Design*Sponge's Wallpaper Resource List!

Maybe when I own my own home (dreaming!) I'll finally get to wallpaper a wall. Until then, I sooth myself by collecting images of other people's amazing spaces, all decked out in sensational patterns. But it's good to dream. And when I make that first purchase in yardage, I'll know where to turn thanks to Grace and her Top 50 Wallpaper Sources. (See also Wallpaper Under $100)

Design Space Series on Craftzine

Just wanted to let y'all know about the Design Space series on Craftzine. In honor of last month's theme, Design & Photography, Nat and I put together some fun Q+A profiles on four creative studios based in San Francisco — MINE, Sony Ericsson, Chronicle Books, and Volume Inc. Shown here are a few highlights from our adventures. The project was so much fun that I'm sure we'll be extending it to new faces and places in the future. I'll be sure to keep you posted!

Big thanks to Christopher Simmons, George Arriola, Suzanne LaGasa, and Eric Heiman and Adam Brodsly.

Adam Wallacavage: Octopus Chandeliers

I just posted this on CRAFT, my happy find of the week! While perusing the BellJar blog yesterday I came across these enchanting cephalopod chandeliers by Adam Wallacavage, a Philadelphia artist who made his start photographing for skate magazines like Thrasher. The chandeliers were born of a maritime infatuation, and sport awesome names such as Miss Fede, Dixie LaRue, and Fenicologia.

"Inspired by an obsession with the ocean and a fascination with extravagant interiors of old churches, Adam transformed the dining room of his South Philadelphia Victorian Brownstone into something from the pages of a Jules Verne novel. Teaching himself the ancient art of ornamental plastering, Adam evolved his new found skills into making plaster cast octopus shaped chandeliers as the final touch to his underwater themed room."

Adam also keeps a photo and finds blog, Monster Sized Monsters, and has a book out of the same name at Ginko Press. You can find more of his work at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery. And, for what it's worth, I emailed Adam to get some pics and he wrote me right back and was very helpful. It's entirely exhilarating to encounter a professional in the true sense of the word. You rock, Adam!

DIY Home Decor from Ruche

Throw open the shutters, sweep out the dust bunnies, and ready the tool set, it's spring again! Time to freshen up the nest with a little crafty resourcefulness. Mai of Ruche shares her tips and tricks for these fabulous DIY home decor projects using everyday materials. Learn how to make shelves out of books, create a floral wall out of butcher paper, and use milk paint to get that old-timey look. I especially love her tip for using cornstarch paste to apply fabric as wallpaper. When you're ready for a change, just peel off the fabric and throw it in the wash. It comes out like new! [via Creature Comforts]

John Paananen: Suburban Tipi

Half-Finnish, half-Italian designer John Paananen was living in a yurt when he started brainstorming ideas for building a livable hybrid nomadic dwelling on site at his campus, the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. He considered the question, “What would happen as a result of immobilizing the nomadic home with suburban values, materials and methods of construction?" Well, apparently, you get a yurt-igloo-tipi fusion. Paananen writes, "I imagined these holistically designed structures to blister or tumor in reaction to the disconnectedness, artificiality, environmental and social irresponsibility that suburbia is.”

That may be, but there is nothing unlovely about his creation. The structure measures 16 feet tall by 18 feet in diameter and yields 255 square feet of living space. Inside, Paananen decorated with modern furniture, wonderful nature reproductions, and held nighttime projections within the dome. And while it took 3 months to build, his home of 7 months was carefully deconstructed in just 3 hours by a three person crew. It was then transported by truck to be re-erected at a new location. It currently can be visited at AguaFina Gardens International in Sylvan Lake, Michigan.

Read more at Daily Tonic. You can see shots of his original yurt and the Suburban Tipi on his Flickr. [via Notcot]

Simple Home by Mark and Sally Bailey

Simple Home is the new book (the first one being Recycled Home) by Mark and Sally Bailey of destination home-ware store Baileys. The sparse, rustic interiors are beautifully captured by photographer Debi Treloar — be sure to check out her website for more stunning images. [via Pacha Design, by way of Dress Design Decor]