About

 
Arren Williams is the name, and I'm a stylist, editor and trend reporter. You'll catch my work regularly popping up in print in the likes of the National Post, House & Home and elsewhere. I'm also a guest expert on Citytv's CityLine, and you can occasionally find me on ABC 7 News in Chicago.

To keep things fun I've tapped a couple of friends - Julia Black and Jenn Hannotte - to contribute their views on design too. Enjoy!

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Entries in wallpaper (14)

Thursday
Jul222010

Seriously fun

Saw this chair a couple of secs ago on Twitter and thought how great it was, and now here I go sharing it with you lot. It's a fantastically quirky Victorian club chair (love the turned black legs and casters) that's been upholstered in a metallic silver print on a dark purple Irish linen called D'ya-think-e-sauras, from PaperBoy in the UK. Victoria Cramsie of PaperBoy scored the chair at an auction, one of a pair, she's now itching to get the other one re-upholstered too. Check her firm out for lots of seriously fun prints on fabric and wallpaper - you should really take a look at Animal Magic and Hand Made - that are nice and un-sugary, and a v. sophisticated take on designs for kids. Oh, and thanks to Victoria (aka PaperBoyLondon) for posting the shots on TwitPic!

Monday
Jun072010

5 quick questions: Laurence Llewelyn Bowen

If you like a bit of lavish and lush, then you'll definitely enjoy a slice of designer Laurence Llewelyn Bowen, who first popped up on screen close to 15 years ago on the Brit makeover show Changing Rooms. He was, and is, unapologetically theatrical and over-the-top, though unlike Hildi Santo Tomas on TLC's Trading Spaces, I don't believe he has ever glued grass to some unsuspecting homeowner's walls... Recently LLB has been busy, designing wallpaper collections (his Helsinki pattern is one of my faves) and launching a new 32-colour paint range in the UK for Graham & Brown, as well as publishing Decorating with Laurence Llewelyn Bowen, his new book. With all that on the go, I'm super happy that he found a spare minute to answer 5 quick questions.

Arren Williams: What's inspiring you right now?

Laurence Llewelyn Bowen: Gothic.

AW: Is there anything that drives you crazy when you walk into a space?

LLB: When people have decorated a room in delusions of blandeur.

AW: What's the next thing you have your eyes on for your own house?

LLB: I am always looking for unusual and original pieces of artwork.

AW: How would you describe your look, and has it changed over the years?

LLB: I love design that fuses traditional and historical elements and up to date contemporary style.  I sometimes deviate from the balance slightly but it is a preoccupation of mine to bring historical style alive.

AW: What's next on the horizon?

LLB: My new book Decorating with Laurence..., which has just hit the book shelves and is having phenomenal feedback. The book celebrates my personal style, a lot of pattern, a lot of colour and an enormous amount of wall space.

Friday
May212010

Guest blog / Jenn Hannotte: What goes around

Jenn Hannotte: While Arren had the good fortune to physically enjoy the ICFF this year, I had to get my virtual fix and have been scouring all the blogs who have covered it. Apartment Therapy's founder, Maxwell Gillingham- Ryan, recently posted this over-view of some of the new wallpaper designs showcased. What really caught my eye were the new bold florals from London-based pattern designer, Camilla Meijer. Check out her 2010 intro, and compare to a wall in my new home with its original vintage paper. Now that's a bit of a déjà vu!! Maybe I should keep it... [Images 1,2 via Apartment Therapy]

For more of Jenn's take on style click here.

Monday
May102010

Say hello to Amy and Kelly

Well, here's a nice sneak peek at the brand spanking new Graham & Brown wallpaper collections designed by Amy Butler and Kelly Hoppen that'll be launching this weekend at the ICFF in New York! First up are Amy Butler's deliciously patterned Temple Tulip, Georgia and Fountain. Next are Rose, Hicks and Vintage Flock, all from top Brit interior desiger, Kelly Hoppen. Oh, there's more, but that's all I can get away with showing you for right now! Any faves?

Monday
May032010

Know your ABC's

Madeline Weinrib is a firm fave for her delovely work in flatweaves, hand-knotted carpets and pillows, and now she's branching out. Upcoming for Ms. Weinrib is Allemande, her first foray into wallcoverings produced for her by posh wallpaper firm Studio Printworks (who're also working with artists like Michele Oka Doner and Kiki Smith). Yep, it's a damask pattern, and yep, it's black and white, but take a closer look and you'll see a free-and-easy painterly quality to the pattern that keeps it all nice and fresh and unexpected. Allemande will be on show in NYC at ABC Carpet & Home - the famous store founded by her grandfather, Max Weinrib - in mid-May and will definitely be worth a peek. I'll be popping down to New York soon for the upcoming ICFF so will let ya know how it looks! Take a look below at a couple of snaps of the silkscreened paper, including a close-up shot and, somewhere in the pattern, you might spy a little extra scribble that could be MW's initials... Oh, and if you fancy checking out Madeline Weinrib products in Toronto, check in at Y&Co.(via INK+WIT)