There is actually SO much pattern-mixing in this house that I thought it would be a bit of a break to just stick with one fabric — we call it pattern-drenching! Often the wallcovering and the same-pattern textile are a bit different from one another in scale or color when they’re made, but these are a near-exact match, which was a treat. I just love it when the headboard and wallpaper line up.
Papered To Impress Bedroom
Courtnay Tartt Elias
Interior Designer
Houston-based designer, Courtnay Tartt Elias, principal of Creative Tonic, has a passion for composing layered environments that invite celebration. With a fearless use of color and decidedly inventive flair, she uses rich palettes, patterns and textures to create imaginative spaces centered around the art of gathering and celebration.
Houston-based designer, Courtnay Tartt Elias, principal of Creative Tonic, has a passion f...
It’s not hard, but you have to have a good wallpaper installer and you can’t do it fast. I won’t order the headboard until the wallpaper is up and then I’ll run over and hold the fabric on the wall to make sure we’re getting it exact.
Even though it’s a lot of pattern, the effect is very cohesive, finished, and cozy. I love British-style interiors, which have lots of layers, they always feel elevated and thorough. They envelop.
It’s a pretty color, Sherwin-Williams Restful. Usually I paint the ceiling with 50% or 25% strength of the wall color because when a colorful wall hits a white ceiling it looks unfinished or at least standard. Adding a little color, it makes it look custom. The effect of mixing the wall color into white paint is like the ceiling is simply reflecting what’s on the wall.
I love Snowbound by Sherwin-Williams. It’s a white, but it has depth. Something a little creamier is Farrow & Ball Pointing, the light plays so well on this color. I use both!
Interview by Sophie Donelson