fashionable in the 1890s, Oscar Wilde was a prominent figure in the promotion of Victorian chinoiserie. He was famously ducked in a pond (forgive the pun) because his rooms at university were too opulent and fanciful!”

Chinoiserie  used in interiors today can be opulent but also  have a clean crisp look to them like this bathroom.

The designer for one of  The Apprentice TV show series featured our Oriental Scenic wallpaper design  in black and tan in the foyer of the suites where  the contestants resided during the competition. Very dramatic!

Other unique interiors feature chinoiserie screens, often used as art, a backdrop to an interior or as a dividing panel between two rooms. Still, the affect creates a stunning focal point in an interior.

And if you need more pattern, try repeating it so the room has an overall uniform design statement.  Why not be enveloped with pattern and color like  in  designers Lee Radziwill’s Paris apartment.   Surrounding yourself with a Chinoiserie pattern is cozy!

This is a perfect example of a chinoiserie design as it has that oriental flare while  featuring  the animal motifs and flowers.

So  be bold and bring a little chinoiserie style into your life!

Images via: homewallcoverings.com;jaimabrownhome.com;pointclick.com;annecoyleinteriors.com;polyvore.com;gaitainteriors.com;Chinoiseriechic.blogspot.com

I personally love these patterns as they can be warm and inviting but also  offer something  of a story line to walls, furniture and accessories. I collect antique fabrics for design inspirations and the vintage fabric sample above came from England. It is almost like a quilt but of course is printed and not embroidered. The Jacobean design has come a long way in history and is now back on the scene in home  decor.

The Doctor bag was created with a designer fabric and of course, is the tree of life pattern.  As pattern infiltrates design at all levels this year, we see fun filled retro  items  like the alarm clock being re-interpreted with this classic pattern but is new and fresh adding in a little pizazz into our home. Of course, ginger jars are all the rage for patios and indoor decors and are often found with the tree of life pattern gracing them.

As wallpaper falls back into favor with interior designers and consumers, we brought out a new pattern “JACQUES”  from the new Aja Collection by Jaima Brown Home.  Use these patterns in powder rooms, dining rooms and even bedrooms.  Its easy to create a focal point  by  wallpapering one wall making it a stunning backdrop for any interior.   It really looks  fantastic on a wall!

The other beautiful thing about  this type of pattern is that you can use it multicolored like above or go with a silhouette feel giving this traditional pattern a more modern affect for the home. Whether its bedding, accessories, furniture or home fashion you can find the tree of life pattern thriving.

Bathrooms suddenly feel fresh and modern when wallpapered with our Jacques wallpaper.

So wether your style is modern or traditional this pattern is definitely universal.  The white antique tub in this master bath looks great with the updated classic silhouette Jacobean  wallpaper …….two classics together creating fabulously fresh new decor looks.

Until tomorrow…..Happy wallpapering!

Cheers. Jaima

Images via: jaimabrownhome, lilypulitzer.com;colefaxandfowler.com;Kennet alarm clock by Wild & Wolf;marigold-home.com;wshome.com

Instead of using gimmicky or party themed decorations, create an elegant
event by mixing elements from your home fashion.  Use fabric from your
draperies or chairs to make a custom tablecloth, or use a plain table cloth
and dress it up with a complementary wallpaper border that coordinates with
the room like we did here for this wedding shower.

Use left over wallpaper to decorate a  folding screen to place photos, place cards or gift cards. Incorporate  your  dining room color theme by designing a custom cake to match your decor. You can also incorporate your colors and style into your invitations and thank you cards so there is one unique  theme to the entire event. Create custom gift bags for your guests to hold their party favors so they will have a keepsake to remember the special occasion.  I love the canopy affect from the yellow stripe wallpaper on the ceiling.  Very effective  as it gives a tent effect but  it makes a statement all year round!

