I never thought I would say this, but thanks to designers like Susie Mendive of SUM I am actually ecstatic wallpaper has made such a solid comeback. This is gen-u-ine excitement. My parents coated our home with wallpaper in the early 80’s, and it wasn’t pretty. It was so bad I remember as a little girl trying to peel it off to hint to my parents that they needed to do something with the walls. Now, times are different and I want to paper my walls myself!

Wallpaper actually gets me all riled up so I apologize in advice for my lengthy list of questions with Susie Mendive. Enjoy!

I know a bit about your background…a graphic designer with a graduate degree from North Carolina then to LA then to NY as art director with stila cosmetics…but I think there are some holes, especially in how you transitioned from branding cosmetics to designing modern wallpaper. Tell us more! How did SUM come together?

It happened very organically. I very much wanted to design and produce my own product and call all the shots. It just made sense at that point in my career. There is a lot of hard work involved and it can be consuming but I like taking it one step at the time.

Tell us about the name, SUM. How did you come up with this?

My husband and I were in Tokyo and it just hit me, Su is from Susie and M from Mendive but more than that it was the idea of a total home concept…SUM of all parts. A total approach to design and living.

The female silhouettes of your Floral Femme Fatale prints are an amazing graphic. They have a significant presence let alone bring movement, style, femininity, character and a sense of a couture-ness to a room. I would guess that your time with stila cosmetics may have carried over into the inspiration for these designs, is this right or was it something else?

Yes, that’s right. The silhouettes are something I started with at stila. They have a very universal quality and allow you to project your own thoughts on to them. I am always more intrigued by what is left out of an image or illustration.

Many of the modern wallpapers we see are meant to be an explosive replacement for traditional wall art which I find very refreshing and exciting, but also a bit of a challenge! I love the colors and graphics of the Vespertine Wallpaper in Twilight but am not sure I could pull it off in my space (maybe the black option would be better for me). What tips do you have for creating a harmonizing space when using bold/graphic wallpapers?

It isn’t as difficult as it might seem. I think Vespertine Twilight would be great in a powder room, kids room or a small kitchen. It uses bold colors but you can paper a single wall if you are unsure and pick an accent color from the pattern for rest of the room. Items like lampshades or rugs will help unify the scheme and wood and chrome or bronze elements will add a little luxe to the mix. I try to stay away from a too done, matchy matchy look or it seems like a set rather than a lived in space.

Was it a challenge to create a line of wallpapers that are made in the USA, constructed of recyclable paper and hand screen printed with water-based, non varsol inks? I can’t begin to image how long your screen printing stations must be!

Too long for a Manhattan Apartment! I actually use a company out in California who share the same values as I do about the environment. They have been hand screening wallpaper for over 20 years and converted to water based inks about 5 years ago. We try our best to maintain the highest quality product and still be kind to mother nature.

I always appreciate getting a glimpse into a designer’s work space and adore the photos of your loft on hgtv. Any difficulties to living/working in the same space?

I don’t actually live in that apartment anymore but still do the live/work thing. For me work and life are not separate. Living is by design. I have an enormous bedroom now (with a door this time!) and carved out two spaces with a beautiful, white modular folding screen. I then built in a storage/desk unit and of course wallpapered the space in Underwater Bamboo Pink. The whole color scheme came from the wallpaper so its silver and soft pink. It got a little too girly so I peppered it with earthy accents of walnut wood. The whole space feels very glamorous but warm and grounded…what’s more inspiring than that.

If you could paper someone’s walls, whose would you choose and which design might you use?

Frida Khalo
Diane von Furstenberg
Bjork
an Obama White House

…all custom designs of course!

I crave an opportunity to experiment with wallpaper, but I also fear it because: 1.) Of the expansive range of possibilities 2.) It is wallpaper and I don’t trust myself to be able to successfully apply it to my walls. But, I want to try so badly! What do you suggest for someone who is venturing into this arena for the first time…especially if the possibilities are as customizable as your wallpapers?

I think all the options available actually make it easier to find something that will work with your existing decor or serve as a jumping off point for a revamp. I understand the fear of installing yourself, many of my clients feel similarly. Wallpaper is really not that hard to put up and there are so many DIY sites out there with step by step instructions… in the end there is very little guesswork. I hung my very first Femme Fatale strike offs so I could learn how to do it and see how the paper performed, not the easiest, but definitely not hard. Having said that, if you are still hesitant, hire a painter or wallpaper installer. Many professional painters have experience hanging papers and the necessary tools in their arsenal. The most important thing is to be bold and experiment! Most of my clients are like you, saw it in a magazine and wanted to try it for themselves. All of them have been thrilled with the results. And remember nothing in this life is permanent!

How do you get out of a creative rut? What most inspires you?

