More wall decals from my pals at Etsy

Badass Custom Decals has a shop in Etsy too, and I like that they have a bit of an edge. These guys started designing custom decals for their sport bikes and it shows.

I'm hearing a lot stories from clients and potential clients that they are scaling back their renovation plans until the dust settles from the economic meltdown we're mired in. Simple and fast changes like these decals are a great way to make a change to your home without having to take out an equity line. Every one of Badass's decals is made to order and they welcome requests for custom work.

Think about it and take a look at these babies. I think I'm in love.

Sorry. I couldn't help myself when I saw this one.

Wall decals on Etsy

The chattering class is already writing the obituaries for wall decals, but I think it's a lot of hot air. Wall decals are still on the edge in most parts of the country and aside from that, peel-and-stick decals are an easy way to give a room a face lift. I can't help but mention that in times such as these, they are an affordable way to give any vertical surface a face lift.  Check out what this bed looks like with addition of a $55 wall decal.

Astounding!

The wall decals I'm showing here are from Shanickers, and they're sold through a store on the great website Etsy. These decals are made to order and they are customizable. Check it out!

Wallpaper from Duro

My niece got married over the weekend and man-oh-man was it an event. As a bonus, I got to spend a long weekend hanging out with my parents, siblings and their families. I'm having a hard time getting back into the swing of things work-wise and blog-wise, so bear with me if my postings are missing their usual intellectual rigor. Hah! Yeah, right.

So as is usually the case when I'm grappling with some I-don't want-to-be-here-yet writer's block, I'm going to run some photo-heavy postings on wall paper for the next day or so.

I'm going to make a prediction. Wall paper is going to continue its march down market and mainstream. Look for more pattern and color-rich offerings on the consumer level. These are from Duro, a Swedish purveyor of wall coverings. Duro has some pretty neat new patterns and as befits a Swedish company, there's a Scandinavian restraint to them that's pretty striking.

European Kitchen Design

I added another blog to my blogroll the other day after hearing from the man responsible for it, Amir Ilin. Ilin maintains what's easily the most exhaustive resource for European and international kitchen design and cabinetry on the internet. Ilin is a kitchen designer based in metro New York and his company, Kuche+Cucina, has two showrooms, one in Paramus, NJ and the other in Madison, NJ.

Kuche+Cucina has been in business for two decades, during which they have designed and installed some three thousand kitchens. When I stop to consider that I do between 25 and 30 a year, their number staggers my mind.

Amir's blog, european-kitchen-design.com, goes light years beyond the products and brands he sells directly and instead concentrates on what's available. It's interesting. When I think of European cabinetry, I think in terms of the slick minimalism that I love so much. But European and international offerings aren't limited to the shots from his website I have on this page. I mean, check out this beauty from Les Rustiques sur Mesure. If you like all things Provencal, why not go to the source?

Spend some time with Amir and learn about what's possible.

Sarah Susanka speaks

In case you missed it on Thursday, the great Sarah Susanka left a comment under my posting for the day. Now, I'm not one who's usually prone to idol worship or star struck-ness, but man! To say that made my day is an understatement. Thank you Sarah!

Her comment was in response to my post about the upcoming release of her new book, Not So Big Remodeling. And once more for good measure, here's how you can pre-order a copy for yourself.

Is that too naked a plug? If so I'm sorry. But this woman has tremendous things to say and if I can do something to spread the word than I'm happy to.

Here's what she had to say on Thursday:

Dear Paul,

Thanks so much for your enthusiastic support of my books and of the "not so big" sensibility. When I began writing this series just over ten years ago, little did I know that they would influence so many. 

The really exciting part about this next book, Not So Big Remodeling, is that it offers people who are not trained in architecture or design a way of thinking about the remodeling process which I've never encountered in print before. It teaches them what architects and designers know to do--start by considering the simplest and least invasive strategies first and work up from there. My co-author, Marc Vassallo, and I have attempted to take the reader through a step by step approach to the remodeling process in a truly not so big way.

It is our hope that this book will serve homeowners, architects, designers, and remodelers alike to improve the quality and character of our existing housing stock, which as we point out, is one of the greenest acts you can take. 

It's easy to make a new house sustainable, but rehabilitating our existing homes and allowing them to continue to age gracefully is a bigger challenge. That's what this book is all about. 

All the best,
Sarah Susanka

Amen sister, I can't wait 'til my copy shows up in February.