With the economy the way it is, there is a trend towards celebrating anniversaries, showers and weddings at  private homes, this can be more economical while also making the special day a more personal event.  Just remember, when you start to design and create your party, start with your interior style and colors  as a guide. This way, your main room for the event will  flow with your home environment and be cohesive with the  party style.  Doing this creates a more personal event as well as making a stamp on your style.

So create a  personalized stylish setting at home and leave your guests talking about your event for months to come.

Have fun and celebrate! Jaima

Images: S.A. Maxwell Co. Kenilworth Collection.

Toile, is a French word meaning “linen cloth” or  “canvas”  and has been in the English lanquage since the 16th Century. It does have many meanings but I want to discuss Toile de Jouy, which originated in France around the late 1700’s. Of course, in the French lanquage it literally means “cloth from Jouy-en-Josas”, a town in northern France. In this town, there was a factory owned by a famous french textile entrepreneur Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf who was known for producing  beautiful linen cloths known as “Toile de Jouy”.

Toile’s were pen and ink drawings printed on a white or off white canvas  usually depicting  pastoral scenes,  couples picnicking by the lake or of floral bouquets.

Oberkampf was famous for printing monochromatic Toiles in red, blue or black on a cream background.  Royalty, such as Marie Antoinette  helped popularize Toiles in society. She loved Toile images of the French countryside reflecting daily life ,work and leisure as well as  hunting scenes. It was around 1783 when King Louis XVI proclaimed that the factory in Toile de Josas was to be the official manufacturer of Toiles for royal families. Once royalty popularized Toiles, the craze filtered down to all levels of society.

Independence Day from Parasol Collection 7766-556

Toile designs  have been around for years but started to become popular around the year 2000.  Toile fabric was mainly used for interior decoration  but  by  the 1970’s Toile was starting to be used in apparel  and  more into other home decor products.  Today, a wide range of  products from fashion to home accessories can be found  with Toile designs.

Toile is a  fabulously versatile design style that is often designed into  living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, powder rooms and even children decor; it is  classic and timeless.

Kentucky from Retreat Collection

Independence Day from Parasol Collection

Even kitchens can be uplifted and modernized with a Toile wallpaper.

Bedrooms of course, are a natural and one of my favorite rooms for using this style.

Avignon from Chanicleer Collection

So  Joie de Vivre….or shall I say Toile de Vivre!

Keep decorating! Jaima

Images: www.jaimabrownhome.com;nextag.com;poshliving.com;armani.com;horchow.com;alices-adventuresinwonderland.blogspot.com

Consider doing something extraordinary that will stand out from typical weddings…use pattern.

Find a fabric or design you love and incorporate it into your invitations,  gift table, thank you cards and favors.   Drape the tent  or table tops with the same themed fabric and add a touch of  your
gown pattern to make it truly unique.   Here we chose a beautiful designer floral fabric and mixed it with a co-ordinate sage green lattice to finish off the tent. Dress up your table top by laying a border across the center of your table to give it individual flare.

Roses, hydrangeas, lilies, freesias and a few other various flowers filled the silver center pieces, all color coordinated to go with the designer floral tablecloth.  As the wedding was outside by a lake, it was important to create an atmosphere that made it feel like you were inside an interior designed room  with a beautiful water view. We added lots of greenery around the top of  the tent, chandeliers and table lamps with shades for dramatic  lighting, all this added to creating an elegant  atmosphere.

Each guest was lucky enough to receive a custom made tote bag,  various patterns were used and were made in the  same fabric as the table clothes. The tote was filled with local goodies and snacks  as well, each guest had a mini vase of roses wrapped with our signature printed wedding ribbon.  I think every room should have flowers so to feel at home  immediately when one arrives at the  hotel.   A  custom guest book was created by mixing various wallpaper patterns and the fabrics as well as  the sage ribbon also used on the invitation and program and  other momento’s included  throughout the pages of the book made  it a real keepsake of the entire event.