Travel, travel, travel. It is the single most inspiring thing I can do. Floral Femme came together after a trip to Shanghai, Animalia after spending time in Holland. Places seep into me and become creative output.

What is next for SUM?

More wallpapers! I have one in the design stages that looks like painted canvas on the wall and another that is very male. I don’t see a lot out there for the boys so I thought it the perfect thing to design. SUM is now available in Utrecht, the Netherlands at Springers Wonen, in Malmo, Sweden at Tapetorama and we are looking to expand further in Europe and of course stateside. We are also moving into Fabrics and are looking to add other designers under our moniker… more parts to SUM total.

Thanks, Susie!

View all of Susie Mendive’s SUM wallpaper collection on DP.

Photograph: Alain Levitt
Makeup: Melissa Silver

• Cliff Spencer is a furniture maker. His website says so. He specialises in highest quality modern and traditional cabinetry, custom furniture, green materials, finishing & refinishing. But Cliff isn't a furniture maker. He's an artist. Wood comes alive under his hands. As the website says, "When the morning sun hits the swirling grain of the wood in one of our pieces in just the right way, you’ll see a different angle, a shape, a curve you hadn’t noticed before. It’s old world craftsmanship in modern times, using only the finest joinery, built to last for generations." Live simply with beautiful artisan pieces.




• Kim and I have been waiting for some time to introduce you to Manvi Drona-Hidalgo and her blog Mochatini. Emails back and forth and now she feels she's ready ;) "With Mochatini, I hope to share with you things that inspire me, that I am passionate about, some upcoming artists, timeless classics with modern twists, my attempts at design and other musings." Manvi is a busy woman. She also blogs for 2Modern’s Design Talk and Vogue India. Click on over and say hi! Oh and check out all the eye candy.

photograph: Annick Geenen

What do you think this is? It's crusted with Swarovski crystals. Perhaps jewellery? A hair clip? A pendant? A brooch? No it's jewellery for your home.


Yes, a crystal encrusted mural you can apply to a wall a column, a head board. Anywhere. The Saturday Décor designs and produces a unique line of home décor products — including window and wall décor, jewellery, lighting, and pendants. Duco Phangsoa emailed to introduce this concept. It's unlike anything I've ever seen. OTT definitely but just right for your own personal palace!

The style files shares a way to make a beautiful, personalized gift: supply a poem to Shapeways and they’ll create a customized LED light poem. Gorgeous. (Via Casa Sugar.)

Here’s a cool before-and-after DIY project to liven up a very challenging, long hallway at Apartment Therapy.

Check out this fantastic tiny shoe advent calendar found by Casa Sugar.

Who knew there were so many cool things you could make with a grocery store plastic bag (including a raincoat)? Craftzine did.

A reader email at Decorno is stirring up some controversy — is it true?

See some kooky and cool Christmas Tree alternatives at Moco Loco.

Not everyone loves squirrels, especially when they dig up the flower pots. Here are some tips on discouraging squirrel digging from About.com: Gardening.

Here’s a colorful — and cheap! — shower curtain find at elements of style.

Whorange wants you to get felt up! Sort of. (She saves a really cool DIY felt wall mural for last.)

For years now, we've read about internet entrepreneurs, young Wall Street tycoons, and the like who have set out to become serious art collectors, and the high prices that this art (usually Contemporary) commands just proves what a hot market it is. But what about decorative arts collectors? How many young or middle-aged people do you know who collect porcelain, silver, or antique furniture? I'm not really talking about someone who dabbles in a few objects here and there. I mean those people who have a serious and abiding passion for a particular field of collecting.

I think this is one reason why I so admire the late Philip Shutze, the dean of Atlanta architecture. Shutze's architecture, rooted in the Beaux Arts tradition, has an elegance that is both classic and erudite. But did you know that he was also a passionate collector of 18th and 19th century decorative arts? Shutze had a marvelous collection that ranged from Meissen porcelain to Chinese Export. In fact, he purchased many of his pieces from Northeast dealers who also supplied Henry Francis du Pont with much of his collection.

What struck me was not just the breadth of his collection, but the way in which he displayed it. Living in a small apartment on Peachtree St. in Atlanta, Shutze's home was chock full of antiques, objects and books. The man actually lived with and used these precious objects. One look at the photographs and you can tell that this was someone who was a passionate and curious collector. It's evident that an interesting person lived there- someone you might like to know.

Shutze once wrote "It may well be that another generation will see collecting, as we have known it, by the individual come to a grinding halt." Shutze believed this might be due to economic reasons, but I believe it also has to do with the fact that collecting decorative arts is just not sexy. But Shutze did go on to say that "it is the duty of the present generation to preserve what we have of value for the level of taste has sunk to an unprecedented state and our production is blue denim and ersatz." To think that this was written in 1973-74! Now, I'm not going give up my dark blue denim nor some of the pastiche that I have in my home, but Mr. Shutze has inspired me to become a serious collector too. But before I pull my money from under my mattress, I think I'll do my homework first!


