The perches may look soft and inviting—and indeed they are. But Tassara, the debut furniture line by Rachel and Nick Cope of Red Hook–born now TriBeCa-based Calico Wallpaper for Pierre Frey, is inspired by hard tile, specifically, the mosaic paths found in the Italian village the collection was named after. The rough edges of stone tiles and pavers are translated into the asymmetric, organic shapes defining the couple’s sofa, armchair, cushioned bench, and oak coffee table. Hand-turned oak legs meet heavy linen canvas upholstery tinted in faded pastels. The Copes often channel mesmeric skies, galaxies, and sunsets in their soft-focus watercolor or marbled wallpapers, so it’s only fitting their furniture has the same gentle touch.
Brownstoner: Curves Ahead, Brooklyn Designers Swerve Toward Curves
Brooklyn designers are swerving toward curves, inspired by Memphis and Art Deco. Danielle Trofe Design’s MushLume collection fashions dome and trumpet shaped pendant lights out of mushrooms. Blue and cream swirl on Abstract wallpaper in the hue Lucid from Calico Wallpaper.
Iridescent globes hang from straight rods in L&G Studio’s trapeze-like Equalizer light. The rounded Riso Side Table by Umberto Bellardi Ricci is handmade to order in carved wood or stone on an i-beam base in weathered metal or black. With bright flecks of color on creamy wool, the Shapes Tapestry is one of several half-moon-shaped objects, including rugs and a clutch bag, designed by New York- and India-based Leah Singh.
Featured Collection: Abstract in colorway Lucid
Article by: Cate Corcoran
Instead of Antlers, This Deer Valley House Nods to the Sun and the Moon
In approximately four hours and 40 minutes, Jan Kolteniuk and her family can go from the sun-drenched streets of Mexico City to the snowy mountains of Deer Valley, Utah (excluding traffic and waiting in line at security, of course). “It’s a direct flight to Salt Lake City,” notes Kolteniuk. She and her husband moved to Mexico City 16 years ago (he’s originally from there) but more recently fell in love with northern Utah, which shares its arid and dry weather. So when Mexico City fully shut down during the height of the pandemic, the couple and their three daughters (ages 13, 12, and 9) retreated to the States for a period of time and rented a house along the slopes. Not long after, they toured a 2,400-square-foot, circa-1980 place across the street that was for sale.
“I saw it and I was like, what a dump,” recalls Kolteniuk. The main bedroom was not only painted purple, but there was a bathtub in the middle of the space. A huge dumbwaiter soaked up precious space on all three floors…even though it couldn’t fit more than one package at a time. But the beautiful cedar ceilings were a selling point. “It made it feel like a modern chalet to me,” she adds. Kolteniuk tasked Jennelle Butera of Hudson + Bloum Design with helping her bring a touch of Mexico to the ski retreat. In addition to strong doses of marigold (which, to Kolteniuk, largely symbolize the Day of the Dead), Butera steered clear of rustic neutrals. “Gray is all over the place in a lot of these mountain homes,” she points out. Antlers were also out of the question.
Collection feature: Heartwood in Colorway Madera
A collection Designed in collaboration with Humberto Leon
Drawing inspiration from the distinctive patterns of wood grain, Leon collaborated with Calico Wallpaper to craft a custom mural that blends the organic lines of wood’s natural grain with an exaggerated graphic pattern
9 Ombre Designs for a Soft Splash of Color
In BOH’s new series On Trend, we’re asking designers to share their favorite of-the-moment finds.
Equal parts colorful and ethereal, ombre palettes and patterns have proven their appeal, transcending trend status to become an enduring design option. In addition to bringing a medley of dreamy gradient tones to a room, these gently blended, graduating shades of the same hue can create a sense of rhythm and movement, whether they’re adorning accent pieces or an entire wall. “I love the flow that ombre creates,” designer Alex Alonso tells Business of Home. “It gives the eye a soft progression, and it allows you to be more playful with color in a space without being too dramatic or harsh in the transition.”
Intrigued, we asked Alonso and designers Christina Roughan and Katie Lydon to share their favorite of-the-moment ombre finds and how to employ them in a space.
Lydon has a knack for balancing classic and contemporary elements in a space. Originally from London, the New York–based designer is just as likely to incorporate an antique chandelier or a Louis XVI–style dining chair in a room as an acrylic console or modern work of art. The end result is a harmonious mix of old and new aesthetics that somehow manages to feel both fresh and timeless.
Colour Material Finish
Global CMF Forecast
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The addition of pink to the Sun and Sky colour direction creates a wholly new colour aesthetic.However, there’s nothing saccharine about these transitioning pastels.The tonal duo of Hushed Blue and Clear Day, and two levels of yellow in Camomile and Lunar are enhanced by the soothing, yellow-based Pink Pillow. Natural applications favour water colour style graduations that emphasize the sleepy, ethereal mood of the story.
Featured Collection: Atmosphere
Photography by: Matthew Johnson
INSIDE THE HYBRID STOREFRONT: Assembly Line
The duo behind Brooklyn studio General Assembly is putting inspiration to good use with their new one-stop shop for interior design.
asy home upgrades are having a moment. With homeowners and renters alike bouncing between social media and streaming, inspiration—and motivation—abounds. But making those interior dreams a reality is easier said than done. Just ask Colin Stief and Sarah Zames, who’ve helmed the Brooklyn design studio General Assembly for the past decade. Known for their holistic approach to design, the duo can handle everything from interior architecture to furniture and finishes.
