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*Please note, we do not have the
Winnetka collection online, please
call 1-800-342-6113 or email for pricing.
Decorating With Wallpaper
By
Jaima Brown
(ARA) - True decorating distinction
lies in details -- little finishing
touches and unusual twists that make
a room entirely unique. To put your
personal mark of creativity in your
home, do what many professional interior
designers do: Head for the border.
Wallpaper borders are among the most
versatile of decorating tools. Furthermore,
they are affordable and easy to install.
Nearly any wall takes on a more finished
look with the addition of a border.
But to achieve real distinction, think
beyond merely adding a border along
the top of the wall. For new ideas,
look up and look down.
Consider, for example, placing a decorative
border on the ceiling itself, connecting
that often-ignored overhead expanse
to the walls. Decorators often refer
to the ceiling as "the fifth wall,"
another palette on which to apply
their art. By surrounding a room,
at the ceiling, with a continuous,
unobstructed border, you create a
"tray" effect that visually holds
the room together.
Nowhere is this technique more useful
than in the kitchen. Kitchens typically
contain permanent appliances and cabinets
that separate wall space. By installing
this elegant leopard print border
above the crown molding, the overall
space has been unified while also
giving the room greater depth and
height.
The border also provides a visual
transition between the kitchen and
the living room beyond it. Both the
leopard border and the banana leaf
wallpaper are from the Winnetka collection
from S. A. Maxwell Co. Like all Maxwell
collections, Winnetka is arranged
in groups according to color. This
assures easy coordination among patterns
within the same room and from one
room to another. All design groups
in collections by S.A. Maxwell contain
several borders in different widths.
Double-bordering more than doubles
your creativity. By combining two
borders from the Winnetka collection,
we created a truly custom border in
the living room. The four-inch leopard
border, placed along the outside perimeter
of the ceiling, is the "anchor." Banana
leaves on the die-cut border repeat
the theme of the wallpaper pattern,
while their sculptured, outlined edges
reach into the room.
Die-cut borders provide sculptured-edge
detailing that was once only achieved
by tedious hand-trimming around a
pattern. To install a double custom
border, combine the two patterns on
a table, positioning them exactly
the way you want them to overlap and
join. Measure their combined width.
Beginning at the point where the ceiling
meets the wall, make a light pencil
mark on the ceiling to show how far
your custom double border will extend
onto the ceiling. Install the straight
border first, then overlap it with
the sculptured design. This idea works
equally well along the bottom of walls,
at chair rail height, or wherever
else you want to surprise the eye
with something special.
Double borders don't have to be joined
together to give a room a lift. In
a guest room, we ran two different,
sculptured ivy patterns parallel to
each other, 20 inches apart. Both
are from S.A. Maxwell's Wicker Park
collection. The large basket and ivy
border runs just beneath the crown
molding at the ceiling, and the diminutive
die-cut ivy border "underlines" it
20 inches below. Even more layering
is possible. You might add a vertical
stripe wallpaper between the two borders
and even place the coordinating ivy
trail wallpaper from the same collection
under all these layers.
Now you're on a roll. So why not use
your border leftovers to decorate
a hat box or a group of shoe boxes
and make the inside of your guest
room closet as appealing -- and unique
-- as the room you've created?
For more border ideas, locate a retailer
near you that carries coordinated
wallpaper and border collections from
S.A. Maxwell Co. by calling (847)
932-3700 or visiting www.samaxwell.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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