A view of Shutze's Dining Room.


The other end of his Dining Room with his "Mandarin" and "Fitzhugh" Chinese Export porcelain displayed on a sideboard.


The living room with a Shutze "tablescape".


Shutze's kitchen and his collection of blue and white Chinese Export which he used on a daily basis.

Image at top: Philip Shutze

In Regency Redux: High Style Interiors: Napoleonic, Classical Moderne, and Hollywood Regency, author Emily Eerdmans mentions an anecdote in which couturier to the stars Adrian commissioned Tony Duquette to design his Beverly Hills dress salon. And the directive that Adrian gave Duquette was really quite simple- "Amaze me". How fabulous is that? I'm sure that for many of you designers, these two little words uttered by a client might be like manna from heaven. It's a directive that gives the designer license to pull out all of the stops and unleash the full force of one's creativity. But I suppose it's also a command that is fraught with uncertainty and that just might provoke stage freight.

I've been thinking about this story for a few weeks now because I would love to tell certain people "Amaze me"- my shoe salesperson at Neiman Marcus, my general contractor, and my hair stylist, for example (and all three are pretty fantastic so I feel confident that they could do so.) But in terms of design, sometimes you see an interior and you can just tell that the designer felt compelled to give the client something ultra special and well, amazing. I wonder if this might have been the case in the following interiors (and a garden too).


The Paris apartment of Charles de Beistegui, c. 1933. Designed by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, the apartment featured this stunning cement staircase painted blue and white. Note too the crystal rail.


The entrance hall at Sa Torre Cega, Cala Ratjada, Mallorca, Spain. Carlos Ortiz-Cabrera of Maison Jansen was responsible for the Pop Art looking, trompe l'oeil painted floor in the foyer.



The Madrid bathroom of the Duchess of Alba, designed by Armand Rateau, c. 1925. The bath was carved from a single piece of white marble, and the walls were covered in gold lacquer with pastoral type scenes.


Landscape design can be used to amaze too, as seen here in the park of Mimi Pecci-Blunt's Paris home, c. 1926.

Images at top: The ultra chic, ultra glam studio of Adrian, designed by Tony Duquette

My stair

When we were looking for houses in Sacramento, we fell in love with a neighborhood called Curtis Park. The houses date from the turn of the century and most were completed before the 1940's. We bought our first house in this neighborhood, and started our family there. When it came time to find a larger house, we couldn't bear to leave the neighborhood. So we patiently waited. We contemplated adding a second story to our existing house, but didn't think it would pencil out. So we waited some more. Through a total fluke, we found this house....our new-old house. And one of the things that sold us was this staircase. Every day I climb these stairs and think how fortunate am I to get to see them everyday. The craftsman detailing runs throughout the house, but it is the staircase that really shows it off.

The staircase provides such an opportunity to showcase interesting detailing, and can be such an important feature in a home. I have gathered a few that have been collecting in my "idea files" to show you exactly what I mean.

House and Garden November 2005, Photo by Simon Watson

One might think at first glance that this stair is in an old English Tudor home in England. But It is actually in East Hampton Long Island. Elizabeth Brockman converted a Playhouse built in 1916, empty for a decade, into one of the most wonderfully "authentic" Tudors I have seen. With her keen eye for detail, she has collected architectural details to refurbish the home, one of which is this amazing spiral staircase. She happened upon it as it was being unloaded onto a pier. Another serendipitous moment.

House and Garden October 2007, Photo by Simon Watson

This Staircase is in the Galatasaray, Istanbul home belonging to Furniture and Interior Designers, Asli Tunca and husband Carl Vercauteren. Small wonder that they would create such a breathtaking space.

House and Garden March 2004, Photo by Thomas Loof

The simple white walls create the perfect backdrop for this striking modern stair created by Architect Lee Skolnick and Decorator Sharon Simonaire for a vacation home in the Hamptons. The wood railing looks like it is being supported by an iron Jacob's Ladder.

House and Garden September 2006, Photo by Francois Dishinger

This amazing lattice staircase is owned by Phillips Hathaway and graces the front hall of his shop/home (yes, both!), Ragamont House Antiques in Salisbury, Connecticut. Everything in the home is for sale. It might be a bit difficult to let some of these treasures go!

In Style October 2008, Photo byFrancois Halard

If you haven't seen the home of Christian Louboutin in the September issue of In Style magazine, then you are missing something special. There are pictures of the whole amazing French chateau. But since I am discussing stairs, I thought you might like a little glimpse of his front hall. He has lived in the home with business partner Bruno Chamberlain for 20 years. The Estate has been in and out of the Chamberlain family since the Middle Ages. Really a story that you should go out of your way to read.