Their new brick-and-mortar venture, Assembly Line, breaks this process down into its component parts. “We recognize that people often want to improve their homes in a more targeted way,” says Zames. “And so often we don’t feel comfortable making significant changes that are, in reality, feasible.” The idea is to be a one-stop shop for interior design, where daunting projects are transformed into doable ones, whether you’re on the hunt for new lighting, looking to retile your bathroom, or simply seeking a trusted second opinion. (Stief and Zames are available for consultations by appointment.)
A stone’s throw from Brooklyn design destinations like the new Roman and Williams–designed Ace Hotel and the local Farrow & Ball showroom, Assembly Line is laid out like one of the firm’s own projects and stocked with a shoppable mix of furniture, lighting, and accessories from General Assembly sources including In Common With, Vonnegut/Kraft, Fort Standard, Armadillo, and Atelier de Troupe, among others. Industry professionals and design enthusiasts alike can also peruse material samples and swatches from the likes of Clé tile and Calico Wallpaper and place orders directly through the store.
“The idea is to take some of the guesswork out of the process,” explains Stief. “You can pick any element from any part of the space, and all of it will go together.”
ELLE Decoration International Design Awards 2021: All the Winners
Wallcovering: ‘Eden’ by Lindsey Adelman for Calico Wallpaper
The ELLE Decoration community is proud to present the winners of the 19th annual EDIDA Awards, photographed within the newly renovated Esprit Nouveau Pavilion in Bologna by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. The result of careful deliberation by the editors-in-chief across the network, these 14 winners represent the very best of design today. With thanks to official partner MGallery Hotel Collection.
Watercolour paintings of the plants, flowers and seeds of the Belle-Île, Brittany’s largest island, are the subjects of this wallcovering, which looks more like a bespoke fresco mural.
Feature Collection: Eden
Eden is a delicate and gestural collection designed with celebrated lighting designer Lindsey Adelman. Inspired during quiet time spent unplugged from the demands of daily life in Belle Île, off the coast of Brittany, Eden is a study in elevating the untamed.
Surrounded by towering cliffs, bluffs and tempestuous crashing waves, her simple house sat on a jut of land that opened to a narrow path. Every day, she set out to collect flowers, seeds, and weeds, bringing them back to her makeshift studio where she transformed them into effortless watercolors that now make up the collection.
Photo provided by: Cedrone Federico
Inside the Oscar-Winning Couples Manhattan Abode
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin know a thing or two about cultivating drama. The husband-and-wife filmmakers, who split their time between Wyoming and New York City, took home an Academy Award for their 2018 documentary, Free Solo, an edge-of-your-seat thriller that chronicled rock climber Alex Honnold’s epic quest to scale El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. The couple also directed and produced 2021’s The Rescue, which recounted the struggle to liberate a group of young soccer players trapped in an underwater cave in Thailand. For their Manhattan abode nestled among the peaks of the Upper East Side, the intrepid auteurs, working in concert with architect Damian Zunino and designer Britt Zunino of Studio DB, have crafted an entirely different kind of story—a three-dimensional tale of family and personal passion told through color, form, texture, and pattern.
“Jimmy and I are so different—city mouse versus country mouse. He grew up in a small city in Minnesota, and I was born and raised in Manhattan. But we are both children of immigrants, with a shared Chinese heritage,” Vasarhelyi says, elaborating on the dual perspectives and affinities that inform the couple’s work. “We are storytellers, and everything here has its own story, everything has meaning,” adds Chin.
Our featured collection Flora, and a vintage rattan bed in the daughter’s room covered with D. Porthault bedding was staged perfectly together.
Alongside our other featured collection, Wabi in colorway Bone in the Wet bar.
By: Mayer Rus
Photography by: Matthew Williams
Styled by: Hilary Robertson
Calico Wallpaper and Stellar Works co-retail in New York’s storied Pearl Paint building
By: Adrian Madlener
Photgrapher: Matthew Williams
A Sunny Disposition
In lush Manoa Valley, a home that was originally built in the 1960s has been updated and upgraded.
“We love hanging out in the kitchen, enjoying our morning coffee and listening to our record player,” shares Mochizuki.
The kitchen used to be split-level; relocating it to create a one-floor layout makes the space feel much larger, explains Forman. Additionally, the couple opted to use wallpaper for an accent wall in their entryway per Forman’s recommendation. The wallpaper is from Calico’s Aurora line in a color called ray, which resembles the gradient of a sunrise. “We are really glad that we listened to Andrew,” shares Mochizuki.
By: Caitlin Thomas
Luxe Interiors + Design: Behind Kelly Behun And Calico’s Bold Wallcovering Collection
A-List designer Kelly Behun shares the inspiration behind her beautifully patterned wallpaper collection with Calico.
What was the process like for this collection?
I was beyond excited to collaborate with Calico because we have worked together many times over the years. They have set a high bar for designing wallpaper that evokes a presence beyond materiality—like a grass cloth or silk that just adds texture. When bringing a pattern and story to a room, it’s hard to come up with a concept that feels like the right scale and won’t overpower the space. I didn’t realize how difficult it is to do that well, and I have a newfound respect for those who do.
The designs are largely inspired by light. Did a certain place or time inspire you?
I’m really drawn to shadows created in unexpected ways. With Bask, I had this idea of being outside in the sun and feeling the warmth suffusing you, like being under a pergola. It’s not a specific place as it is a vibe. Then with Sylvan, it was more specific to skiing over the years and loving the view of the landscape, and bare birch trees, from the chairlift. You have the most beautiful shadows playing on the snow’s surface that are so pure.
Where do you envision these wallcoverings being used?
I’m always looking for wallcoverings with color schemes, patterning and scale that can work in a myriad of spaces from a bedroom, even if it’s a feature wall, to a powder room where you might want something bolder, overscale and unexpected, to a kid’s room. I try to think of different contexts and settings for wallcoverings.