(Not “Narnia” as I first thought!) Gentle Readers, I have not been holding out on you. With our bathroom renovation taking place on the 3rd floor, I thought it wise to wait until all the bumping and thumping up and down the stairs subsided before papering the foyer walls.
I was away for several weeks — some work, some vacation — and excitingly, the wallpaper installation took place while I was away. When I walked into our house yesterday, BLAMMO!!! (If you’re on TikTok, I did record the reveal.)
Please see the November post about my pandemic-driven decision to wallpaper in the first place. (It includes “before” pictures like this one and several wallpapers I was considering:)
In the end, I went with what I bet you’ll think a surprising choice: Narina by Cole & Son.
I really, really thought I was going to go for a festive, multi-colored wallpaper like the ones I showed you in November. But you know what? I think the fact that I couldn’t make a decision was telling. I AGONIZED. Weeks of ordering swatches and taping them up…it wasn’t pretty.
The truth of the matter is that I was tired of the frenzy. Tired of how active the peacock wallpaper was. People loved it – including and especially my family. But I really, really (really) needed a change.
One of my daughters is NOT happy about the wallpaper; she says it makes the foyer darker. Well you know what? It DOES. So? So I’m going to add an accent lamp to the secretary (I’ve been meaning to do that for years anyway) and maybe up the wattage of the bulbs in the chandelier.
I’ve been on a green kick this year, as you know (foreshadowing the big reveal of the new bathroom!!!), and when I stumbled upon Narina online, I was pretty confident I’d found the winner. Sometimes you just know, you know?
I just feel so happy when I walk into our house. The green is fresh, but it’s also warm and enveloping.
It’s a big change, but I hope you like it!
In case you missed it, here’s the recent NBC4 story about author Jason Reynolds’ house. I make a few comments, but really, you should just listen to Jason ;) Thanks to all who tuned in!
Annie Elliott Design is based in Washington, DC, with offices in St. Michaels, Maryland and Middlebury, Vermont. Annie’s design work and insights have appeared in numerous local and national publications, including HGTV Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Washingtonian Magazine.