As much as I love the look of wallpaper, I haven’t been able to make the leap from admiring wallpapered rooms in Domino to actually papering a room in my own house. There’s something so adult, so permanent, and, yes, so expensive about the whole process that I haven’t been able to bite the bullet quite yet. Still, if I were to paper, I’d want to do it with a bang — I mean, why go to all that trouble if you’re not going to make a statement? Isn’t drama the whole point of wallpaper? I have a fantasy of papering a dining room with something wacky and fun like this Woodson & Rummerfield green birdcage wallpaper, which is made with recycled paper and vegetable dyes ($55 at Green With Glamour). What do you guys think — is wallpapering worth the trouble and expense? –Meg D.

Read more of Meg’s tips for stylish, green living at her blog, Style Saves the World.

Here’s a collectible, decor-friendly item we haven’t thought about in a long time: stamps! “I’m an anthropologist by day, and I’ve found a lot of world stamps that reflect many countries’ historic and prehistoric past,” writes reader Melissa. “I eat this stuff up!”

“I mount them into a shadow box so I can hang them all together. I hang them up using a combination these double-sided putty things called Zots and use pins for extra support.” See more of Melissa’s collection after the jump. (more…)

Via Freshhome, I see that the iconic Egg Chair has been given a facelift for its 50th anniversary. It’s giving me bad Preppy Handbook flashbacks. What do you think? The Egg Chair says, “On the occasion of the chair’s golden anniversary, Fritz Hansen asked the well-known conteporary artist Tal R to interpret 50 Egg chairs designed by Arne Jacobsen…This series of the Egg visually expresses its 50 years of fame as if every piece of textile represents a period of time with past and present trends.” Okay, that makes it understandable, if still not a look I’m loving.

I much prefer this version — The Golden Egg in leather and suede on a brass base. Beautiful.

Speaking of Arne Jacobsen, remember the European McDonald’s featuring Jacobsen furniture designs? Turns out that Fritz Hansen severed ties with the chain last fall, lambasting McD’s for putting “terrible copies” of their iconic furniture in some of its UK stores. What McDonalds was doing was legal, but not lovable. –Mary T.

It’s not often that hardware stops us in our tracks, but this new Karbon articulating faucet from Kohler did just that. Like something from a hi-tech chemistry lab, it’s designed to move and stick in any position you need it to, for hands-free hosing. The sleek lines make it a thing of beauty as well as beyond practical. This one’s going into our “dream kitchen” file. Someday, someday. Click here to see more at Kohler’s site.

Original collages and paintings by famed San Francisco artist Rex Ray command $1,000 or more from modern art galleries and hip retailers like Jonathan Adler.

Much as I adore his work, though, that’s way out of my price range. Little did I know that there are also authorized Rex Ray prints available from online art outposts such as Art.com, ArtSelect.com — and yes, even trusty old eBay.

The four colorful Ray lithographs above, for instance — Samba One, Samba Two, Acapulco Two, and Sao Paulo Two — measure 15 x 18 inches and come professionally framed.

Current bids: $20 each. (Hurry — the auctions end Wednesday afternoon.) –Leah H.

See more of Leah’s great finds on her blog, More Ways to Waste Time.

An event called “Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness” may sound like a Purell convention, but it was actually a debut of some intriguing new work by Brooklyn-based designer Kiel Mead and German furniture design team 45 Kilo at The Future Perfect in Brooklyn’s edgy Williamsburg ‘hood. Hailing from Weimar, Philipp Schöpher and Daniel Klapsing of 45 Kilo design ultra-sleek industrial-style furniture that is unexpectedly hand-crafted. Kiel Mead, best known for jewelry that reinterprets ordinary objects such as vintage keys, retainers (yes, as in mouth piece) and a Forget Me Not string in silver and gold, also designs minimalist furniture. His latest pieces explore iconography and Catholicism — my pick is the Sebastian’s Stake Coat Hanger in solid walnut and powder-coated steel, inspired by Saint Sebastian, who is said to have miraculously survived being shot with arrows while tied to a stake. What better spot to hang that favorite vintage leopard-print coat that I’ve worn furiously for 14 years and would gladly lay down my life for? And then there’s the fluorescent Halo Light (a collaboration amongst all three designers). That would be handy to stand under after a down-and-dirty shouting match or shopping spree when you need to instantly achieve an angelic appearance. –Ingrid S.

I love the patterns at my local fabric shop, and made the pillows shown above with their cotton prints (the pink one is vintage). I’d like to use their fabrics as art above our couch as well. My plan is to stretch a piece of material over a rectangular wooden frame, secure it in back with a staple gun, and hang. Right now I have a green print (shown above) up as a placeholder, but I wanted your advice about what to put up instead: One big large square of fabric? One solid square of fabric plus two prints? I’d love to hear what you think. Thanks! —Bunny W.

These resin-and-paper trophy deer heads from Etsy seller Ruby’s Lounge take the current craze for taxidermy and deer iconography to a surreal level. I love their colorfulness and humor — and, of course, the fact that no actual deer was harmed in their creation. Each made-to-order piece is generously sized at about 18 by 18 by 14 inches, and comes with a keyhole hanger on the back for easy mounting. They’re $225 apiece in the Ruby’s Lounge Etsy shop. –Leah H.

See more of Leah’s great finds on her blog, More Ways to Waste Time.

When it comes to simple, clever, and of-the-moment, I still love the For Like Ever poster, even though it’s gotten so popular a lot of people consider it “over” (just read the comments). It’s still available at Village, and guess what? I’m going to buy one. The heck with popular opinion! So how about you? Is there a decorating trend or style you just can’t get enough of, even though other people may be shouting, “Enough”? –Mary T.

P.S. Remember, we want to hear about the trends you still love. For trends you hate, post here.

I had the good fortune to meet Paola Thomas of MirrorMirror over the weekend, and subsequently was invited to attend The Lab, a brand-new design community get-together she helped put together with John Tusher, owner of Velocity Art and Design. I expected it to be interesting, but found it to be nothing short of inspiring.

The Lab was inspired by Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge, whose Biz Ladies Meetups were “the catalyst for realizing how necessary creative gatherings such as The Lab are to the vitality of our design community,” says Tusher. He envisions the monthly events as places where everyone who is creative, from interior designers to collage artists to cheesemakers, can meet, share ideas, socialize, and find new outlets for their art and new inspirations for their businesses.

John Tusher introduces Matte Stephens to the crowd at The Lab, held at the Velocity Art and Design store in Seattle’s South Lake Union.

Featured artist Matte Stephens spoke to the crowd about his secret to artistic success: “I was gonna make this work or die. I didn’t give myself an option to quit.”

Click the link for more photos, inspiration, and information on attending the next event. –Mary T. (more…)