Meet Designer Libby Unwin

We're proud to have Libby Unwin as one of our first World-Class designers. Her work is fresh, bold, and with an inimitable style that is unmistakeably modern.

More of Libby's favorites and her bio statement can be found on her profile page.  She's generously created a few colorways for us that she thinks you'll enjoy.

We recently had a chance to sit down with Libby, and discuss her design influences. We think you'll fall head-over-heels for her work like we have!

What designer has inspired you most and why?
I have loved Abigail Borg's work for quite some time, and really admire that her work is hand-drawn. I get really excited about Patty Young's designs, especially her colorways. It seems like I discover someone new every day - someone who is pushing the bounds of pattern design, someone who is creating work that astounds and inspires me.

Who do your designs appeal to most?
My designs appeal to people looking for something new and versatile, and who are wanting to meld several themes together in one room. I try to leave room for that one extra color, so the pattern can work with other things going on in the same area.

Where do you see yourself, as a designer, in the upcoming year?
I plan to push on my own boundaries: do more hand-drawn work, venture into high-detail designs, create collections of patterns with innovative colorways.

Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
Everywhere! I was watching TV last night, and a baby was in a high chair with dots on the seat. My brain quit watching the show for about 30 seconds while I was rearranging the dots, adding other shapes, sneaking in a very hot pink, mapping out another pattern, and then another, and then another. All from a couple of dots. It's endless! Sometimes I sit down and draw something that's been percolating for awhile; other times I'm drawing with no direction, no ideas, just a pencil.

What is your favorite room in your home/apt. and why?
We just moved into our first house and lately I am obsessed with the living room. I have plans to fill the room with Moroccan-esque colors and fabrics. I love texture and color working together, and of course, patterns. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

What are your favorite colorways and products?  How do you see them being used in people's homes or businesses (like restaurants and hotels)?
Lately, I'm in love with purple, so I think this purrple colorway is gorgeous.

I can see it in an office as wallpaper, and/or as throw pillows in a purple room. Because it's two very versatile colors, the pattern would provide a good backdrop for other accents and decor touches.

I also am drawn to colorways that feel soothing and refreshing at the same time. I would use this colorway as a fabric in a spa's window coverings, in a reading room's lamps, or in an indoor garden's lounging furniture.

The colors are so gentle, but punchy enough to add a "fun" element to the room. Because the colors are earthy, but fresh, you could use rich browns to make the room feel warm and cozy, or add a coral or a blue and make it feel bright and alive.

This lampshade would look killer in my home office.

I've got grass green and bright sky blue with browns and blacks working together. Bright and poppy! I like to see colors bouncing off each other. I love overhead lighting for reading or drawing, and I love the circles in the Stop Drop #4 pattern working with the rounded shade, especially since everything else in the room has very straight lines.

In setting up our dining table last night, I realized I need to make covers for the chairs. The room is gold and red with black dishes, so I am thinking this fabric would look great on the chairs.

I love that on Alluminare's site, I can change the colors of the patterns not only to create new colorways, but even change the pattern itself by using two of the same color. This fabric is Linoak on Seventh with Classic Red on two of the three color options, isolating the small background squares.

10 Ways to Get Creative with Wallpaper

Wallpaper - it's not just for walls anymore, and we like that!

Napier wallpaper in Cantaloupe, Pale Buttercup, and Light Spring Grass

Working with wallpaper is easy and whether you have scraps left over from a recent home project, or you order some just to play with, it's a great tool. There are loads of fantastic, unexpected ways to use wallpaper in home design and gift and craft-making - here are ten of our favorites:

1. As pictures. We love the look of wallpapering just parts of walls - wouldn't the dining room below look so fantastic with Traditional Damask in Sand Dollar and Croissant, just inside the mouldings?

But why not take it a step further and skip the mouldings altogether. To get a similar effect without the architectural elements, frame large panels of wallpaper in pretty picture frames and hang them on the wall.

Framed wallpaper comes in handy, too, when staging a home for sale. As any home stager will tell you, personal photos are one of the first things to go. Unfortunately, removal of photos often leaves rooms looking barren - but replacing photos with pretty wallpaper lets your frames shine (without the distraction of your kids' graduation shots).

2. As the Christmas Tree. Nothing beats a real Christmas tree, of course, but sometimes it's just not practical (we're looking at you, tiny apartment-dwellers who travel during the holidays). We love the modern interpretation of the Christmas tree-as-wall-decoration:

And we think that Padma, in Light Spring Grass and Basil, is the perfect wallpaper for this year's "wall tree":

3. As ornaments. Festive wallpaper, a little wood or cardboard, some glue, and some string, and you've got yourself a great homemade Christmas tree ornament.

4. For gift tags. Again, a bit of festive wallpaper can go a long way. Who wouldn't hope their name was on the back of a cute tag made with Dasha wallpaper in cream, Aurora Red, and Light Spring Grass:

5. To cover a bulletin board. Bulletin boards, of all shapes and sizes, deserve to be pretty. Covering store-bought cork with wallpaper is as easy as firing up the staple gun or glue gun and cutting the paper to fit. Just a few minutes, and you'll have a fantastic new home accessory.

If you're feeling daring, you might even go for a shape. We love these silhoutte boards:And we think they'd look fantastic in a fun room covered in preppy Baby Blue, Blueberry, Light Spring Grass, and Pale Buttercup Brookhaven Stripe:
6. As placemats. Brookhaven Stripe (above) would also make a fabulous placemat for a casual summery table. Cut the paper in a 13 inch by 9 inch rectagle, clean up the edges with hot-glued grosgrain ribbon, and you've got a perfect picnic mat.

7. As shelf-liners. Whether its the pantry shelves in the kitchen, or the back of a simple white bookcase, we love the look of wallpaper-lined shelves. Wouldn't shelves covered in gray, silver, and Pale Lavender Tulip wallpaper be fantastic in a young girl's room:

8. As bookmarks. So simple - just a cut the paper, fold it over, and glue it, and you've got yourself a nice, sturdy bookmark.

9. As bookcovers. In his home on Harbour Island, designer David Hicks covered all of his books with plain brown paper. We love the sentiment, but would go for something with a little more spunk (maybe even that Tulip wallpaper, to match the shelves).

10. To scrapbook. You scrapbookers out there know who you are - you probably already have bins full of paper scraps all over your homes. Wallpaper is the perfect addition to the scrapbooker's arsenal - it's hardy, it's fun, and it's totally customizable.

What are we missing? How do you get creative with wallpaper?

[Christmas tree on the wall photo from Apartment Therapy. Silhouette bulletin boards and great moulding photos from Houzz.com. All other photos from Alluminare.com.]