Previously I had a blank wall on the opposite side of my kitchen, and for the longest time, I couldn't decide what I wanted to do with it.
When you've lived in the same space for over 15 years like I have, you often seek out ways to make improvements. There's certainly nothing wrong with a blank wall, but this summer I decided it needed that certain something – how do the French say – je ne sais quoi.
My inspiration was this cool and real looking white brick wallpaper I saw online from Wallpaper Direct. My other springboard was a series of four black and white drawings I completed last year.
I wrote about these in a previous blog post, Drawing "Caprice" on a Whim.
I haven't fully committed to this project so the wallpaper is currently thumbtacked to the wall. I like how the vintage bridge chairs look, but I'm planning to replace the wooden TV tray with something more chic – perhaps a clear acrylic console or small table if I can find one. The hallway measures about 4 ft. 7 in. wide so I don't want anything that sticks out more than about 18". I definitely plan to stick to the black and white color scheme.
I also plan to frame the drawings using black wood frames (I've already found two from Brimfield). I'm hoping to repaint them using high-gloss black paint. I may reposition them and maybe add a funky sunburst mirror or objet d'art for the center of the wall.
Per my usual design strategy, I don't want to put just anything there. I want it to be just the right thing, and I'll know it when I see it. Sometimes it's a challenge to be patient, but I feel the best rooms evolve over time. My other feeling is, if I don't want to fully commit, I can leave the wallpaper thumbtacked and change it if I get tired of it.
I'll post updates to this project, hopefully soon. In the meantime this is la vie en noir et blanc.