Another great idea is to make a CD of your favorite music. We labeled it in the floral pattern and wrapped each with floral wallpaper  and a signature printed ribbon, then  placed one at each persons place setting. A practical and simple gift which every one loved along with the tote bags.  For the children, clear bags  made up with shredded lime  wallpaper, a small lattice  paper  was used for the backdrop of the bag and then  fill them with candy,  tie each one  with a  bow and voila…..a lovey candy bag that is fun for the kids but also flows with the theme of the wedding.

After the wedding ceremony, hand made cones made out of  a  lattice print wallpaper and sealed with a sheer ribbon were filled with rose petals for guests to throw at the bride and groom. Very Eco friendly!  We decided to have a boat cruize for our rehearsal with a Dixie Land Band.  To keep the festivities alive, we made hats with borders on them for guests to wear which carried the floral theme through the weekend as they were placed  on the gift table to give it some interest with the custom wallpapered money/envelope box.

Every detail is important so when you select a theme and  carry it through the entire event a   beautiful story  is told at the end of  the special day. I hope some of you can use these  ideas and make your day special like mine was!  Jaima

Images via: Jaima Brown

And to follow a bedroom……

How about a kitchen to go……..Definitely  an unusual, fun and whimsical  way to showcase  their latest wallpapers.

While fascinated by the entire Airstream “small house” decor idea,  I discovered something very interesting, The Grand Daddy Hotel in Cape Town who features works from local artists and designers for their Airstream Penthouse creations. From the words of  The Grand Daddy Hotel: “A gleaming fleet of seven iconic American Airstream trailers have packed up their corndogs and tucked away their picnic blankets to roost on the rooftop of The Grand Daddy Hotel. Here, the quintessential African skies and the alluring outline of Cape Town’s Table Mountain are reflected in the polished aluminum of the American Dream.

Peek inside – there’s more! Each of the seven trailers has been handed over to some incredibly creative Capetonian soul to find new life through playful, eccentric and dazzling décor interpretations of how life in an Airstream can be.”

Many are wallpapered and interior designed with outdoor gardens and even a mail box so you feel truly at home in America. Have a look at some of these wonderfully fun interior suites. Here are a few quick looks…..

The Love of Lace by Tracy Lynch.

Goldilocks and the 3 Bears by Mark and Joe Stead

Dorothy by Sarah Pratt

Pleasantville by Liam Mooney

I  even love the gardens outside.  Each one is very different on the roof top of  Hotel.

This is certainly different  penthouse living.  How fun to stay and experience these unique and unusual design spaces. I love the entire creative project. Enjoy the view!

Images via:decormaison.se/eng/dm_eng.htm;granddaddy.co.za/hotel_airstream.php

She is really brave but as they say, greet your fear and you will overcome it! I think this may be true. There are a few other great photographs of her featuring a real  snakeskin necklace. Her bravery continues!

The greatest looks range from handbags to our high heeled shoes we women love but not necessarily love to wear. From belts to boots, you can find lizard skins in a wide range of offerings.

But what about the environment and the snakes?  We need to protect them and the ecosystem they live in.  To be honest, I never really thought about it until one gets educated about the facts. The truth is, mankind now  makes fabulous faux products and snakeskin is one of them.

I know  of  several fantastic looking faux snakeskin and crocodile skin synthetic materials and often  they  just like the real thing. Sometimes even better.

Betsey Johnson Faux Snakeskin Dress

A wall covered in a faux crocodile or snakeskin wallpaper definitely exudes a luxury look while being eco  and animal  friendly.

So get wild  and bring a little exotic flare into your home and your waredrobe with faux snakeskin and  please remember  you can be stylish while  protecting the wildlife and the ecosystem at the same time.

Thanks! Jaima

Images:fashiongoneroque.com;Vogue Paris February 2010 | Vogue-à-Porter by Inez & Vinoodh;wallpaperstogo.com;telegraph.co.uk

Our simple yet sophisticated  Augustine  wheat wallpaper design featured in nickel is the
perfect focal point for a powder or guest bath. Add to the mix the nations best selling nickel hardware accents and a  vintage  silver side table  and  automatically  a room is created  that exudes elegance with updated shine.