Elle Decor April 2006, Photo by Simon Upton

American furniture designer Todd Hase and his wife Amy have created a bit of a furniture empire. And to enjoy the fruits of their labor, they acquired a chateau in the French countryside. I love the seemingly simple stair railing, a painted Louis XVIII wood banister. If you look more closely, you cannot fail to appreciate the way the columns have been precisely carved gradually changing proportion as they go up the stair. Beautiful.

House Beautiful, July 1994, Photo by Jeff McNamara

This home built by McKim, Mead and White in 1882, sports a beautiful screen between the living room and stair . Described as a Japanese influenced Aesthetic Movement screen, it was a style commonly used by the architects early in their careers. When the home was purchased by Dick Cavett and Carrie Nye, the screen was hidden away behind wallboard until it was discovered by Nye. And thank goodness! With it's intricate lathe-turned lattice work, it is one of the most stunning details in the home.

House Beautiful May 2006, Photo by Tim Street-Porter

This stair looks like liquid butterscotch spiraling down from three stories high. This house, interior design by Steven Schubel, is located in Marin County California, but could just as easily be from Morocco. The stair was made by Olivier Garnier of Stucco D'Olivetti of San Francisco.

House and Garden February 2007, Photo by Simon Upton

Just a classically beautiful limestone stair with a subtly painted iron banister. The zebra design runner is from Patterson, Flynn and Martin. Interior Design by Michael Simon. Who would think this was a house built in the 60's in Florida?

House and Garden January 2001, Photo by Melanie Acevedo

House and Garden July 2007, Photo by Eric Cahan

Even the simplest of stairs can have a story, create a focal, point, or a mood. I love these stairs, from the Maine beach house of the family of Patricia Lansing,( fashion editor for Vanity Fair and Daughter of Carolina Herrera) and her husband Gerrit. Pristine and white, beautiful in their simplicity.

House and Garden June 2003, Photo by Matthias Petrus Schaller

And then we have the "over the top" and stunning stair designed by William Diamond and Anthony Baratta. The floors were hand stenciled by the Diane Warner Studio. The runner is from the Diamond and Baratta Collection by Stark. And yes, you have probably guessed that the hand-painted wallpaper is from Gracie Inc. The stair railings are original to the house, a 19th century East Side New York town house.

Elle Decor February March 2004, Photo by Pieter Estersohn

This very contemporary stair is not without it's own exquisite details. Notice the steel and fluted glass screen standing 16 feet high dividing the stair from the kitchen, inspired by the "industrial windows in the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Berkeley" says owner James Mohn, architect.

Elle Decor October 2007, Photo by William Waldron

I wanted to show this amazing staircase and ceiling because of it's very interesting history. It is the apartment of Valesca Guerrand-Hermes which is found in the Hotel des Artistes, a "Gothic-style enclave on Manhattan's Upper West Side" built in 1917. The owner has turned the stairwell into a gallery and the ceiling is original. Guerrand-Hermes says "Hotel des Artistes is an extravagant place, designed for people who want to be different." I'll take that "different"! Simply stunning.

I am leaving you with the amazing staircase at the Palazzo Reale in Naples, designed by Dominico Fontana circa 1600. For more original photos and information, please check out the brilliant blog, Architect Design. You will not be sorry!

Designing a modern addition on our home had been a long time dream for my wife and I. We were lucky enough to have a very talented friend, an architect, who sat down with us and listened to our needs and helped us to create a plan. There were a couple of things that we wanted to be able to incorporate into the design. First, we didn’t want a big house, 1,200 square feet was plenty for us and our dog, but we didn’t want it to feel small. To help increase the perceived space we wanted to have a long line of sight. Having that line of sight makes a house feel big even if it isn’t. Second we wanted lots of built in storage. We had spent too many years in small apartments with no storage and had learned just how valuable storage can be. Lastly we wanted it to have a strong connection to the outdoors. The final design incorporated all of these features, a long hall with built in storage gives line of sight and a place for everything, while the courtyard between the kitchen and master bedroom gives the outdoor connection. Best of all it could be built for around $125 a square foot. In return for designing a beautiful home for us, I built a simple modern birch kitchen for my friend, the architect, for the cost of material. It was a win win situation for everyone.

Lessons learned:

1. When it comes to designing a space find someone who is not only extremely talented, but also willing to listen to your needs.

2. Trade skills. Everyone is good at something. Good old fashioned bartering and trading goes a long way in the modern world.

I cover some of our design inspirations in this post.

More details on the kitchen I built here.

Personally I know that I would like to have in my apartment a wall that looks like a stone wall, but how this is not possible you can still have this idea by using a wallpaper that looks like a stone wall. For those of you who like this idea, and are already thinking on how their apartment will look with this stone wallpaper you can buy the stone wall from Target.

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Wallpaper that Looks like a Stone Wall