A renaissance in luxe wallpaper is romancing a whole new generation of homeowners.

My parents hung textured wallpaper in our piano room (a.k.a. “the fancy room” we wee ones were not allowed to enter), in circa 1985. Call me an oracle, but even when I stood under four feet tall I knew that the grey swans would have passed from being “In vogue,” to truly ugly by 1986.

Given my lifelong leanings on the subject of wallpaper, what I’m about to say will shock even my mother, who has seen and heard it all from me: I lust after this wallpaper from Graham & Brown.  The Adorn Collection features glittery, shimmery, metallic embellishments that, at $75 a roll, create a look of luscious decadence without breaking the bank.
It is a glue-on wallpaper, so be sure to choose a fungicide free paste or one that is water based, water soluble or solvent free.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

In case you want a bird in your dining room this Thanksgiving, but not on your table – check out these ostrich lovelies from the distant (and more glamorous) cousin of the gobbler.

The Fiela Feather Light by Haldane Martin is a vision of spherical feathers to float over your dining room (or living room, or bedroom). The drama of gentle light filtered through feathers is palpable – if only it were on the menu at my house this year.

Two dimensional ostriches have lingered around EcoSalon before and they are still stunning. The avian wallpaper from Beware the Moon (available here) is a bold way to bring a bird (or seventeen ostriches) into your dining room this Thanksgiving (and of course, being the gracious host you are, invite them to stay year round).

(Photograph Credits: Image 1, Image 2)

I have to admit, I love cork – and not just because the source (the Cork Oak tree) bears an uncanny resemblance to my last name. I love the texture, color, and possibilities this humble material offers. I love that a porous material with contrasting rich earthy substance and negative space molds into sheets of two-dimensional strength. Here are just a few reasons for you to love cork, too.

Benjamin Hubert designs a heap of gorgeous products to suspend from your ceiling. The Float pendant (a hand turned Portuguese agglomerate cork lamp) is just one of Mr. Hubert’s creations to covet.

The Phillip Jeffries Java Cork Collection is an inspired wallpaper gathering; Ebony Cork with Gold is a dream of natural cork with a gold metallic underlay. This unexpected partnership of earthy and gleam is absolutely stunning. These Balloon Shakers designed by Japanese architect Masayuki Kurokawa (available at Merchant 4) are a translucent and enlightening way to display salt, pepper, and vivid spices.

The Puf Fup by Corque (designed by Ana Mestre) is envisioned to “challenge the creativity of its user” through a cohesive, continuous string of perfect cork spheres that invites sculpting your perfect (wildly comfortable) seat.

Each week here at EcoSalon, I beg my favorite bloggers and designers to hand select a beloved green product, whether it’s a finish, furnishing, or accessory. The end result? An endless anthology of aesthetically perfect products for your perusal.

This week will be a slight divergence as the girl (Leigha Oaks) behind the “˜Handpicked‘ series does the picking. In addition to my words on EcoSalon, I also have a blog, elle oh; this little piece of online real estate is brimming with personal musings, inspirational substance, gorgeous interiors, vivid colors, calming neutrals, lovely products, and a general dose of beauty and design.

This week I cannot stop thinking about the crème de la crème of wallpaper, Kreme (started by the creative and talented Cadee Wilder). As if the graphic delight wasn’t enough, factor in some earth consciousness and the result is pure perfection. The collection is full of alluring ombre effects, soft geometry, stunning contrast, and subtle colors. The Folk Flower paper (shown above and below) has captivated me with the charm of old world flowers. Picking just one pattern to share was agonizing, be sure to drool over the rest of the collection. And don’t miss the pillows either – baubles and woodland creatures, oh my!

Here are some ripe picks from the groovy grape file:

Fruitful Folds: Designer Dror Benshetrit should take pride in his Peacock chair exhibited at the recent ICFF 2009 in New York. Designed for Cappellini, no weaving, sewing or upholstery glue was applied to the comfortable lounge seat with a price tag too high to mention on our site. Hey, that’s art, kids.

Berry Soft: Avalisa hand-tufted New Zealand wool rugs in animal and abstract patterns: Dog, Wonder and Deer. Available in three sizes.

Grape Explosion: Tree Bomb purple wallpaper from Ferm Living. $115 per roll.

Juicy gems: from VivaTerra, gorgeous tones in on-trend shapes and textures. $98-119.

Purple is the New Black: Nouveau Organic Duvet and Pillows from Pottery Barn Teen, $32-$119 in twin and Queen sizes.

Upcycled Mashup: From Etsy, this felted wool pillow was a 100% cashmere sweater in a former life. $35 for the cover.

When I gather with friends over a bottle of wine it usually involves a book discussion or recruiting more parents for the school book fair. Erin Yasgar and Teresa Grow created Madison and Grow, a green wallpaper company over a bottle of grape. I want to drink with women like that. Why can’t I find friends like that? Probably because I don’t live in New York. Darn it!

Not only do these hip wall cover girls have inspiring ideas for patterns (Laura Ashley meets Lily Pulitzer and David Hicks) but their web site features photo strips with their bios, which is really cool. My friends would never think of that. Man, I need new friends.

Now, the product: it is hand sketched (botanicals, geometrics, vines) before being scanned onto recyclable papers for your walls. They are coated with natural clay minerals for durability, are low-VOC and contain no harsh chemicals to enhance the beauty. Oh, and the Pasadena Collection consists of patterns with names that all begin with the letter “E”.

Eleanor

Elizabeth

Eloise

Erin

Estella

They range from $150 to $225 per roll, putting them in the mid-to-high design range. Interior Design magazine likes Eleanor so much, it awarded the design one of the best of the year. The company is launching a new Manhattan line in 2009 and sells to the trade.