Augustine Wallpaper

No longer does this  metallic finish stand last but first, especially when mixed with so many high end furnishings.  Silver has been popular for a while but now,  more then ever  celebrities like Beyonce, who share the love of bling in accessories and in home decor furnishings are flaunting the look….and doing is sportingly!

“Imperial Tile” wallpaper                                                        Beyonce

Nickel, silver or pewter, no matter what you name it, the  finish still originates from  silver metallic base but is now updated and aged and is even  influencing the home color palette as gray is slowly infiltrating into home decor for  upcoming seasons.

Designer Steven Gambrel

Even in this fashionable Hampton retreat, silver gray is integrated  into designer Steven Gambrel’s clients weekend retreat creating a stunning  living room with an elegant yet modern atmosphere.

So go for the nickel and get more for your look!

Images via:

jaimabrownhome;pointclickhome.com;www.jegem.com;www.edressme.com;homewallcovderings.com

residences nationwide. Designers show a penchant for Asian design; it is in sync with our quest to simplify our surroundings and  integrates a sense of calmness into our busy lives while helping to minimize  every day  clutter.

Lucky Bamboo 7766-542

The bamboo motif is exploding in popularity.  Very organic, abundant in growth and offers incredible strength and durability for certain home furnishing products . You can find bamboo artwork, wallpaper, bedding, furniture, bath & beauty products,  fashion, and of course plants…you name it  and there is a  bamboo version out there.

Celerie Kemble Interiors

Bamboo is an intrinsically classic pattern that can work with just about any design style.  It is natural without being floral, it’s stylized and more graphic without being considered too geometric and  has a gender friendly appeal. The real beauty of bamboo is its versatility for it can be elaborate, incorporated into an entire Asian influenced room or used more subtlety as an accent or backdrop to  contemporary or traditional décor.

"Bamboozled " wallpaper 7745-313

The association between harmony and Asian influenced styles is at the heart
of Eastern design which often makes certain patterns, like  Bamboo, timeless.

Bali Wallpaper in Sky 7766-542

This is a perfect example of less is more as many of the themes such as the tree of life, lotus blossoms, bamboo and caning are elegant yet simple. These types of wallpaper and fabric patterns are  great compromises to keeping harmony in the home when spouses object to floral or more feminine motifs.  Now that’s what I call keeping  peace at home! Enjoy.

Images via:jaimabrownhome.com;kembleinteriors.com;homewallcoverings.com

Teal is a color that has many hues and is often associated with Tiffany & Co. and its famous little blue box.  Today’s bride is seeking less traditional colors and targeting on more festive colors to help capture their special day.

In the late 90’s Mars Candies introduced the teal m&m, this unique color continues to grow in popularity and is gaining fashion ability on the home décor circuit; this blue/green color evokes tranquility, trust, spirituality and healing.

Teal works it magic best when paired with browns, deeper yellows, gray, lime or purple.  Create you own special haven or perhaps mix it with peach, coral or pink and set a warmer more tropic atmosphere. In this modern interior,  the organic wallpaper Augustine,  from the new Aja Collection from Jaima Brown Home, offers  a rich teal background with a silver organic leaf  on top, keeping the mood serene and stylish.

Jaima Brown Home wallpaper Augustine 7733-269

It’s a color that can flow from room to room throughout a house while still  offering fresh nuances in each room.

Just as Kiki Titterud writes  about teal and green in her Trend Tuesday blog suggests “Going forward blues will emerge as the dominant color family in home décor trends. Turquoise and Teal will continue to motivate design.”

So put a little teal into your life and be “Tealrific”!

Imagesvia:sensationalcolor.com;jaimabrown.com;jimcouture.com;glamourousgowns.co.uk